Photo credit: Kate deVeaux

Now out with her tenth publication on the shelves in the Unites States, Suzanne Selfors (M.A., 1990) has found her calling in writing children’s books. Although the journey to get there wasn’t easy, she said she has found her voice.Selfors’ story begins at the end of her driveway as she watched the school bus drive away carrying her youngest daughter to her first day of elementary school.

“I thought, ‘my life is about to change.’ This is my youngest child; she’s gone off to school and I can actually do something different now,” Selfors said. “I walked up my driveway, sat down at my computer, and I googled local writing classes.”

Selfors registered that same day at the University of Washington in their extension program for short story writing. Selfors had already graduated from the UW years earlier in 1990 with a master’s in communication with a popular culture emphasis. At that time she was interested in studying film, writing a thesis titled “From Menace to Messiah: A Cultural Study of the American Extraterrestrial Encounter Film.”

While at the UW, Selfors had an internship with KCPQ Television, where she was later hired after graduation as a research assistant. Channel 13 had just become the Fox affiliate, so the opportunity was well received.

“I was studying all the trends and trying to help the sales staff convince advertisers where they should place their advertising based on demographic and research information,” Selfors said.

However, Selfors decided to quit her job when she got married and began to start a family. She read to her children every night, even when they were babies, and started to notice something.

“There was a renaissance going on in the children’s publishing world. The Harry Potter books had changed the market and publishers were hungry. I fell in love with Lemony Snicket’s books, and a series by Suzanne Collins called Gregor the Overlander,” Selfors said. “I realized that I really wanted to write fiction.”

Selfors took the ferry from Bainbridge Island every Tuesday and Thursday night to go to the short story writing class at the UW.

“It was the first time I’d ever written an opening chapter for a novel,” Selfors said. “So that was nerve wracking for me. But the positive feedback gave me the courage to move forward with my story.”

In one year, from September 2002 to September 2003, Selfors had written her first adult novel that was set in Ancient Greece, found a literary agent that wanted to represent her, and it was being submitted to 12 publishing houses in New York City. Unfortunately, she got 12 rejection letters in return.

“It was a really dense historical novel and had a lot of research so I can look back and see why it got rejected,” Selfors said, “but I was stubborn so I wrote another adult novel, set it in ancient Greece again and it got rejected.”

When Selfors then wrote a third adult historical fiction novel that did not get picked up, she became discouraged and was close to giving up. But, nonetheless, the next story she wrote was a children’s novel titled “To Catch a Mermaid.” She finished writing it in 2005 and her agent sent it out immediately.

“He sent it to seven houses and all seven made offers on it,” Selfors said. “It went to auction, which is every writers dream because you have publishing houses fighting over you. So I realized I had found my voice and that’s what I was meant to write. It felt right.”

She said in contrast to the historical fiction novels which she had to fight her way through, the children’s books just flowed. Her kids were a major inspiration for “To Catch a Mermaid.”

“I wrote that first book for them,” Selfors said. “I read it to them while I was writing and I knew I was doing something right because at the end of each chapter they would beg me to keep reading.”

Selfors said writer’s block has never been a problem for her and that she has been creating stories in one way or another her whole life.

“I just have a brain that is very noisy,” Selfors said. “I have stories just waiting in line to be told.”

Her latest book “The Sasquatch Escape” debuted last month and is the first in a middle-grade series called, The Imaginary Veterinary Series. Four books in the series are currently under contract, with more to follow. The award-winning illustrator, Dan Santat, is designing the covers.

Selfors said that the best part about her job is getting letters, drawings, and gifts from young readers. She has also written four teen novels that inspire deeper letters from adolescents. Selfors said she responds to every single one.

Selfors is writing for three publishing houses at the moment (Bloomsbury Publishing; Little, Brown and Company; and HarperCollins), but when she has time she would like to try writing an adult novel again someday. Her first Greek novel ended up being published in Greece, so “I figured if the Greeks like it, it can’t be that bad,” Selfors joked. She wants to revisit the novel to smooth it out and try publishing it in the United States again.

“I’m happy that I’m building readership,” Selfors said. “It’s been slow and steady, but with each book I produce it does a little better than the last one.”

Her books have earned starred reviews, been Indie Picks, and Junior Library Guild award-winners. They’ve been included on the School Library Journal Best Books list, YALSA Best Books for Teens List, and multiple state lists, to name a few accolades. And they’ve been Scholastic Book Fair best-sellers.

“A lot of people think to make money in this business you have to be a New York Times best-selling author, but you don’t,” Selfors said. “If you continue to put out work that does well, you can make a living out of this.”

Although, with that being said, Selfors does hope to be a New York Times best-selling author one day.

Here is a list of our scholars and the faculty member who have invested in mentoring these students:

Kylin Munoz, Senior, Communication (Holly Barker, Anthropology)

James Kim, Junior, Communication (Matt McGarrity, Communication)

Yunfei Zhao, Junior, Communication (Jennifer Halpin, English, Odegaard Writing & Research Center; Camille Dodson, English, Odegaard Writing & Research Center)

Riley Taitingfong, Junior, Communication (Ralina Joseph, Communication; Christy Ibrahim, School of Law)

Alexandra (Alex) Kronz Kaethler, Senior, Linguistics, Psychology, Communication (Jason Gilmore, Communication)

Kailin Wang, Senior, Communication, Community, Environment, & Planning
(Daniel Abramson, Urban Design & Planning)

Rachel Donahue, Senior, Communication (Ralina Joseph, Communication; Melanie Hernandez, English)

Trevor Smith, Senior, Communication, International Studies (Mary Callahan, Jackson School of International Studies)

Adiba Khan, Junior, Biochemistry, Communication, Mary Gates Scholar (Heather Mefford, Pediatrics)

Sheridan Smalley, Senior, Communication (Randal Beam, Communication)

Reginald Gillins, Senior, Social Sciences, Evening Degree Program, Communication (Carolyn Jackson, Education (Bothell Campus))

Visit the Undergrad Research website for more information>>

“I am honored and very appreciative to the LAGRANT Foundation for granting me this opportunity,” Silvers said. “I also want to give thanks to those in my corner who supported and continue to support me in my aspirations.”

The Foundation’s motto is “funding dreams into reality,” while their mission is to increase the number of ethnic minorities in fields of advertising, marketing, and public relations. Silvers is African American and Hispanic, and has recently found that what he wants to do and what he is good at falls into the category of public relations.

“A lot of minorities are being looked past in fields such as these because they are lacking experience or prior knowledge,” Silvers said. “I think by the LAGRANT Foundation raising awareness and being so supportive in finding experience for students makes it a great opportunity that deserves tremendous amounts of credit.”

Now a senior planning to do a fifth year, Silvers has been working hard to get his GPA up in order to be competitive for scholarships. He is looking to work in public relations in the entertainment or hospitality field and plans to use the money awarded to fund another study abroad trip.

“I think that studying abroad is something that stands out tremendously in the PR and marketing world,” Silvers said. “A lot of the big agencies are international and I feel as if I have studying abroad as one of my ‘playing cards’ then it makes me stand out as an applicant showing that I can adapt to the culture around me.”

Silvers has done a summer study abroad trip to Barbados and also went on a national student exchange to the University of Hawaii. He said both opportunities gave him a chance to immerse himself in a new culture and identity, which is a great skill to have in the field he is hoping to join one day.

One of the best things about being a Department Chair is that I get a good sense of the scope and quality of research, teaching, and service contributions by all of our faculty, staff and students. I can see much more of the full field of our activities than I could glimpse as an individual faculty member before becoming Chair. From this vista, here’s what I know: We have a group of truly superb and diverse people in our community.

I want to take a moment to share just one insight.

In the past couple months I have written letters in support of three departmental faculty for two
prestigious campus awards.

• Malcolm Parks was nominated for the Marsha Landolt Graduate Mentoring Award, which is given annually to a UW faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to the education and guidance of graduate students.

• Matt McGarrity and Ralina Joseph were nominated for the Distinguished Teaching Award, which is given annually to a very small number of faculty who have made exceptional contributions to instruction and engagement of students.

The competition for these awards is very stiff. Nominations are usually put forward by students, and the nomination is an honor in itself, regardless of who ultimately receives the award. In my four-plus years as Chair, several other departmental faculty have been nominated for these honors as well — Valerie Manusov, Ralina Joseph, and Lisa Coutu for the Landolt Mentoring Award, and Randy Beam, Usha McFarling, and Laura McGarrity for the Distinguished Teaching Award. Over time, we have received a number of campus-wide awards (a list of the kinds of awards is here), and I believe Communication may have the most currently active recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award of any unit on campus.

Whenever we put forward nominations, I collect letters of support by students (current and former) and faculty colleagues, at UW and elsewhere. And I read the materials prepared by our nominees as part of their portfolios. We go through a pretty similar process when we hire, promote, and reappoint colleagues. In all instances, I get to read people’s descriptions of their work and thinking, and also to read others’ impressions of these folks.

Here is what I have learned: One of our core departmental principles is excellence through cultural and intellectual pluralism, and we have become exactly this kind of community.

Every day I see faculty colleagues who pursue distinct routes to being outstanding educators that
are vastly different in approach — and yet I see remarkably similar outcomes of educational pursuit and support, growth, and success for our students. Across social scientific and humanistic
approaches, with points of focus on a number of face to face and mediated contexts, and employing countless techniques of research and teaching and service, we provide a robust intellectual environment.

I see the same diversity of approaches with yet the same deep commitments among our staff.

Maybe I’m just feeling upbeat because we have seven — seven! — new faculty hires joining us in autumn. Or because we’re about to hire a “Department Storyteller” staff member who will focus 24/7 on the compelling things going on in the Department. Or because we raised $38,000 at our student fundraiser in April. Or because our new Communication Leadership master’s program and our academic Ph.D. program both received a stunning number of applications by potential students. Or because we’re creating a new Communication Commons gathering place in the building, to be unveiled in late summer.

That is a lot of good things, and there are many more. But here’s what I know: all of our successes are grounded, in some significant way, in the remarkable range of perspectives and approaches among faculty, staff, and students. To be both diverse and superb are uncompromise-able and intertwined goals for us.

Josh Henderson of Skillet and Hanson Hosein

Many exciting changes are underway for Four Peaks TV, created in conjunction with the MCDM. Dubbed a monthly current affairs show, Four Peaks TV connects to creatives, activists, entreprenuers, and storytellers from the Pacific Northwest. This year brings more student involvement, a change in format, and an exciting new partnership with Northwest Cable News.

This season’s first episode will premiere on Saturday, November 10th at 4 p.m. on NWCN. which is a sister station to Seattle’s KING 5. The show will be shown again no Sunday, November 11th at 5 p.m and is also featured on UWTV on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Previous episodes can also be found on their website.

The first episode will feature Josh Henderson of Skillet, a local food truck that turned into multiple Seattle restaurants famous for comfort food and bacon jam. In this episode, Four Peaks TV host Hanson Hosein will find out more about Henderson’s secret recipe for sucesss, including his effective use of social media.

Hosein is the director of the MCDM at the University of Washington, but in a previous life was a journalist for outlets including NBC News and MSNBC.com.

Skillet Seattle Center

The show started as Media Space in 2010 and focused specifically on media and technology. In 2011, the show got a facelift with a new name (Four Peaks), and a broader focus on innovation in the Pacific Northwest and its effect on the world. This season brought more twists, with new featured segments, including one called Teach Hanson where each guest shows him how to do something, and expanding the MCDM’s program offerings to bring in more student involvement through a production studio class.

The second episode of the season will air Saturday, November 17 at 4 p.m. and Sunday, November 18 at 5 p.m., with the third episode the following Saturday and Sunday at the same times respectively.

You can connect with Four Peaks TV on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Recent alumnus Brett Bowker (B.A., 2010) is bringing us his first film as a producer and cinematographer called “The Long Ride Home.” The film premiered last year at the Seattle International Film Festival earning a ‘Best of Fest’ selection, and also winning at the Santa Rosa International Film Festival VetsFest.

The special screening will take place in CMU 120 on Wednesday, May 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a Q&A session with Bowker and director Thomas Lee Wright immediately following the film.

Synopsis: In 2001, Kevin Mincio was an up-and-coming Goldman Sachs vice president with an office at 1 Liberty Plaza (next door to the World Trade Center) when the first plane hit the tower. In an instant, his life was transformed. He put his promising career on hold to enlist in the Army and was assigned at Fort Lewis, Washington, to America’s first Stryker Brigade. Deployed to Iraq, Mincio was assigned as a reconnaissance scout in the 5-20 Infantry Battalion. Though he would eventually come home, his Army buddy, Staff Sgt. Jesse Williams, would not be as fortunate. Sgt. Mincio made a vow to help care for Williams’ daughter and family, and later to do all he could for the families of fallen soldiers. With those goals in mind, he started the Team Jesse Foundation, and launched fundraising efforts like “The Ride,” a challenging bicycle trip of 4,200 miles over 95 days aiming to arrive at Ground Zero on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. “The Long Ride Home” is the story of that ride – and of Kevin Mincio’s personal quest to honor the sacred promise he made to a friend and fellow soldier.

Bios:

Brett Bowker earned his B.A. in journalism at the University of Washington in 2010. After graduation he traveled to Europe and China. Having worked in lacrosse reporting in Washington State for several years, he discovered the story of Team Jesse and spearheaded the transcontinental filming effort as producer and cinematographer. “The Long Ride Home” is his first film of the beginning of a promising career.

Thomas Lee Wright (director, producer, writer) has been making socially-conscious documentaries for more than 20 years, ranging from the definitive film “Trade Off” about the WTO protests in Seattle, which won the Golden Space Needle Award for Best Documentary at SIFF 2000 and toured with the International Human Rights Watch Festival, to an investigation of gangs during the 1992 LA riots called “Eight-Tray Gangster: The Making of a Crip,” which the Hollywood Reporter called “more sympathetic and frightening than any film on the subject.” It also premiered at the American Film Institute Festival and aired on the Discovery Channel.

Please register to attend this free event >>

The bulk of the Screen Summit will be an opportunity for our students to present their work on the screen of their choice, be it smart phone, tablet, or laptop. The work they present could be a particular project they are especially proud of, or a culminating portfolio of their best work from their time in the Communication Leadership program. The focus will be on mingling and networking with alumni, faculty, and community members, with each student presenter stationed at a table (think poster session with screens instead of posters).

Learn more by visiting our website: www.cl.uw.edu

What should we Tweet? What can we tell the public? Should we release the shooter’s name? Has the victim’s family been notified? Where’s the press conference? Is the shooter dead? Are students safe? Should we show photos of a dead body? What resources are there to protect our journalists’ emotional and mental state?

These are all questions that rang around the room as 20 journalism and public relations students, along with some of The Daily staff, grappled with a realistic simulation of a campus shooting. The students were split up into groups of editors, visual journalists, reporters, and crisis communicators and each sector had their own qualified mentor. The groups were given a piece of paper containing different facts at each of the three phases. Some phases included updates that intensified the decision making.

Seattle police reporter for The Seattle Times Sara Jean Green assisted the reporter group. Green was part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2010 for Breaking News Reporting during the 2009 Lakewood shooting that left four police officers dead.

Assistant Metro Editor for crime and justice at The Times John de Leon helped the editors, including editor-in-chief of The Daily Sarah Schweppe.

“It was great to get advice from professional journalists on how to handle sensitive situations,” Schweppe said. “I also enjoyed the discussion of the importance of getting the most accurate information out to the public, even if it means being a few minutes later than other outlets. Making ethical decisions on a time crunch can be difficult, and I think the exercise helped us work through what that’s like.”

Schweppe related the simulation to decisions made last year at The Daily during the Cafe Racer incident. She said it was interesting to look back at how they handled it well and what they could have done better.

The crisis communicator group was joined by associate vice president of media relations and communications at the UW Norm Arkans, and by Commander Steve Rittereiser of the UW Police Department. The group had to prepare a press conference at the end and answer questions from the reporters. Rittereiser was able to provide valuable insight about how many officers would likely be at the scene and what areas would probably be taped off.

Alumna Kellie Cheadle (B.A., 1996), multiplatform content manager at KING-TV, worked with the visual journalists and was able to give recent advice from the Federal Way shooting.

“Covering breaking news is not for the faint of heart,” she said. “It requires quick thinking and solid judgment. I was very impressed by the students who participated. They asked great questions and knew how to use social media to gather and disseminate information.”

In the new world of journalism, updates are made by the second. Cheadle said the one question everyone should always ask in breaking news situations is ‘how do we know that?’

Former editor of The Times Mike Fancher did a debriefing at the end of the training on ethical issues. Emeritus professor Roger Simpson, who taught journalism ethics here for many years, was also present to offer advice.

A special thanks goes out to Diana Kramer, who planned and ran the workshop, and Professor Randy Beam, who helped with planning.

-By Erica Thompson

Are you graduating soon? The Association for Women in Communications, Seattle Professional Chapter offers a peer mentoring group for specifically for those just starting out in the work force. You are welcome to attend our Emerging Professionals Affinity Group to network and learn from your peers are you begin to build your career. In this structured setting, the group will establish its own goals and ways to help each other measure their progress. Established AWC members will also drop by from time to time to present on topics relevant to career-building, networking, and professional growth. Meetings are held every third Monday at The Pine Box on Capitol Hill. Interested in finding out more? Contact Almeera Anwar, Group Facilitator, at almeerama@hotmail.com.

Throughout the year, AWC hosts events, webinars, and workshops by communication leaders to explore current trends, help members sharpen their skills, and provide valuable networking opportunities. Interested in joining? Learn more here and watch for our special membership drive this June! While founded as a women’s professional organization, AWC membership and events are open to anyone who is interested in networking with communications professionals and relevant professional development.

“When people tell me no, that just makes me happy,” Quade said. “That’s like, wow I have an adventure ahead.”