“I started it, I am it, and I have been growing the company since 1987,” Wright said.

Inspired by visitors thinking that Orcas Island was named after the Orca whale and other misinformation about her home state, Wright began to produce travel videos for places around Washington. She first tackled the San Juan Islands since she grew up nearby in Anacortes. Other videos include the Cascade Loop, the Olympic Peninsula, Seattle, and a special hour-long tour of Washington State.

However, getting to be the top dog at her own company was not all rainbows and butterflies. The School of Communications at the time ran Channel 9, where Wright went to work just two days after she graduated. As the only woman staff member her duties included reception, traffic, assistant to three managers, and making coffee. Wright worked for several different stations in TV traffic or promotion.

“It was very interesting. This was the 60’s and you had very little support from the stations because they didn’t feel that a woman’s place was in television,” she said. “And in fact…I went to ask for a raise and the woman that was interviewing me was the secretary to the President and said, ‘Look, we will not pay any woman more than a secretary rate.’”

Some of the drive to keep going comes from Pat Cranston, a pioneer for women of the profession who worked for the University of Washington for 40 years. Many of Cranston’s students were the only women hired at stations and she always stressed that you must work and prove that you can do the job, Wright said.

“She would open the door, walk into the class and say, ‘Good morning troops, onward and upward,’ in her Texas accent,” Wright said, “And she always wore open-toed high heel shoes. She had such a good rapport with the students because she wasn’t that much different in age than many of us.”

A favorite quarter ending tradition was for Cranston to invite the entire class over for a Texas chili feed. Wright’s classmates included several Korean War veterans who were coming back to school, including Bob Newman who played Gertrude on the J.P. Patches Show. One of The Brothers Four, Bob Flick was also a student in the class.

“They were older than me and teased me a lot because I didn’t know what the world was really like being a sweet young thing of 18,” Wright recalled. “We just had a lot of fun.”

Wright stays in touch with many of her classmates through the Association for Women in Communications, an organization she has been a part of since the 1970’s. She goes to monthly meetings and participates in the smaller weekly gatherings as well.

“The group is interesting because there are quite a range of ages in the group. There are women that operate their own companies and then there are women right out of school,” she said. “It’s a nice mix and I think that helps in sharing information.”

Wright and her husband Velle started a video production company together in the 1990’s and found eight months later that they had different managing styles, so she split off to create Hatzoff Productions. When Velle retired in 2002, one of their employees bought their video company, renamed it, and has continued to build it with some of the same clientele Wrights worked with for over 20 years.

Wright has not retired from Hatzoff and continues to update her travel videos with technological and geographical changes.

Nancy Wright (Tarbox) with her classmates in the Communications fraternity Beta Rho Tau. Photo courtesy Wright.

If you are interested in taking the course, or just curious to see what an online public speaking course looks like, please visit Coursera’s website.

The course is 10 weeks long and will begin on June 24.

“I think an important conclusion is that a simple 15-minute writing intervention can help LGBQ recipients of hate speech reduce stress levels associated with hate speech and find forgiveness for their offenders,” Crowley said.

Crowley said he found an interesting relationship between the manner in which participants wrote and their psychological outcomes.

“The findings suggest that the more emotion-related words (e.g., angry, sad, etc.) participants wrote helped them reduce stress levels,” Crowley said, “whereas the more cognitive words predicted increased forgiveness. Cognitive words are words that suggest active thinking and the construction of coherent narratives about life experiences.”

Crowley received his B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and his M.A. from San Diego State University before coming to the University of Washington, with all degrees focused in communication. He wants to continue conducting research that focuses on issues of social justice.

“Specifically, I want to investigate ways to help marginalized communities cope with the harmful effects of discrimination,” Crowley said, “and my dissertation research is a step in that direction and there are many questions still to ask.”

Crowley sends a special thanks to his committee members Valerie Manusov, Jane Simoni, and Patricia Betrus. He also said his dissertation would not have been possible without the close mentorship of his advisor Malcolm (Mac) Parks.

“Mac pushes his students to ask questions that have social significance and to investigate them in a methodologically rigorous manner,” Crowley said.

Crowley added that he is honored to receive this prestigious award, especially among all the Ph.D. students that are conducting high quality interpersonal communication research.

“To have my dissertation recognized in this way is a real honor,” he said.

The Department of Communication Graduation Celebration is scheduled for Thursday, June 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Quad. Distinguished alumna Joanne Harrell will be the keynote speaker. If you are a graduating student and would like to participate in the ceremony, you need to register by filling out our Catalyst survey. The survey deadline is May 31st.

Congratulations, Class of 2013!

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 >>