Jennifer Addams: BA, 1990 Communications – Advertising
Jennifer Addams graduated from the University of San Francisco Law School in 2000 and is now a practicing public law attorney in Oakland, CA.
Aileen (McEntee) Carrell: BA, 1990 (Speech Communication)
Aileen Carrell began working for Starbucks Coffee Company as a Retail Store Manager in Fall of 1990 and she has been with the company ever since. After spending 5 years managing various retail locations in Seattle and Federal Way, she was hired as a Coffee Specialist in the coffee procurement division. Coffee Specialists evolved into Coffee Education Specialists and she became the first Coffee Education Manager for Starbucks, developing the strategy and growing the members of a global team of Coffee Education specialists. In Spring of 1994, she took on another new role for the company as Green Coffee Sustainability Manager. This role collaborates with the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) division to strategize and implement sustainable best practices in the production and procurement of green (unroasted) coffee. The Sustainability team provides subject matter expertise to educate and message Starbucks coffee sustainability platforms within and outside of the company.
In addition to a long tenure with Starbucks, Carrell and her husband are officers of Phoenix Ventures, LLC, a small venture capital firm dedicated to providing high quality, in-demand services and products to communities throughout the Puget Sound. They are most proud of their chain of Laundromats in Lakewood, Olympia, Lacey and Spanaway, WA. The laundromats are clean, safe and attended; and the machines are new and well-functioning.
Carrell also makes time to nuture her talent career by acting in local commercials and corporate videos or providing voice-over work for various projects. She serves as a board member for The SIDS Foundation of Washington, and she is a member of the Faith in Action group serving her church community and, according to Carrell “best of all, I am “Mom” to my two young, joyful sons.”
Barbara Clinton: PhD, 1990
Clinton is the director of the Honors Scholars program at Highline Community College, where she has been since 1994.
Lisa Hughes: BA, 1990
Emmy Award-winning journalist Lisa Hughes is news anchor for CBS4 News in Boston. She joined the station in June 2000 after working as a correspondent for CBS Newspath, the CBS-TV Station Group’s satellite news service.
Anne Pressentin Young: BA, 1990
Anne Young is a Public Information Services Manager with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Dane Narbaitz: BA, 1991
Dane Narbaitz, formerly Northwest area sales supervisor for Robert Mondavi Corp., has joined Long Shadows Vintners as Vice President, Sales and Marketing effective immediately. Long Shadows, led by former Chateau Ste. Michelle CEO Allen Shoup, is a consortium of ultra-premium wineries established in 2003. It brings a renowned group of celebrated international vintners to Washington State.
Read more about Dane Narbaitz >>
John Cook: PhD, 1992
John Cook is Electorate Officer and Adviser to the Honourable Simon Crean MP, Shadow (Opposition) Minister for Regional Development and Member for Hotham in the Australian Federal Parliament. He lives in Melbourne, where Mr Crean’s electorate is located, but also works in Canberra in Parliament House when it is in session. He is looking forward to the next Federal election, due in 2007, when he is confident that the Australian Labor Party, now in Opposition, will win government.
Robert Gluckson: MA, 1992
Robert Gluckson is teaching an online college level Photojournalism History course through Humboldt State University Extended Education. For more information on Robert Gluckson, including details of the online course, visit Gluckson’s website.
Verna Harbaugh: BA, 1992 (Emphasis in Editorial Journalism )
Currently employed by Nootka Hotels, Inc., as Director of Sales for University Inn and Watertown (hotels are located in Seattle, WA, next to the University of Washington campus).
Board member & Marketing Chair – Greater University Chamber of Commerce.
Board member & Media Director – WA State Group Tour & Travel Association.
Sandra L. Hunt: MA, 1992; PhD 1996; Med 2001 Speech Communication
Dr. Sandra Hunt writes:
“I am in the middle of a personal 10-year field experiment, so to speak, in which I am trying to find out how much influence one teacher can have in the public school system.
“So far my efforts are proving fruitful. I am in my fifth year of teaching 4th grade. My school has shown that it is possible for a team to close the achievement gap in reading–we have gone from 60% to 90% of our students passing the reading WASL in the last four years. We are the only district school to meet the 90% goal two years in a row. We continue to make progress in writing and math. Mac Parks would be pleased to know that his statistics classes are being put to good use as I coach teachers on how to use student performance data to inform instruction. Also, several years ago, I set up a “4th-grade Teacher Roundtable,” a monthly forum in which 4th-grade teachers plan and implement their own professional development. It has become so popular, the district is considering institutionalizing it for all grade levels. This year, I’ve joined the district’s strategic planning team. I’m on the leadership subcommittee and will be helping to design a new 360 degree performance appraisal system for district administrators.
“In addition to these endeavors, I am working on my National Board Teacher Certification. I find what I am doing engrossing, fulfilling, (my colleagues might say consuming) and of service to my students, the community, and my profession. I appreciate the knowledge and skills I learned in the Speech Communication Department every minute of the day.”
Edward Inch: PhD, 1992
Edward Inch currently serves as acting dean of the School of the Arts at Pacific Lutheran University. In addition to his work as acting dean, Inch chairs the Department of Communication and Theatre. He has taught a wide range of introductory and advanced courses ranging from Introduction to Communication Studies to Executive Communication for MBA students.
Currently, Inch’s research is focused on conflict resolution and dispute resolution. At the moment, he is working with the Massen Dialogue Project in the Balkans. The project’s aim is to create dispute resolutions for ethnic groups that will enable peaceful development of governing systems and political processes.
Sally Sue Lander: BA, 1992
Sally Sue Lander graduated cum laude in 1992. While going to school, and for about 6 years after, she worked in Seattle as a film production assistant. (she did movies such as “Dog Fight”, “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Little Buddha.”) She eventually moved to L.A., continued to work in the film industry, and got married in 2002. She was the 1st assistant director for the TV show “Alias” (season 4) and the assistant director on David Fincher’s most recent film “Zodiac” (due out in October, 2006). She has also produced a few short films of her husband’s – he has recently sold a script to Warner Brothers for Leonardo DeCaprio to star in and is going to be directing his first feature film sometime in 2007.
Production credits at the IMDB >>
Nancy Leson : BA, 1992
How does one become the Seattle Times restaurant critic? Try waiting tables for more than ten years across North America, followed by a late blooming education and you get class of 92’ alumni Nancy Leson.
Read more about Nancy Leson >>
Gerianne (Johnson) Merrigan: PhD, 1992
Dr. Gerianne Merrigan is a Professor of Communication Studies at San Francisco State University, where she has been the Department Chair for eight years. The textbook she wrote with Carole Huston, another UW Speech Communication graduate, Communication Research Methods, was published by Oxford University Press in 2009.
Alex Quade: BA, 1992 (Communications, Speech Communication, Political Science)
Freelance War Reporter Alex Quade covers U.S. Special Operations forces. She is the recipient of a national Edward R. Murrow Award and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s “Tex McCreary Award for Excellence In Journalism.” Ms. Quade’s documentary on Special Operations forces and Other Government Agencies in Afghanistan, “Horse Soldiers of 9/11,” narrated by actor Gary Sinise, is currently in film festivals nationwide. She recently wrote a tribute piece to wounded soldiers summiting Mt. Rainier in the Daily Caller.
Diane Borden: PhD, 1993
Diane Borden is the interim director of the School of Communication at San Diego State University. Professor Borden teaches graduate seminars in mass communication law and theory as well as undergraduate courses in journalism.
A former journalist herself, Borden’s research explores how mass media and other cultural institutions, such as the judicial system, have historically impacted images of women and minorities. Her research primarily focuses on the intersection of communication, gender and the law. She is the co-author of a textbook on editing for contemporary print media and editor of a book on journalism in the new online environment. Currently, she is involved in a number of ongoing research projects, including a study of cyberlibel and gender.
More information on Diane Borden’s work >>
Loren Cochran: BA, 1993
Loren Cochran is the director of the Freedom of Information Service Center for The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Cochran was a television producer in Seattle, Boston and Tampa. After leaving TV, he spent several years as a media litigator. He graduated from the Boston College Law School in 2002 and for the past few years has worked as an associate at Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell, Malanca, Peterson & Daheim LLP in Tacoma, where he advised the newsroom at the Tacoma newspaper, and has handled defamation and freedom of information lawsuits.
Teresa Davis: BA, 1993
Teresa is living in Munich and is the Communications Manager for Microsoft’s Eastern European Headquarters. She is responsible for public relations in 17 central and eastern European countries.
Teresa is married to UW Communication alumnus Ted Davis: BA, 1982
Maria Federici: BA. 1993
In February, 2004, Maria Federici, a 2003 graduate of Speech Communication, was hit by flying debris while driving on I-405. The accident left her with serious and permanent injuries and her story has become well known both locally and nationally. Department of Communication faculty Lisa Coutu and Barbara Warnick visited Ms. Federici recently to discuss possible ways to continue her Communication studies. Lisa Coutu has this to say about her: “She was a bright, engaged student. She still is bright & engaged, but she now has many challenges to overcome.” For donation information and to learn more about Maria Federici, visit her website.
Jocelyn McCabe: BA, 1993
Jocelyn McCabe is vice president of communications for the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce located in Olympia. She joined AWB in July after serving as director of communications for the Association of Washington School Principals. In October 2008 she earned the designation Accredited in Public Relations from the Public Relations Society of America. APR is a mark of accreditation for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice. The designation is earned based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective and sound professional judgment. Nationwide, approximately 6,000 public relations professionals have achieved accreditation since the program began in 1964.
Drew Mikkelsen: BA, 1993
Drew Mikkelsen reached his career goal when he returned to work in Seattle for KING-5 News last December. He’s the South Sound Bureau Chief.
After graduation Drew worked in television news in Yakima (for free) before moving to Las Vegas and then Portland. He enjoys being closer to family since he has a wife and child now too. If you hear of any “hot” news stories e-mail Drew at dmikkelsen@king5.com.
Jill Schmid: MA and PhD, 1993 and 2000
Jill Schmid is a litigation (trial) consultant for Tsongas Litigation Consulting Inc. She has been working with Tsongas as a contract consultant since 2002, concentrating on pre-trial jury research and litigation strategy. She started her permanent position in January, 2005.
Prior to joining Tsongas, she was a Speech Communications professor at Willamette University for more than six years and a Communication Arts and Mass Communication professor at Linfield College for a little under three years. She focused her teaching on classes in public speaking, media, persuasion, interpersonal, political, and intercultural communication. Her research focused on areas of message framing, narrative, visual messages and attitudes.
At the University of Washington, she studied communication theories and practices, information processing with special emphasis on the role of gender and race, attitude formation and change, persuasion, media relations, and advertising/marketing.
She is also a certified mediator in general as well as domestic relations mediation. Her interest in mediation stems from a motivation to uncover why and how parties’ resolve conflicts.
She works out of Tsongas’ Seattle and Portland offices.
Hazel Warlaumont: PhD, 1993
Dr. Hazel Warlaumont is retired from Cal State, Fullerton where she was a full professor in the Department of Communications since 1993. She was selected as the Fulbright-Nehru Distinguished Chair to India for 2012-13.
Claudette Guzan Artwick: PhD, 1994
Dr. Artwick is Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Her new textbook, “Reporting and Producing for Digital Media”, is the newest addition to Blackwell Publishing’s Media and Technology series. The book integrates sound journalistic perspective with the skills needed to research, report, write, and present news in a world of digital and converging media.
Colleen Fukui-Sketchley: BA (Speech Communication), 1994
Colleen Fukui-Sketchley was selected president of the UW Alumni Association. Fukui-Sketchley is the first Asian-American woman to serve in this position. Read more about her in the Aug. 4-17, 2010, edition of the International Examiner and at the UW Alumni Association’s Blog Down to Washington.
Katherine G. Hendrix: PhD, 1994
Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Memphis.
Awarded the “Top 3 Paper” in the Spirituality Division for “The spirit that strengthens me: Teaching with a religious foundation,” a paper she presented at the National Communication Association conference held in San Antonio, TX in 2006.
Read more about Katherine Hendrix >>
Marlena Parker, BA 1994 (Speech Communication)
Parker is employed as a LIMITED PRACTICE OFFICER for Chicago Title Insurance Company. (1996-present)
Laurie Smith: Attended, 1994 and 1995
Winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize (Local General or Spot News Reporting) with fellow alumni Dan McDonough (BA, 1948) and Linda Wilson (BA, 1979) for their coverage of the Mt. St. Helens story for the Longview (Washington) Daily News.
Stewart Ian Thompson: BA, 1994 (Double degree in Communications and English)
Stewart worked with a marketing agency and a variety of media and entertainment companies in the U.S. and London until he entered an MBA program at USC’s Marshall School of Business. Stewart will graduate in July, 2004.
Angela Rosette-Tavares: BA, 1994
Rosette-Tavares is the Digital Projects Designer at the University of Washington Libraries. She has worked for the University since 1993. She is married to Joseph Tavares, BS in EE 1996, MS in EE 2003.
Q. Allan Brocka: BA, 1995
Q. Allan Brocka premieres the second season of his hit animated television series “Rick & Steve The Happiest Gay Couple In The World” on MTV’s LOGO Network. Brocka created, wrote and executive produced the 2008 season, which stars the voice talents of Alan Cumming, Margaret Cho, Jennifer Coolidge, Mark Hamil, George Takei, Peter Paige, Wilson Cruz, Tori Spelling, and Lance Bass. The series features showstopping musical numbers written by Brocka and Jeff Marx (creator of Avenue Q).
Carlene Cross: MA, 1995
Carlene Cross’ second book, Fleeing Fundamentalism, was published in 2006. Ms. Cross received her MA in Communication from the UW in 1995 and a BA in History in 1993.
Candice R. Douglass: BA, 1995
Douglass is the Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of Washington College of Arts & Sciences. Douglass comes to the UW from Casey Family Programs, where she was Communications Director. Prior to joining Casey, she was a communications director for The Moyer Foundation. She worked at Cell Therapeutics, Inc. as Public Relations Manager in Corporate Communications and she had a marketing and communications consulting business focused on professional services companies. Before starting her consulting practice, she was the senior marketing manager at Exponent, a multidiscipline science and engineering consulting firm with more than 700 employees and offices in 19 locations throughout the United States. Douglass has been a public relations professional for more than 15 years.
Rob Huff: BA (Journalism), 1995
Rob Huff is the Communications manager for Aerojet, an aerospace and defense company headquartered in Sacramento, Calif. In this position, Huff is responsible for the company’s media relations, employee communications and Web site production.
Jefferson Marshall: BA, 1995 (Speech Communication)
Jefferson Marshall is a vice president of sales for McKesson Pharmaceutical , Southwest Region. He has been with McKesson Pharmaceutical since 2002. Before McKesson, he worked for Bestfoods and Phillip Morris. he is the winner of the Presidents Club Award for McKesson Pharmaceutical in 2005 and the Northwest Region Award of Excellence for McKesson Pharmaceutical in 2004.
Chris S. Nishiwaki: BA, 1995
Chris Nishiwaki graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in Journalism and Sociology. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
He is a Mercer Island-based freelance writer with over 13 years of experience in journalism. he started his journalism career as the tennis beat writer for the Bellevue Journal American (now the King County Journal). He has gone on to cover the state legislature and professional and local sports for the Lewiston News Tribune in Idaho and The Kansas City Star. He has also written for the Northwest Asian Weekly, The Seattle Times, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Northwest Nikkei, The Northshore Citizen and several other publications.
Read more about Chris Nishiwaki >>
Pat Tanumihardja: BA, 1995
As a freelance writer, Pat Tanumihardja writes about food, travel and lifestyle through a multicultural lens and especially enjoys covering topics that converge on food, history and culture. Talking to farmers, cooking with grandmas and seeking offbeat vegetables are some of her favorite pastimes. Her debut cookbook, “The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook: Home Cooking from Asian American Kitchens” (Sasquatch Books) is now available. Please visit: www.theasiangrandmotherscookbook.wordpress.com.
Tara Wallis: BA, 1995
Tara Wallis is a Producer for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams and KNBC TV in Los Angeles. Other production credits include Decision 2005: The Voter Forum with Governor Schwarzenegger; 2005 California Governors Summit; 2005 Los Angeles Mayoral Debate; 2005 Hurricane Katrina’s Toll: The Southland Responds to Disaster; 2004 Los Angeles Mayoral Debate (Candidates Runoff Debate); 2004 California U.S. Senate Debate; 2004 Summer Olympic Preshow; 2003 Recall Election Debate; 2003 Townhall Meeting with Governor Gray Davis. She was the Field Producer for the 2006 Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet; the 2005/2004 Academy Awards Red Carpet; and the 2005 Primetime Emmys Red Carpet.
Wallis has worked at KIRO TV in Seattle; KSL TV in Salt Lake City; KREM TV in Spokane; and she was the Bureau Coordinator for Northwest Cable News in Seattle and Spokane, after graduating from the UW.
Golden Mike Award; 2003, 2004 and 2005 Newscast Emmy Nomination, NATAS Los Angeles Chapter; 2004 Newscast, Los Angeles Press Club Awards; 2003 Breaking News Event, Producer, Golden Mike Award.
Dianna Brealey, CMP: BA, 1996
Dianna Brealey has worked in PR and marketing since leaving the UW. She is now a Marketing & Events Officer for Washington Region NorthernTrust Bank. Before moving back to Seattle, she spent eight years in Palm Springs working for the Marriott in various PR jobs. She ended her time with the Marriott as Sales Manager for Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort & Spa and Marriott’s Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa. During her college years, Dianna interned at Convention Services Northwest, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research/Guilds & Special Events and KYCW, Young Country 96.5.
Lisa Danielson: BA, Speech Communication, 1996
Lisa Danielson is a public affairs consultant at Seattle-based Gogerty Stark Marriott (GSM). Her project work includes a variety of public affairs and public relations disciplines on behalf of several Fortune 500 companies. She serves as past-President of the Board for Seattle Works, on the City Club Board of Governors and is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow’s Class of 2005.
Sarita Kincaid: BA, 1996
Sarita Kincaid is a Global Analyst Relations Manager running a team at Cisco Systems, Inc. She works with the industry analysts who are quoted in press articles (Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Network World, etc.) and her job is to educate them and influence them to give positive quotes and to recommend products to customers. She also works with the analysts to get them to write reports about Cisco and technology; she does what she refers to as technical “bake-offs” between competitive companies and products. Kincaid started in PR; she was on the board of the UW PRSSA chapter.
Lori Lei Matsukawa: M.A. 1996
2005 Department of Communication Alumni Hall of Fame
Lori Matsukawa is an award-winning journalist and anchor (KING 5 News, KONG TV). Her professional awards include ARBY Awards in 1987, 1989, 1992, 1996 and 2000, given by the Academy of Religious Broadcasting; a Society of Professional Journalists award for Economic Reporting in 1989 and the “American Scene Award,” from the local chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1986. In 2005, Matsukawa was given the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Asian American Journalists Association for mentoring aspiring journalists. Matsukawa co-chairs a committee seeking to build a Japanese cultural and community center in Seattle. She also served on the Association Board of the YMCA of Greater Seattle. In 1999, she organized the Student Broadcast Project for UNITY, a multicultural journalism convention held in Seattle. She was chosen as an Asian-American Living Pioneer by the Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation in 1996. In 1993, she was given the Community Volunteer Award from the Asian Counseling and Referral Service, where she served as a board member and board president. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). Matsukawa is a founding member of AAJA’s Seattle Chapter.
Dr. Susan Balter-Reitz: Ph.D., 1997
Dr. Susan Balter-Reitz (’97), Assistant Professor of Communication and Director of Graduate Studies at Montana State University, Billings is a 2005 recipient of the Winston and Helen Cox Fellowship.
Paula Kenley Freeman: BA, 1997
Paula earned her M.A. in counseling psychology at Argosy University in 2007. She has a small private counseling practice, working with people who have chronic disabilities and youth who are in the foster care system. She married Edwin Overtoom in the Netherlands in December of 2008, and now she is in the process of immigrating to the province of South Holland to be with her new husband and her cat.
Dr. Michael Lane Bruner (a.k.a. M. Lane Bruner): Ph.D., 1997
Dr. Bruner is currently Associate Professor of Critical Political Communication and Graduate Director for the doctoral Public Communication track and the M.A. sequences in Mass Communication and Human Communication & Social Influence at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Bruner’s research focuses on such topics as collective identity construction (e.g. national identity), critical globalization studies (e.g. the relationship between economic globalization and global governance), and ideological criticism (including, but not limited to, “structuring fictions” such as the divine right of kings, state sovereignty, and free trade). His books, Strategies of Remembrance: The Rhetorical Dimensions of National Identity Construction (University of South Carolina Press 2002) and Market Democracy in Post-Communist Russia (Wisdom House 2005, co-edited with V. Morozov) engages debates related to national identity construction and transformations in political power, the communicative strategies involved in free market policy implementation, and the state of global governance. He is currently completing research for two books: (1) a monograph on the historical relationship between economic innovation and republican forms of government; and (2) an edited volume on globalization discourse. His essays appear in such journals as The Quarterly Journal of Speech, Text & Performance Quarterly, Rhetoric & Public Affairs, Controversia, Communication Studies, Discourse & Society, The Western Journal of Communication, Argumentation & Advocacy, and Rhetorica. In 2003 the NCA Rhetorical and Communication Theory Division honored him with its New Investigator Award.
Joanne Lisosky: PhD, 1997
Joanne Lisosky is an associate professor at Pacific Lutheran University’s Department of Communication and Theatre. A former media professional, Lisosky now teaches a wide range of journalism and media courses, including: Journalism Writing, Media and the World, Human Rights-International Core, In-depth Investigative Reporting, Media Law, Children and Electronic Media, as well as Gender Communication. She also advises the award-winning student newspaper, The Mast.
Her research assesses the impact of media on children, media violence, and international children’s television policy. During the fall of 2002, Lisosky was an academic consultant for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Nairobi, where she worked to secure grants for community multi-media centers in Brundi. In April 2003, Lisosky traveled to Uganda as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in communication and journalism at Makerere University, where she served as a teacher of journalism and academic consultant to students interested in media.
More information on Joanne Lisosky’s work >>
Kristin C. Moran: MA and PhD, 1997 and 2000
Kristin C. Moran is an assistant professor of Communication Studies at the University of San Diego. She received her B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of San Diego and then attended the University of Washington School of Communications. Her dissertation titled “Mexican Telenovelas and Latina Teenagers’ Understanding of Romantic Relationships: A Reception Analysis” examined the text/audience interaction through focus group and interview data. Her research interests include international communication with a focus on Spanish-language media in Spain, Mexico and the United States. Dr. Moran is a recipient of a TransBorder Institute Research Grant to study the impact of Spanish-language news in San Diego. Dr. Moran also researches the potential impacts of television on children and adolescents and includes her international focus by studying the expansion of children’s television programming in a global context. Dr. Moran is USD’s representative to BINACOM, Binational Association of Schools of Communication where she works to facilitate international communication research with an emphasis upon Mexico. Her work has been published in Global Media Journal, Journal of San Diego History and presented at the annual conferences of the International Communication Association, Global Fusion and the National Communication Association
Ian Palmer: BA, 1997, Communications
Palmer is a B2B marketing professional with expertise in information and high tech Industries. He is currently the Marketing Communications Program Manager at Impinj, Inc. He is working on very targeted direct marketing/PR campaigns to the world’s Top-100 semiconductor companies, and assisting in building awareness/trust in burgeoning industries (RFID) and market categories (within semiconductors). PR/Communications is particularly essential to the RFID side of the business where our strategy is to use Communications as a pull-through mechanism from end users back to our channel partners. He is also consulting to a number of companies for Mktg/Sales/PR, including to a well-known fashion/beauty magazine in NYC.
Past positions include:
- Director of Marketing at Infotrieve, Inc.
- Director of Sales & Marketing, Co-Founder, Partner at Hydra Worldwide Corporation
- Sales & Marketing Manager at Singular Publishing Group, Inc. (now owned by Thomson Delmar)
Melanie De Bond: BA, 1997; MA 1999 – Speech Communication
Melanie is the Owner/Founder of PrimeSource Communication, Inc.
Susannah Stern: MA, 1997
Susannah Stern is an assistant professor at the University of San Diego. She teaches courses such as Roles and Communication, Children and the Media and Research and Writing for the Mass Media.
Stern’s research investigates how youth use media to navigate through adolescence. She is particularly concerned with the Internet as a unique space for cultural production, youth communication, self-publication, sub-culture connection and identity exploration. Currently, her key projects are related to adolescent electronic media use — primarily, but not exclusively, Internet — such as teen blogging, instant messaging and the way in which teens are represented in news media.
Luke Burbank: BA, 1998
Luke Burbank graduated with a communications degree from the University of Washington in 1998, with an emphasis on editorial journalism. “I think I was a pretty bad student,” recalls Burbank. Since graduating from the UW, he has worked in radio. Most of his career has been working on National Public Radio. Last December, Burbank moved back to Seattle and has his own talk radio show on 710 KIRO called “Too Beautiful To Live.”
Read more about Luke Burbank >>
Karen J. Ellison: MA, PhD; 1998, 1995
After teaching for 9 years in UC Davis’ Rhetoric & Communication program, Karen Ellison moved back home to help out in the family business – Midvale Telephone. The phone company is a family owned company specializing in providing local telephone service in remote and rural areas. The company has over 3,000 customers spread over four states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Arizona. In addition to her responsibilities with the family business, she sits on the Board of directors for Syringa Networks, a fiber optic transport company based in Boise. She is also on the Oregon PUC’s Advisory Board for their universal service fund and is the President of the Arizona Local Exchange Carriers Association.
Glenn Kuper: MA, 1990; PhD, 1998
Glenn Kuper is a consultant at Tsongas Litigation Consulting in Seattle after nine years in the public sector, mostly working for the Governor’s Office. Tsongas provides a full range of research and trial consulting services, including case strategy, pre-trial jury research, development of case themes, witness preparation, jury selection, courtroom visuals, assistance with opening statement and closing argument, and post-trial juror interviews. Glenn was formerly an executive speechwriter and deputy communications director for Governor Gary Locke, as well as a communications professor at the University of Puget Sound.
Don Manuszewski: BA, 1998
Don Manuszewski works on portions of the military’s contingency planning for the National Capital Region, to include continuity of government and continuity of operations. He is also working on the Department of Defense’s State Funeral Plan.
He has lived in Arizona, South Dakota, Turkey and Maryland and is retired from the Air Force and is now an Air Force civil service employee. In his response to the Communication Alumni Newsletter, spring, 2006 edition, he reports that his interests inside the business are crisis communication and contingency planning and outside the business: “My children; cooking; golf.” In his spare time he is a driver for two ten year olds and a three year old.
Colleen K. West (formerly Schaller): BA, 1998
Colleen West has been working for KIRO TV in Seattle since graduation. She is a Web Content Editor for the kirotv.com Web site. Her work includes news writing, local events, email newsletters, building out new sections on the site, video, design and daily updates. About her time at the UW, Colleen says “The New Media classes I took at the UW have really helped me succeed in this position.”
Wendie A. Wilson: BA, Speech Communication, 1998
Wendie A. Wilson, President of Universal City North Hollywood Jaycees, a not-for-profit organization helping young people make a difference in their community, was interviewed in the Noho Arts District on Nov. 2, 2011.
Rob Ballenger: MA, 1999
Washington, D.C. (aka “the other Washington”)
Ballenger spent five years as an assistant producer of National Public Radio’s (NPR) hourly news in Washington, D.C. In the beginning of 2009, he had a promotion and now oversees the Midwest & western broadcasts of All Things Considered. (The show broadcasts in three versions, including the east coast one.) As the Swing Producer, he will be in charge of making editorial decisions as to how the show will be reshaped each evening as it “rolls over” into the Central, Mountain and Western time zones.
Ballenger writes:
Most nights I’ll be making minor tweaks and polishes… and nights with breaking news from anywhere on the globe will be challenging to say the very least, as I’ll be rousing the hosts Robert Siegel, Melissa Block and Michele Norris from their homes and putting them back on the air as events warrant.
Competition for Ballenger’s job was high and he feels having a graduate degree in Speech Communication helped him immensely.
Theresa Castor: PhD, 1999
Dr. Castor is an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Travis Griffith: BA, 1999
Travis Griffith is the author of Your Father Forever, published in 2005 by Illumination Arts in Bellevue. Dr. John Gray, author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, said of the book, “Your Father Forever is an inspiring and reassuring book that touches our hearts and comforts our children.” He has also completed a novel, which is currently being shopped with agents.
