On November 20 and 21, four Communication Arts faculty members presented original research reports at the centennial meeting of the National Communication Association at the Hilton in Chicago. Over 6000 scholars from around the nation attended the conference. Four FIU Communication Arts faculty members presented competitively accepted and peer reviewed research reports.
Daniel Blaeuer, Assistant Professor in Communication Arts, presented a paper entitled “A Caucasian Diaspore: Becoming an Immigrant in America?” Blaeuer (PhD, University of South Florida) joined the FIU faculty in August 2011 after serving on the Barry University faculty. Blaeuer conducts research on communication surrounding community development and engagement. He teaches a slate of FIU courses including Artistic Expression, Communication Leadership, and Communication Theory.
Nurhayat Bilge, Assistant Professor in Communication Arts, presented “A Scourge Called Twitter: An Analysis of Turkist Expatriates Use of Social Media to Support Political Events in the Homeland.” She also participated in a presenter-intensive discussion titled “The Changing Faces of Peace and Conflict: Opportunities and Limitations in Approaches to Peace and Conflict Communication.” Bilge (PhD, Arizona State University, Tempe) joined the FIU faculty in August 2013 after serving on the Arizona State University, Phoenix faculty. Bilge conducts research on refugee communities’ communication patterns that sustain ethnic identity. She teaches two courses at FIU: Conflict Management and Intercultural Communication.
Elena Nuciforo, Visiting Instructor in Communication Arts, presented “Russian Folk Discourse on Problem Drinking.” Nuciforo joined the FIU faculty in August 2014 after completing her PhD in Communication at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her research focuses on cultural discourse analysis of health-related issues. She teaches multiple FIU courses including Advanced Public Speaking and Communication Theory.
Lynne M. Webb, Professor in Communication Arts, presented two papers “Mommy Bloggers: Who They Are, What They Write About, and How They View Themselves” and “Rethinking Sexual Assault Prevention Training: Conversations with College Women Offer Suggestions for Revised and Expanded Curricula.” Webb (PhD, University of Oregon) joined the FIU faculty in 2013 after serving on the University of Arkansas faculty. Webb’s research examines a variety of issues related to family communication as well as the use of social media in personal relationships. Webb teaches three FIU courses: Communication on Social Media, Conflict Management, and Interpersonal Communication.
According to its website, the National Communication Association “serves the scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members by enabling and supporting their professional interests in research and teaching.” NCA is a member of the American Council of Learned Societies, a governing member of the Consortium of Social Science Associations, a member of the Council of Communication Associations, and a member of the National Humanities Alliance. NCA publishes 11 scholarly journals; its articles are indexed on Ebsco’s searchable data base.
