May 2015 COMMConnection Newsletter

May 15, 2015

Overview

Welcome to the second edition of the communication alumni newsletter!

In this edition we get to catch up with two featured alumni, Mike Foss and LaKesha Anderson, learn some news and notes about many of our alumn who have joined the alumni society, and recap some of our amazing events (5th Annual "No Fear in Love" Race and PRSSA and Communication Department Annual Career Fair).

Don't forget to join the society and keep in touch!

Featured Alumni

photo credit: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/flji45eefm/mike-foss-26/

Mason communication and journalism alumnus, Mike Foss, BA ‘11, a four-year varsity men’s soccer player, two-time captain, and Cofounder, For The Win, USA TODAY Sports, has been honored by Forbes magazine as one of their 30 Under 30: Media Makers, Influencers and Game Changers.

Foss was a senior social media editor at USAToday.com prior to launching the site’s sports vertical, FTW, in 2013. The site, which according to USA Today's internal numbers clocked 35 million unique visits in the third quarter of 2014, aims for a general audience, covering meaningful stories that inspire readers to share.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/emilyinverso/2015/01/05/30-under-30-the-new-guard-of-media-makers-influencers-and-game-changers/

LaKesha Anderson, PhD ‘10, currently serves as the assistant director for academic and professional affairs at the National Communication Association. She also serves on the graduate faculty of the Kreiger School of Arts and Sciences in the Advanced Academic Program at Johns Hopkins University. Previously, she was an assistant professor at Indiana State University, where she developed the department’s health communication concentration and revised the public relations curriculum. While at ISU, she also served as the chair for the College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Council and as affiliate faculty with the Center for Genomic Advocacy. Dr. Anderson is active in the health communication field, especially in the areas of women’s health and risk communication. She has several publications and has presented at local, regional, national, and international conferences. Her research earned a faculty research grant while at ISU. She also runs an online support group for women with postpartum depression.

Alumni News & Notes

Sanders, Brittany, BA ’14, is the Graduate Programs Coordinator and Assistant Office Manager in the Communication Department at George Mason University.

Sutton, Roxanne, BA, ‘11 is a Senior Marketing and Communication Specialist at National Recreation and Park Association.

Anderson, LaKesha, PhD, ’10, is the Assistant Director for Academic and Professional Affairs at Johns Hopkins University; graduate faculty of the Kreiger School of Arts and Sciences in the Advanced Academic Program at Johns Hopkins University.

Harriston, Marisa, BA ’10, is a Communications Projects Specialist at Goodwill Industries International.

Carabelli, Maria, BA ’09, is the Budget Coordinator and HR Liason for the Department of Communication at George Mason University. She is married to Giuseppe, with one son, Giacomo, who is 5 months old.

Sanders, Christina, BA ’09, is a TelePresence Specialist for Collaborative Video Technologies, Enterprise Infrastructure at George Mason University.

Tucker, Meg, MA ’09, is an undergraduate advisor and adjunct faculty member at George Mason University. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). Meg is working toward her PhD in Higher Education with a focus in Instructional and Interpersonal Communication.

Shackelford, Lydia Fair, BA ’07, is the Director of Policy Communications at Well+Association.

Delaney, Patrick, BA ’07, is a TDM Communication Specialist at American Soybean Association. Married on 03 October 2014. He is married to Katie, with one daughter, Lucy, who is 3 years old.

Randolph (Winans), Jill, BA ’05, is a Broadcast and Print Journalist at Miami Media.

Mocharko, George, BA ’00, is a Marketing Communications Consultant at GeoTech Consulting, LLC.

Ward, Patricia A., BA ’87, is an Account Manager at Washington Post Media.

Event Recaps

5th Annual "No Fear in Love" Race

On February 28, 2015, the “No Fear in Love” 6-mile Race committee celebrated our fifth annual race at University Mall in Fairfax, Virginia. All the participants enjoyed themselves thoroughly. In the early morning hours, the excited volunteers filled the reserved room at University Mall Theaters. Some took their positions at the registration table, while others waited to be placed on various points along the race course.

Soon, the runners arrived. There was a broad age range of participants, from 16 to 80. They quickly put on their assigned numbers and official, “No Fear in Love” t-shirts, while many nervously paced back and forth. One by one, the runners lined up, anticipating the final countdown. As the race began at 6:45 a.m., they took off down the windy and challenging course. Despite the chill of the Saturday morning, the volunteers happily cheered on the runners as they passed, and were interviewed by television producer Sussan Yekta. All the runners finished successfully, and the top four were awarded prizes. Our first ever paralympian participant, Matthew Rodjom, scored the best time. Rodjom is heading to the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro.

After the race, participants socialized and enjoyed refreshments, such as sweets from Giant as well as bananas and oranges that were donated by Mason Dining. The race sponsors mingled with runners and volunteers, explaining their collective businesses and reasons for being involved with the event. By 9 a.m., the audience piled into Theater Room 4, which featured the two race promos and the names of the sponsors on the screen. We enjoyed a warm and open discussion about the importance of having a race, and a conversation specifically dedicated to promoting healthy relationships among 16-24 year olds. All the participants provided thoughtful and heartfelt responses, and really liked being broken up into smaller discussion groups. Chi Psi fraternity, which had made the “No Fear in Love” Race their philanthropic cause, gave race founder Karen Bontrager an ornate, purple and gold topped box featuring their Greek letters. Roxana Kazemi and Suzy Hewitt offered her two gorgeous bouquets as thanks for being a guest on their radio show, Dictation WGMU.

The group discussed the possibility of having a training team for the 2016 race, as well as the logistics of forming a “No Fear in Love” scholarship committee to give a dating violence survivor, aged 16-24, a one-year educational scholarship to Mason. All contributors to the race were generously thanked, and many participants left with prizes and gifts. All of those involved left with a better understanding of what a healthy relationship entails.

We, the 2015 “No Fear in Love” Committee, would especially like to thank Lisa Sevilla, Dr. Anne Nicotera, and the entire Mason Communication Department for advertising the event, as well as our other generous corporate sponsors: Greg Simmons from First Savings Mortgage Corporation, University Theaters, Heart and Soul Yoga, The Litchfield Group, Aileen Boone- Melaleuca the Wellness Company (which supplied the T-shirts), and Covenant Relationship Coaching for their contributions.

We would also like to acknowledge WGMU Radio’s Rodger Smith and his exceptionally talented staff, Lois Durant from Mason Dining (and their fruit donation), and the following Fairfax businesses, organizations, and people for their generous support: Shoppers, Reston T-shirts and Graphics, The Greene Turtle, Bollywood Bistro, University Mall Giant, Auld Shebeen, Main Street Deli, Noodles & Company, Pot Belly Sandwich Shop, ACE hardware, Comfort & Joy Wellness Spa, Chik-fil-A, Golfsmith, Mary Beth Quick, Valerie Flowe, Lisa Eidelkind, Mary Ann Panarelli (with team Community of Solutions), Monica Cameron (Woodson PTSO), Janice Myers (South County PTSO), Shanelle Jones, John Patterson, lead runner Jay Wind, fabulous timer Dolores Peck, and Sussan Yekta (Dlife.tv).

PRSSA And Communication Department Annual Career Fair

Photo credit: Brittany Sanders

From left to right: Erin White, Demetrius White, Professor Sergei Samoilenko, Logan Rice, and Angel White

By Logan Rice

On March 24, 2015 the Communication Department held its third annual Communication Career Fair in Dewberry Hall. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) led the organization of the event in conjunction with the Communication Department and the Society Professional Journalists (SPJ). Both PRSSA and SPJ are student-run organizations for students who are passionate about public relations and journalism. Over 20 members of both organizations volunteered to work the event that began at 9 a.m. and concluded at 2 p.m.

“The career fair was a huge success for the department, PRSSA, and SPJ,” said PRSSA’s vice president Angel White. White is a senior planning to attend graduate school after the completion of her degree in May. “Employers were delighted with the student turnout, and more importantly, with the professionalism of PRSSA, SPJ, and all the students who attended. Our chapter spent several months planning and organizing the career fair and contacting employers to come out, so it’s very rewarding to see that students and employers both enjoyed themselves.”

There cannot be a career fair without employers, and there were plenty of big names at this event. Over 25 employers were in attendance, including the Washington Wizards, Edelman PR, MediaDC, Focused Image, and ABC 7/ News Channel 8. Overall, employers were able to leave with approximately 40-50 student resumes for future internships and entry-level positions.

“We are always excited to attend the Communication Career Fair every year,” said Sara Wilson, account executive at Focused Image. “It’s always fun engaging with George Mason’s communication students and meeting prospective interns. Currently we have three interns that are Mason communication students, so naturally we like to look to students to fill our internship positions that are available each semester.”

The event saw over 250 students during the five-hour time span. They were dressed professionally with resumes and business cards in hand to network with employers. The students arrived interested in various fields including public relations, journalism, and media production, all of which were represented by a variety of employers.

“The career fair is the most useful way to network and get an internship or even a job in communication,” said junior Felix Toxey, who is studying communication with a concentration in journalism. “It’s evident that a lot of work went into this event and it turned out to be very beneficial for students and employers. I was able to network and give my resume to several employers I was interested in. It was a productive day, and that’s all someone can really ask for.”

Join the Alumni Society and Keep in Touch

If you would like to be featured in future newsletters (with or without a photo), please email your information to commalum@gmu.edu. Please save your photo as “Last name, First name.”

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