UCCS Communication Department

Meet Dr. Brett Seigel, assistant professor of Strategic and Sports Communication at UCCS. Brett teaches Strategic Communication & Campaigns and Sports Communication and he is excited to develop new classes that “stimulate and prepare students for roles in the sports industry.” Dr. Seigel enjoys helping students make connections with local sports organizations and industry experts, facilitating internships, and applying sports communication theory to real world situations. In addition to teaching, Brett researches the NFL’s management of the concussion issue in football. Learn more Dr. Siegel and the Sports Communication minor track here: https://comm.uccs.edu/

The Department of Communication is excited to announce a new Digital Storytelling Designer badge. This online, undergraduate-level badge is perfect for UCCS students and other professionals to gain valuable skills in organizational branding and learn how to connect with audiences in today’s digital communication environment. Badges can be shared on social media, digital resumes, or online portfolios, providing a way for students and professionals to showcase their achievements and skills to potential employers. Gain skills and recognition at UCCS!
Learn more about the Communication Department here: https://comm.uccs.edu/

Jessica Mehring, a UCCS graduate communication student and owner of Horizon Peak Consulting, a copywriting firm for technology companies. Jessica studies the pros and cons of AI technology, like ChatGPT, as it relates to strategic communication. Generative AI, according to Jessica, creates “an equal amount of problems and opportunities”. One problem is language homogeneity that leads to bland content output. Humans bring life experience and stories to their writing which add nuance, narrative and soul to writing, something AI cannot do. ChatGPT reduces content drafting time but increases editing time and fact checking. Jessica furthers her knowledge of generative AI through independent graduate studies. Click here to learn more about the UCCS communication master’s program and join this conversation: https://comm.uccs.edu/graduate

Meet UCCS communication graduate student, Andrew Garcia! For Andrew, studying communication is a pathway to professional and personal success. He appreciates that it provides him with versatile work skills and makes him a better public speaker and collaborator. Crediting an engaging curriculum and professors, Andrew says it’s amazing that the “online program can be made to feel like an in-person environment.” After graduation, Andrew sets his sights on teaching and training others to communicate effectively. Take the next step toward your communication graduate degree here: https://comm.uccs.edu/graduate

Meet Jay Hubert, Assistant Professor in the Digital Filmmaking track. He teaches courses in Directing, Cinematography, Digital Film Production and the TV Workshop for The Bluffs. Jay, new this year to the UCCS Communication Department shares, “my colleagues have been incredibly supportive as I’ve gotten acclimated to my new position and my new home.” Outside of the classroom, Jay has been working on a documentary about a Samoan novelist, struggling with mental and physical health which he expects to complete this fall. Learn more Jay and our Digital Filmmaking and Media Arts track here: https://comm.uccs.edu/digital-filmmaking-and-media-arts-track

Social media management is a growing profession and more people than ever are using social media for work. Industry experts agree that it is important to stay current with technical trends and to build analytical skills. But they also agree that it is important to cultivate social and emotional skills. UCCS communication faculty, Dr. Katie Sullivan, merges technical skills with insights on mindfulness, social emotional intelligence, and compassionate communication to teach people how to cultivate well-being for ourselves and others online. The UCCS Communication Department teaches undergraduate and graduate skills these types of skills through a variety of flexible and customizable courses to equip graduates with the tools needed to thrive in the workplace. Click here to learn more about the UCCS Communication program: https://comm.uccs.edu/

The UCCS Communication Department pushes online education research forward! Dr. Janice Thorpe and Dr. Sherry Morreale’s work, “Immediacy and Presence: Reflections on an Interdisciplinary and Rhetorical Approach to Teaching and Learning in the Online Environment” will be published in the Review of Communication.

Their research examines the impact of the pandemic on online learning in U.S. colleges and universities. The essay provides suggestions for enhancing online teaching and learning and emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary research on instructor immediacy and presence. The Communication department offers customizable fully online undergraduate and graduate degrees to fit your schedule! Learn more here: https://comm.uccs.edu/online-degree-program

Meet Jacqueline Ferguson, a 2022 graduate of the Department of Communication. Ferguson credits the professional communication skills she learned at UCCS for assisting in her work as a legal secretary for a high-volume law firm. She explains, “I am able to communicate confidently with my bosses and higher-ups. In addition to this, I have the ability to utilize interpersonal and professional communication which has helped me to bond with my coworkers while still maintaining a high level of professionalism within the workplace.” Thanks for being an excellent ambassador of communication, Jacqueline! Learn how you can communicate effectively and confidently at work by taking a class or earning a degree in communication at UCCS! https://comm.uccs.edu/professional-communication-track

We love featuring UCCS Communication Studies students. David Porras is a senior in the Digital Filmmaking and Media Arts track who plans to pursue a career in filmmaking. As an aspiring filmmaker, Porras appreciates the program's practical, hands-on experience with learning opportunities ranging from screenwriting to cinematography. He also enjoys building his professional network with other like-minded film students. This semester, Porras is working on his Senior Capstone which will be a Horror and Comedy film short. Learn more about our Digital Filmmaking and Media Arts track here: https://comm.uccs.edu/digital-filmmaking-and-media-arts-track

Are you going to see UCCS Theartreworks Aubergine this week?

Communication students will love Aubergine, precisely because it grapples with the big questions we tackle in the classroom: how do we communicate when we don’t speak the same language, when we’re from different cultures, different generations? Even if we don’t speak the same language, how can other languages teach us to see the world differently (like, why does an eggplant become so much more appealing when we call it an aubergine). And then, best of all, how those shared human experiences like love and grief allow us to communicate across all kinds of boundaries.

Elena Svetieva THEATREWORKS