Professor Cooney

08/20/2026

What a summer it’s been! It was chock-full of meaningful work, outdoor adventures, and time to recharge.

Before the energy of the new academic year takes over, I wanted to take a moment to pause and reflect on a few highlights from the past few months:

• Grant work & research: Continued our ongoing efforts with the Resource Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (R3CR), including hosting our very first annual Stakeholder Meeting.

• Giving back: Returned to the IDFY Summit as an adult leader after a 15-year hiatus - such an inspiring experience and one I was so thrilled to share with my husband Chris Cooney.

• Reconnecting with old passions: Reclaimed my love for cycling after more than a decade away from it. It feels so good to be back on two wheels.

• On the road: Chris, Lucy Lou, and I took an incredible 27-day road trip from Pullman through Canada to Michigan and back. We visited family and friends, took in beautiful views, and cheered on Chris and his friend Chris Caudill as they crushed their 3-day, 300-mile Wish-A-Mile ride supporting Make-A-Wish Michigan.

• Camping & live music: Put our new SylvanGo Camper to good use camping across Washington, Idaho, Canada, Montana, North Dakota, and Michigan, and danced through two unbelievable concerts at The Gorge with great friends.

• Finding balance: Grounded myself with yardwork, house projects, and creative outlets - all essential for keeping mental health and balance front and center.

Now, it’s time to shift gears. I am stepping into my 15th year as a professor teaching a full course load at WSU, while continuing my work with R3CR, Beyond The High, the Inland Northwest Human Research Clinic (INW HRC), and leading our WSU Murrow College of Communication Assessment efforts.

08/19/2026

THANK YOU to my incredible colleague, Cara Hawkins Jedlicka, for volunteering to serve as my proxy presenter at the AEJMC Conference! Representing work in my absence, Cara did a phenomenal job sharing my poster, "Action: PR for Rural Health.

This service-learning project showcased the work of 25 strategic communication juniors and seniors who stepped up as PR consultants for the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation to support the Regional High School Athletic Training Program. Together, they developed integrated fundraising and awareness campaigns, delivering over 60 unique assets - all aligning with AEJMC's theme of "Nurturing Harmony and Health in Higher Education."

I am so grateful to Cara for bringing our students' hard work to life at the conference. Cheers to wonderful colleagues who lift each other up and help our academic communities thrive! 🌟



cc: WSU Murrow College of Communication

07/21/2026

I am honored that my service-learning project was accepted into the SCT Best Practices in Teaching Competition Poster Session at the AEJMC conference!

This project, “Strategic Communication for Community Health: A Service-Learning Partnership to Sustain Rural Athletic Training Programs,” showcases the work of 25 strategic communication juniors and seniors who stepped into the shoes of PR consultants. Acting as an agency for the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation, they built integrated awareness and fundraising campaigns to support certified athletic trainers in four local rural high school districts: Pullman, Potlatch, Gar-Pal, and Colton.

Students dedicated over 570 hours to create more than 60 unique, client-ready deliverables. Their work showed how classroom-tested strategic communication can directly champion community wellness and support student-athlete safety.

⭐️ A big shout-out: While I am unable to attend the conference in person, I am incredibly lucky to have the phenomenal Cara Hawkins Jedlicka serving as my proxy! Cara will be presenting the poster, sharing students' designs, and discussing how the group successfully connected strategic theory to real-world community impact.

If you are attending AEJMC on Wednesday, August 5, please stop by the session between 3:30 and 4:45 p.m. to say hello to Cara, and take a look at the amazing student work!

View AJEMC SCT post on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:groupPost:14514820-7481701780821798913/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAH9HX4BzqNRqnE9NcE3xca-stNxr10WFTM



cc: WSU Murrow College of Communication

06/25/2026

IDFY Summit 2026
“Together in the Wild”
June 14-19 | Camp Lutherhaven

Transformative. Amazing. So many new friends.



cc: iDFY

06/18/2026

As you read this, I am spending my week volunteering with some incredible teens at the Idaho Drug Free Youth (IDFY) Summit. Watching them show up, lean into big conversations, and support one another is deeply inspiring.

In honor of their work, I wanted to share a great framework from ThriveEDU on the keys to future success for kids and teens. Developed by a therapist and former principal, it shifts the focus away from just grades and places it on character and resilience.

Here are 5 quick takeaways that feel especially relevant to the conversations we are having this week:

① Curiosity builds thinkers, not answer seekers. Pausing to ask, “What do you think?” helps youth explore and problem-solve, rather than just waiting to be told what to do.
② Authenticity is a shield. When young people are comfortable with who they are instead of trying to please others, they build real confidence and make healthier choices.
③ Courage means normalizing fear. Courage isn't the absence of fear; it's doing something even when you feel unsure. We can help by reminding them that it is okay to feel nervous.
④ Pivot instead of panic. Life rarely goes as planned. Fostering adaptability means modeling calm flexibility and saying, "This isn't what we expected, but we can figure it out."
⑤ Praise persistence over results. Success is built on continuing when it gets frustrating. Focusing on "you didn't give up" rather than "you got it right" keeps them going for the long haul.

Preparing the next generation isn't about pushing for perfection. It’s about raising young people who can think critically, care deeply, and keep growing for life.

➡️ To those who mentor youth: Which of these traits do you find yourself focusing on the most right now?



⭐️ View ThriveEDU’s full post and “10 Keys to Future Success for Kids and Teens” at https://www.facebook.com/groups/THRIVEinEDU/permalink/1735717273939131/?rdid=QaKSHQalUCwWeCvu&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2Fp%2F17WZbfyANV%2F #

06/16/2026

First grade report cards carry some heavy truths.

I still remember getting an "N" (for “needs improvement") in listening. Growing up, my mom called me a "chatterbox" - and she wasn't exaggerating.

Fast forward 10 years into my career, and the same theme showed up in an annual review: “Needs to listen before speaking and try not to finish other people's sentences.” Ouch. But it was exactly what I needed to hear. Those pieces of feedback stuck with me over the years, and today, I make a concerted effort to listen more than I speak. It is a tough lesson to learn, and honestly, it’s a practice I still work on every single day.

This graphic by Kate Kujaliwa, MBA, MIRD, BA MassComm, MPRSM perfectly captures the framework I try to run through before opening my mouth. It reminds us of the incredible power of the pause.

In a world that rewards fast answers, there is immense strength in choosing silence first. It gives us the space to reflect, gather the full picture, and process our thoughts before giving in to the natural urge to immediately fix a problem, talk over someone, or react out of pure emotion.

When we pause, we transition from just adding volume to adding value. We move from reacting to responding.

Learning when to hold back isn't about being passive; it’s about being intentional.

➡️ Did you get any early career (or childhood!) feedback that completely changed how you communicate today?

⭐️ Check out Kate's full post and insights here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kate-kujaliwa-mba-mird-ba-mass-comm-mprsm-12101515a_the-most-powerful-tool-in-your-communication-activity-7455516224198754304-cbWv?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAH9HX4BzqNRqnE9NcE3xca-stNxr10WFTM

06/11/2026

"Don't fake it till you make it. Face it till you make it."

We have all heard the term "fake it till you make it." It sounds like harmless, bold advice. But in reality, trying to perform at a level of competence we don't have yet is incredibly exhausting. It forces us to hide our gaps, put on a mask, and constantly worry about being found out. That is a fast track to imposter syndrome and burnout.

"Facing it" requires an entirely different posture.

Facing it means showing up to the thing you aren't good at yet and allowing yourself to be a beginner. It means asking the question you’re worried might sound silly, sending the rough first draft, or making the call that goes nowhere so you can figure out why.

This is where real growth lives. We learn the language by speaking it wrong in front of people who speak it well. We learn our craft by shipping things that don't always land perfectly.

When we step away from trying to maintain an illusion, all that wasted energy goes right back into the actual work. The process isn't always glamorous - it’s a continuous loop of showing up, failing at something specific, learning the lesson, and trying again slightly better.

I want to encourage my students, alumni, and peers to share the whole journey - the messy, chaotic, and challenging parts - not just the polished successes. There is so much strength in standing back up and leaning into the lessons learned along the way.

➡️ How are you choosing to face a new challenge instead of faking it this week?



💡 Note: This is inspired by a LinkedIn post from Self in May 2026. View their post at https://www.linkedin.com/posts/self%2E_dont-fake-it-till-you-make-it-face-it-till-activity-7463254414217244672-VBtm?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAH9HX4BzqNRqnE9NcE3xca-stNxr10WFTM

06/04/2026

Happy Effective Communications Month to my fellow professional communicators!
***
Effective Communications Month is dedicated to highlighting the importance of good communication in our personal and professional lives and promoting the value of enhancing communication skills.

National Association of Colleges and Employers lists as one of their 8 career readiness competencies. They define it as "clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside the organization." Learn more: https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined/

Why is effective communication important? According to National Today's page dedicated to the celebratory month...

☑︎ It gives us voice (speaking and listening skills)
☑︎ It raises awareness about the importance of communication
☑︎ It creates new bonds and enhances old ones

Ways you can celebrate...
1) Take time to write - even if just for yourself
2) Send a thank you note to someone who has made an impact
3) Have an idea? Write it down and share it with someone you trust to get feedback
4) Record yourself talking about something you are knowledgeable about. Get creative!

⭐️ My plan? Making space to be creative and share knowledge + write more personal, hand-written notes to the people I care about. How about you?

▶️ Learn more: https://nationaltoday.com/effective-communications-month/

This month highlights the importance of good communication in our personal and professional lives.

06/02/2026

"One day you're going to look back at this exact point in your life and realize it was a turning point. Not because everything suddenly worked out, but because you chose yourself over staying in a place that taught you to question your worth." - Life Without Limits
***
I recently came across this quote, and it perfectly frames how I feel when I look back at a very specific chapter in my life.

This photo was taken in 2011. I was newly divorced, navigating the daily complexities of being a full-time working single mother, and standing on the precipice of massive change. I was quietly mapping out a blueprint for a completely new life - planning a move back to eastern WA, preparing to step into a new job, and getting ready to begin a new marriage and blend families.

Looking back now, I don't feel sadness for that version of me. I feel an overwhelming sense of celebration. It was a tough, exhausting era, but it proved to me how far you can go when you give yourself the time, space, and permission to reset. It wasn’t a turning point because the chaos magically disappeared - it was a turning point because I chose to stop questioning my worth.

When I look at my personal trajectory from that milestone to this one, a few key lessons stand out:

• Embrace the pivot: Moving away from environments or situations that drain your confidence is not failure; it is the ultimate form of self-advocacy.
• Focus on what you can control: I couldn't control the difficulty of the transition, but I could control my preparation, my career choices, and the environment I wanted to build for my children.
• Honor the timeline: True professional and personal growth is iterative. You don't have to have the next twenty years figured out; you just need to know your next strategic step.

Every milestone we hit is built on the back of a moment where we decided to keep going.

▶︎ I want to open the floor to my network. We all have these critical markers on our timelines. What was a pivotal "moment in time" for you? Whether it was a season of struggle, an unexpected joy, a heavy challenge, or a sudden window of new possibility - how did it change your trajectory?

05/26/2026

How do we keep college courses relevant in a fast-paced industry? For me, it always comes back to listening to honest student feedback.

I just finished analyzing the Spring 2026 exit surveys for COMSTRAT 305: The Creative Class. As I do every semester, I walk away with clear insights, great validation, and obvious areas for structural improvement.

Here is my quick reflection on the data:
• 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬: Students felt a deep sense of psychological safety to take bold creative risks, and the tactile "Idea Book" was a success as a long-term creative engine.
• 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐩𝐬: Physical classroom attendance was poor, meaning my current policy is insufficient and needs to be revisited. There was also a slight disconnect between our daily workshop flow and the required reading, Hey Whipple, Squeeze This.
• 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐬: Next time, I want to introduce "bridge" activities to better link the textbook to our daily creative prompts. I also want to adjust the attendance policy to protect collaboration while keeping a human-centric focus, and look for ethical ways to integrate AI tools for brainstorming and polishing.

Continuous iteration is how we build meaningful learning experiences.

➡️ What methods do you use to evaluate and iterate your courses?



cc: WSU Murrow College of Communication