The Robertson School of Communication

☕️ Coffee, Conversations, and New Beginnings! ☕️

Kick off the new semester and the first days of class by joining us for a special meet-and-greet with our Robertson School Director, Brian Smith!

📅 Mon. Aug. 18 & Tues. Aug. 19
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Location: Our newly renovated collaborative space in the 2208 suite

☕️🍩 We’ll have plenty of bagels, coffee, juice, and pastries to fuel your first week! Come say hi, grab a coffee, see your new favorite space, and get to know our director.

📰 Media literacy is your new superpower 💪

Associate Professor Judi Crenshaw's article for Style Weekly describes how media literacy may be our new 'superpower' in an overcrowded content landscape.

With every piece of content we consume, we need to decipher where it comes from in order to determine its relative context & value: is it news? Is it one-sided sponsored content? Is it strictly opinion or from an influencer?

We get so many MIXED MESSAGES, it's hard to tell where they come from and how to interpret each one. Sharpening our media literacy skills helps clarify the message, its intent, and trustworthiness.

Check out the article here: https://www.styleweekly.com/mixed-messages/

👋 Welcome Graduate Student | Porlan Cunningham

Porlan Cunningham earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications with a concentration in public relations from North Carolina A&T State University. She currently works in strategic communications and stakeholder engagement at Dominion Energy. Her career has included communications roles in public relations agencies, healthcare, education, nonprofit organizations, and government.

👋 Hello to incoming Graduate Student | Mikala Wilson

Mikala Wilson graduated from Louisiana State University with her undergrad degree in sports administration with a concentration in sports commerce. She has worked alongside LSU Athletics, Allied Universal Event Services, and LSU Football. Her end goal is to be a sports agent.

👋 Welcome to incoming Graduate Student | Catherine Kiesel

Catherine Kiesel graduated from the Robertson School with a bachelor’s degree in public relations. She now shapes VCU’s voice as a communications specialist in the Office of Integrity and Compliance. Kiesel is also a freelance senior creative producer for Goodbeast, a bi-coastal experiential marketing agency, and manages marketing efforts for Karma Yoga Studio in Northern Virginia.

Earlier this summer, The Robertson School of Communication hosted a graduate studies social at Three Notch’d Brewery to welcome the newest class of graduate students.

We look forward to what they will accomplish and check out our site to learn more about this year's cohort: https://robertson.vcu.edu/news/robertson-news/welcome-to-our-new-class-of-graduate-students.html

🇫🇷 Postcard from France: Storytelling on a Global Stage! 🇫🇷

We are so excited to share this "postcard" from Public Relations and Media Production student Alex Pola, who is currently taking his skills across the Atlantic! 🌍✨ Check out the full story of his journey in France from VCU News: https://bit.ly/4xfRYpO

As we often tell our students, internships and global experiences count toward your professional journey, helping you stand out to employers and show your initiative.

Alex’s adventure is a perfect example of the "exciting transition" from being a student to acting as a professional communicator. We can’t wait to see how these international insights will shape his work back home!

Good careers in communication start here (and sometimes take you everywhere!) 🚀✈️

Credit VCU News for the graphic

👋 Welcome to the Robertson School, Dr. Brian G. Smith!

Today marks an exciting new chapter for the Richard T. Robertson School of Communication as we officially welcome our new director, Dr. Brian G. Smith!

Dr. Smith joins us from the University of Mississippi, bringing over two decades of experience in higher education, a rich background in professional media, and a passion for forward-thinking, ethical communication. As a self-described "builder" and "connector," he is eager to dive into our vibrant Richmond media market and collaborate with our incredible faculty, staff, and students.

Whether he is championing our Media + AI Initiative, exploring the local RVA indie music scene, or sitting down at the piano, Dr. Smith embodies the innovative, "what's next" spirit that defines VCU.

We want to extend a massive thank you to Scott Sherman for his leadership as interim director during this transition, and we are thrilled to have Dr. Smith at the helm to lead us into the future.
Please join us in giving him a warm Robertson School welcome!

👉 Want to learn more about our new director? Check out VCU’s official announcement [https://bit.ly/3QWs6Q6] or read this Q&A with Dr. Smith [https://bit.ly/4lZMBXe] to find out his vision for the school (and his favorite sugary breakfast cereals).