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Communication & Development Studies Newsletter

Winter Edition

2013 - 2014

IN THIS ISSUEVibert Cambridge Receives Global Engagement Award

Incoming Class of 2013 Student Profiles

Global Fusion Highlights

www.commdev.ohio.edu

Scripps College of Communication

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CONTENTS

Dr. Vibert Cambridge Receives 3 Award for Excellence in Global Engagement

Breaking Barriers and Opening Doors 4

Global Fusion Conference 2013 5

Communication and Development Studies Class of 2013 6

Student Activities 10

Copyright © 2014 Communication and Development StudiesWinter Edition, 2013-2014 Contributors Nii Kotei NikoiTijana KnezevicLawrence Wood

Communication and Development Studies Program Yamada International HouseOhio UniversityAthens, OH 45701

www.commdev.ohio.eduwww.facebook.com/CommDevOhio

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Above left: Vibert receives award from Ohio University President Dr. Roderick McDavis. Above right, from left to right: President McDavis, Vice Provost for Global Affairs Dr. Lorna Jean Edmonds, Vibert, Dr. Patricia Cambridge, Comm Dev Director Dr. Lawrence Wood, and Associate Dean of the Graduate College Dr. David Koonce.

During Ohio University’s celebration of International Education Week in November, Dr. Vibert Cambridge was honored for his exceptional contribution to furthering international education at Ohio University. Vibert – who among other things was the first graduate from the Communication and Development Studies program in the late 1980s and who would eventually become a Comm Dev program Director – received an Award for Excellence in Global Engagement. These awards, in their inaugural year, were established to honor Ohio University faculty, staff, and alumni for their outstanding contributions to international education. Vibert was selected from a number of exceptional nominees for the award in the “alumni” category. Given that the 2013 fall semester marked the end of Vibert’s teaching career, the award was a timely accolade. For over two decades Vibert has consistently advanced the university’s interests and reputation across a range of areas in international education.

After graduating from the Communication and Development Studies program, Vibert earned his doctoral degree in Mass Communication through the School of Telecommunications (now the School of Media Arts and Studies, which along with the Center for International Studies jointly administers the Comm Dev program). Vibert’s doctoral dissertation was a pioneering study of

the history of entertainment-education in the Anglophone Caribbean, and upon earning his PhD he became a valued faculty member in the School of Telecommunications. He served as the Director of the Communication and Development Studies program from 1996-2000, though it is fair to say that Vibert has remained a stable thread in the program’s fabric from the day it began.

During his academic career at Ohio University, Vibert participated in countless international projects, including for organizations such as UNESCO, USAID, and the Academy for Educational Development. Such projects have included, among others, conducting formative research for the introduction of distance education at a university in Eritrea; evaluating the impact of UNESCO investments in the Caribbean; and introducing broadcasters in Turkmenistan to the field of entertainment-education. More recently, Vibert has served as the linchpin for various international education activities in Guyana, including through his involvement with a USAID funded partnership supporting media-related programs at the University of Guyana. He has also led an effort – along with Professor Eddie Ashworth, students at Ohio University, and in conjunction with the University of Guyana and the Guyana Ministry of Culture – to digitally archive Guyana’s historically and culturally significant analog audio assets. (continued next page)

DR. VIBERT CAMBRIDGE RECEIVES AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

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Over the course of his career, Vibert’s publications and professional efforts have made major contributions to the field of Development Communication, as well as to the international mission of Ohio University. Among other things, he was a member of the planning teams for international entertainment-education conferences held in Amsterdam (2000), South Africa (2004), and India (2011). Indeed, it would take far more than a single newsletter article to even begin to touch upon Vibert’s record of accomplishments – and not to be lost amidst such accomplishments are his successes as a teacher. Throughout his time at Ohio University, Vibert has consistently engaged, motivated, and mentored undergraduate as well as graduate students, including countless students involved in the Comm Dev program. In short, whether considering his research, advising, or teaching, Vibert has personified the concept of international educator and leader.

It is perhaps fitting to refer back to an article that Vibert himself wrote more than 25 years ago, during the time he was transitioning between the Comm Dev and PhD programs. The

article appeared in an Ohio University newsletter and was titled “Communication and Development – Program’s First Graduate Relates Experience.” In the article Vibert reflected upon his initial decision to enroll in the Comm Dev program as well as his experience as a student in the program during the previous two years. He ended the article by noting that, “For the future, I hope to see more international students in the [Comm Dev] program. Education in the synthesis of communication and development is essential. Maybe we can work together to advance the human condition.” Since the time he wrote that article in 1988, the Comm Dev program has enrolled over 300 students, including from more than 60 countries throughout the world. It is also fair to suggest that since the time he wrote that article, Vibert’s own successes in areas that include international education may have exceeded even his own hopes and aspirations. Anyone who is familiar with Vibert’s contagious optimism would know that by those standards, such achievements have been nothing short of extraordinary.

In December, all of the first year Comm Dev students were involved with an International Day of Persons with Disabilities event titled Break Barriers, Open Doors. Their con-tribution and enthusiasm corresponded to what had been an overall theme of their Introduction to Research Methods course, taught this fall by Dr. Jenny Nelson, a core Comm Dev faculty member and Associate Professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies. Although International Day of Persons with Disabilities has been recognized worldwide for over two decades, this year was the first time it had ever been celebrated at Ohio University.

Throughout the fall semester, as a means to consider and address various approaches to research, the students in Dr. Nelson’s course engaged a range of activities related to persons with disabilities. This innovative approach to teaching culminated in a range of positive, tangible outcomes, including the students’ involvement in events such as Break Barriers, Open Doors, paper presentations at academic conferences, and opportunities to support positive social change initiatives within the Athens community. Dr. Nelson’s ideas and talent for teaching the course stemmed from, at least in part, her PD Narrative Project, which she began a few years ago. With the PD Narrative Project serving as a preliminary basis for structuring the course, activities such as the Break Barriers event evolved through the ideas and concerted efforts of Dr. Nelson and the students in the class.

Break Barriers, Open Doors was organized in collaboration with the Athens County Commission on Disabilities, and grew to involve a range of participants from across the Ohio University and Athens communities. Among other things, the event included “disability simulations” as well as a silent auction. All of the first year students helped coordinate the event, and they all participated as well. As noted by first year Comm Dev student Majd Mariam, “It was a positive experience in a variety of different ways. The event received support from many faculty members at Ohio University and from the Athens community as well. It also gave [the Comm Dev students] an opportunity to present our work, and an opportunity to organize an event as well.”

BREAKING BARRIERS AND OPENING DOORS

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This year’s Global Fusion Conference was held in Carbondale, Illinois, during the first weekend in October. The Communication and Development Studies program has a long history of involvement with Global Fusion, and this year was no different. Most of the second year students travelled to Southern Illinois University for the weekend to present their work, including Alicia Aikens, Mohammad Ala Uddin, Katty Alhayek, Qinying Chen, Reda Hassan, Abhijit Mali, Nii Nikoi, Kazi Priyanka Silmi, and Tracy Tinga. Also travelling to the conference were core Comm Dev faculty members Dr. Drew McDaniel and Dr. Jenny Nelson, as well as Comm Dev Director Dr. Lawrence Wood. Camilo Perez, who graduated from the Comm Dev program last spring and who is now a first year PhD student in Media Arts and Studies, presented his

work as well. Camilo won first place in the graduate student competition for creative media work. Further adding to the Comm Dev flavor of the event, the conference keynote speech was given by Dr. Clemencia Rodriguez, a former student in the Comm Dev program who has gone on to become a highly prominent scholar in the field of Media for Social Change. Her keynote address was titled Understanding Media at the Margins. Lessons from the Field. The Global Fusion Conference series began nearly 15 years ago. Its aim is to promote academic excellence and scholarship in global media and international communication studies. The conference is sponsored by a consortium of five universities, including Ohio University, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Southern Illinois University, and Temple University.

GLOBAL FUSION CONFERENCE 2013

Clockwise from bottom left: Tracy Tinga presenting at Global Fusion; Nii Nikoi presenting; Comm Dev students on SIU Carbondale campus before leaving conference; Clemencia Rodriguez giving keynote address; Reda Hassan presenting his paper.

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Atish Baidya is from San Diego, California. He earned his undergraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California. He has extensive experience in television, radio, and web reporting, and in addition to being a student in the program, Atish is a Digital Content Editor at WOUB Public Media. Before coming to Ohio University, he was a general assignment reporter at WCHS/WVAH-TV in Charleston, West Virginia. Atish’s research interests include visual communications, media and culture, and the intersections of race, class and sexuality. He plans on pursuing a PhD after completing his master’s degree, and he enjoys photography, cooking, and trying new foods from around the world.

COMMUNICATION AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES CLASS OF 2013

Christian Bansah is from Nyagbo-Sroe, Ghana. He graduated from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) with a Bachelor’s of Education in Social Studies, where he served as a research assistant in one of UCC’s research departments. He has more than 13 years of highly substantive professional experience in relation to communication and development, with background in areas that include managing educational, ICT, and environmental programs for NGOs in Ghana. For nearly a decade he served as the Executive Director of Youth Aid Foundation for Winners in Ghana. Christian is interested in further developing his knowledge of communication strategies for behavioral change and earning a PhD.

Henry Boachi is from Anfoega, a town in the Volta Region of Ghana. Before coming to Ohio University he worked as a Communications Officer for USAID’s Ghana Local Governance and Decentralization Program. He has professional experience in areas that include efforts to reduce child and maternal mortality in Northern Ghana, journalism, and radio program production. Henry’s current research interests include media studies and political economy, and he plans to eventually earn a PhD and pursue a career as a lecturer and consultant. Among other things, Henry enjoys music and photography.

Natalia Buitrago Rovira is from Bogota, Colombia. Her undergraduate degree is in Mass Communications and Journalism from The University of La Sabana in Colombia. Before pursuing her studies at Ohio University, Natalia worked as a Communications Officer for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), where her primary role involved conducting research on improving the quality of life in rural areas of Colombia. She was also the Director of an Environmental and Educational Program for the Occidental Petroleum Company. Natalia’s research interests include education, the environment, and media, and she loves to dance.

Franklyn Charles was born in Dominica, West Indies. He earned his B.A. in Communication, with a concentration on Culture and Media, from the University of South Florida. Franklyn has extensive professional experience in the area of video production, including through having worked with PSAV, as a lab assistant in the video production department at the University of South Florida, and as a freelance videographer for wedding video production companies in Tampa, Florida. His research interests include video production for education and social change, with a focus on childhood health issues relating to poor nutrition and obesity. In his free time Franklyn enjoys mountain biking, exercise, and reading.

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Kareem Eldamanhoury is from Cairo, Egypt, and comes to the program through a highly competitive Open Society Foundations MEROL Scholarship. Prior to enrolling at Ohio University, he worked as a teaching assistant in Cairo University’s Mass Communication program. Kareem has television production experience working for several daily talk-shows as well as with the advertising industry. He enjoys acting, was a member of a theater group as an undergraduate student, and is currently a member of OU’s theater team now. His current research interests include advertising, product placement, and entertainment-education.

COMMUNICATION AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES CLASS OF 2013

María Cecilia Fernández Peña is from Bolivia and comes to Ohio University as a Fulbright Scholar. She has a B.A. in Social Communication Sciences from the Catholic Bolivian University “San Pablo.” After completing her studies she worked as an Assistant Editor for the popular Bolivian magazine Cosas. Her professional experience also includes working as Head of Communication for Ipas Bolivia, an NGO dedicated to improving the capacity of women to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights. Her main research interests are in the areas of women’s and gender studies, human rights, and empowerment of women through health education. She enjoys dancing, traveling, and writing stories.

Terri Goh is from Penang Island, Malaysia. She received her bachelor’s degree in Applied Science from University of Science Malaysia, which is one of the largest universities in Malaysia and is ranked highly among world universities. Terri has interests in areas that include business management, corporate communication, public relations, and economics, and her professional experience includes having worked for five years as an Engineer with a manufacturing company in Malaysia. Through the Communication and Development program she plans to continue to develop her skills in the areas of corporate and interpersonal communication. Terri’s hobbies include watching movies and television shows.

Jessica Gonzalez Herrera is from Barranquilla, Colombia. Her undergraduate degree is in Political Science and Public Administration from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain, where she was also enrolled in a postgraduate program on African Societies and Development. She is the co-founder of elParlante, a nonprofit organization that emphasizes alternative media as a means to encourage young people and disadvantaged populations to take ownership of their own social transformations. Jessica’s current research interests include non-formal and formal education in relation to youth, participatory video, and community-based projects. She is a professional dancer with expertise in Colombian folk dance, African traditional dances, flamenco, and tango.

Tijana Knezevic is from Cacak, Serbia. Before coming to Ohio University, she worked with Mobilize for Haiti in New York City. She is also the co-founder of ARS-Balcanica, a non-profit organization in Serbia that, among other things, supports intercultural dialogues among marginalized social groups, including the underprivileged women and children, members of LGBT communities, and Roma populations in Serbia. Tijana’s research interests are in the areas of gender studies and women’s empowerment. In the future, she plans to focus on issues of women’s empowerment through the promotion of education and employment.

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Sankerdas Latthanhot is from Laos and comes to Ohio University on a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. He graduated with a B.A. in English from the Lao-American College. After completing his undergraduate degree, Sankerdas joined the communications staff of Plan International. His professional experience also includes interpreting meetings and translating documents for UN agencies and International NGOs. Sankerdas also worked as a part-time English teacher, and he led numerous volunteer projects while living in Laos. He has a range of research interests, including in the areas of analyzing the constraints associated with conducting formative research, as well as in relation to public health communication.

COMMUNICATION AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES CLASS OF 2013

Majd Mariam was born in Alqtaifi, Syria, and he earned his undergraduate degree in Mass Communication from Damascus University. Before coming to Ohio University, he worked as a lecturer in the Media and Applied Arts program at Kalamoon University in Syria, and prior to that he developed extensive professional experience in the areas of video editing, advertising, and marketing. Majd comes to the program through a highly competitive and prestigious Open Society Foundations MEROL Scholarship. He is interested in visual communication (documentaries), children rights, teaching, education, and in the production of children’s media content. Among other things, Majd enjoys cooking.

Stacy Quinones is from Youngstown, Ohio. She earned a B.A. in Religious Studies and minored in Nonprofit Leadership, at Youngstown State University. She is a Certified Nonprofit Professional through the Leadership Alliance, and while an undergraduate she assisted the Office of University Development in their transition to online giving. Stacy has also been involved in several community outreach projects and has experience working in television and journalism. Her research interests are in areas that include human rights and media for social change. While an undergraduate, Stacy was involved in a range of volunteer projects and received numerous scholarships and awards.

Meagen Rinard is from Newport, Ohio, and she earned her B.A. in Organizational Communication/Public Relations from Marietta College. Prior to coming to Ohio University, Meagen worked with AmeriCorps, where she helped under-represented populations enroll in higher education programs. As an undergraduate, Meagen was involved with the Bridges to Community volunteer project in Nicaragua. As a graduate student in the Comm Dev program, Meagen plans to focus on development issues in Latin America, specifically the relationships between poverty, equal rights, and education. One of her future goals is to promote not only education issues in Lain America, but to strengthen international education in the US higher education system.

Angelina Sakharovskaya is from the Sakhalin Region in Russia. She has an undergraduate degree in Management and Advertising from St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts, and she comes to Ohio University on a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. Angelina is an alumnus of the Future Leaders Exchange Program, a U.S. State Department-sponsored program for high school students. She has professional experience working with children, as well as in commercial advertising, and she completed an internship with UNESCO Youth Forum in Kenya. Her current research interests are in art, education, and C4D. Angelina is involved with Ohio University’s student-run theatre, and she also loves traveling and reading.

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Faisal Saleh is from Nablus, Palestine. He comes to the program through a prestigious Open Society Foundation MEROL Scholarship. Faisal has substantive volunteer as well as professional experience in areas that include working for the Yafa Cultural Center, for the Hoping Foundation, and as a freelance journalist. Faisal participated in the Cultural Journalism Training Program in Berlin in 2012 and also in a Cross-Culture Internship Program in Leipzig in 2011. After he completes his master’s degree he plans to obtain a PhD and work as an academic in his home country. Faisal’s areas of interest include media and cultural studies and intercultural communication. He enjoys literature, writing, and playing the oud.

COMMUNICATION AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES CLASS OF 2013

Rasha Sansur is a Palestinian from Jerusalem. She graduated from Birzeit University with honors majoring in Journalism and minoring in sociology. She also earned a degree in flute from the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. Rasha’s experience includes having worked with the German development organization GIZ, consulting for Water Union Service Providers, and coordinating a children’s choir project. Through her graduate studies, Rasha plans to develop skills that will enable her to effectively work on changing the negative stereotypes often associated with Palestinians. She comes to the program through a prestigious Open Society Foundation MEROL Scholarship.

Sergina is from Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. In 2012 she was invited to Ohio University to give a presentation with the artist collective Taring Padi, a community of underground artists in Indonesia dedicated to issues of social justice. Sergina also has substantial professional experience that includes working as a Regional Program Officer for Handicap International in Indonesia and Timor-Leste, as well as in the area of preventing violence against women and children. Gina hopes to further develop her expertise in areas that include women’s and gender studies, social inequalities, and human rights.

Ibrahim Sesay is from Freetown, Sierra Leone. He earned his B.A. with honors in Mass Communication from Fourah Bay College, the oldest and one of the top universities in Sierra Leone. Ibrahim has a passion for helping children in disadvantaged communities. Prior to arriving at Ohio University, he served as a volunteer advocacy officer for the NGO Defense for Children International, and he also worked as a Marketing and Communication Officer for Zenith Bank in Sierra Leone. Ibrahim is interested in communication for social change and health communication.

Nora Sullivan is from Ohio. She is earning dual master’s degrees in Communication and Development Studies and Environmental Studies. She is particularly interested in relationships between environmental issues and community/public health as they relate to climate change implications for peace. For the last past two years she worked as an AmeriCorps volunteer in watershed restoration and acid rain drainage mitigation. Nora is a member of the Appalachian Hell Betties roller derby team, and as much as she loves to travel, she loves Southeast Ohio.

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Jessica Wetzel is from Beavercreek, Ohio. She graduated from Wright State University with a B.A. in Communication Studies. As an undergraduate, she completed an internship with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Miami Valley Region, where among other things she assisted staff members with event planning designed to encourage community involvement. She is interested in the field if health communication and hopes to eventually work for a nonprofit organization.

COMMUNICATION AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES CLASS OF 2013

Yunqi Zhu is form Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, China. For her undergraduate degree she majored in Digital Media at the Communication University of China, as well as in Economics at Peking University. Yunqi had several internships before coming to Ohio University. She worked as assistant editor for Nanjing Television (NJTV), and as an editorial news leader for the Aniwow! Beijing International Student Animation Festival. Yunqi loves sports, particularly badminton, and playing the clarinet. Her research interests are in the areas of behavior change, economic development, and social relationships.

October: In early October, and as noted in the article on page 5, most of the second year students presented their work at the Global Fusion Conference, which was held in Carbondale, Illinois. The students who present-ed at the conference included Alicia Aikens, Mohammad Ala Uddin, Katty Alhayek, Qinying Chen, Reda Hassan, Abhijit Mali, Nii Nikoi, Kazi Priyanka Silmi, and Tracy Tin-ga. In late October, Mohammad Ala Uddin and Nii Nikoi each presented papers at the Semiotic Society of Ameri-ca’s 38th Annual Meeting, which brings together semiotics scholars from around the world. Ala Uddin’s paper was titled Defying Bangladeshi Gender Stereotypes: A Social Semi-ology of BBC Janala, and Nii’s paper was titled Information Graphic Use by NGOs. Also in October, Nihal Said present-ed a paper titled Challenges in Measuring Communication for Development Impact at the 27th Annual Conference of the American Evaluation Association, held in Washington, DC. First year student Kareem Eldamanhoury traveled to the Knowledge Global Conference to present his paper titled Product Placement in Movies as a Tool of Transnational Advertis-ing: Comparative Analysis between French and American Movies.

November: A number of second year students presented their research at the 34th Annual National Women’s Studies

Association (NWSA) conference, which was held in Cincin-nati, Ohio. The NWSA conference is the largest annual meet-ing in the U.S. that is exclusively dedicated to emphasizing feminist scholarship. At the conference, Katty Alhayek, Kazi Priyanka Silmi, Tracy Tinga, and former Comm Dev student Liliana Acevedo Callejas organized a panel session titled An International “E-vite” for Social Change: How Online Spaces Fa-cilitate Agency in Effecting Change in Women’s Lives. Also at the conference, Nihal Said presented a poster titled Communi-cation for Development on Street Harassment in Egypt. Later that month, second year student Katty Alhayek presented a paper titled Activism, Communication Technologies, and Syrian Refugee Women’s Issues at the Union for Democratic Com-munications/Project Censored Conference held in San Fran-cisco, and second year student Michael Wolven presented a paper titled Hijrah to Muslim Africa: Western Converts and Their Quest for Purity of Place, at the 56th Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association, which was held in Baltimore, Maryland. As a part of November’s International Educa-tion Week celebration at Ohio University, at the Graduate Student Paper Presentations event seven Communication and Development Studies students presented their work, including Abhijit Mali, Alicia Aikens, Katty Alhayek, Kazi Pri-yanka Silmi, Nihal Said, Mohammad Ala Uddin, and Nii Nikoi.

STUDENT ACTIVITIESCONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

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December: As noted in the article on page 4, many first year students were involved with, and presented their work at, the International Day of Persons with Dis-abilities event titled Break Barriers, Open Doors, held at Ohio University. First year students who presented their work at the event included Terri Goh, Nora Sullivan, Ser-gina, Cecilia Fernandez-Pena, Rasha Sansur, Faisal Saleh, Ibrahim Sesay, Majd Mariam, and Henry Boachi. Other first year students were involved in varying capacities as well.

A number of first year students had their work accepted for conferences this spring. Angelina Sakharovskaya and Rasha Sansur had papers accepted at the 26th Annual Ethnograph-ic and Qualitative Research Conference, which will be held in February, 2014, in Las Vegas. Stacy Quinones, Faisal Saleh, and Yunqi Zhu all had papers accepted for the 17th Annu-al American Association for Behavioral and Social Sciences Conference, which will also be held in Las Vegas. More than 20 Comm Dev students had their work accepted for the Communication, Gender, and Social Change in Global Com-munities Conference that will be held at Ohio University this February. The conference is being organized by Ohio University’s Women’s and Gender Studies Graduate Student Association, in collaboration with the Communication and Development Student Association. Second year student Ni-hal Said had a paper accepted for the Midwestern Political Science Association Conference, which will be held in Chi-cago this April. Her paper is titled Media Consumption Habits and the Political Knowledge Gap in Cairo, Egypt. Second year

student Kazi Priyanka Silmi had papers accepted at the Ken-tucky Conference on Health Communication as well as for the Fifth Annual Consortium of Universities for Global Health Conference, which will be held in Washington, DC, this May.

This past summer, second year student Abi Mali complet-ed an internship in Washington, DC, with Amnesty Inter-national USA, where he worked as a Media Relations in-tern. His responsibilities included researching media outlets, supporting external events, and writing internal documents for the organization. As noted by his supervisor at Am-nesty International, “Abi brought a passion and enthusi-asm for his work that was contagious.” Kazi Priyanka Silmi was offered internships with UN Women as well as with the New York University Prevention Research Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH). She opted for the internship with CSAAH, which conducts research to assess the health needs and related resources available to Asian American populations living in New York City. Pri-yanka’s responsibilities included administering a commu-nity-based survey. Also over the summer, Michael Wolven was awarded a competitive Graduate Assistantship to work with the Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on Journalism and Media program, and second year student Alicia Aik-ens, along with 2013 program graduates Cynthia Hannah and Claudia Nieto, travelled to southern Ecuador to par-ticipate in the Tropical Disease Institute’s Healthy Living Project. Directed by faculty member Dr. Mario Grijalva, and in collaboration with the Center for International Studies, the Healthy Living Project is a long-terrm initiative aimed to support the socioeconomic development of rural com-munities affected by Chagas disease in southern Ecuador.

Second Year student Michael Wolven and incoming student Franklyn Charles both received prestigious Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships for this academic year. Second year student Katty Alhayek was awarded the compet-itive Allushuski Graduate Fellowship in Women’s and Gen-der Studies at Ohio University for this academic year as well. Second year students Nihal Said and Alicia Aikens are serving as the President and Secretary, respectively, of the Ohio Uni-versity International Student Union. Kazi Priyanka Silmi is a senator for the Ohio University Graduate Student Senate.

PAPERS ACCEPTED FOR UPCOM-ING CONFERENCES

INTERNSHIP ACTIVITIES

FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS, AND APPOINTMENTS

Kareem Eldamanhoury presenting paper on product placement in movies at the Knowledge Global Conference in Boston

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Copyright © 2014 Communication and Development Studies.Winter Edition 2013-2014 Communication and Development Studies Yamada International HouseOhio UniversityAthens, OH 45701

www.commdev.ohio.eduwww.facebook.com/CommDevOhio

Scripps College of CommunicationCenter for International Studies

UPCOMING EVENT!