Very cool surprise to open today’s National Communication Association (NCA) “Comm Notes” mailing list and see my research article with Christine Nyawaga, PhD, featured in Communication Currents! 🤩 🩷
Continue reading “Research Featured in NCA’s Communication Currents Publication”
I recently joined a stellar interdisciplinary panel for a symposium, organized by the Wayne State University Humanities Center, to talk about Water/Sheds. We from disciplines as disparate as English, Modern Languages, Biological Sciences, Communication, Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Art, and we talked about why we did the research we did on the social-environmental impacts of water and watersheds. We also identified some wonderful intersections across our research interests and perspectives, which will hopefully lead to us forming a Working Group under the Humanities Center to continue to this conversation and broaden it even further across the university.
I’ve been pondering (and practicing) the use of social media platforms by researchers and academic units (e.g., departments, colleges, labs, centers) for some time now, and got a recent opportunity to distil my observations and reflections into a workshop and webinar series for the NIEHS-funded Center for Leadership in Environmental Awareness and Research (CLEAR) Superfund Program. I created 3 short videos on (1) why to use social media and 3 guiding principles, (2) comparison of different social media platforms, and (2) some best practices and cautionary tips.
I was privileged to facilitate a “Learn shop” at the 14th annual conference of the Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, targeted primarily at regional leaders working toward environmental sustainability. My own contribution centered on helping learnshop participants use communication theory to engage multiple stakeholders amid the “wicked problems” of environmental sustainability. Drawing from my research, I proposed a Tensions Model centered on recognizing how tensions can be more than just headaches, but can be used constructively once we take the time to appreciate the situation holistically from multiple perspectives. Specifically, the learnshop used four “tension areas” as the starting point to help analyze different problems in small groups.
Continue reading “Learnshop on Tensions Model to Negotiate with Environmental Stakeholders at GLBD 2018 Conference”
I was privileged and thrilled to serve as a “Pitch Pit” judge at the Oct 18, 2018, Showcase and Pitch Pit, organized by the New Enterprise Forum (NEF). Based in Ann Arbor, MI, only 45 minutes from downtown Detroit, NEF offers local entrepreneurs extensive coaching, networking and other support services so that they can be successful. Pitch Pit gives startup leaders the opportunity to practice presenting to investors and others interested in the Detroit Area entrepreneurial community. Basically, our brief was to offer constructive and useful feedback, a more helpful version of the “sharks” on Shark Tank, to help the entrepreneurs pitching their business.
Continue reading “The time I played “Shark” for the New Enterprise Forum in Ann Arbor.”As Winter 2016 winds down, I am amazed at the great social justice-themed final projects submitted by COM 4270 Group Communication students. These four groups worked tirelessly during the semester with an external client organization (based in the Metro Detroit area), identifying specific needs and implementing complicated projects, ranging from tactical strategy-building to fundraising, and from marketing to volunteer-generation.
Continue reading “COM 4270 Group Com students submit amazing social justice-themed Final Projects”
Rahul Mitra 