Buffalo State Communication Department

Thinking about earning a bachelor's degree in communication at Buffalo State? We're hosting a virtual open house this Thursday at 3:30 p.m., and we hope you'll attend! Register here: https://connect.buffalostate.edu/portal/virtual-open-house

Buffalo State's virtual Graduate School commencement is underway now - congratulations to our M.S. in Public Relations graduates! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-t-o5OnDsQ&feature=youtu.be

Buffalo State's virtual commencement for School of Arts and Humanities graduates in the Class of 2020 is underway now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btBdN8nN7bE&feature=youtu.be

The Buffalo State Communication Department is mourning the loss of our former department chair, Professor Emeritus Ronald D. Smith, who died Sept. 19 in Florida, where he and his wife Dawn had lived for the past couple of years. Ron was a visionary as our department chair, serving in that role from 2003 to 2011, and he was the driving force behind our successful efforts to win initial accreditation from ACEJMC. He did an amazing job with the many, varied responsibilities of t...he department chair, including student and faculty concerns, facilities, recruitment, curriculum, accreditation, and fundraising. He made it all look so effortless! As a public relations educator, Professor Smith was familiar with the national standards put forth by the Commission on Public Relations Education and made sure we were adhering to them in our Public Communication (now PR/Advertising) major. In the 1990s, he and Professor Marian Deutschman established our graduate PR sequence as part of the college’s M.S. in Multidisciplinary Studies degree, which became the nucleus of our current M.S. in PR degree. He was the author of several communication and public relations textbooks used by hundreds of colleges across the country. Those include Becoming a Public Relations Writer, Strategic Planning for Public Relations, and (with Professors Rik Whitaker and Janet Ramsey) MediaWriting the textbook used in our COM 210 Media Writing courses. He held Accreditation in Public Relations through the Public Relations Society of America and was an active member of PRSA’s Buffalo Niagara chapter during his years in Buffalo. He served as chapter president and later as chair of PRSA’s Northeast District, as a judge for PRSA Buffalo Niagara’s Excalibur Awards, and he helped prepare PRSA members for the APR exam. He was a recipient of the PRSA Buffalo Niagara chapter’s Distinguished Service Award. Professor Smith served our department and the public relations profession with great distinction and we are all the better for it. We will miss him tremendously! Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced at a major date.

Congratulations to the newly elected officers of Buffalo State’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America for 2020-21! They are: Evan Atkins, president; Daniel May, vice president; Amanda Porretto, secretary; Ramona Sencion, treasurer; and Jen-Alyn O’Harra, public relations director. The chapter held its first meeting of the year via Zoom today the first of a number of virtual meetings and events to come this fall! PRSSA offers scholarships, internship and job opportunities, networking and professional development programming in public relations. Our chapter is planning weekly meetings on Thursdays at 12:15 p.m. via Zoom, each featuring a guest speaker, with other plans in the works. If you’d like to join, contact Evan Atkins at [email protected].

It's with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of Dr. Benjamin Christy, retired Dean of the School of Arts & Humanities at Buffalo State, who died on Sunday. Dr. Christy served with great distinction as our Dean from 2007 until his retirement in December 2019. He was a strong supporter of the Communication Department's students, faculty, and staff - encouraging all of us to "reach for the stars." In particular, he was an enthusiastic supporter of service learning and the creation of ties to the local community. He was so proud of the accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni! A Buffalo State memorial service will be held in mid-2021 after the pandemic is over.

Congratulations to Dr. Bruce Bryski, associate professor of communication, who has been selected as a 2020 recipient of the President's Award for Excellence in Academic Advisement! Buffalo State President Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner will honor Dr. Bryski virtually at her State of the College message, which will stream live on Oct. 20 at noon. More details will follow on how to tune in and share the event!

Students: here's a great fall 2020 virtual internship! The Buffalo Broadcasters Association is seeking an intern who is interested in working on several different projects over the course of a semester. The successful candidate will work with the leads of the Website/Social Media Committee virtually to develop content for our website and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ... Responsibilities: Assist in executing the organization’s social media strategy Create, develop, and share content relevant to the organization and industry Integrate content into editorial calendars for future posts on digital platforms Research best practices for widening the audience across digital platforms Contribute as a writer for the website regarding industry comings and goings, important dates/anniversaries in Buffalo broadcasting history, and assisting with current and future web features Requirements: Experience working in social media on a variety of platforms High quality writing and communication skills Ability to self-manage and adhere to deadlines Current college student pursuing a degree in Communication, Marketing, Public Relations, or a related field Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge in search engine optimization and/or web accessibility Knowledge of WordPress To Apply: Please send a resume and a cover letter along with links to your current social media/portfolio platforms that can include photos, videos, blog posts, and other forms of multimedia. Please send materials to [email protected]. This position will require between 8-10 hours per week. If you have questions, please contact Carl Lam at [email protected].

Buffalo State Communication students - are you still looking for an online COM elective for fall 2020? If you’ve completed COM 215 Intro to Visual Communication, consider COM 340, taught by Dr. Michael Niman, an accomplished photojournalist. There are still seats available! Here’s a description of the course along with a few of Dr. Niman’s photos. Like written journalism, photojournalism can inform or misinform readers. It can reinforce or challenge stereotypes. At its best, ...it can be inspirational, and history has shown it can transform societies (i.e. Jacob Riis). At its worse, it can ruin lives and or lead to people’s deaths. This course critically examines the power and potential of photojournalism as well as practicing the mechanical and social skills involved in successful photojournalism. It is a hands-on course where students will make and discuss photos, taking on various photo-making challenges. Students should have access to a digital DSLR camera or equivalent. See more

Here's an updated version of our "Senior Sendoff: COM's Tribute to the Class of 2020" video with even more photos! Our thanks again to COM 429 student Elisha Guess and Professor Dorothea Braemer! https://ensemble.itec.suny.edu/Watch/Mj3a6Y5N

Congratulations to the Communication Department's Class of 2020 from your faculty! Way to go! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqr02kMW8ig&feature=youtu.be

We are thrilled to share our "Senior Sendoff: COM's Tribute to Class of 2020" video to honor all of our graduating seniors! Thank you to Elisha Guess and Professor Dorothea Braemer for putting together this incredible video!