Reproduction and rhetoric: new faculty member Emily Winderman’s background with the words that shape how we think about reproductive health care shines light on an important issue in communication studies.
A liberal arts perspective on business: senior Jorge Espinoza gained critical thinking skills through his communication courses in CLA and took advantage of the guided internship course ID 3201 to put his critical career search strategies into practice.
Transfer student and senior Christian Trunley combined his love of food and people in a hands-on internship with Open Arms of Minnesota, helping prepare nutritious meals for people with life-threatening illnesses in the Twin Cities.
Laurie Ouellette has spent her career viewing popular culture through an academic lens. “Things that appear trivial at first glance, like a reality TV show, might actually be circulating certain norms or prejudices or values,” she says. “If we can think critically about the cultural and media environment that we’re immersed in, that’s an important step toward being engaged citizens.”
Assistant Professor Michael Lechuga’s research focuses on the role that technology plays in border security mechanisms and the ways migrants are depicted as “alien” in popular culture. He just recently joined the department.
Recent graduate Gemma Kumaraea (BA ‘17) appreciates the versatility of her degree. From her coursework and internships, she built a path to her current position in fundraising and membership for a Twin Cities nonprofit.
From finance and insurance to sports data and public relations, Marvin Banks (BA ‘10, communication studies) has utilizes the deeper understanding of communication he gained in CLA across many fields of work. Currently, he is employing these core competencies as a diversity and inclusion recruiter at the U of M.
