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News & Events

Faculty Webinars & Keynotes

Ferruh Yilmaz, Tulane University

Ferruh Yilmaz “Academic Activism, Critical Race Theory and Gender: moral panic and populist far right strategy”

at the Danish Gender Research Outer and Inner Framework conference, on August 2022.

read the abstract

Mohan Ambikaipaker discusses his article “Music Videos and the ‘War on Terror’ in Britain: Benjamin Zephaniah’s Infrapolitical Blackness in Rong Radio”

Listen to the podcast on globalmediacultures.org. Global Media Cultures Podcast, October 28, 2021.

Mauro Porto: Whiteness and the rise of the far right in Brazil Affirmative action and middle-class backlash in the newsmagazine Veja.

Sponsored by Northwestern University’s Center for Latinx Digital Media, October 21, 2021.

Ferruh Yilmaz at IAMCR

Ferruh Yilmaz Keynote Plenary Session at the IAMCR

International Association for Media and Communication Research conference on July 12, 2021

Toby Miller Were the Colombian Mercenaries Fall Guys Hired in an Inside Job to Assassinate Moise?

Background Briefing with Ian Masters, July 11, 2021

Mauro Porto: Whiteness, middle class resentment, and conservative revolt in Brazil Gender, class, and race in the telenovela Cheias de Charme

Sponsored by the New Mexico State University’s Center for Latin American & Border Studies, February 24, 2021.

Student Awards

Billie Virgina Wyler, Ashton Phelps Award Recipient

The Ashton Phelps Award

Billie Virgina Wyler is the Communication Department’s 2023 Ashton Phelps Sr. Memorial Award Recipient. This award is given on recommendation of the faculty for excellence in communication studies.

I’m from Delray Beach, Florida. I started at Tulane as a freshman in 2019 and will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication this May. I have loved studying Communication and I am so grateful to have learned from such incredible, accomplished professors. My studies and appreciation for journalism inspired me to start writing for The Tulane Hullabaloo in my junior year, where I now hold the position of Digital Director.

When I started at Tulane, my major was originally Psychology. I chose this major somewhat on a whim, as I was not quite sure what I was interested in. However, as I began to explore a range of courses, I quickly realized I preferred those in liberal arts, specifically those more closely related to Communication. Thus, I changed my major to Communication in my sophomore year. I have thoroughly enjoyed pursuing this degree since, and I appreciate how this major has allowed me to improve my skills in many areas. The areas I have improved in includes writing, speaking, critical thinking, media literacy, and even empathy. I have had the pleasure of taking classes with several esteemed, brilliant professors, whose courses were enriching and unique. I have found essentially all my Communication classes compelling and aligned with my academic interests, and this made participating and earning high grades attainable. With graduation approaching, I look back on my experience in Communication very fondly, and I plan to utilize all I have learned in my professional career.

My postgraduate plans are currently in the works! I am still in the job search process and I’m actively looking and interviewing for jobs in communication and marketing in the South Florida area.

Congratulations Billie! We are happy to recognize your exceptional record of excellence both in and out of the classroom, and we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

  • 2022 Recipient, Clara Lang
  • 2021 Recipient, Victoria Jordan
Crawford Lemoine, N. Frank Ukadike Award for Excellence in Media Studies

N. Frank Ukadike Award for Excellence in Media Studies

Crawford Lemoine is the 2023 recipient of the “N. Frank Ukadike Award for Excellence in Media Studies” This award is given to students based on the recommendation of the Communication faculty for excellence in Communication and Media Studies.

As someone who hopes to pursue a career as a writer and director, much of my time at Tulane has been devoted to making short films with fellow students and attempting to grow as a filmmaker. Since I gained technical grounding in film production at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts in high school, I decided to major in Communication, rather than attempting the traditional Digital Media Practices degree. I felt it was so important to understand the responsibilities that come with being a media creator, of having the eyes of the world on your work. Since many of my films deal with comedy and satire, I also hoped for Tulane's Communication courses to enhance my ability to think critically about topical issues; likewise, I was excited for courses like "Film Analysis" to elevate my craft and satisfy my artistic cravings. Thanks to my Communication courses, these goals have been met, and I now feel more equipped than ever as I begin this next chapter of my life.

Being a Communication major and student filmmaker from Madisonville, Louisiana, I was recently able to merge my academic experiences with my love for comedic filmmaking. My senior Honors Thesis consisted of the creation of a satirical short film, titled "The Influencer." My hope is for this film to make a limited festival run soon. After graduating, I plan to pursue a career as a writer-director in New York.

Congratulations Crawford! We are happy to recognize your exceptional record of excellence both in and out of the classroom, and we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

  • 2022 Recipient, Avery Anderson
  • 2021 Recipient, Natalie Holderbaum
Carlotta Murrin, The Glendy Burke Medal in Communication

The Glendy Burke Medal in Communication

Congratulations Carlotta Murrin on being selected as the 2023 Glendy Burke Medal in Communication Award winner. This award is given to the student who best combines academic performance and contributions to community in the field of communication.

Throughout my time at Tulane, the classes I have taken in the Communications department have not only generated my interest in studying how differing systems of communication interact with each other and directly affect our lives but have also helped me appreciate the importance of differing systems of communication in creating a sense of togetherness in an otherwise complex world. With the invaluable support of professors Dr. Mauro Porto and Dr. Aidan Smith in the Communications department, I had the opportunity to write an honors thesis about female journalists in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico in order to understand if the violence they may face as a result of their work is gendered, and the process in writing this thesis has been extremely rewarding and eye-opening. After graduation, I plan to use the skills I learned from the Communications department to help me pursue a career in external relations in the foreign policy field.

Congratulations Carlotta! We are happy to recognize your exceptional record of excellence both in and out of the classroom, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

  • 2022 Recipient, Lance Brunson
  • 2021 Recipient, Juan Alejandro Olarte-Cortés

Communication & Cinema Studies at the School of Liberal Arts Open House

On Thursday, August 19, 2021, the School of Liberal Arts held its annual Open House to showcase department and program offerings to new students.

All 36 departments and 19 programs spanning the humanities, social sciences, and fine & performing arts had their own branded table within the Kendall Cram and Qatar rooms of the LBC, allowing a few faculty members to sit at each and engage with students about their respective offerings and upcoming courses.

It was a day of exciting conversation and future planning, with spirited school swag, info about upcoming events, and brochures to help guide students in their educational pursuits—and plenty of treats and refreshments.

The Department of Communication was an integral part of this event, and shared information with potential students about all the department has to offer to students interested in Communication, as well as Cinema Studies.

Representing the department were Professor Ana M. López, the Department Chair and Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Assistant Prof. Eric D. Herhuth, the Cinema Studies Director, Associate Prof. Jerome P. Dent, and Visiting Associate Prof. Liam Olson-Mayes.

Other Communication News