CSU CLASS

Photo: Cornelia & Tony Weinert; Photo by Abe Frajndlich

Some of Tony Weinert’s fondest memories at Cleveland State University stem back to his time at the Factory Theatre. It was here, at CSU’s first dedicated theatre space, that Tony defined his skills and passion for theatre, and most recently, his desire to support future theatre artists by establishing the Tony Weinert and Cornelia Spring Theatre Scholarship Fund. Tony stated, “Studying theatre at CSU helped prepare me for my future. Through this scholarship I hope to be able to support young artists find their voice, and honor the legacy of my late wife, Cornelia Spring, and her love of the arts.”

This is the second scholarship Tony launched at CSU, his first being an immediate use scholarship from 2016-2020. While Tony continues to provide financial support to undergraduate junior and senior theatre majors who demonstrate interest, ability, or talent in acting and directing through the endowed scholarship, he opened the criteria to students with an interest in set design to recognize one of Cornelia’s areas of interest.

Tony’s story with CSU began over 50 years ago. In 1968, shortly after graduating from high school, Tony experienced the death of his father who was then just 45 years of age. His aunt provided this advice, “Don’t let his passing stop you from getting an education.” Tony was able to commute to CSU at night. Eventually he shifted to full-time days while keeping a part-time job at night and helping his mom and sisters whenever he could. 

Not yet knowing his major but having performed in theatre at John Marshall High School, Tony auditioned for Aristophanes' “The Birds” and received a part in the play. “The Birds” was a hit and the ensemble was invited to perform at the prestigious College Theater Festival at George Washington University Centre in Washington DC, where it won an award. Tony also worked on “Jacques Brel” at CSU before it moved to Playhouse Square and its historic revival.

While at CSU, Tony created his own theatre group BITE, the Bezerko Improvisational Theatre Ensemble. After graduating in 1973, Tony led the improv company for eight years. He met his late wife Cornelia Spring, CFP, in an arts management course at CSU in 1977. Cornelia received a Fulbright after completing her Bachelor’s degree at Bryn Mawr and taught the English language in India. Cornelia was the first Director of NOVA (New Organization for the Visual Arts), a nonprofit organization in Cleveland that focused on development and business growth for visual artists. Cornelia admired the work of artist Christo and was part of the team that realized his renowned work at Pont Neuf, Paris, France. She was instrumental in introducing Tony to Christo’s work. Tony became inspired by Christo, and later supported the development of his work, The Umbrellas, in Northern Los Angeles county. Christo remained an artistic inspiration to both Tony and Cornelia throughout their lifetimes.  

CSU alumnus Mark Lantz knows firsthand the value of a CSU education. Mark has built a successful career in advertising, but it wasn’t without challenges in making ends meet to stay in college and earn his degrees. After learning about CSU’s 2-for-1 tuition promise, Mark decided to explore what he could do to incentivize students to stay in college and graduate. 

In December of 2020, Mark established his second immediate use scholarship at CSU, The Mark Lantz Next Step Scholarship Fund. Mark stated, “I know a lot of Cleveland State students are proud of putting themselves through college. I’m one of them.  That doesn’t mean we can’t use a little help along the way. And that’s what this scholarship fund is trying to do.”

Student retention from freshman to sophomore year is critical and an early indicator of academic success. Attrition rates trend less with each academic year once students stay in college during this important transition. The Mark Lantz Next Step Scholarship Fund provides tuition assistance to students entering their sophomore year who met the criteria for and received the 2-for-1 tuition promise the previous spring, have declared a major in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), and have demonstrated financial need. The first of these scholarships were granted in the fall of 2021. One of the scholarship recipients, an Art and Design major, made the following statement of appreciation to Mark for his support: “I am so thankful for your generous donation. You have given me the opportunity to pursue a career that I am passionate about. You have helped me and many other young people in more ways than you can imagine, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Mark earned his BA in English in 1987 and his MA in Applied Communication Theory and Methodology in 1990 from CSU. Mark co-founded Factory Detroit Inc., a creative agency, in 2013. Just prior to co-founding Factory Detroit, Mark was Chief Strategy Officer with McCann Erickson in Detroit and one of the creators of the groundbreaking tourism campaign “Pure Michigan.” Mark also held positions at FCB San Francisco, Ogilvy & Mather Chicago, Rubin Postaer in LA and Wyse Advertising in Cleveland. 

Mark became reconnected with CSU when he joined the CLASS Visiting Committee in 2016. Before establishing the Next Step Scholarship Fund, Mark created his first immediate use scholarship fund in 2015 which provided scholarships to graduate students studying Applied Communication Theory and Methodology. Mark also donated professional services to create “The Story of Us” in 2018 for CLASS. “The Story of Us” is an advertising campaign consisting of videos of three signature class programs which were accessible online, through email blasts, social media posts, a dedicated web page and posters distributed to target audiences in Northeast Ohio including community leaders and prospective students.

Spring 2021 CLASS Valedictorian Aurora Reardanz

Majors: International Relations and Nonprofit Administration Minors: Economics and Asian Studies

Spring 2021 CLASS Scholars

Lauren Adams Majors: Criminology and Sociology

Marymar Alhoush Majors: Arabic and Organizational Leadership Management

Renee Betterson Majors: English and Philosophy Minor: Political Science

Sara Bonilla Major: Music Education

Mariah Boone Major: Social Work

Rachel Brown Major: Music Therapy

Gwendolyn Bueche Major: Film & Media Arts – Acting and Directing Minor: International Film

Stephanie Burk Major: Art – Design 

Liam Byrne Major: Criminology Minors: Political Science and Sociology

Emma Church Majors: Anthropology and Psychology Minor: Sociology

Machala Comenschek Majors: Music Education and Music Performance

Danielle Cooke Majors: Art and Spanish Minor: Anthropology

Emma Crighton Major: English – Creative Writing

Alice D’Andrea Majors: Criminology and Sociology

Kennedy Ellis Major: Music Education

Allison Endrulas Majors: Criminology and Psychology Minor: Spanish

Victoria Eppler Majors: Political Science and Women’s Studies

Gillian Favazzo-Cutler Major: Social Work

Sonia Fonseca Major: Theatre Arts

Ashley Gallaher Majors: Criminology and Psychology

Jeffrey Goad Major: Social Work

Maggie Golden Major: Film, TV, and Interactive Media

Natalie Hall Major: Political Science Minors: Economics and English

Jessica Hayes Major: Social Work

Erica Henrichsen Majors: Journalism & Promotional Communication and Environmental Studies

Audrey Hochstetler Major: Social Work

Amanda Houdeschell Majors: Philosophy and Nonprofit Administration Minor: English

Lauren Kall Majors: Sociology and Psychology

Jennifer Krsolovic Major: Communication

Emily Kunikis Major: Social Work Minor: Women’s Studies

Austin Lawrence Major: Philosophy Minor: English

Rebecca Leibold Majors: Anthropology and Biology Minor: Chemistry

Isabella Likos Major: Criminology Minors: Women’s Studies and Psychology

Theresa Lincheck Majors: Music Performance and Physics Minor: Mathematics

Abigail Lindway Majors: Criminology and Psychology

Seth Lyons Majors: History and Social Studies – Integrated Social Studies

Hakmat Manaa Major: Political Science Minor: Arabic

Matthew Manfredi Major: History Minor: Psychology

Jose Mendez Major: Political Science

Kaitlin Merholz Major: Communication

Olivia Morgan Major: Black Studies Minor: History

Raven Navarro Major: Art

Tri Nguyen Major: Sociology

Madison Noren Major: History

Evan Paganelli Major:  Film and Media Arts Minor: Theatre Arts

Hannah Park Major: Political Science

Kennedy Preston Majors: Anthropology and Art – Studio Art

Julia Rastatter Major: Social Work Minor: Psychology

Jasmine Reed Major: Social Work

Emily Risley Major: English – Creative Writing

Jensy Rivera Majors: International Relations and Political Science Minors: Arabic and Spanish

Morgan Roberts Major: Theatre Arts

Alyssa Roberts Major: Social Work Minors: Nonprofit Administration and Women’s Studies

Luz Rodriguez Major: Social Work Minor: Spanish

Madeline Saines Major: Journalism and Promotional Communication

Kara Schifano Major: Music Therapy

Angela Schill Major: English – Integrated Language Arts

Alicia Simon Major: Communication

Paul Tartaglia Major: Film & Media Arts –  Writing and Directing

Claudia Vaccaro Major: Music Therapy

Reanna Verian Major: Criminology

Omar Wahdan Major: Political Science

Brandi Williams Major: Social Work

Isaiah Williams Major: Film & Media Arts –  Writing and Directing Minor: Marketing

Rachel Williams Major: Criminology Minor: Communication

Madison Woods Major: Film & Media Arts –  Writing and Directing

Lauren Zawie Majors: Art – Design and Theatre Arts – Technical

Fall 2021 CLASS Valedictorian Rachel Jablonski

Majors: French and International Business Minor: Dance

Fall 2021 CLASS Scholars

Brynna Bailer Major: Music Education

Jami Bell Major: Social Work

Mario Billingsley Major: Theatre Arts – Acting

Courtney Byrnes Major: Journalism & Promotional Communication Minor: Digital Content Production

Destina Caruso Major: Social Work Minor: Psychology

James Chance Major: Music Therapy

Nicole Clarkson Major: English

Iris De Jesus Major: Social Work

Hope Ezell Major: Music Therapy

James Flanigan Major: Sociology Minor: History

Kevin Flors Majors: English – Creative Writing and Marketing

Madison Frank Major: Music Therapy

Nanayaa Frimpong Majors: Social Work and Psychology

Shamus Ginley Major: English

Emily Higley Major: Social Work Minor: Psychology

Katherine Ingleright Major: Liberal Studies Minor: Psychology

Meghan Kane Major: International Relations Minor: Marketing

Kazimir Klein Major: Dance Minor: Marketing

Elaine Krumlauf Major: Communication

David Landis Major: Political Science

Megan Little Major: Criminology

Robert Maxwell Major: Music Therapy

Toby Mooring Major: Social Work

Savannah Moss Major: Anthropology Minor: Art

Steven Nam Majors: Communication Studies and Organizational Leadership Communication Minor: Management

Joshua Oh Majors: Sociology and Psychology

Rachel Osherow Major: Music Therapy

Magdalene Phillips Major: Political Science Minors: Asian Studies, Environmental Studies and Sustainable Urban Development

Kristin Rubin Major: Social Work

Katherine Ruebensaal Major: Liberal Studies

Kara Singleton Major: Film & Media Arts – Writing/Directing

Joseph Slusarski Major: Music Performance

Alexandrea Vargo Major: English

Denise Verbeke Major: Social Work

Congratulations Theatre Professor Emeritus Joe Garry on his Cleveland Arts Prize 2021 honor!

Cleveland State University recognized career milestones of faculty and staff at the annual CSU Service Awards in the Glasscock Family Foundation Ballroom of the Student Center. 

Faculty and staff across nine colleges and schools and eight departments were recognized for their years of service to the university in increments of five years, beginning with their tenth year. Altogether, the 150 faculty honorees logged a combined total of 2,840 years of service to CSU. 

Congratulations to the CLASS faculty and staff for their service to CSU. 

This includes Joel Lieske, Ph.D., a political science professor who has been at CSU for over 40 years.

30 Years: Dr. Kathy Curnow; Dr. Peter Dunham; Richard Pitchford; Dr. Qingshan Tan

25 Years: Dr. Gregory Conerly 

20 Years: L Dicello; Dr. Jennifer Jeffers; Dr. Annie Jouan-Westlund; Dr. Jeff Karem; Dr. Wendy Regoeczi; Dr. Karen Sotiropoulos 

15 Years: Holly Holsinger; Dr. Meshack Owino; Dr. Adam Sonstegard 

New Employees

Faculty

Ebenezer Concepcion, Assistant Professor, Black Studies Program

Yuchen Liu, Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Communication

Qiwei (Luna) Wu, Assistant Professor, School of Communication

Melissa Clark, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology

Rachel Lovell, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology

Arijit Ray, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Economics

Richard nova Milne, Visiting Assistant Lecturer, School of Film & Media Arts

Trevor Marcho, Assistant College Lecturer, School of Music

Denise Sadler, Visiting Assistant College Lecturer, School of Social Work

DeAndra Stone, Visiting Assistant College Lecturer, Department of Theatre and Dance

Staff

Ashley Burks, Administrative Secretary 1, Department of English

John Powell, Audio Engineer/Coordinator, Audio Services, School of Music

Faculty Promotion, Tenure, and Reviews

College Lecturer Reviews

6th Year Reviews

Ahmad Hamo Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Nicole Hanna Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology

Promotion to Senior Lecturer

Jeffrey Bolt School of Communication

Melanie Gagich Department of English

Promotion-Tenure Recognitions

Associate Professor with Tenure

Cyleste Collins School of Social Work

Kuzey Yilmaz Department of Economics

Professor

Linda Francis Department of Criminology, Anthropology and Sociology

Stephen Gingerich Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Abed el-Rahman Tayyara Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Neda Zawahri Department of Political Science

Awards

2021-22 CLASS Engaged Service Award for Classified and Professional Staff

Virginia Romero Department of Political Science and Department of Economics

__________________________

Congratulations! 

Faculty Award Recipients

2019–20 CLASS Excellence in Scholarship Award Awarded late due to COVID pandemic Andrew Rindfleisch School of Music

2019–20 CLASS Excellence in Teaching Award Awarded late due to COVID pandemic Sarah Rutherford Department of Art & Design

2020–21 CLASS Excellence in Scholarship Award Samantha Baskind Department of Art & Design

2020–21 CLASS Excellence in Teaching Award Shelley Rose Department of History

Staff Award Recipient

2020–21 CLASS Engaged Service Award for Classified & Professional Staff Lori O’Laughlin Department of English

Retirements

Faculty

John Ban School of Film & Media Arts

Michael Dover School of Social Work

Tama Engelking Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Gary Pettey School of Communication

Staff

Give Thanks

“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” —John F. Kennedy

Renee Sarosy Major: Social Work Anticipated Graduation: Spring 2024 Sarah and David Olenik Scholarship Fund "Without scholarship patrons willing to support education, students such as myself would be unable to pursue their education. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been struggling with financial instability. Your gift of a scholarship is greatly appreciated, and I am very grateful for the support I received."

Jami Bell Major: Social Work Kathie E. Motheral Scholarship for Social Work "This scholarship means the world to me since it will make my dreams of finishing my education, receiving my degree, and becoming a social worker come true. As a social worker, I will profoundly impact the kidney community on a micro, mezzo, and macro level. This will be in large part due to your generosity."

Isaiah Williams Major: Film & TV Production; Minor: Marketing Anticipated Graduation: Spring 2021 Ageleke and Lee Zapis Film & Media Arts Endowed Scholarship "Your gift has helped me to continue my academic career without financial strain on myself and my family. Gifts such as yours inspire students like me to give back to our communities and invest in generations' success that follows us. I plan to use my CSU education to pursue a career in the film industry while creating educational filmmaking opportunities for underrepresented populations. Additionally, thank you for your continued support of the CSU School of Film & Media Arts and for facilitating opportunities for future filmmakers."

History Scholarship Fund

CSU friends and alumni provide the foundation for many academic programs and scholarships that benefit Cleveland State University and its students. The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences is pleased to recognize William “Bill” Roberts, a CSU alumnus and Project 60 student, for continuing his commitment to providing significant financial support to our history students.

Through the William H. Roberts History Scholarship Fund, Bill will provide a full in-state tuition scholarship annually and some funding for books and academic materials to a junior, senior, or graduate student in the history department. To qualify for the scholarship, students must achieve a minimum 3.0 GPA and demonstrate financial need; the scholarship may be renewable as long as the recipient maintains these criteria. Along with proving that they meet these criteria, the student must submit an essay. Bill has committed to continue this support through the 2024-25 academic year.

This is the second such commitment that Bill has made. His first provided full in-state tuition scholarships to history students from 2015-2020. In addition, Bill established an immediate-use scholarship for students studying abroad, which he will continue through the 2022-23 academic year. Bill studied at Cambridge, Oxford, and Jerusalem University. He so appreciated these experiences that he wanted to ensure current students also have the opportunity to study abroad to advance their education.

Bill earned his MA in Education and his BA in History from CSU. An avid life-long learner, Bill has enrolled in several courses as a Project 60 student. He has especially enjoyed classes in subjects that he did not study as a student, including astrology, geology, philosophy, art appreciation, anthropology, and upper-level English classes. When Bill first came back to campus as a Project 60 student, he was amazed at CSU’s growth. “I am very impressed with the new CSU,” Bill remarked. “The growth has been phenomenal. When I started at CSU, there were only a few buildings; now the campus carries an impressive footprint in Cleveland.”

Being on campus and sitting alongside students in class prompted Bill’s interest in creating immediate use scholarship funds. One of the things he appreciates most about contributing to this scholarship is getting to know the recipients and learning how the scholarship affects their lives and education. “I appreciate the education I received at CSU and decided it was time to give back. I am honored to help current CSU students achieve their dream of graduating from college and becoming contributing members of society.” Dylan Rutherford, a junior majoring in history and recipient of this year’s Roberts Scholarship, said, “I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity. This has truly been one of the highlights of my college experience, and I aspire to continue my education until there is no topic left undiscovered. Your generosity will never be forgotten nor overlooked.”

Endowed Scholarship Fund

CSU alumnus Alan K. Nevel remembers the moment he was accepted into Cleveland State University. "The admissions counselor said to me, 'We are happy to accept you into Cleveland State University. I hope you will remember to give your time, talents, and treasure back to CSU one day.'" Alan agreed, and in June of 2020, he fulfilled that promise by establishing The Alan K. Nevel & Family Endowed Scholarship Fund. This new fund will support underrepresented students who are majoring in Film and Media Arts at CSU.

Alan earned his BA in Liberal Studies in 1996 from CSU, followed by an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. He is Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity and Human Resources Officer for The MetroHealth System, where he is responsible for driving the human resources strategy to attract, engage, develop and retain a highly diverse workforce to fulfill MetroHealth's mission while leading inclusion, cultural competency, equity and work-life strategies to empower employees. Prior to his current role, Alan served as Vice President, Global Diversity and Inclusion for Thermo Fisher Scientific, a $25B global life science solutions, specialty diagnostics, and laboratory equipment company. Alan also served in roles in diversity & inclusion, human resources, supply chain, organizational change, R&D, and production management for L Brands, Accenture, and the Sherwin-Williams Company. He has won numerous awards for his work and is passionate about giving back to his community. Alan is a member of Ethisphere's Equity & Social Justice Initiative Advisory Council and a Board Director for Urban League of Greater Cleveland, Recovery Resources, Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, Karamu House, and The National Society of High School Scholars Foundation. Alan has maintained his active engagement with CSU as a member of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) Visiting Committee since 2016 and Chair of the Committee since 2019.

CSU holds an important place in Alan's heart, and he credits the university as being a foundation for much of his success. Alan struggled early on in college but recognized the importance of completing his college degree to achieve his personal and professional goals. Unlike other universities Alan approached, CSU opened its doors to him, and he excelled academically. "Completing my college degree was a very significant goal, and I am thankful CSU believed in me. I established this scholarship to give current students the same opportunity I had received to excel in their education and graduate."

CSU's School of Film & Media Arts opened in the fall of 2017 and is the only free-standing film school in Ohio. Currently, close to 400 students are enrolled in the school, representing ten states and countries. The Alan K. Nevel & Family Endowed Scholarship Fund will be awarded to underrepresented students of junior or senior status majoring in Film & Media Arts, with a preference to those who carry a 3.0 GPA who can demonstrate financial need. The scholarship may be renewable as long as the recipient maintains these criteria.

And Diverse Voices Screenwriting Competition

After George Floyd's death in May 2020, the staff and faculty of CSU's School of Film & Media Arts (FMA) asked themselves what they could do in response to help their students, many of whom experience systemic racism daily.

Many film students will be entering an industry historically fraught with racism and sexism. Spearheaded by the FMA Student Engagement Committee, in collaboration with Director Frederic Lahey, the FMA Guest Speaker Series was created to allow CSU students to connect with underrepresented voices in the film industry through illuminating conversations and spirited discussions.

Through the Zoom platform, the virtual series was kicked off in October 2020 with Venezuelan-American filmmaker Elan Bogarin, director of the feature documentary 306 HOLLYWOOD (opening night film of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival). Then, in November, the series featured Sean J.S. Jourdan, a Latino screenwriter who took the top screenwriting prize at the 2020 Austin Film Festival. In the spring semester, Joe "Jody" Williams, Cleveland-native and cinematographer for the TV series Empire, and the new Eddie Murphy feature film Coming 2 America, was brought in. On Wednesday, February 24, the School hosted a body-positive activist and actress Jen Ponton, star of the AMC series Dietland, and featured on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Orange is the New Black, and The Good Wife.

An unexpected off-shoot of this series was the creation of the inaugural FMA Diverse Voices Screenwriting Competition. Seeking to support underrepresented writers at the School of Film & Media Arts, former FMA Guest Speaker Sean J.S. Jourdan generously donated his speaker fee to establish this competition. Students were asked to submit an unproduced screenplay (maximum ten pages), which could take the form of a short script or an excerpt from a longer piece (such as a television pilot or feature).

Following first-round judging conducted by a committee of FMA faculty and staff, Jourdan reviewed the top five submissions. Senior BFA Writing and Directing student Madison M. Woods was selected as the recipient of the $200 First Place Prize for Circleville, an excerpt from an original television pilot she is currently revising for her thesis project. Sophomore BFA Writing and Directing student Katarina Partika was also recognized with an Honorable Mention for her short script, The Baby Doll Dance.

Associate Professors Shelley Rose (College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences) and Molly Buckley-Marudas (College of Education and Human Services) founded the Cleveland Teaching Collaborative (CTC) in May 2020.

This collaborative is supported by the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, College of Education and Human Services, Department of History, Department of Teacher Education, and the university.

This interdisciplinary network of educators ranging from pre-kindergarten to higher education has created a community of practice around collective reflection, peer support, and pedagogies of care. The Collaborative’s primary goals are to curate, share, reflect on, and analyze educators’ experiences of remote and hybrid instruction to improve teaching, learning, and student success during the pandemic and beyond. The Collaborative fosters a professional learning community centered in Northeast Ohio. Part of this effort includes curating a resource referatory of over 700 educational resources from CSU and worldwide.

WITH NEW MASTER’S DEGREE AT CLEVELAND STATE

The School of Music at Cleveland State University proudly announces its newly accredited Master of Arts in Music Therapy degree program.

From left to right: Erin Oselu; Heather Russell, Director, School of Music; Deborah Layman; Carol Olszewski; and Lori Lundeen Smith

As the only music therapy master’s program in Northeast Ohio and one of just three in the State of Ohio, Cleveland State School of Music is excited to offer practicing music therapists the opportunity to advance their careers and achieve the highest level of music therapy training.

Fully approved by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and accredited by both the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the program is in its first semester. “We are so glad to be able to offer professional music therapists a master’s degree on the Cleveland State campus where engaged learning helps careers thrive,” said Dr. Heather Russell, Director of the School of Music. “We’ve worked hard over the past two years to secure faculty, align course offerings, and create capacity for this program and we greatly appreciate the support of CSU leadership in this endeavor.”

The Master of Arts in Music Therapy at Cleveland State University provides advanced music therapy training as well as interdisciplinary specialization in the areas of health care administration, special education, health sciences, or mental health. Graduate students will grow in advanced clinical and research skills within music therapy as well as a select area of related expertise. “We are thrilled to announce this new degree program. CSU strives to set itself apart by offering advanced degrees to serve professionals and our community,” commented Dr. Allyson L. Robichaud, Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

The Cleveland State music therapy program partners with several community agencies and sites in Greater Cleveland, including University Hospitals, Judson Manor and Park, and Joseph’s Home, to provide unique clinical training experiences. Enrollment is now open for Fall 2021.

Public Opinion and the Fracturing of Democracy

On March 24, 2021, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences held its 11th Annual Ways of Knowing lectures, “Public Opinion and the Fracturing of Democracy” with Dr. Qingshan Tan and Dr. Richard Perloff as the presenters. This event allows faculty to present research projects conducted during their sabbaticals to their peers.

From left to right: Dr. Qingshan Tan and Dr. Richard M. Perloff

Dr. Tan, who is a Professor of Political Science, presented the lecture, “Public Opinion on Social Justice in China.” He discussed how China’s rise has propelled China to be the second-largest economy in the world and produced an increasing socioeconomic inequality that undermines the legitimacy of the socialist political system. He shared the results of a national survey conducted in China that examined attitudes toward social justice, the findings of which indicate that most of those surveyed are more concerned about the overall benefits to society than the fairness of the processes and procedures.

“You can’t have a functioning democracy if you don’t have a functioning media” – Perloff

Dr. Perloff, who is a Professor of Communication, Political Science, and Psychology, presented the lecture, “Why We Assume the Media Hate Our Social Group: Portentous Implications of the Hostile Media Bias for Democracy and Public Health.” Dr. Perloff explained the two components of hostile media effect and the importance of perceived vs. actual biases. He drew on research to explain when and why the hostile media effect emerges, why people think the media are biased against their views, and why we sometimes worry that media coverage will sway the public against our partisan group.

In fall 2020, the Department of Political Science created a virtual speaker series.

This speaker series seeks to bring in practitioners from the fields that commonly employ Political Science graduates. They discuss and answer questions about how they got into their careers, what skills are most useful, and also give practical feedback about how to get an entry-level job in the field. Topics to include in sessions:

Skills practitioners look for

Examples of similar organizations students can look to for experience.

Examples of what they do during the day.  

Resume tips and other hiring quirks for the field (IE KSAs for federal employment)

Develop potential contacts for internship placements.

How their coursework helped prepare them for the careers

The first session was held in November 2020, where Carrie Alesbury—a Basic Education Advisor at Save the Children US, where she specializes in inclusive education programming around the globe—spoke about a leading nonprofit organization and how a political science degree can prepare you for a wide range of careers and advanced degrees.

In April 2021, Zack Porter spoke about careers in the federal government. Mr. Porter is a supervisor for the Washington DC Decision Review Operation Center and has spent 14 years working with the Veterans Benefits Administration in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

From Tuesday, February 23 – Saturday, April 3 Here There Be Monsters by Laura and Gary Dumm and Glimpses by Evie Zimmer

In January 2021, Kendall Christian, Director of the Galleries at CSU, contacted both Laura and Gary Dumm and CSU alumna Evie Zimmer to invite them to display their work for a Spring 2021 exhibition. Though the artists expressed some concerns about exhibiting during the pandemic and committing to a rigorous condensed schedule, both the Dumms and Zimmer accepted the offer.

Laura and Gary Dumm's exhibition was entitled Here There Be Monsters, and Evie Zimmer’s was entitled Glimpses. The Dumms submitted a proposal for Here There Be Monsters in 2019, and it had been approved by the Gallery Committee but had not been scheduled.

These talented artists were committed to meeting the expedited deadlines, providing text and photographs, and preparing their artwork for transportation and exhibition. They understood the challenges and risks and the rewards and benefits of opening exhibitions in these strange times. Within one month, the galleries and artists produced a postcard and poster; wrote, designed, and printed a 16-page catalog; received and installed 37 artworks; and fabricated labels and text panels. With the exhibit opening in record time, six student employees along with the artists were up for the challenge of getting it off the ground and running.