Conferences, Research, and Achievements

Below are news items detailing conferences and other research events where CCT students have presented their work and been recognized for their achievements.

• In January 2010, Brannon Cullum '10 will be presenting her research "Smart Mobs: How Mobile Technologies are Transforming Social Movements and Civic Activism" at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu. The research examines how innovative mobile technologies have transformed how individuals and groups organize for social change. In particular, Cullum examines how mobile phones are central to the formation of ‘smart mobs,’ a group of people who self-organize on a large scale for collective action.
• CCT student Kate House will present "Bollywood in Hollywood: The Burgeoning Synergies of Two Great Film Industries" at the 2010 International Studies Association convention in New Orleans, LA in February 2010.
• Professor Mirjana Dedaic and her research team exploring national identity through Pierre Bourdieu's habitus lens will present their latest research at the Humanities Education and Research Association conference in El Paso, Texas in March 2010. Joining Dedaic to present a panel, "From Imagination to Habitus: National Identity Construction through Bourdieu's Lens," will be current and CCT alums Irina Avetian, Cynthia Ferman, Joshua Scacco, Rebecca Jakob, Margaret Daher, and Suzanne Shenk. The team continues to work toward completing their edited volume.
• In April 2010, Joshua Scacco '10 will present his published research "Shaping Economic Reality: A Critical Metaphor Analysis of President Barack Obama's Economic Language During His First 100 Days" at annual meetings of the Central States Communication Association and the Midwest Political Science Association. Scacco's research will also be in attendance at the Eastern Communication Association. 

• Sarah Upton '10 presented "Ni Una Mas: Cross Imagery Surrounding the Femicide in Ciudad Juarez" at the National Communication Association annual convention in Chicago, Il. The convention "Discourses of Stability and Change" was held in November 2009.
• In October 2009, Francesca Tripodi and Professor Mirjana Dedaic presented a paper entitled "Inconceivable Construction: A Woman and a Politician - Examining Discourses of Female Opinion-Makers." Tripodi and Dedaic traveled to Michigan State University for the Feminisms and Rhetorics - 7th Biennial Conference of the Coalition of Women Scholars in the History of Rhetoric.
• Lauren Alfrey '10 presented a paper co-authored with Professor D. Linda Garcia entitled "Has Barack Obama Read Ron Burt" at the Harvard Political Networks Conference in June 2009.

Cynthia Ferman, Katrina Pariera, Margaret Costello, Prof. Dedaic and Carlos Martinez at a Conference in Szczecin, Poland.

• Professor Mirjana Dedaic led a round table discussion with several CCT students at the 7th annual Maryland Graduate Student Forum on “Reflections on Optimism.” The discussion with students Li Nie, Cynthia Ferman, Katrina Pariera, Tatyana Varshavsky, Margaret Costello, and Carlos Martinez was on “Learning to Imagine: National Identity Construction and Bourdieu’s Habitus.”
• Professor Dedaic and students Carlos Martinez, Margaret Costello, Katrina Pariera and Cynthia Ferman also presented at a conference in Szczecin, Poland on “Us and Them - Them and Us: Constructions of the Other in Cultural Stereotypes - Perceptions, Challenges, Meanings.” All were members of Professor Dedaic’s National Identity class. Together with students Tatyana Varshavsky, Li Nie and Suzanne Shenk, and alumni Irinia Alaverdyan and Hannanah Mobashir, they are working on an edited volume to which they will contribute the papers they presented at the conference.
• CCT students Gillian Brooks, Lauren Alfrey, Francesca Tripodi, Morgan Loosli, Sarah Upton and GU student Christina Coloroso presented their work at the National Press Club on April 6, during a luncheon for the 2008-2009 Gender in the Workplace Research Competition. Gillian Brooks and Lauren Alfrey were runners-up in the competition.
• Several CCT students participated in the Science and Technology in Society Conference held in Washington, DC, March 28-29, 2009. Stuart Geiger won the “Best Presentation in Panel” prize for presenting his paper "Working with/in Wikipedia: Infrastructure of Knowing and Knowledge Production."Margarita Rayzberg played a lead role in organizing the conference.Jessica Polk also helped to organize.
• Juliette Arnaud's comments were twice highlighted in a Business Week blog. Her comments were part of an assignment for Professor Nelson's “Creating a Culture of Innovation” class.
• Last summer, CCTs student Zach Pentel and Brenda Polmer filmed a mini-documentary in New Orleans about the post-Katrina recovery effort on behalf of Campus Progress . The work was selected by DoGooder TV as a finalist in their 2009 Non-Profit Video Awards. Zach also recently had a blog postpublished by Save The Internet on why young people should care about internet policy.

Lauren Alfrey and Gillian Brooks Present at the Gender in the Workplace Research Competition