COMM COVID-19 Panel – Thursday, April 8th, 2021  

Watch the COVID-19 Panel Recording

Talk Description 

Questions from quarantine and lessons in lockdown: Examining the COVID-19 pandemic from a communication perspective 

The panel will feature three projects that received funding from InCHIP last spring:  

My president, but not my governor: Understanding perceptions of blame during the COVID-19 outbreak in Connecticut 
Christine Gilbert, Kenneth Lachlan, and Stephen Stifano 
Presented by: Christine Gilbert 

Exploring the effects of social isolation, relational quality, and communication on couples’ relational and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic 
Amanda Denes, Talea Cornelius, Katrina Webber, Chelsea Guest, Julia A. Ellis, and Amy A. Gorin 
Presented by: Chelsea Guest 

Unmasking racial disparities amidst dual pandemics: Examining social identity threat and emotion within the health belief model to understand mask-wearing intentions among Black, Latinx, and Asian individuals in the U.S. 
Katrina Webber, Sara Stifano, Stephen Stifano, and Shardé Davis 
Presented by: Katrina Webber 

Dr. Meryl Alper – Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021 

Talk Description 

The benefits of “accessible” media and technology for people with disabilities are rarely questioned, nor considered within broader critical/cultural frameworks. In this talk, based on an article recently published in the International Journal of Communication, I make a contribution to the field of communication by proposing critical media access studies to further define a growing area of inquiry into contested notions of mediated access, drawing on work from disability media studies and critical access studies in architectural design. My proposal for critical media access studies is furthered through a case study of physical spaces designed for media engagement for young people (e.g., gaming arcades, movie theaters) that provide “autism-friendly” programming. Qualitative analysis of interviews and observations with autistic children and their families, as well as participant observation in such sites, reveals ideological assumptions, frictions, and contradictions underpinning cultural accessibility. Critical media access studies can offer communication scholars valuable theoretical and conceptual tools for deconstructing power, visibility, and marginality in mediated space. 

Bio 

Meryl Alper is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Northeastern University, where she researches the social and cultural implications of communication technologies, with a focus on disability and digital media, children and families’ technology use, and mobile communication. Dr. Alper is the author of Digital Youth with Disabilities (MIT Press, 2014) and Giving Voice: Mobile Communication, Disability, and Inequality (MIT Press, 2017), which was awarded a 2018 PROSE Award Honorable Mention from the Association of American Publishers and the 2018 Outstanding Publication in the Sociology of Disability Award from the American Sociological Association. In her research and teaching, Dr. Alper draws on over 15 years of professional experience in educational children’s media as a researcher, strategist, and consultant with Sesame Workshop, PBS KIDS, Nickelodeon, and Disney. Prior to joining the faculty at Northeastern, Dr. Alper earned her doctoral and master’s degrees from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and History from Northwestern University, as well as a certificate in Early Childhood Education from UCLA. 

 Dr. Stacie Powers – Tuesday, March 16th, 2021  

Talk Description 

A solid background in research methods can take you places you never imagined. In this talk I will describe the field of program evaluation, how I stumbled into it (and how you can be more strategic!), and some of the surprising and rewarding connections between what I do now and what I did in my time at UConn. 

Bio 

Stacie R. Powers, PhD, is the founder and CEO of REVA Group, an independent firm specializing in program evaluation. She has worked in this field since 2013, primarily with clients in education, healthcare, and the arts. She has led evaluations for Cleveland Play House, Women’s Sports Foundation, Girls Inc. of New York City, Atlantic Philanthropies, Up2Us Sports, and Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, among many others. 

Stacie received a PhD in Communication from the University of Connecticut in 2009. Prior to becoming an evaluator, she held a variety of other research-related roles for over 20 years—from reference librarian to university writing coach to assistant professor—each offering a valuable perspective on teaching others how to address complex, real-world data challenges. Through these varied experiences, Stacie developed an approach to communicating about research that is both evidence-based and human-centered. She regularly presents at the American Evaluation Association conference and is frequently invited to speak about evaluation to professionals supporting the nonprofit sector.