Medaille College News

Seven Medaille College faculty members have received tenure or promotions. All promotions are effective as of August 15, 2008, and tenure is effective as of August 15, 2009.

Dr. Terri Borchers has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor and granted tenure. Borchers earned graduate degrees from the Northwestern School of Law, Cleveland State University, Ohio State University, and the University of Utah, and has taught in the Humanities Department at Medaille since 2002.

Dr. Craig Centrie has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor and granted tenure. Centrie teaches in the School of Education and directs the Curriculum and Instruction Graduate Program. As a specialist in ethnographic data collection, he is the department’s resident anthropologist, whose work explores schools as a site for identity and culture construction.


Dr. Gerald Erion has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor and granted tenure in the Humanities Department. Erion began teaching at Medaille in 2002, and his current research includes topics in ethics, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of the mind.


Ethan Paquin has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor and granted tenure in the Humanities Department. Paquin earned an M.F.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and has published several books of poetry, including My Thieves (Salt, 2007). He is the founder and editor of the online literary journal Slope and the small poetry press, Slope Editions.


Louis Pozantides has been promoted to the rank of Clinical Associate Professor in the Communication Department. Pozantides began teaching at Medaille in 2002 following a long career in the local radio industry as a news director, programming director and on-air broadcaster.


Dr. Robert Tian has been granted tenure in the Business Department. Tian earned a Ph.D. from York University with a specialization in social anthropology, with a post-doctoral M.B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University in Marketing and Management.


Dr. Stephanie Westerman has been granted tenure. Westerman is the Program Director for the Associate of Science in Veterinary Technology degree program. Westerman earned her DVM from the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, and she is past president of the Western New York Veterinary Medical Association, and a board member of the Buffalo Academy of Veterinary Continuing Education.

On Thursday, May 1, 2008, Perspective Productions will be hosting a release party for its first-ever student-run magazine, INcite. The magazine was produced by students of the Perspective staff. The party will go from 5-7 p.m. and will be held at the Perspective Productions office, located at 73 Humboldt. Hors d’oeuvres will be served and guests will be registered to win an iPod Shuffle. All are welcome.

The American Scholastic Press Association has designated The Medaille Perspective as a First Place with Special Merit Award winner. The annual review looks at both and design and content.

Sarah Whitehead, visiting assistant professor of communication, submitted a proposal to the Reel Politics international reality television conference to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, in September 2008.

Her paper, “America’s next top homeless girl: America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks and social change” has been accepted for presentation at the conference and for publication in an edited volume based on the proceedings.

Rob Lucas at Star 102.5 FM featured the WMCB Star Search 2008 competition on his radio show on Thursday, April 3. Lucas served as a celebrity judge, along with Dan Brawn, the winner of Star Search 2007, and WIVB Channel 4 meteorologist Mary Beth Wrobel. More coverage on the contest is available at the Medaille Communication department web site.

 

 Rob Lucas at Star 102.5 FM comments on Medaille Star Search 2008: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (38)

The third annual Media Internship Awards Ceremony honored 26 communications professionals across the fields of print, television and radio on Monday, March 10.

The award presentations followed a welcome by Lou Pozentides, Assistant Professor of Communication and Field Placement Coordinator, and remarks by Dr. Douglas Howard, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Lisa Van Valkinburgh, Communication Department Chair.

Recipients included:

Television

Bill Ranson, WKBW-TV, President and General Manager of the Year
Don Postles, WIVB-TV, Male News Anchor of the Year
Kevin O’Connell, WGRZ-TV, Weather Anchor of the Year
Joanna Pasceri, WKBW-TV, Female News Anchor of the Year
Jody Johnston, Pete Gallivan, Chesley McNeil, WGRZ-TV, Morning News Show of the Year
John Disciullo, WKBW-TV, Program/Community Affairs Manager of the Year

Radio

Todd Broady, Entercom Communications, Production Director of the Year
Joe Chille, WJYE 96.1 FM, Operations Manager/Program Director of the Year
“Magic Man,” WBLK 93.7 FM, Radio Personality of the Year
Howard Simon, WGR Morning Show, Sports Broadcaster of the Year
Larry Norton and the Morning Show Crew, 97 Rock, Morning Radio Show of the Year
Tim Wenger, WBEN NEws Radio 930, Excellence in Programming Award

Public/Community Relations

Scott Berchtold, Buffalo Bills, Media Relations Director of the Year
Mike Gilbert, Buffalo Sabres, Public Relations Director of the Year
Mike Buckowski, VP and General Manager, Buffalo Bisons, General Manager of the Year in Sports Administration
Anne Schlifke ‘93 MC, Director of Public Relations, Sisters Hospital, Community Service Professional of the Year

Print

Alan Pergament, Buffalo News, Print Journalist of the Year

Lifetime Achievement Awards

John Zach, WBEN News Radio 930, Lifetime Achievement Award in Radio News
Sandy Beach, WBEN News Radio 930, Lifetime Achievement Award in Talk Radio
DJ Anthony, KISS 98.5, Lifetime Achievement Award in Radio/Community Service
Fran Murphy, Ed.D., Founding Dean of the School of Education, Medaille College, Lifetime Achievement Award in Education
Greg Florczak, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Undergraduate Admissions, Medaille College, Lifetime Achievement Award in Higher Education Admissions
Evange Conley, VA of WNY Health Care System, Lifetime Achievement Award in Public Affairs
Heidi Raphael ‘85 MC, Greater Media, Lifetime Achievement Award in Corporate Communications

Eileen Buckley ‘85 of WBFO radio interviewed students in Lisa Van Valkinburgh’s Broadcast Journalism class to hear their thoughts on the Presidential primaries.

The report featured comments from Kyle Skoney, Kelsey Schwob and Chris Muscarella. Listen to the report at the WBFO web site.

Heidi Raphael ‘85 MC has been promoted to the position of Vice President of Corporate Communication at Greater Media, Inc., a communication company with radio broadcasting, newspaper and telecommunications interests.

She has worked for Greater Media since 1996, beginning as Marketing Director of WRIF-FM in Detroit, Michigan, and rising through the ranks as Director of Group Marketing and New Business Development Director in Detroit before becoming Director of Corporate Communication in 2005.

Raphael joined the Medaille College Board of Trustees in 2007. Radio Ink magazine recognized her as among the “Top 50 Most Influential Women in Radio” in 2006 and 2007. She serves as a spokesperson for the Mentoring and Inspiring Women Radio Group, and is a past chapter vice president and current member of American Women in Radio & Television (AWRT) and the Broadcast Education Association (BEA).

WMCB, Medaille College’s campus radio station, and the Medaille community have embraced the spirit of the holiday season by contributing over 50 bags and boxes of clothing, bedding, blankets and shoes to the Buffalo City Mission.

On Wednesday, December 5 at 12:30 p.m., students from WMCB will load vehicles at Medaille’s Main Campus at Parkside and Rte. 198 and deliver the donations to the City Mission’s downtown location.

Lisa Van Valkinburgh, clinical associate professor and chair of the communication department, heard earlier this year of a three year old boy who was living at the Buffalo City Mission with his mother.

After sending one email to the Medaille community to ask for clothing for the child, “the response was overwhelming to the point that I had to stop receiving donations for him,” said Van Valkinburgh. “I discovered that our Medaille community was quite generous and the kids at WMCB wanted to do a general clothing drive for the City Mission to help others living there. The Mission gave us a list of their current needs and again, the College has kicked in above and beyond with a magnitude of items. It makes me feel so great that one little boy has prompted so much giving to those we don’t even know,” she continued.

The call to Medaille’s students, faculty and staff went out again in late October. “We’ve received so much more than we had expected. Once we put the word out, professors and students all found the extra time and energy for the community,” said Kyle Skoney, WMCB’s station manager. “I can’t wait to drive down to drop off our collections. This clothing drive has been one of the biggest successes that I’ve been a part of at WMCB.”

The donations will be used by the people served by the Women and Children’s Shelter (Cornerstone Manor) and Men’s Center.

Related Links

Medaille Communication
Buffalo City Mission

Medaille Media Day, featuring communication professionals from western New York and beyond, will take place on Friday, November 9 on Medaille College’s Main Campus.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown will kick off the events with welcoming remarks at 9 a.m. in the Main Building Lobby, followed by panel sessions led by professionals from radio, television, journalism and public relations. These presentations will highlight the career options available to communication students and alumni along with developments within the media and communication fields. The day will continue with a luncheon, featuring talks by Don Tomasulo, director of sales at Entercom Communications, and Andy Brocato, community relations director at Tops Friendly Markets, and conclude with a meet and greet session for speakers, students, faculty and alumni.

Medaille College currently has over 100 students who are majoring in communication. The Communication Department’s five faculty members have a broad set of interests, from applied communication topics in broadcasting and journalism, to theoretical subjects of intercultural communication, mass communication and media law.

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