COMST Fall 2024 Alumni Newsletter
Author: rcooney
Join us for our first Communication Studies alumni gathering during ISU Homecoming this fall!
We’re excited to invite you to our inaugural alumni event on Saturday, November 2nd before the 2024 Cyclone Homecoming game! The event will take place in one of the tents located in the Harvester Plaza, between C.Y. Stephens Auditorium and the Scheman Building (both buildings are just west of Hilton Coliseum). The event will start two hours before kick-off and conclude one hour after the game ends. Look for our tent with a sign marked Communication Studies Alumni. We will provide snacks and alcohol-free beverages. Please sign up at this link to let us know you’re coming and to help us make sure we have enough food and drinks. We look forward to seeing you at the alumni tailgate!
Communication Studies is adding a new course: Family Communication!
Dr. Odenweller is genuinely excited that a course in Family Communication is being considered for approval from the college, as she knows firsthand how valuable this class will be. She told us: “Anyone who wants to work with families or improve their family relationships would benefit from the information discussed in this course. I have been passionate about communication in and about families my whole life. Before being a teacher/scholar, I theorized about and analyzed my and others’ family relationships! I’ve always been fascinated by how our families influence our choices, communication styles, and general well-being across our lifespan. During college and graduate school, I became more interested in how our family teaches us about people different from us—and how that affects our political and social views. I grew up in a traditional family, but that is not the family form that everyone experiences. I think it is so important that everyone learns about the diversity that exists across and among families so we can be more socially conscious, empathetic, and accommodating.” Family Communication will hopefully be offered in our Communication Studies curriculum soon.
Communication Studies has a new Director of our program!
We recently interviewed our new Communication Studies Director, Dr. Stacy Tye-Williams. We started by asking: What interested you in being the program director? She told us: “I was interested in being the director to serve our students and faculty in our commitment to making Communication Studies even better! I have the best colleagues and students, so I’m happy to step into this role to support them!” We then asked: What goals do you hope to accomplish as you serve in this role? Dr. Tye-Williams answered: “We have so many exciting things in the works for Communication Studies this year! From Communication Studies Club to Lambda Pi Eta [Communication Studies national honor society] to social events, it will be such a great year! One of my goals is to build community between current students, alums, faculty and staff. I hope to see many of you at our events! Another goal is to get the word out about what a great major we are so more students join us!” Lastly, just for fun, we asked Dr. Tye-Williams to share a few interesting facts about herself. She told us: “I am an Iowa native from Griswold, Iowa. I love listening to music of pretty much all types. My favorite candy bar is a Whatchamacallit.” Join us in congratulating Dr. Tye-Williams in her new role as the leader of the Communication Studies Program!
Alumni Stories
Clara Johnson, Class of 2019, Marketing and Communications Professional, Ankeny, Iowa
My time at Iowa State as a Communication Studies major was something I will always look back on with a smile! From the interesting courses to the dedicated professors to my fellow classmates – I am so blessed to have chosen this major as my main area of study! When I reflect on my time as a Communication Studies major, a few things come to mind right away…
The first is the people. I got to share my journey with many of the same students who were also on the communication career path. Through this, I developed friendships that not only helped me get through classes but also have also extended into my adult life! There are still several classmates I stay in touch with, and even some I recognize and catch up with when I see them out in public!
Secondly, I often think of the professors. Our program instructors are what made the classes both engaging and beneficial. I’ve also been able to stay in touch with Dr. Katherine Rafferty and Dr. Racheal Ruble, even as a guest speaker for Dr. Rafferty’s healthcare communication course!
Lastly, I’ll always remember the courses. Classes like conflict communication, nonverbal communication or our capstone course left me with applicable knowledge and skills that I use frequently in the workforce. It might not seem like it at the time, but the oodles of papers and research reports have set me up to be a successful writer in my career. While every day we might not be directly utilizing the theories we studied or the journals we had to keep, these practices help you better understand your clients, peers, and leaders when completing everyday tasks at your job. I’m grateful for this background knowledge and training. Above all else, being a communication studies major at Iowa State was flat-out a great time. Everyone was always welcome to participate in group work, collaborate ahead of exams, or interact with one another outside of the classroom. Communication is an area of passion for me, and I’m so grateful to have had a program that set me up for success in my career.
Meghan Huisenga
I remember my time in the Communication Studies program very fondly, and I am often made aware of just how much my degree has benefited me in my post-grad life. Of all of the courses that I took, the one that has been the most meaningful to me is the ComSt 310: Intercultural Communication class. I was fascinated by the communication differences between the US and other cultures in general, but I always had a particular interest in our classroom discussions about Japanese culture. Whenever we talked about Japan in class, I always remember being deeply engaged and trying to absorb as much information as possible. As a result, I began doing my own research into both Japanese culture and language, which ultimately led to me enrolling in a language school in Tokyo! Credit where it’s due: the COMST 310 material was invaluable in establishing my expectations and helping me to behave respectfully in my new home from day one. I ended up living in Japan for about seven years in total. Throughout my time living abroad, I was regularly reminded of just how formative my time in the COMST department was (and continues to be)! Though I have since returned to the US, Japanese culture and language will always be integral to my personal and professional life, and I owe these developments to what I learned at ISU. Thank you for setting me up for success!