Campus On The Common

How can academic researchers convey insight and meaning about the world of Adoption as they know it? Autoethnography, focus groups, and photo-voice (a combination of images and narratives) are qualitative research tools that can provide meaningful context and insight into personal experiences. In this episode, we’ll talk with Emerson College’s Dr. Robin Danzak, about how she combines these tools in order to explore the spectrum of adoption from the perspective of those whose lives it has touched.

The Latinx community is a complex, diverse group of people that have had a massive, unquestionable influence on North American culture and society. Whether it is music, art, sports or politics, you can’t tell the story of US history without Latinx history. Yet, for far too long in this country, this group has been oppressed, forgotten, and treated as a monolith. So, in a moment where many social movements have enveloped the nation, how can one tell the intricate story of the Latinx experience in America, and how can those stories be used to bridge communities and create significant, lasting change.

Injustice, discrimination and hate are issues that we face here in the US as well as throughout the world. While 2020 was a year that clearly reflected how much work still needs to be done. Affecting meaningful change is easier said than done. Emerging from all this hostility we are now seeing a new generation of activists that have heard the call to action in the fight against Hate. So who are these young leaders of social change? What are they doing to promote this global movement to bring about tolerance, equality, and justice? Team Harmony Foundation, is an organization “committed to educating, inspiring and engaging youth in the battle against hate in all its forms”. In today’s episode, we’ll talk about Team Harmony with three members of the Emerson community that have been instrumental in expanding Team Harmony’s connection to young change agents throughout the world Today’s guests include Emerson College Department of Communication studies Chairman Dr. Gregory Payne, Khary Higgins an Emerson College Senior, and Professor Cathryn Edelstein the director of the Non-profit Management Communication Minor.

In France, we’re seeing a continuous pattern of Discrimination, fear, hatred and violence associated with Islamophobia. What’s at the heart of the matter and is it possible to be both French and Muslim in France? We spoke with Dr. Carol Ferrara, an Assistant Professor at Emerson College and a Sociocultural Anthropologist with expertise and field experience in France.

How do children with autism spectrum disorder develop language skills? Recent research shows signs that 3-rd party conversations may be a possible avenue for children with ASD to learn the language. If correct, this hypothesis may reveal insights into new ways of teaching children important early language skills. In this episode, we’ll talk with Dr Rhinnon Luyster about her research into how children with autism may benefit from a language-rich environment.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Some of the most iconic moments in modern history have been captured through the lens of photojournalists. These dedicated witnesses to history conform to an ethical code of conduct and apply their truth in documenting what they see As modern technology democratizes who gets to craft and share the story, what separates the professional photojournalist as a multimedia storyteller from a passerby with a Smartphone camera? Everyone has a story, but not everyone can tell some else's story. In this episode, we’ll talk with Dr. Gina Gayle, a professor of visual and multimedia storytelling at Emerson college.

NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem, Olympic medalists John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised a fist on the podium and basketball legend LeBron James refused to shut up and dribble. How do professional sports and social activism intertwine, and what impact do sports continue to have on the ongoing struggle to build a more equitable world?

In stressful times, it’s easy to lose your cool. Empathy and reason become hard to come by and we can react to others as well as ourselves in a less-than-positive manner. So what can we do about how we feel and how we manage relationships with others? Let’s talk about Emotional intelligence. In this episode- we’ll talk with Sara Asem an Emerson College graduate, founder of Luminary Minds who practices as an emotional intelligence professional.

In just the last few months, we've seen plague, brutality, protest, murder hornets, locust, wayward asteroids, and unemployment numbers unseen for generations. So who do we look to in a time a crisis? What do we, the public, need to hear? Why are some leaders effective in getting the public to respond, while others fail miserably? How do you get the word out? What are the key concepts and best practices of crisis communications?

In this episode let’s start to unpack the difficult topic of racism. Today’s guests from Emerson College are Cheryl Owsley Jackson, a Journalist in Residence and Certified Diversity Trainer. Heather May is a Senior Lecturer and Chair of the faculty assembly. For the purpose of understanding perceptive Cheryl Owsley Jackson is a bi-racial woman that identifies as black while Heather May identifies as a cisgender white women.

Media is a powerful tool that shapes our everyday lives. But how do others worldwide engage with media and harness its power for social change? In this episode, we’ll talk with Dr. Azeta Hatef about empowering underrepresented groups through media. Dr. Azeta Hatef is a media researcher and award-winning instructor. Her scholarly interests focus on issues of social media as activism for underrepresented groups, gender and identity, and media systems in a global context.

Alexa, do my homework. Voice-enabled technology has arrived and is becoming a bigger part of our daily lives. Where is this technology going, what are the implications for industry, education and at home? How do you get in on this trend's ground floor? Why should we care? In this episode of Campus on the Common we'll talk with Emerson Lauch's Director Sanjay Pothen about Voice Technology.

In this episode of Campus on the Common we'll talk with Laura Glufling Tham about how Emerson College's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders provides services and strategies to those challenges with dementia

In today’s politically divided climate, people don’t normally associate politics with ethical values. So how does this intersection connect to political discourse and modern media? In this episode, we are talking with Peter Loge about the relationship between politics and ethics in a modern democracy.

What do movie producers, music executives, fashion designers, and product innovators have in common? How do you cultivate creativity and turn artistic insight into a business opportunity? In this episode, we’ll talk with Emerson College Director of Business of Creative Enterprises, Wes Jackson about the intersection between business and creativity.