Scholars will present leading-edge communication research during the 26th Annual New Jersey Communication Association (NJCA) Conference on March 26, 2022. Hosted by Rowan College at Burlington County and held virtually, the conference’s theme is “COMM[UNITY].” As stated on the conference website, the theme is centered on a call for a return to unity fueled by embracing the attributes of civility, respect, and dignity in our interactions.

SC&I’s Dean and Distinguished Professor of Communication Jonathan Potter will deliver the keynote speech. Potter’s expertise is in discourse studies, with a particular focus on how careful analyses of interaction can be a route to understanding and reworking basic psychological questions. His address will focus on “Thoughts on the Place of Communication from an Outgoing Dean—Prospects, Issues, Challenges."

Outgoing NJCA president, Teaching Professor Richard Dool, D.Mgt., who directs SC&I’s Master of Communication and Media (MCM) and Master of Health Communication and Information (MHCI) programs, said, “Our annual NJCA Conference is an opportunity to share various perspectives, voices, and the latest research. This year we are focusing on a return to unity and the need for respectful and civil discourse to offset the troubling rise in extremism and hate speech. It is a very positive environment that thrives on collaboration, it is particularly ideal for junior faculty and students.”

SC&I faculty and students are participating in the conference. Chair and Professor of Library and Information Science Marie L. Radford is moderating a panel discussion, “An Open Editorial Board Meeting of the Atlantic Journal of Communication.” Distinguished Teaching Professor of Communication and Information Mary Chayko, Richard Dool, Marie L. Radford, and Gary Radford will participate in the panel discussion, “Book Publishing and the Pandemic: Overcoming Obstacles and Promoting Productivity.” Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Communication Mark Beal will discuss “Generation Z Seeking Communities of Diversity, Inclusion & Purpose.” Graduate student Luna Laliberte MCM’22, COM’21 will present a paper, “Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: Which online lecture format do students prefer?”

The New Jersey Communication Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the open exchange of ideas, information, and research about communication. Access information about the conference here. Discover more about the Communication Department at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on our website.

Image credit: Mel Evans