2022 CommArts Students Present Master's Theses and Projects
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
The committee included Ruth Tsuria, Ph.D., McKenna Schray, Ph.D., and Professor Gregory Stevens, M.A.T., as they introduced their advisees.
Students majoring in Communication, Museum Professions, Public Relations, and Strategic Communication presented. The event was split into three panels: Communication during the COVID-19 pandemic, Community and Representation, and Communication and Social Justice.
Tsuria expressed the general excitement of the faculty to be able to attend the event in person while visiting with future and past students, "It was great to see how our students' work has real impact on the world: from looking at museum's interaction with Native American or the LGBT+ communities, dealing with OCD and mental health during COVID, to how to handle the topic of racism in media and in leadership. I am so proud of our students, and the wonderful work they do in our M.A. programs."
Tsuria also conveyed her Pirate Pride when she said, "The Master's Thesis presentations on Saturday were a real celebration of the excellence of Seton Hall students and faculty."
The presentations were followed by a networking event, as students and guests had the ability to meet with alumni such as Asya Robinson. Noting her excitement to watch former classmates present their work, Robinson expressed, "Being on the other end of my graduate experience, I can really appreciate the time, hard work and research effort the students demonstrated."
Robinson continued, "It was so nice to see my professors and advisor, Brittany Scoles. They have all made an impact on me and seeing them again brought back a lot of great memories."
Julie Golt, a Museum Professions student, presented her Master's Thesis "Documentation for the House: A Comparative-Case Study Addressing the Creation of Collections Management Documents for Historic House Museums." Speaking on her experience presenting and watching her cohort present, Golt noted how fulfilling the experience was. "Though everyone had their own presentations and work to be proud of, watching the work of our fellow students was also gratifying, as we have all come through this process together, watching each other grow and learn as we worked on our individual projects," said Golt.
Golt expressed enthusiasm over her and her fellow students' work, noting how many brought bananas with them because they believed they would help with the nerves of presenting. She also was grateful to be able to ask and answer questions during the Q&A portion of each student's presentation, "It was wonderful to see those in the audience genuinely engaged with others' work, and it gave those presenting a further chance to explain the work they had done."
Professor Gregory Stevens also voiced his pride for the student presenters, noting their hard work throughout the past year. "One of the great joys I get from working with students so closely all year is watching their research ideas form and evolve over time," he said. "It's amazing to watch these students build their research and writing skills and get excited about the work they are accomplishing."
As Professor Stevens established, the conclusion of these students' master's degrees mean that they have "demonstrated a high level of academic accomplishment, accountability, agency, and sheer resilience." Professor Stevens continued, "It is not an easy process, nor is it intended to be."
Information on commencement can be found here.
The College of Communication and the Arts currently offers M.B.A./M.A. degree with the School of Diplomacy and International Relation are offered.
For more information about Graduate Studies within the College of Communication and the Arts, please contact Dr. Ryan Hudes.
Categories: Education
