GOOD TROUBLE - DEAN'S REPORT 2021 COM/365 - Boston University
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COM/365
Celebrating four
decades of the
Redstone Film Festival
Gary Sheffer lays
out the PR lessons
learned in 2020
Faculty and students
DEAN’S REPORT 2021 capture the year
in photos
GOOD TROUBLE ANDREA TAYLOR, A STUDENT ACTIVIST AT COM IN THE 1960s, IS NOW
THE UNIVERSITY’S FIRST SENIOR DIVERSITY OFFICER
Boston University College of Communication
DEAN’S LETTER
COM by the
DONORS
NUMBERS FACULTY
14 24 83 103
Full-Time Faculty Part-Time Faculty
NEW HORIZONS
186 19
Endowed Graduate Endowed Undergraduate
Scholarships Scholarships
5 1,221 T
he world changed in 2020—and COM changed Companies are also being reshaped by the crises of 2020,
Total Faculty Professors with it. The ultimate disrupter, the pandemic embracing mission-driven purpose and social responsibil-
took a tremendous toll on our wellbeing, on our ity. In “Communicating in a Crisis—and After It,” on page
32 15
global economies—and on our campus experi- 26, we learn from Gary
ence. It also served to propel the college forward Sheffer, the Sandra R. AT COM, THE PANDEMIC. . .
in many ways. Frazier Professor of Public SERVED AS A CRUCIBLE
Endowed Donors COVID forced BU to go remote in March. We had just a Relations, how PR needs THAT FORGED ADAPTATION
Professorships Associate Professors Assistant Professors couple of days to outfit all of the faculty with any needed to be “a conscience of the
THROUGH INNOVATION.
technology, while they revamped their courses on the fly. company.”
$2,016,240 14 118
Then, faculty and staff worked intensely over the usually As companies wrestled
quieter summer months to prepare for fall—and the return of with the impacts of the pandemic, student internships and
students to campus. BU added new tech to the classrooms, study abroad experiences vanished. At COM, we wanted
provided training for instructors, developed campus health to help students continue to get these important learn-
and safety protocols, and adopted the student-centered ing opportunities. That’s how COMLab, the college’s first
Master and Senior Lecturers and
Learn from Anywhere approach for instruction. student-led multimedia agency, was born. The program
Lecturers Instructors
Total Donations At COM, the pandemic also served as a crucible that launched in May, with more than 100 students taking part
forged adaptation through innovation, as you’ll read over the summer. “Learning by Doing,” on page 18, tells their
in several stories in this issue. Turn to page 12, “2020 story. To continue bringing new insights to campus during the
Visions,” to see how COM photographers captured the pandemic, we also broadened the COMtalk digital magazine
year in pictures—streets first emptied by the pandemic into a virtual event series featuring our talented alumni; read
STUDENTS Total Graduate Students: and then filled with the Black Lives Matter protests that more about it in “Growing COM’s Profile,” on page 4.
523
followed in the wake of the tragic murders of George Floyd, Even as we’re navigating rough seas, it’s important to keep
Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. These injustices fur- an eye on the horizon. So, while faculty and staff juggled the
Undergraduate Degrees:
ther fueled our determination to expand COM’s existing challenges of 2020, we also made the time to complete a new
• BS in Advertising diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Under the strategic plan, which you can find on page 10. Underpinning
• BS in Film and Television leadership of Michelle Sullivan (see sidebar on page 24), our ambitions is COM’s essential mission: to build under-
• BS in Journalism professor of the practice and our new associate dean of standing through communication education, practice and
• BS in Media Science DEI, our DEI committee has updated its goals, welcomed discovery. Good communication is vital to the success of any
• BS in Public Relations student representatives, conducted a student survey, human endeavor. Or—as I like to say—everything is better
renewed its focus on recruitment and more. Andrea Taylor with COM.
• Emerging Media Studies: 70 (’68), BU’s first senior diversity officer and a former mem-
1,950
Total Undergraduate Students: (including 14 PhD students) ber of COM’s Dean’s Advisory Board, has been a steady Best,
• Journalism: 72 source of counsel; you can read about her in “Making BU
a Better Place,” starting on page 22. To help ensure COM
• Film and Television: 79
Erik Jacobs
keeps on the right path, I also have formed a new COM
• Mass Communication, Advertising DEI Alumni Council. There’s so much to be done. I am MARIETTE DICHRISTINA (‘86)
and Public Relations: 302 grateful to all for their support. Dean
COM/365 2021 1
Dean
Mariette DiChristina (’86)
CONTENTS
22
Assistant Dean,
Development & Alumni LEARNING BY DOING COMMUNICATING IN A CRISIS COM THIS YEAR
18 —AND AFTER IT 4 thrived, innovating in the class-
Relations After the pandemic In a year of uncertainty, COM
Kirsten S. Durocher (CGS’03, wiped out most internship
26
COM’05)
opportunities, COM Gary Sheffer, the room and out, planning for the
Director of Marketing & students spent the Sandra R. Frazier future and celebrating 50 years of
Communications summer building their Professor of Public independent student journalism.
Burt Glass own multimedia agency. Relations, talks about
Editor
corporate communication
Marc Chalufour lessons learned in 2020.
Contributing Writers
Rich Barlow
Alene Bouranova (’16)
Joel Brown
Greg Glasgow
Rusty Gorelick (’22)
Amy Laskowski (’15)
Doug Most
Mara Sassoon
Andrew Thurston
Megan Woolhouse TERRIER HEADLINES
COVER STORY: MAKING BU A BETTER PLACE 34
From the Oscars to the NBA,
Graphic Designer
Raquel Schott
politics to the pages of new
books, COM alums continue to
Produced by Boston Andrea L. Taylor (’68) was a student activist during the civil rights movement. Amid tell unique stories.
University Marketing & another moment of national racial reckoning, she returns as the University’s first
Communications
senior diversity officer.
Cover Photo: Doug Levy
COM/365 welcomes your
comments. Write to the
editor at mchalu4@bu.edu.
Send address updates to
2020 VISIONS SHOWTIME
30
alumbio@bu.edu.
When COVID-19 shut down BU and the city around it, and when police killings of For four decades, the Redstone Film Festival has celebrated COM
Black Americans filled the streets with thousands of protesters calling for racial filmmakers and helped them launch their careers.
Recyclable justice, COM photographers were there.
In keeping with BU’s
commitment to sustainability, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU
38
this publication is FSC-certified.
Meet some of the people who
contributed to COM’s success
last year—and see what the
Stay Connected to the students are most thankful for.
College of Communication
Join the COM online community! Post,
tag, tweet, ask questions, watch videos,
network with fellow alums and reconnect
with professors and classmates.
bu.edu/com
buconnects.com
facebook.com/COMatBU
instagram.com/COMatBU
12
linkedin.com/school/COMatBU
twitter.com/COMatBU
youtube.com/COMatBU
EQCDM
0221
2 bu.edu/com COM/365 2021 3
COM THIS YEAR
THE FACULTY BOOKSHELF
New titles covering comedy studies, WWII and Christian TV exhibit COM’s range
1. T. Barton Carter et al., Mass Communication Law in a Nutshell, 8th ed. (West Academic Publishing, 2020)
2. Michael Holley, The Big Three: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and the Rebirth of the Boston Celtics (Hachette, 2020)
3. Charlotte Howell, Divine Programming: Negotiating Christianity in American Dramatic Television Production, 1996–2016
(Oxford University Press, 2020)
4. Yi Grace Ji et al., Strategic Communication for Startups and Entrepreneurs in China (Routledge, 2020)
5. Dick Lehr, Dead Reckoning: The Story of How Johnny Mitchell and His Fighter Pilots Took on Admiral Yamamoto and
Avenged Pearl Harbor (HarperCollins, 2020)
6. Patrice Oppliger and Eric Shouse, eds., The Dark Side of Stand-Up Comedy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020)
7. Joyce Walsh, Graphic Design Essentials with Adobe Software (Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2020)
GROWING COM’S PROFILE
COMtalks virtual speaker series takes advice, lessons and thought leadership to global audience
BY ANDREW THURSTON
How does HBO make binge-worthy DiChristina (’86). Although the series being live events,” she says, “but we’re
programs? What can Black journal- came together quickly—launching just not going to be able to reach the num-
ists do to avoid burnout? How do weeks after the first COVID-19 lock- ber of people in person that we could
you find a job in a recession? What downs—it had been in the works since with a virtual webinar.”
can communicators do to effect DiChristina joined COM in 2019. “How Durocher says that expanded reach
social change? are we handling the world of today and helps the college fulfill a core education
Since April 2020, the COMtalks tomorrow as a communication com- mission—taking COM’s knowledge to
virtual speaker series has brought munity? Every single one of the events wider audiences. Another benefit to the
COM’s expertise to a global audience, addresses that challenge. What are we virtual series: more alums can become
providing a forum for discussions on doing at the leading edge?” involved in the college, regardless of their
communication industry challenges Most presenters in the first round location or work schedule. Some have
and tips for tackling them. of sessions had a COM connection, watched a session and then volunteered
While most of the events pull three but the college plans to increasingly for a future event or found another
or four professionals together to share engage speakers from across BU way to share their time and expertise, writer and producer, has written epi- especially related to climate change
their stories, lessons and advice, and beyond: a business professor on whether mentoring students, speaking in WELCOME TO COM sodes of The Simpsons, Who’s the Boss and issues of gender and diversity.
some have been more like fireside branding research or an epidemiologist classes or offering career advice. Meet the newest members and Full House. Recently, he worked on Stephanie Worrell, instructor of
chats, such as a conversation between on health communications. “We have long had a burning desire of the faculty the Netflix series Team Kaylie and the advertising and public relations. The
leading entertainment execs Bonnie “We’d love for these to become not to help connect alums to students; not Disney show Bunk’d. founder of Red Sky Strategic Commu-
Hammer (CGS’69, COM’71, Whee- only a resource for students, faculty, just LinkedIn connections, but actual Sheila Sitomer, professor of the nications and a veteran PR, advertis-
lock’75, Hon.’17) of NBCUniversal and staff, parents and alumni, but also a mentoring connections,” says DiChris- practice, film and television. Sitomer ing, marketing and executive coaching
Jay Roewe (’79) of HBO. Others have thought leadership piece in the indus- tina, who’s enjoyed seeing audience Yi Grace Ji, assistant professor of spent two decades at ABC where she consultant, Worrell has more than 25
followed a TED Talks approach, with try,” says Kirsten Durocher (CGS’03, members propose collaborative mass communication, advertising and worked as an executive editor and years of industry experience. Most
an expert—like Mitchell Zuckoff, the COM’05), assistant dean for develop- projects in comments and questions. public relations. Ji studies strategic executive producer for ABC News and recently, she served as senior vice
Sumner M. Redstone Professor in Nar- ment and alumni relations. “This series “These virtual events have people communications and has twice been served as executive producer for the president in the global health sector
rative Studies—tackling one topic. The is not just keeping us on the map, but meeting each other.” named a Page Legacy Scholar by the award-winning daily programs Inside for WE Communications.
series streams live three Wednesdays growing our profile.” Durocher hopes the series becomes Arthur W. Page Center for Integ- Edition and Extra. Marni Zelnick, assistant professor
each month, typically at 3 pm Eastern, Even when the world fully opens a point of pride for alums—something rity in Public Communication. She Rosalynn Vasquez, assistant pro- of film and television. An experienced
Facing page: Getty Images
and is archived at bu.edu/com. again—when people cram back into for them to share with colleagues. coauthored the 2020 book Strategic fessor of public relations. In more than writer, director and producer, Zelnick
“We started it as a means for us all lecture halls and onto international “I want them to feel excited about Communication for Startups and Entre- 15 years of industry experience, work- teaches screenwriting. She wrote and
to keep engaged during the pandemic, flights—Durocher expects the virtual what BU’s doing and to raise their hand, preneurs in China. ing for both corporate and nonprofit directed the 2014 film Druid Peak and
but that’s not enough—we had a series will remain a prominent and too,” she says. “I want people to be loud Adam Lapidus, assistant professor, organizations, Vasquez developed an was a producer of the 2015 film The
vision behind it,” says Dean Mariette regular fixture. “I do see them also and proud about being COM.” / film and television. Lapidus, a screen- interest in corporate social advocacy, Adderall Diaries. —Marc Chalufour
4 bu.edu/com COM/365 2021 5
COM THIS YEAR
COM FELLOWS FUND
INTRODUCED
ALL OUT ON
ELECTION NIGHT
had reporters stationed at both Hillary
Clinton’s and Donald Trump’s national
headquarters. In contrast, the farthest
students traveled on Election Day 2020
WITH HONORS
Advertising students and BUTV10 collect more awards
Program supports student intern- Despite pandemic, students was to polling places in Brookline and
ships and forges relationships carried out ambitious coverage Copley Square. Advertising students had 10 projects honored by The Noah Cavicchi (’21) received first prize in the Arthur W.
with premier media companies At BUTV10, students produced three One Club at its annual Young Ones Student Awards. Page Society’s and Institute for Public Relations’ annual Stu-
There was nothing normal about the nights of election reporting. The sta- COM collected one of the award show’s signature gold dent Case Study Competition, for his project “Major League
2020 election. The COVID-19 pan- tion’s coverage included appearances pencils—Yue (Yvonne) Wang (’21) and Ruijie (Mia) Lin Soccer: Social Consciousness or Social Contentiousness.”
demic resulted in strict attendance from BUTV10 alums now working at (’21) for “Open to Share,” a campaign for Lay’s potato The New England Society of Professional Journalists
limits at campaign events and states CBS, CNN and NBC, as well as notable chips—as well as one silver pencil, two bronze pencils and awarded Andres Picon (’20) with its first-place scholarship.
across the country tallied record guests like Boston Mayor Marty Walsh six merit awards. Collectively, COM placed fourth overall The award recognized his accomplishments as a former edi-
early voting. But one thing didn’t and attorney Alan Dershowitz. “Their in the international competition. Alex Chapman (’20) and tor at the Daily Free Press and his role as a research assistant
change: COM students continued to achievement rate at securing these folks Henry Kruell (’19) received a gold cube in The Young Ones for the Boston Globe’s Spotlight investigative team.
cover contests around the country. during a pandemic was impressive,” ADC competition for their “The Beauty In Between” poster Director Derin Kiyak (’17,’20) and producer Songxin
In fact, their 2020 reporting was Cavalieri says. campaign for Amtrak; the Art Directors Club (ADC) awards Xie (’20) received first prize for best film at COM’s 40th
their most ambitious to date, says For many students, election week were celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2020. Redstone Film Festival for Off Beat.
As an intern with the GBH News BUTV10 adviser Chris Cavalieri (’81), coverage was the culmination of BUTV10 received four New England Emmy awards and Jiaxi Wu (’22) received a $100,000, two-year research
Center for Investigative Reporting, an assistant professor of television. months of reporting. Students enrolled one Telly Award. Their awards included first-place Col- fellowship from the American Heart Association’s Tobacco
Isabel Contreras (pictured above) It included three days of coverage, in the Statehouse Program, which lege/University Emmies for Newscast (Primary Focus 2020, Center for Regulatory Sciences to study how social media is
was treated more like a staffer than involving approximately 100 students funnels their reporting on Beacon Hill produced by Naba Khan (’20), Sydney Hager (’20), Riley used to promote flavored cigars.
a student. She collected and analyzed to local news Villiers (’21); directed by Guy Jackson (’20)) and Sports— As part of a fellowship from Columbia University, Se Jin
data for stories, and even cowrote an outlets, were Live Event (Boston University Basketball, directed by Anna Paik (’23) will study journalism ethics in the algorithm age.
article with Jenifer B. McKim, a senior on the politics Gregoire (’20); associate producers Nicholas McCool PRLab was a finalist for Best Student Campaign for their
investigative reporter at GBH, Bos- beat all semes- (CAS’20, COM’20), Jacob Lintner (CAS’21, COM’21), PRoBono 2019 project, at PRWeek’s 2020 Purpose Awards.
ton’s local NPR station, and a clinical ter. Their cov- Allie Rock (’21)); and honorable mentions for College/Uni- His Last Game, a short film written by Debbie Danielpour,
instructor of investigative journalism erage included versity Long Form—Non-fiction (On That Point, produced an assistant professor of film, won the Jury Top Prize for
at COM, about prisoners being ruled stories on by McCool, Armand Manoukian (CAS’21, COM’21); Ancestral Drama at the Online New England Film Festival.
eligible to claim stimulus money. The staffing of directed by Villiers) and Magazine Program (Amber, pro- Michelle Johnson, associate professor of the practice,
internship became possible when Con- polling places, duced by Jinghan Zhang (’19) and Sylvia Yang (’19)). journalism, received an alumni award from Columbia Jour-
treras (CAS’21, COM’21) was chosen to the mechanics The Primary Focus team also received a bronze Telly in the nalism School. Johnson, a former editor at the Boston Globe,
be in the first cohort of students spon- of early voting Television General–Student category. helped that paper launch boston.com in the 1990s. At BU,
sored by the new COM Fellows Fund. and social Johnson oversees the BU News Service.
Facing page: Isabella Arteaga (Contreras), Cydney Scott (BUTV10); This page: Lauryn Allen (Warren)
Fellowships, available to COM media’s role Patrice Oppliger, assistant professor of
BUTV10 produced three nights of election coverage in 2020.
juniors and seniors, provide students in polarizing communication, was elected president of the
with $10,000 each to pursue positions the election. International Society of Humor Studies, which is
that often pay little to nothing. The reporting on the lead-up to the election Their work appeared in local newspa- dedicated to the advancement of humor research
college is also developing partnerships and Election Day itself across multiple pers throughout the state, then on the and publishes Humor: International Journal of
with leading media and communica- platforms, including WTBU, COM’s BUNS website. Humor Research.
tion organizations, which will reserve Statehouse Program, Boston University WTBU also produced months of Lei Guo, assistant professor of emerging media
internships for fellows. News Service (BUNS) and BUTV10. coverage, with journalists working studies, and Chris Wells, associate professor of
The funding, Contreras says, offered “Despite the pandemic, students remotely from all over the country. emerging media studies, were named founding
“a layer of security in incredibly uncer- are going all out to provide the kind of WTBU news director Griffin Buch members of BU’s Faculty of Computing and Data
tain times.” Besides Contreras, the thorough journalistic coverage that is (’21) says there were clear advantages Sciences. The new multidisciplinary unit will
other inaugural fellows were Chloe Liu critical to a functioning society,” says to working with a spread-out group. eventually be housed in BU’s Center for Com-
(’23), a multimedia journalism intern Dean Mariette DiChristina (’86). “We “I had two team members in Miami puting and Data Sciences, scheduled to open in
at Gray Television, and Jennifer Cuciti need that reliable reporting more than providing great swing-state coverage 2022.
(’21), a television and podcast intern at ever—and they are delivering.” from the ground there and sending it PRWeek honored COM with a second-place
Lauryn Allen photographed Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
America’s Test Kitchen. That’s not to say the pandemic back to Boston.” award in the Outstanding Education Program cat-
greeting supporters during her presidential campaign.
Patrick Nelson, director of COM didn’t present significant difficulties “The students are undaunted, egory at its annual awards ceremony, the college’s
Career Services, says that the COM in coordinating the coverage. Besides resourceful and creative beyond COM photojournalists received six student awards given highest place ever in the competition.
Fellows Fund, which was established the fact that some student reporters anything I could have imagined,” says out in the Boston Press Photographers College Contest, Two COM publications received CASE (Council for
by an anonymous alum, will sponsor 10 weren’t physically in Boston for the Anne Donohue (’89), an associate pro- including first place in the News category for Lauryn Allen Advancement and Support of Education) District I awards.
fellowships in summer 2021. semester, lockdown measures curbed fessor of journalism and WTBU faculty (’22) and first place in the Portrait category for Paola Pov- COMtalk received gold for best web-based magazine while
—Mara Sassoon access to sources. In 2016, BUTV10 adviser. —Alene Bouranova entud Escoriaza (’21). COM/365 received gold in the annual report category. —M.C.
6 bu.edu/com COM/365 2021 7
Mi, sunt es dolupta-
ti blam venest ant
COM THIS YEAR landuntur? Quiduci
dernatem adit venti
consequ iatur? Solor
Association’s 2019 College Newspaper show—with contestants designing alignisi num quis
of the Year. wardrobes from thrift store finds— reptatia.
The paper’s real legacy, though, is called Thrift Off. Then, with locations
the many journalism careers it has scouted and contestants cast, COVID-
launched, with alums going on to jobs 19 shut down filming and left the class
at the New York Times, Washington Post, without a project.
NBC News and many other outlets. Waller, an assistant professor, has Hannah Schweitzer (right)
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Don taught the class, which is called Hot- and Hailey McKee (left) led the
Van Natta (’86) of ESPN remembers house Productions and puts students student-run public health Mi, sunt es dolupta-
his four years at the FreeP fondly. “A in charge of their own production campaign F*ck It Won’t Cut It. ti blam venest ant
big appeal of Boston University was company, for 20 years. Past clients landuntur?
the opportunity to work on a daily have included Boston Children’s
student newspaper,” he says. “It was an Hospital, the Geena Davis Institute
intensive and very public way to learn on Gender in the Media and a range
on the job, getting the reps you need of nonprofits and schools. But with
to become a professional reporter and her final team of students scattered
editor. Our mistakes—and we made to their respective homes, Waller and
plenty—were on display every day for her class had to come up with a new lives. But as the pandemic worsened, posts and
the entire campus community. And so project from scratch: so they turned the production team faced another infographics,
we learned the hard way the importance their cameras around to document difficult question: With all of the F*ck It Won’t
of rigorous reporting, clear writing and their own predicament. suffering going on in the world, was Cut It com-
FREEP TURNS 50 meticulous fact-checking.” —M.C. “It was kind of a wild ride,” says their film too focused on their own municated an
BU’s newspaper celebrates a half Casey Spillane (’21), who had been privileged positions? urgent reality:
century of student journalism the executive producer on Thrift Off “It was about ‘we don’t get to have that if the
QUIET ON SET before switching gears to produce Still a senior year’ and ‘we don’t get to entire student
On May 6, 1970—two days after Student-run production company Students: A Semester in Quarantine, a see our friends,’ while the death toll body didn’t
student protesters were shot by the adjusts amid COVID-19 15-minute documentary. was rising every day,” Spillane says. take COVID-
Ohio National Guard at Kent State To spark some creativity, Spillane Some in the class wanted to add more 19 preventive
University—Charles Radin (’71) pub- Garland Waller began 2020 with and director Hailey Hart-Thomp- context to the film, others felt they measures
lished the first edition of the Daily a fun idea for the final section of son (CAS’21, COM’21) encouraged couldn’t please everyone with the fin- seriously,
Free Press. That inaugural single-page her television production class— each member of the class to focus on ished product. In the end, they wove campus life would cease to exist. It focus groups with campus student
issue reported on Boston University’s the last she’d teach before retiring. a different topic, like how they felt news footage and audio throughout, also aimed to dispel misconceptions, leaders, asking for their feedback,
decision to close dorms and cancel Her students would produce a pilot about being in quarantine or how they providing a backdrop for their own and answer questions, about responsi- then pitched different iterations of
both final exams and Commencement for a reality fashion competition coped with the major shift in their story of a semester interrupted. ble partying and dating that students their work to the offices of the dean of
in the face of campus protests across Waller was impressed with how her might not have felt comfortable talking students, the president and the pro-
Facing page: BU Photo (upper left); Courtesy of Still Students (lower right); This page: Cydney Scott
the country. class responded to their situation. about with their parents or professors. vost. “We know it’s a bold approach,
In May 2020, BU’s independent “They captured the sadness and the The project was a first-ever joint we know it’s different, but they are
student newspaper celebrated its 50th determination to keep going,” she effort between students in AdLab showing they value student voices and
birthday amid another historic campus says. “They made something happen.” and PRLab, and yes, the campaign creativity,” McKee says.
closure, this one due to the COVID-19 —Rusty Gorelick title was meant to shock people, says Public health and PR experts have
pandemic. Hannah Schweitzer (’21), president of taken notice. In December the group
In both cases, the student report- AdLab. “If you bring home groceries, spoke at a Centers for Disease Control
ers and editors tackled challenging GOING VIRAL you might say, ‘F*ck it’ to wiping them and Prevention webinar for univer-
stories that had broad social impacts Student-led campaign designed down, but. . . these small lapses could sity administrators and health staff.
extending well beyond Comm Ave (to to shock—and inform—about have dire effects.” And they’re a finalist, alongside four
see some of the paper’s 2020 coverage COVID-19 Hailey McKee (’21), PRLab account professional campaigns, for Best in
of Black Lives Matter protests, turn to director, says the campaign came at Community Relations at the annual
page 12). In the 50 intervening years, BU students who returned to cam- a crucial time. “Nationally, there is PRWeek Awards in March.
the FreeP, as it’s affectionately known, pus in the fall were reminded in a a space for young people to flip the Although the campaign took a
has covered countless triumphs and not-very-subtle way about just what narrative and show that they are smart lighthearted approach, McKee wants
tragedies, navigated repeated finan- was expected of them when it came and taking coronavirus precautions to reassure everyone that the students
cial hardships and sparred with BU’s to masks, social distancing, testing seriously,” she says. recognized that this is a serious issue.
administration, establishing itself and other precautions. “F*ck It,” a The team of eight students began “We do not take this issue lightly,
as one of the top college papers student-led public health campaign working on the project in June, when even if you see a fun graphic or funny
around—most recently winning the warned them, “Won’t Cut It.” University administrators asked them tweet,” she says. “It’s a dialogue we
New England Newspaper & Press Through TikTok videos, Instagram to create a viral campaign. They held need to have.” —Amy Laskowski
8 bu.edu/com COM/365 2021 9
COM THIS YEAR Create a VIBRANT ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE by updating
instruction and embracing innovation
THE
We will: Update our curricula to embrace diverse perspectives as well as leading-edge media technol-
ogies • Enhance our writing programs, a cornerstone for communicators everywhere • Work with BU
partners to offer new online and residential master’s programs and certificate programs • Work with
BU’s innovation hubs to provide new research opportunities
FUTURE
OF COM Enhance creation of RESEARCH THAT MATTERS by focusing
on communication areas that will help society engage with
challenges
We will: Address mediated societal challenges and enhance public engagement by identifying and explaining
communication problems in research • Conduct collaborative research—within COM, between COM and
College unveils a new strategic other BU faculties, and between COM and outside scholars—to advance sound communication practices
plan to position itself as a leader
across communication fields
A
s the editor in chief at Scientific American and an
executive of its publisher, Springer Nature, Mariette
DiChristina led the development of several strategic Engage communities globally by developing COM THOUGHT
plans. Her goal each time: listen, learn and emerge with a list LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES and new learning opportunities
of actionable items. “It’s the community that you serve that
knows the answers, and the best leaders give that community To help change the world for good, we will: Explore the possibility of developing a Center for Impact
a way to shape their ideas and move forward productively,” Communication • Develop purpose-driven initiatives that include advancing urban sustainability, elevat-
she says. ing the voices of underrepresented groups in media and fostering media literacy • Develop platforms for
When she began her new job as dean of COM in August thought leadership, including virtual and live events, innovative polling and new kinds of publications •
2019, DiChristina (’86) wanted to apply the same approach Look for opportunities to grow COM’s global presence, including study abroad programs, relationships
to developing a strategic plan for the college. One year later, with other colleges and international research initiatives
COM had an approved plan in place, with five strategic
themes closely aligned with Boston University’s broader
strategic plan, and a reimagined mission statement:
We build understanding through communication education,
practice and discovery.
We prepare students to adapt to change and share their voices Cultivate a COM culture that EMBRACES AND BENEFITS FROM
in a transformational media world. DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
We generate knowledge through research and theory building. We will: Support challenged students—international and domestic—with coaching and mentoring •
We integrate professional and academic experiences across Improve our recruitment of a diverse faculty and staff and provide them with new kinds of training
communication disciplines. as needed • Ensure equity in our operational practices
We nurture a culture rich in diversity, critical thinking and
creative expression.
We champion communication grounded in authenticity,
effectiveness and purpose.
“The key to a better future is great communication,”
Develop COM communities for faculty, staff, students and
DiChristina says. “And COM is uniquely and ideally alumni that PROVIDE BIG OPPORTUNITIES yet also feel
positioned to help with that.”—M.C. approachable and small
Erik Jacobs
We will: Develop programs to engage alumni networks for prospective students, current students
and alumni • Enhance staff efficiency and retention by developing training, retreats and a culture of
continuous improvement • Explore ways to enhance our internal communications and collaborations
through an intranet or similar platform
10 bu.edu/com
TWO STORIES DOMINATED SPRING 2020.
In March, the coronavirus pandemic shut businesses and schools around the
world—BU among them—leaving city streets empty as people isolated in their
homes. Then, in the wake of a series of new police killings of Black Americans,
including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, massive international protests
CO VID-19 EMPTIED BOS TON ’S demanding racial justice broke out. COM photographers documented it all.
Edward Boches (’76), professor of the practice, advertising, began taking
STRE ETS. PROTESTS FOR black-and-white pictures of Boston’s empty streets in mid-March, gradu-
RA CIAL JUSTICE FILLED THEM. ally compiling them in a project he calls “Somewhere Along the Curve.” (The
entire project can be viewed at bochesphotography.com.)
SEE HOW C OM P HOTOGRAPHER S “It almost looks fake, it looks like a movie set,” Boches says. “When we see
DOCU ME NTED A TUR BULEN T YEAR. these places with no people in them, we see them very, very differently. The
photos work that way for me—I see the city that I live in, that I love and hang
out in, in a very different way.”
When Black Lives Matter protests were planned for Boston in early June,
Angela Yang (’23) faced her first big decision as editor-in-chief of the Daily
Free Press. The student-run paper historically hasn’t been published during the
summer. “This summer, we published almost every day,” she says. Yang, along
with other students from the paper and the BU News Service, a multimedia stu-
dent journalism site, spent days documenting the protests. “Photojournalists
have a really important job, just being there to observe,” Yang says. “You get to
Photography by see history unfold in front of you.”
LAURYN ALLEN, EDWARD BOCHES, CAITLIN FAULDS and ANGELA YANG The work of Boches, Yang, Lauryn Allen (’21) of the Daily Free Press and
Caitlin Faulds (’21) of BU News Service tells a dramatic story of Boston in
2020.—Marc Chalufour and Joel Brown
12 bu.edu/com COM/365
The Mass Ave Bridge, empty in the middle of rush hour early in the pandemic. Photo 2021 Boches
by Edward 13
A pedestrian in full PPE (personal protective equipment) on Comm Ave. Photo by Edward Boches Boston University’s West Campus and Comm Ave are abandoned the week after students were sent home in March. Photo by Edward Boches
Medical workers protest in front of the Massachusetts Statehouse in downtown Boston in May. Photo by Lauryn Allen A Boston police officer watches protesters march down Tremont Street. Photo by Caitlin Faulds
14 bu.edu/com COM/365 2021 15
A hotel worker walks toward work down an empty Boston alley. Photo by Edward Boches Caution tape keeps people away from a carousel on the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston. Photo by Edward Boches
Protesters chant “I can’t breathe” and “Who do you protect?” in front of a Boston police station in the Back Bay. Photo by Lauryn Allen Following a march in honor of George Floyd, protesters lay down in front of a Boston police station in Jamaica Plain. Photo by Angela Yang
16 bu.edu/com COM/365 2021 17BY EARLY APRIL 2020,
PATRICK CHATELAIN
HAD SETTLED IN AT
HIS PARENTS’ HOME
ON LONG ISLAND,
NEW YORK, TO FINISH
THE ACADEMIC YEAR
ONLINE. BU had switched to remote learning a few weeks earlier,
in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, but Chatelain
(’22) held out hope that he’d still be able to travel to
Australia for a summer internship with the Sydney Film
Festival. Tallulah Bark-Huss (’21) was also at home, in
Chicago, wondering about her study abroad and intern-
ship program in London.
Across COM, students counting on summer internships
for professional experience faced the uncertainty of what
the coming months held. But as COVID-19 continued
to spread, one program after another was cancelled and
international travel shut down. COM staff and faculty saw a
problem developing: many students needed those intern-
ships to fulfill graduation requirements.
“We asked ourselves: What can we do to help? What can
we do to provide a remote work experience that would help
students not just to survive, but to thrive?” says Dean Mari-
ette DiChristina (’86). “We wanted to, whenever possible, find
DEPRIVED OF ways to turn today’s challenges into learning opportunities.”
INTERNSHIPS BY By mid-May, the framework of a solution was ready:
COMLab, a student-run multimedia startup. Peer-led and
COVID-19, COM STUDENTS
peer-mentored teams imagining and producing content of
BUILT THEIR OWN all forms, including advertising, public relations, film and
MULTIMEDIA AGENCY journalism.
By M AR C C HALUFOUR AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAD COME
I l l us tra tio n s b y GW E N K ER AVAL At the core of the COMLab concept was the idea that
students wouldn’t be working for outside clients but rather
with COM as their client and audience—freeing them to
get creative. “The biggest challenge was convincing the
COM/365 2021 19“COMMUNICATION MEDIA “COLLEGE STUDENTS DO AMAZING THINGS
HAVE NEVER BEEN SO WHEN YOU TAKE THE CONSTRAINTS AWAY
INTEGRATED. THE FROM THEM. PEOPLE WANTED TO CREATE
SKILLS OF BEING ABLE THINGS THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH
TO TELL GOOD STORIES THEIR MAJORS. THEY WENT SO FAR AFIELD
USING MULTIPLE OF THEIR COMFORT They also take pride in making something
PLATFORMS CAN BE— ZONES, WHICH I THINK from nothing. Chatelain pushed aside the
disappointment of missing out on a summer
AND ARE—APPLIED TO IS AWESOME.” in Sydney, where he would’ve worked on
movie scripts, and embraced the COMLab
MULTIPLE CAREER
opportunity. “I’ve never been around for the
DUSTIN SUPA launch of a new program,” he says. “How
OPTIONS.”
often can a person say, ‘I was part of a
media startup’?”
Bark-Huss says the experience was even
MARIETTE DICHRISTINA better than what she missed out on in Lon-
don because of how valuable remote work
skills quickly became. “It’s such a different
landscape now,” she says. “Now I have those
skills and I translated that into cover letters
and my résumé.” In September, she started
a remote internship with a production com-
pany based in Los Angeles.
students that this was their media startup—to be what they “College students do amazing things when you take the After its trial run, Supa hopes that
wanted it to be,” says Dustin Supa, a senior associate dean constraints away from them,” Supa says. “People wanted COMLab continues to grow and, perhaps,
and associate professor of public relations, who was the to create things that had nothing to do with their majors. eventually will turn into an interdisciplinary
main architect of the program. They went so far afield of their comfort zones, which I think hub for collaboration between COM’s stu-
From that introductory meeting in May to a virtual is awesome.” dent media organizations, AdLab, BU News
launch party on July 23, when their website, bucomlab.com, COMLab participants also met for a weekly class with Service, BUTV10, PRLab and WTBU—
went live, COMLab took shape. Students split into four Supa, DiChristina and members of the COM staff, and something he has long envisioned and that
divisions: enterprise communication, news and information, they were often joined by special guest speakers, including helped spark the idea for COMLab.
performance and entertainment (directed by Chatelain), Nancy Dubuc (’91), CEO of Vice; Jay Roewe (’79), a senior “We have all of these great independent
and engagement and strategy (directed by Bark-Huss). They vice president at HBO; and Steve Barrett, the US editor- media organizations within COM, which are
formed teams and developed project ideas. They built the in-chief of PRWeek. Bark-Huss was struck by something really good training grounds for students
website and designed a logo. Among their projects were that Dubuc told the group. “She talked about how what we to learn,” says Supa. “They have their own
podcasts, streaming shows, news stories and PR campaigns. were doing in the summer was turning an obstacle into an histories and they win awards—but there’s
That first wave of projects was as varied as BU Thrive, a advantage. We were all in this sucky situation and we could nothing that brings them together to do it
high school outreach program designed to connect BIPOC make the best out of it.” from a modern media business perspective.”
(Black, Indigenous and people of color) students in the All of that was made possible with funding from the COMLab, he hopes, can fill that gap.
Boston Public School system with students at BU, and an college and donors, including Nathaniel Dalton (LAW’91), a “Communication media have never been
interactive online fiction game that plays out like a Choose member of the BU Board of Trustees. so integrated. The skills of being able to tell
Your Own Adventure novel. COM as You Are, an enter- good stories using multiple platforms can
tainment podcast, covered topics like sports in the Black LOOKING AHEAD be—and are—applied to multiple career
Lives Matter era and transgender representation in media. With students now back on the BU campus, what the future options,” says DiChristina. “COMLab, as
And the students behind Keep COM and Cook With Us holds for the virtual media startup remains to be seen. a student-run, startup integrated media
produced a cooking show, teaching viewers how to make COMLab’s first cohort set a high bar for creativity, says operation, has given students a chance to
seafood pasta and egg tofu with shrimp and noodles from Supa, and they will continue collaborating through the experiment and grow in ways that will give
their own kitchens. spring semester at least. them a leg up after graduation.” /
20 bu.edu/com COM/365 2021 21MAKING
BU A ON APRIL 24, 1968,
BETTER A FEW WEEKS AFTER MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’S ASSASSINATION, ANDREA L. TAYLOR
PLACE
AND MEMBERS OF UMOJA, BOSTON UNIVERSITY’S BLACK STUDENT UNION, OCCUPIED
AN ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ON BAY STATE ROAD.
Hundreds of students joined, refusing to leave first senior diversity officer. More than 50 years
until their demands were met. Those demands, after she occupied the administration build-
writes Kathleen Kilgore in the book Transfor- ing as a young activist, Taylor has returned to
mations: A History of Boston University, included her alma mater to lead efforts to strengthen
extending the admissions deadline—which by diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives
then had passed—for Black students, creating a for students, alumni, faculty and staff. “It’s
center to help Black students adjust to BU, and not an easy task, and there will be some tough
recruiting 100 more Black students by provid- conversations, but I’m glad we’ve started down
ing full financial aid. Arland Christ-Janer, BU’s a path where there’s no going back,” she says.
president at the time, agreed to honor each of “These efforts are something that all of us in
those requests. the BU community need to engage in to make
“It was quite an interesting time on campus,” the University a better place.”
says Taylor (’68). “And in some ways, it’s not
very much different than today, where students A BUDDING ACTIVIST
also have expectations of their educational Eight of Taylor’s family members, including her
institutions and are not shy about making those parents, also graduated from BU. Her parents,
requests known. It’s very encouraging to see Della Brown Taylor Hardman (CFA’45) and
that young people at this moment in time in our Francis Taylor, Sr. (CFA’56), had grown up in
history are taking action. This is what young segregated West Virginia, where, at the time,
people do. They are at the center of social people of color were barred from applying to
A LU M A N D R EA TAYL OR COM ES F UL L CIRCL E, change in their communities, and they have local graduate schools. But they learned that
agency and are willing to take risks. They have northern graduate programs would allow them
R ETU RN IN G TO H ER AL M A M ATER TO L EAD DIVERSITY, a perspective that people sometimes underesti- to apply and both wound up at BU.
EQ U ITY AND INCL USION EF F ORTS mate and overlook.” Taylor’s uncle, Willard Brown (LAW’35,’36),
But not Taylor. A civil rights veteran, former went on to become the first Black judge in West
journalist and a voice for change, Taylor has Virginia and was the president of the state’s
By MARA SASSOON
never underestimated or overlooked students NAACP chapter from 1950 to 1966. “He was
P h o t o s b y DOUG LE VY and anyone else calling for equity and social able to become a real advocate for civil rights
justice. In August 2020, against a backdrop in his community. He brought legal action to
of social unrest marked by protests against desegregate libraries, restaurants and other
racism and police brutality against Black public accommodations,” she says. When Taylor
people, she was appointed the University’s was 16, she accompanied him to the March on
22 bu.edu/com COM/365 2021 23“I’M EXCITED ABOUT THIS
MOMENT FOR BU, WITH THIS
EXPANDING DEI INITIATIVES AT COM Washington, where King (GRS’55, Hon.’59) delivered his
famous “I Have a Dream” speech. GENUINE INTEREST AND
In 2017, COM formed a committee composed of faculty,
“It was an amazing thing, to stand in solidarity with
250,000-plus other people from across the US who were
INVESTMENT IN FOCUSING ON
staff and students to improve its culture of equity and
inclusion. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) protesting in a nonviolent, peaceful manner for equity, civil DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. . . . WE
Committee is a 19-member group currently led by
Michelle Sullivan, associate dean of diversity, equity
rights and social justice,” Taylor says. “I was so inspired,
and I carried that activism to BU.” KNOW THAT THE MORE DIVERSE THE
and inclusion. In the fall, it included an undergraduate
student representative, Nyema Wilson (’21), and a
The experience, she says, also inspired her career path. “In
a way, it set the frame for the activities I’ve done and the work
INPUTS, THE STRONGER AND MORE
graduate student representative, Olayinka Sarayi (’21). that I’ve done professionally, which have given me the oppor- EFFECTIVE THE OUTCOMES WILL BE.”
Sullivan (’95), a professor of the practice, advertising,
says the committee is focused on hosting events that
tunity to try to affect social change in various communities.”
—ANDREA TAYLOR
cover diversity issues in the communication fields, inviting
FINDING PHILANTHROPY
more diverse speakers to COM events, recruiting more
diverse faculty and staff and revising the curriculum to
Taylor, a journalism major, had skipped a job interview with stronger and more effective the outcomes
incorporate more diverse and global points of view. the Boston Globe to participate in the occupation of the will be.”
Lei Guo, an assistant professor of emerging media administration building her senior year. Tensions had come Taylor reports directly to President
studies and a member of the committee, conducted to a head in the wake of King’s death, and Taylor, whose Robert A. Brown and is working with
a quantitative study during the spring and summer of four years at BU coincided with the height of the civil rights fellow University leaders, including Crystal
2020, surveying students about COM’s DEI climate. The movement, knew it was the choice she had to make. Williams, vice president and associate
committee has been using results from that study to help The Globe let her reschedule her interview, and she landed provost for community and inclusion, and
shape its initiatives. For the 2020–2021 academic year, her first job on the newspaper’s city desk, where she covered Ibram X. Kendi, the founding director of
for instance, COM revamped the language it uses in its the desegregation of Boston’s schools. She later worked as a BU’s Center for Antiracist Research and
course syllabi to be more inclusive and supportive.
producer and on-air host for WGBH and then wrote for the the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the
Alumni are also contributing to COM’s DEI efforts.
Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. When she gave birth to her Humanities.
Cleveland O’Neal (’78), the founder and CEO of the pro-
duction and distribution company Connection III Enter-
first child, she left the workforce to focus on her family. One of Taylor’s initial efforts as senior
tainment, established the Cleveland O'Neal III Scholarship While raising three children, Taylor was appointed to the diversity officer was supporting the
Fund in 2015 to support Black students or underrepre- board of the Cleveland Foundation, which funds charitable establishment and staffing of a Diversity
sented minority graduate students enrolled in COM’s grants to support the local community. “I got to understand a & Inclusion Committee on the Board of
Media Ventures Program. great deal more about how philanthropy can really be used as Trustees. Taylor says that the aim is to
When Mark Walton (’76) received a letter from the a tool for social change.” The experience paid off when, two make sure BU’s DEI efforts are “elevated
college in 2018, he was struck by a quote from an African decades after leaving the Plain Dealer, she was ready to find The museum includes a multimedia exhibit featuring to great importance and visible at the governance level.”
American alumna about how the college was diversify- a job. “I was divorced and my children were grown,” she says, interviews with people involved in the civil rights movement Taylor also chairs a new Antiracism Working Group (AWG),
ing. Walton, president of sales and marketing for Lilly “and I was looking for opportunities quite broadly.” in Birmingham. “Even though I haven’t practiced tradi- composed of more than a dozen faculty and staff members
Broadcasting’s One Caribbean Television, decided to
Her work on the board led to a position with the Ford tional journalism in a while,” Taylor says, “I carry those across the University. The AWG is evaluating University
establish the Jonathan Walton Memorial Graduate Student
Foundation in New York City in 1988. She helped launch skills and have followed that impulse to tell stories, and to policies related to investment, procurement, hiring and
Financial Aid Fund, named after his late son, who had
attended BU. The fund provides an annual scholarship of
and manage the foundation’s Media Fund, which sup- help highlight, through philanthropy and education, the communications. “It’s thinking about how we present
$2,500 to a graduate student from an underrepresented ported projects that told the stories of people traditionally voices of ordinary people who are often overlooked, but who ourselves and how we interact with other organizations. It’s
minority group. A stipulation of the scholarship is that underrepresented in the media. One project she raised make up a significant part of the change and innovation in much broader than simply hiring more diverse faculty and
recipients write about their experiences and observations funds for was the award-winning Eyes on the Prize, a 14-part various communities.” attracting more students that represent diverse perspec-
concerning diversity, equity and inclusion at COM and in documentary series that premiered on PBS in 1987. “It was tives,” Taylor says. She also works with the individual
the communication industry in general and share those special because it told the story of the civil rights move- BACK TO BAY STATE ROAD schools and colleges on their efforts, including meeting
reflections with Sullivan. Walton hopes those observations ment from the point of view of the people on the ground at Taylor’s philanthropic work has carried over to BU. She has with COM’s own DEI Committee (see sidebar, page 24) to
will facilitate change. the time, the ordinary people who organized, marched and created the Andrea L. Taylor Family Scholarship Fund, which discuss initiatives such as bringing in more diverse speakers
Walton is also recruiting fellow alumni to join COM’s fought for civil rights,” she says. provides annual need-based scholarships to undergraduate and revamping the curriculum to reflect more diverse points
efforts. A small group met with Sullivan and Andrea L. Tay-
In 2006, Taylor became director of citizenship and public students at COM and the College of Fine Arts. “I wanted of view.
lor, the University’s senior diversity officer (see full story),
affairs for Microsoft, where she helped develop an outreach to make a commitment as a real demonstration of support “BU has a large global footprint and so much potential
in the fall to discuss how to better forge connections
between alumni and students of color. That meeting led to
and education program that provided underserved popula- for what BU has meant to my family in terms of educational to be a leader in DEI among our peer institutions,” Taylor
the formation of the COM DEI Alumni Council. tions with technology skills to improve their job prospects. opportunity and access to education,” she says. says. “I feel as though I’ve gone back to the future because
“I think that there’s room to grow here,” says Wal- Taylor, who was named a BU Trustee in 2009 (she relin- Taylor also considered the opportunities she and her here I am again, back on Bay State Road,” where she lived
ton. “I think we can really focus our efforts on helping quished the position upon becoming senior diversity officer), family members received at BU when she accepted the role in The Towers as a freshman, and where she occupied the
with faculty recruitment, connecting with students and left Microsoft in 2014 and the following year was tapped to of senior diversity officer. “I’m excited about this moment administration building as a senior in 1968. “It’s quite a
shaping the curriculum. At the end of the day, every serve as CEO of Alabama’s Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, for BU, with this genuine interest and investment in focus- privilege to have such a long arc of history with BU, and
little bit we can do makes a difference, and when it’s a museum and research center. It was one of many full-circle ing on diversity and inclusion,” she says. “Ever since our to be a part of a team here that is really leading into the
coordinated, then it can actually bring about some real moments in her career—in Birmingham, she encountered founding, we have been open to students regardless of race future, in pursuit of excellence and diversity, for all mem-
substantive change.” / many activists who had been featured in Eyes on the Prize. and gender. We know that the more diverse the inputs, the bers of the BU community.” /
COM/365 2021 25You can also read
