And so we arrive at graduation weekend. Summer is very nearly here—it sure has felt like summer these last few days—and we are deep into our transition from the business of the school year to the slightly less busy days of June and July.

A couple of more numbers.

This spring 128 students are on track to receive their BA in Communication Studies. A couple will not make it, but still. That’s remarkable. And all nine MA students have either completed or have plans in place to complete all requirements for their degrees. I am so proud of all of our graduates.

And, as always, great news on the scholarship front.

Meara is part of a team that just received a $90,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant! Here is the lead from the Source story “A group of CSU faculty studying the effect that engaging environments have on the brains of aging adults and people with dementia has received a prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to continue its work.” So cool!

Meanwhile, Ziyu has a new essay out:

Long, Z., & Wilhoit, E.D. (2018). Bounded fluidity, branded authenticity, and dependable independence: How tensions enact flexibility in lifestyle blogging career. Journal of Applied Communication Research. Epub ahead of print May 4, 2018. doi: 10.1080/00909882.2018.1467570
Ziyu writes:

This study analyzed 219 blog posts from 52 self-employed women lifestyle bloggers in North America to show how these digital professionals navigate tensions in enacting this blogging as an alternative career form and constitute temporal–spatial, identity, and financial aspects of workplace flexibilities.

ACTION ITEMS

What? Action items in the graduation email? Well I would like you to note some dates.

Our fall alumni panels:

  • Wednesday, October 10 2-2:50 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 11 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Folks, it has been an amazing year.

I just want to say these last words for the year: I am so deeply proud of the work we do together. We publish and teach and serve our communities. We do this in big amazing ways—like $90,000 for research into aging and rich environments—and in little amazing ways.

You know I wander our halls most days candy bowl in hand. In my conversations with you I am struck by your commitment to yourselves, your community, your students, your scholarship and research; to our common goal of making the world a smidge more livable, a tad more humane, a bit richer and more complex.

I hope you all have wonderful summers. For me I have set out some research goals of my own: finish a book with Brian Ott on Trump and the affective aesthetics of white rage. Hopefully start revisions on a book about the Buffalo Bill Center of the West assuming Eric and Brian and I get positive news from MSU Press. And I hope to submit an essay on Olvera Street in Los Angeles for review. I will begin the work of editing Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies.

But I will also celebrate Elizabeth’s graduation with her MSW by hanging with friends and family from around the country this weekend (thus the early Friday email). I will go to my nephew’s graduation from my alma mater, Walla Walla University and spend time with my parents and my sister in Walla Walla’s suburb College Place. I will spend a day soaking at 10,000 Waves in Santa Fe. I will put my feet up on my porch, sipping iced coffee and hanging with Panda. I will get in as many days of basketball as my 53—soon to be 54—year old body can manage. I will reorient myself toward another year of doing what we do best: thinking and talking and writing about communication together!

Happy summer!

Yours,
Greg

PS: The Friday email will be on hiatus for the summer, though I suspect I will send a couple of summer editions. Keep sending Carol and me your good news and we will get it out to the community.