strategic communication

2 minutes with Hannah Kijner

Hannah Stewart — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 21:14:12 +0000

2 minutes with Hannah Kijner Hannah Stewart Wed, 01/21/2026 - 14:14

Hannah Stewart

Hannah Kijner Strategic communication

When Hannah Kijner stepped foot on the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� campus as a first-year student, she never dreamed that by joining a student organization, she’d have the opportunity to network with public relations professionals at a national conference in Washington, D.C.

Now a senior, Kijner has spent the last four years studying public relations at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� College of Communication, Media, Design and Information.

“I love storytelling, and I didn’t want to stop enjoying writing for fun. Strategic communication is business-y, but it leaves more room for creativity than most majors,” she said.

That passion led her to the school’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, which gave her the chance to represent the college at the national ICON conference, in October. She credited Dawn Doty, then-PRSSA advisor, and the club’s president, Leah Szabo, with encouraging her to be involved.

Kijner was part of a team that collaborated with the PRSSA team from Colorado State University to raise approximately $10,000 toward the trip.

“When students go to conferences, like ICON, a lot of pieces start to click together because they’re practicing professional skills,” said Jolene Fisher, an associate professor in the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Design and faculty advisor for the group.

We chatted with Kijner about her experience at ICON and what she learned.

Responses edited for length and clarity.

Tell me about how you got involved with PRSSA and the ICON fundraising team.
Last summer, I applied to be one of the summer fundraiser and volunteer coordinators. We did a lot of email outreach to raise money. That’s when I learned it’s all about networking—it’s being kind, following up, seeing who’s in your area and using LinkedIn. And preparing yourself to hear no, a lot.
Over the summer, we raised a little more than $5,000 for each school and also got to attend events like the Gold Pick Awards. That was cool because I got to get to know people from different PR firms in Denver. A lot of those people were also at ICON in the fall—so while the big conference was intimidating at first, I got to see the CSU people that I worked with and other familiar faces.

Favorite part about ICON?
Lauren Graham’s keynote—she's been my idol since I was young. I’ve always loved writing, so she really hit home with me when she talked about universal ideas. I really liked how she talked about prioritizing moments people can connect to.

It was also really cool listening to Kamala Harris' speechwriter, Stephen Kelly. I really loved when he talked about taking your writing to happy hour. You have to remember your audience isn't always the industry, it's people. So, it’s important to make your message clear, concise and understandable for everyone.

Would you say that was your biggest takeaway?
My biggest takeaway is you can make your own connections. If you work hard enough, and you put yourself out there, you’ll have the opportunity. It's all about hard work, dedication and then finding your community, which is everything.

I made a ton of connections at ICON, but my goal was really to make a few very good ones. The professional world can be competitive, but it’s important to have fun at these conferences and take the time to listen to people and make friends.

When you get out of school, a lot of people will have a resume very similar to yours. So what's gonna make you stand out? It’s those people who know you and share those connections.

Hannah Stewart graduated from CMDI in 2019 with a degree in communication. She covers student news for the college.

Ahead of her senior year, Hannah Kijner helped PRSSA raise money to send five strategic communication students to the national ICON conference where they networked and learned from public relations professionals.

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‘Not afraid to say yes:’ CMDI mourns actor Pat Finn, who taught unique improv class

Joe Arney — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 22:29:18 +0000

‘Not afraid to say yes:’ CMDI mourns actor Pat Finn, who taught unique improv class Joe Arney Mon, 01/12/2026 - 15:29

Joe Arney

As she prepares to start a new job, Erin Baptiste is reflecting on one of the more unusual classes she took as a senior in the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information.

Pat Finn laughs in this file photo as he watches students working in an improv course he taught at the college. Finn, a well-known actor whose work included roles on The Middle, Seinfeld, Friends and many others, died of cancer in December. Alumni and faculty remembered Finn as a passionate teacher who made improv less intimidating. Below, Finn offers pointers to a group of students during class. Photos by Kimberly Coffin.

The course—a special topics class around improv and strategic communication taught by character actor Pat Finn—challenged students to bring a different set of skills to the kinds of challenges awaiting them as advertisers, marketers, public relations experts and designers.

“Something that stuck with me from that course was not being afraid to say yes—to be open and go with the flow,” said Baptiste (StratComm’18), who is leaving a design, social media and events management role at Groove Toyota, in Englewood, to become marketing director at University Bicycles, in Boulder.

“Anytime I start a new job, I go in feeling—well, like a bit of an idiot,” she said with a laugh. “There’s so much you don’t know. And that openness that Pat encouraged in that improv class showed me it’s OK to not know everything. Saying ‘I don’t know’ isn’t showing ignorance—it’s opening up a chance for other people to share with you.”

Finn, a lecturer at the college between 2016 and 2022, died from cancer in December—a loss that was felt at Boulder and beyond, as Finn’s own acting career led to guest roles on Seinfeld, Friends, Murphy Brown, The Middle and elsewhere.

“There are moments in college that have been lost to time. Pat’s course is not one of those,” Baptiste said. “He brought such joy and kindness to the classroom. Pat was so open to whatever you were feeling. He was excited to take that journey with you, and made an experience like improv feel a lot less scary and easier to grasp and use.”

Bringing ‘yes, and’ to the curriculum

Finn’s use of “yes, and”—an improv technique that’s found home in organizational leadership as a tool for building trust and collaboratively solving problems—was something Lori Bergen, founding dean of the college, mentioned in bringing Finn on board in CMDI’s early days. She first met Finn as dean of Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communication, which includes a major in theatre arts, alongside traditional media and communication studies; Finn was an alumnus.

“‘Yes, and’ is almost a cliche in improv, but the idea of keeping things positive, of making other people on your team look good—after all, you’re there together—that’s just what he did, how he taught and how he lived,” Bergen said. “He reached out to me shortly after I started in Boulder to congratulate me, and of course he used ‘yes, and’ to pitch me—‘Who’s innovative enough to bring improv to strategic communication?’ How was I going to say no to that?”

“He was so good at encouraging us to experiment and take risks while being gentle and making sure you felt safe.”

Harrison Morof (StratComm’18),
associate director, Duncan Channon

Finn was not a headliner, “but he’s someone you’d recognize, because he always played such cool roles,” Bergen said. “And that was a reflection of who he was as a person—he worked so hard to make other people feel seen, especially our students. And his generosity and warmth of spirit always made you feel special.”

Harsha Gangadharbatla, who was among the founding faculty of CMDI, recalled enlisting Finn to run a workshop for faculty in the early days of the advertising, public relations and design department.

“He really helped bring our faculty together and instill that ‘yes, and’ attitude and approach to solving problems,” said Gangadharbatla, now a distinguished professor and senior associate dean for the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “He played a key role in building the department’s culture during its early days.”

Bergen echoed that, saying Finn’s ability to make people feel special made the workshop, which she attended, a hit.

“Most of us are programmed to not say the first thing that jumps into our head when we’re solving a problem,” she said. “And when you do that, you’re suppressing creativity and imagination. Pat’s workshop was great because in the early days of the college, those were two things we couldn’t afford to bottle up.”

Teaching students to think on their feet

Gangadharbatla said Finn’s skill as an actor and teacher made students comfortable applying lessons from improv to think on their feet and quickly make decisions.

“Pat helped many of the APRD students hone in on their presentation skills and learn how to get comfortable in front of a crowd,” Gangadharbatla said, adding that Finn’s impact was especially felt at the National Student Advertising Competition, where his guidance helped students earn second place in the district in 2018.

It was perhaps unusual for a Hollywood actor to wind up teaching in Boulder, but Harrison Morof (StratComm’18) remembered him talking about his daughters, who both graduated from CMDI and work in entertainment. Cassidy Finn (Comm’17) worked on Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry and Rupal; Caitlin Finn (Comm’19) has held roles at Netflix, ESPN and elsewhere. His son, Ryan, attended Marquette.

“It was a very touching, sweet thing,” Morof said. “I’m sure he was teaching here to be closer to his daughters, which I think we all admired and appreciated.”

Morof, associate director of media and analytics at Duncan Channon, grew up watching improv on Saturday Night Live, and saw the chance to take the course with Finn as a truly unique opportunity.

“He had a way of making everyone feel welcome and important,” Morof said. “Going up in front of your peers and wanting to impress them—I remember being nervous about that, but he was so good at encouraging us to experiment and take risks while being gentle and making sure you felt safe.”

Making quick pivots

Improv lessons also have helped him rapidly pivot when change happens at work—important, since many of Morof’s clients are in healthcare.

“We worked on California’s COVID-19 vaccine campaign, and things were changing by the day,” he said, including who was eligible, how patients got it, moving supply to meet demand, even the period when the Johnson & Johnson shot was temporarily paused. “Figuring out how to solve those kinds of dynamic problems was absolutely influenced by flexing that improv, ‘yes, and’ muscle.”

It’s a sentiment Baptiste shared, as well—especially when her work has taken her places where she may be the only creative professional on the team, surrounded by finance or analytics experts who don’t get the rush of seeing an idea take form as a campaign.

“When you’re on a team where other peoples’ work doesn’t have the same public visibility as yours, it becomes so much more important to hear what they’re saying and recognize how they are informing your process,” she said.

“I have been struck several times in my career about how much I think about improv as a result of that class—like, my team and I should do a class like that, or my husband and I should, because it just opens up communication so much. In such a short time, Pat made such a huge impact on my life.”

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college.

He was best known for roles on The Middle, Seinfeld and Friends, but alumni and faculty best remember his joy and kindness—and an impact that extended into their careers.

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Playing to win

Regan Widergren — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:43:36 +0000

Playing to win Regan Widergren Mon, 11/17/2025 - 17:43

Iris Serrano

As the growing sports media industry seeks people with data, communication and social media skills, CMDI has created different pathways to prepare students for rewarding careers.

Photos by Kimberly Coffin and Jack Moody.

When Kathryn Castanoli worked in a backstage production role during Super Bowl LIX, it wasn’t just a dream come true—it was a glimpse of a career that once seemed out of reach.

“I almost gave up trying to get into the sports media industry,” said Castanoli, a junior studying strategic communication. “But coming to CMDI—a college of entrepreneurs, artists, go-getters and leaders—really inspired me to keep pursuing my dream.”

Castanoli is just one of a growing number of CMDI students breaking into sports media. Although journalism has long been a path of study for students interested in this specialty, the changing nature of both sports and media as industries means different skills are needed.

“Sports media has become a convergence of different fields,” said Rick Stevens, associate dean of undergraduate education and associate professor of media studies. “Our majors are particularly well positioned to take a piece of the puzzle and help students understand more cohesively what sports media is.”

Students get a close look at those connections in Prime Time: Public Performance and Leadership, a course Stevens created last year. Guest lectures from prominent alumni like Kordell Stewart (Comm’16), Joel Klatt (Econ’07) and Brent Schrotenboer (Jour’96) round out class discussions led by CMDI faculty, with occasional appearances from Coach Prime.

The course counts toward the sports media minor—the largest in the college. But it’s more than just classroom learning. With a new global seminar, media outlets like Sko Buffs Sports, and conferences and networking events, students have numerous opportunities to develop the skills needed to break into the industry.

Lila Nuttle, a sophomore studying journalism, is already putting those skills into practice. An aspiring sports writer, she is a reporter for the CU Independent and has produced content for Sko Buffs Sports, which gives her on-the-field reporting experience.

Our professors are always telling us it’s not only what you do in class, or what grade you get, but your portfolio and actually getting experience.”

Lila Nuttle

"These organizations offer a really great way to jump in and get that experience, while also providing a good community.”

There’s more to sports media than what you can see from the sidelines. Priscilla Hopper (InfoSci’22; MS’23) works as a senior reporting and data analyst at Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Avalanche, Nuggets and other Denver-area sports franchises.

“There’s an expectation that if you’re working in sports media, you’re going to be on the field, in action,” said Hopper, also a lecturer of information science. “But there’s a whole other side to it, and every year, half of my students want to steal my job,”

Her ability to quickly analyze data and make them digestible for those without technical backgrounds gave her an advantage when interviewing for her role at KSE.

“I graduated able to interpret, adapt and analyze,” Hopper said. “That’s pretty much the entire basis of information science, and my degrees meant I was ready to be
catapulted into any role.”

Michael Burns, an assistant teaching professor of communication, also understands what it’s like to have a nontraditional job in the sports industry. He has worked behind the scenes at eight Olympic Games for NBC’s Today show, and now serves as faculty director for Communication, Culture and Sport, a global seminar that takes place in the United Kingdom.

“There is an army of people who are doing all the research and logistics and planning, which enables and empowers the journalists, the PR folks and the camera people to do their jobs,” Burns said.

CMDI’s alumni network also plays a critical role in launching student careers. Michael Davies (Jour’94), an executive vice president at FOX Sports, said there’s no one way to make it in the industry.

“Everybody has their own origin story—some of them come from networking, some come from internships,” he said. “One thing that’s consistent and is required is passion for the sports business and focus.”

Davies graduated at a time when there were fewer paths to a career in sports media. He regularly visits the college to meet students, and is impressed with CMDI’s approach to preparing the next generation for the evolving industry.

“The school’s only 10 years old, it’s still new, it’s still innovative, and I think that it’s a very exciting time to go to CMDI,” he said.

Game on

CMDI is preparing for the return of its annual Sports Media Summit in the spring semester. This multiday event is intended for students who are curious about the industry, as well as alumni and community members looking to expand their networks and transition into this fast-growing field.

Follow CMDI on social media and keep an eye on colorado.edu/cmdi for updates.

Iris Serrano is studying strategic communication and journalism at CMDI. She covers student news and events for the college.

Photographer Kimberly Coffin graduated from CMDI in 2018 with degrees in media production and strategic communication.

Photographer Jack Moody graduated from CMDI in 2024 with a degree in strategic communication.

Through relevant courses, networking opportunities and student-led organizations, CMDI is helping students turn their passions into careers in sports media.

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10 for 10: Notable newsmakers

Amanda J. McManus — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 06:11:51 +0000

10 for 10: Notable newsmakers Amanda J. McManus Thu, 11/13/2025 - 23:11

Because of the multidisciplinary nature of their work—and their fearlessness in confronting the biggest problems—CMDI faculty are regularly featured in local and national media. Here are 10 times over the past decade when major news outlets have featured our faculty.

The New Republic: Nathan Schneider wrote an essay on the Slow Food movement, arguing a slow computing approach could repair our experiences with technology. May 19, 2015.
The Denver Post: Chris Vargo studied Twitter data to see how vaccine misinformation spread and took hold in particular American communities. Sept. 27, 2017.
The Washington Post: Angie Chuang wrote an op-ed on the problems her race and journalism class tries to solve, and the struggle businesses like Starbucks have faced in confronting them. June 13, 2018.
Forbes: Casey Fiesler sat for a Q&A on the need for ethics in the technology industry, particularly social media. Jan. 14, 2021.
The Guardian: Elizabeth Skewes talked about her research on whether news media covering school shootings influences future acts of violence. May 12, 2023.
Scientific American: Leysia Palen talked about the dangers of information isolation during disasters that knock out telecommunications services. Sept. 11, 2023.
KUNC/NPR: Josh Shepperd talked about the history and influence of public media, especially amid great economic change in the journalism industry. April 10, 2024.
The New York Times: Following the publication of her most recent book, on romance writing, Chris Larson explained the circumstances behind the breakup of Romance Writers of America. July 24, 2024.
The Associated Press: Erin Willis was interviewed about her work on patient influencers and the language used in pharmaceuticals advertising. Nov. 14, 2024.
Denver7 (ABC): Jed Brubaker discussed the launch of the Digital Legacy Clinic and the need to proactively manage our digital footprints before we die. Dec. 11, 2024.

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Band together

Amanda J. McManus — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 22:14:09 +0000

Band together Amanda J. McManus Tue, 11/11/2025 - 15:14

Joe Arney

What role does CMDI play in the university chancellor’s vision for an institution that leads on sustainability? From left, faculty experts Phaedra C. Pezzullo, Caitlin Charlet, Hong Tien Vu and Morgan Young explored that question from their different areas of expertise. The group was photographed at the tree office, which was built by environmental design students and installed on the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� campus in 2016. Photos by Kimberly Coffin.

Phaedra C. Pezzullo is a professor of communication and director of the Sustainability and Storytelling Lab. She is an expert on communication’s role in shaping and influencing environmental and climate justice movements.

Caitlin Charlet is an associate teaching professor of environmental design, specializing in regenerative architecture and urban ecologies. Her research is situated at the experimental intersection of transformative design strategies, biogenic materials and the built environment.

Hong Tien Vu is the director of the Center for Environmental Journalism at CMDI. His work examines journalism and communication practices in addressing global challenges, from environmental degradation to societal inequalities.

Morgan Young has decades of experience in branding, strategy and creative execution—including managing campaigns about, and clients working in, sustainability. He is an associate teaching professor of advertising at the college.

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Chancellor Justin Schwartz has been clear that he expects Colorado’s flagship university to be a leader in sustainability. But what does “sustainability” even mean? How do we get there without becoming discouraged? And in the current political and social moment, how do we advocate for the steps needed to advance sustainability?

At the time of this conversation, Hong Tien Vu—an associate professor of journalism and director of the Center for Environmental Journalism—was so new to the college that most of his belongings were still in boxes after relocating from the University of Kansas to CMDI. But he has a long track record of doing environmental journalism, so we threw him into the deep end with three faculty experts who have been doing sustainability long before it became a buzzword—whether directing ad campaigns, being mindful of building materials or podcasting about plastics.

This conversation was edited for length and clarity.

Vu: I’d like to start by asking each of you about sustainability, and how you define it.

Pezzullo: I’m a little nerdy about the definition of sustainability. There’s a new edition of my textbook out now, and we literally have a boldfaced definition I make my students memorize. So, for me, sustainability is the capacity to negotiate environmental, social and economic needs and desires for current and future generations.

Charlet: I rarely use the word “sustainability,” actually. There needs to be something regenerative—not just sustainable—in how we build and design. I’m interested in the long-term cultivation of regenerative relationships, in terms of materials, ecosystems and communities. For most of human history, we’ve built with what we’ve been able to grow locally, and it’s been able to go back into the earth. There was care for the environment, animals and humans. That changed with the Industrial Revolution.

Young: I come at this from a different perspective. Advertising and branding is both a leader and a follower in society. And at this moment, the industry is more of a follower, as people try to figure out what’s going on in this administration.

Pezzullo: I think, interestingly, that the ambiguity Caitlin was talking about, around the term “sustainability,” works well in this moment. It’s not a banned word, because we could be talking about anything. We could be talking about, for instance, economic sustainability.

There’s no reason why CMDI can’t be a leader in sustainability, particularly with the incorporation of environmental design."

Morgan Young, associate teaching professor

Vu: That’s an interesting point. I’d like to hear more from you all on what you’re seeing in the world as it relates to those organizations and sustainability.

Young: One example: I’ve done a lot of work with General Motors; in fact, I was the first person to make a commercial for an electric vehicle. It was the Chevy Volt, and it was their first ad talking about a sustainable future. And, in my classes, we do projects on how brands can create extensions to existing product lines. How can we use sustainability as a marketing tool to reach people who will respond positively to that information?

Pezzullo: I think it’s important to note that over the summer, ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� transitioned away from all single-use plastics in beverage bottles on campus. It’s a great sustainability story, because it’s a tangible difference in our everyday lives that was made systemically, following the wisdom of the growing climate justice movement.

Charlet: I’ve been working on a documentary to collect the stories of how women have used collaboration as a foundation to run material science departments in academic settings, and work toward scalable alternative material solutions—and to show how they will have a major impact in changing our built environment.

Pezzullo: Collaboration is the only way to get things done for systemic change. Otherwise, you just have individuals, which isn’t enough to generate impact. In my work with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, we co-create story maps of the five most-polluted communities in Colorado. And working with those communities—instead of just about them or at them—creates better outcomes for public participation.

Charlet: Oh, I agree. Individual behavior won’t solve this problem. How do we educate a generation of architects and designers to choose better materials? That’s a radical notion for an architecture school. And the choices they make in building things will have a larger impact, because the construction sector is responsible for so much destabilization—humans, animals and topographies—and carbon emissions. There is no one solution, but biogenic and regenerative architecture and design is a basis for a scalable, forward-looking model.

Vu: We talked about how to define sustainability earlier, but Morgan, I wonder if you can talk about challenges you have faced in working with brands and avoiding overuse of the term, so they’re not accused of greenwashing.

Young: The reality is, even some of the brands we think of as being best for the environment are greenwashing. And as an advertising person, we’re not so deep into the business that we can look at their entire supply chain and influence that. If you hire someone like me, I’m going to focus on the best things to accentuate for a specific target audience—but what we’re missing is the rest of that chain that doesn’t have that positive impact. And in advertising, we have to be careful not to get in front of our skis and pretend a client is someone they’re not.

Vu: So that’s kind of mobilizing companies. Phaedra, I know you’ve done a lot in terms of initiatives that mobilize communities. Can you share some of the challenges you’ve faced there?

Pezzullo: Well, there’s a reason I use the word “sustainability” in my lab—I was launching it knowing the administration was going to ban words. I was set up to work with the Environmental Protection Agency’s environmental justice office, and the week I was supposed to present to them, they sent me an email and said the department was being shut down. Part of what’s exciting about this campus and the Boulder community is that we’re not giving up on our values.

Young: To build on that, on this campus, we are different. I had 13 students with me in London for a month, and we were really struck by the complete absence of reusable water bottles there. They don’t have their Yetis or their Hydro Flasks like we do in Colorado. The point I’m trying to make is, much of the world is not there with us.

Vu: We’ve brought up current events a couple of times now. I wonder if we could talk about what the shift in public perception around sustainability has meant for your students, or the way you teach.

Young: A lot of my students are very business-minded. Some want to do advertising for the Environmental Working Group, the League of Conservation Voters or Earthjustice. But some would rather work for Chevron, Sephora or a fashion brand, like Kith. So, my goal is to create a student who can do external communications that show sustainability is good business.

Pezzullo: I think one of our biggest challenges, in communication, is A.I., which has radically changed our classrooms and what we understand labor to be—for creative content makers, for storytellers and for people just doing research. This generation is going to need to rise to the challenge of whether A.I. can become sustainable.

Charlet: I love this question. I’ve taught a design course where I challenge students to create a resilient ecological strategy for urban design with A.I. And the biggest thing that they learn is that it’s really hard to design with A.I.—it’s a tool like others already in use in architecture. It isn’t magic. In parallel to that, I ask them to consider the environmental detriment of using A.I.—not only the energy use, but the building facilities themselves. What impact do they have on communities? Where do the materials come from? Considering those two aspects of A.I. in parallel is really important for them to think about.

Vu: Caitlin, is that what students are looking for, from the standpoint of their career paths?

Charlet: Architecture is often seen as an exciting, but inherently safe, choice for students. It rests somewhere between the creativity of art and the challenges of engineering—so it’s a middle ground, and a respected profession. And I think the students come in with confidence, knowing they will be able to get a job. In terms of environmental design, there’s such a movement toward regenerative and biogenic architecture now, and the reuse and recycling of materials within buildings. There are a lot of firms with research departments that our students feel very comfortable and very prepared to go right into, and work on certifications like LEED, WELL and Passive House.

Young: I already mentioned advertising is more of a follower than a leader right now, but oftentimes, advertising is a reflection of society, as well. Right now, we see companies pulling back and hiding on sustainability issues. There are good companies—Patagonia, Outside magazine—that will continue to stand up and fight. But those that are more about their bottom line will let go of their sustainability programs to keep making money. This is where we have to work with our students, to show them these companies don’t have a moral high ground and will change with whatever the environment is in order to look good. But—is this important to all our students? I’m not sure, en masse, that they’re much more focused on sustainability than past generations were.

Pezzullo: There are lots of reasons to be alarmed and depressed, and I’m Italian American, so I can have, like, 100 emotions in five minutes. But I do have hope. You know, when South Park started—it was written by two ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� grads, you know—

Young: Yes! I went to college with them.

Pezzullo: That’s right, so you know they began South Park making fun of climate change, saying Al Gore believes in this thing called ManBearPig, and there’s no such thing. But South Park has, over time, recognized climate change does happen, and they even apologized to Al Gore. It’s important to remember that attitudes change, and we can shape public opinion in creative ways.

There needs to be something regenerative—not just sustainable—in how we build and design.”

Caitlin Charlet, associate teaching professor

Vu: Let me ask one final question. After listening to your colleagues, what’s one thing you’re inspired to explore?

Charlet: I’m inspired by and appreciate the chance to learn more about my colleagues’ work. Especially advertising—that’s a field I’ve never delved into. How might that impact the field I’m working in? Does it pertain to architecture firms and how they forefront buildings and construction ethics? Is there a measurable impact?

Pezzullo: That’s what I love about being part of a college like this—the opportunities to publish, edit, co-author or just talk to people in so many different disciplines. So, when we have a challenge like sustainability, we approach it from a more systemic, holistic perspective. We all bring different experiences from the institutions and companies and communities we’ve worked with.

Young: I think this college is in a rapid growth trajectory. We are very well positioned to have a big impact on the next generation—specifically, A.I. I’m inspired by people like Caitlin, who are already building A.I. into their syllabi, because I don’t have a handle on how A.I. will be incorporated into our academics. But I am worried about intellectual property rights around it—specifically related to advertising, but also areas like architecture, design and communication. Our college needs to tackle that—it’s a great opportunity for us to become a leader within that sector, because right now, nobody has a handle on it.

Vu: So, can CMDI be a leader in sustainability communication?

Young: Absolutely. I think our students are more concerned about this matter than those at other universities. There’s no reason why CMDI can’t be a leader in sustainability, particularly with the incorporation of environmental design.

Pezzullo: I absolutely agree with you, Morgan. It’s not that we don’t know the science, or what’s wrong, or what we could do to have a more sustainable future. It’s that we have to find ways to bridge differences, and that’s a strength of ours. With our expertise across a wide range of human expression, I really believe CMDI has a strong role to play in sustainability in the future.

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college.

Photographer Kimberly Coffin graduated from CMDI in 2018 with degrees in media production and strategic communication.

When it comes to sustainability, individual actions aren’t enough. The same is true for how we look for solutions, so we asked a group of CMDI experts how collaboration might save the day.

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Illustration by Dana Heimes

No ifs, ands or buts. (Bots, on the other hand…)

Joe Arney — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:05:34 +0000

No ifs, ands or buts. (Bots, on the other hand…) Joe Arney Tue, 10/28/2025 - 09:05

Joe Arney

WooJin Kim, an assistant professor of advertising, studies the potential of artificial intelligence to influence positive social behavior. That work led to Kim’s appointment as CMDI’s first DeLuca Faculty Scholar in Advertising earlier this fall. Photo by Nathan Thompson.

Growing up in Ansan, South Korea, WooJin Kim was heavily influenced by his family. While his parents made sacrifices in order to send him to college—the first in his family to do so—it was the values he drew from his grandfather, a pastor, that shaped his experiences as a student and researcher.

“He always encouraged me to help others and to support my community and society,” said Kim, an assistant professor of advertising at the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��. “It’s why I first started looking at the potential for advertising to shape and influence human behavior, especially through advanced technology.”

Kim studies how artificial intelligence—in the form of chatbots and personalized advertising content—can position the right message in front of the right audience to drive social behavior, such as encouraging people to adopt sustainable practices, get vaccines, donate to worthwhile causes—even stop cyberbullying among students.

It’s work that led to Kim’s appointment as CMDI’s first DeLuca Faculty Scholar in Advertising earlier this fall. Kim’s work in A.I. and his impressive track record of publications—his work has been featured in the prestigious Journal of Advertising as well as the Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Research and others—led to this three-year appointment within the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Design.

Kim called the endowed position “a great honor that shows my research has the potential to contribute to the college and the community.”

“The more he’s able to understand—and teach—the power behind A.I., the more I can see students understanding what a wide net they can cast with it.”

Peter DeLuca (StratComm’83)

Getting Kim’s work beyond the campus is something Wendy and Peter DeLuca (StratComm’83) hope their gift makes possible.

“I enjoy talking to students when I go back and visit the campus, and this research really showcases a way to apply A.I. in a way that changes the conversation around it,” said Peter DeLuca, a retired chief creative officer and senior vice president with T-Mobile and a member of the college’s advisory board. “The more he’s able to understand—and teach—the power behind A.I., the more I can see students understanding what a wide net they can cast with it. This will help change the conversation from just displacing people or replacing jobs.”

An international perspective

Kim first became interested in the potential of advertising to positive shape human behavior as a high school student growing up in conservative South Korea. International students visiting from places like Bangladesh, the Philippines and Indonesia showed him how diverse points of view benefited schoolwork and friendships, “which made me very curious about how I could change attitudes and raise awareness about important social issues related to diversity,” he said.

Now, as generative artificial intelligence rewrites the playbook for advertising, Kim said he sees ethical, responsible use of those tools as key to building a better society.

One example he studies is A.I. chatbots.

“During interactions between humans and chatbots, the A.I. agents can access and collect our personal data, which can raise ethical issues and privacy concerns,” Kim said. “But at the same time, by analyzing our data—education, income, demographic information—they can identify target audiences and offer personalized, pro-social messages that benefit health outcomes and the environment.”

Generative A.I. has set off waves in the creative and communication communities, as ethical, legal, privacy and other concerns disrupt the ways we gather, analyze and share information. It’s why Lori Bergen, founding dean of the college, is excited to see how this appointment helps unlock additional insights from Kim.

“What makes our college special are the interdisciplinary insights our faculty bring to new and complex problems,” Bergen said. “WooJin’s work in advertising and A.I. promises to help us rethink how new tools and evolving techniques can positively influence public discourse.”

Breaking the black box

Better literacy around artificial intelligence, Kim said, is key to unlocking its potential as an agent for positive social change. It’s why he’s excited for the DeLuca endowment, which will allow him to do more work in algorithmic transparency.

“We need a better understanding of A.I. and a better ability to critically evaluate and understand knowledge and information generated by this technology,” he said.

“I know we can use A.I. to help others, but A.I. and its underlying mechanisms are a black box. If we could build in additional transparency, so that people understand how the underlying mechanisms work, it would change how they interact with and use such tools, and influence how likely they are to accept A.I.-generated decisions.”

The DeLucas, who also sponsor scholarships at CMDI, said they hope that work helps change the way students behave online.

“He’s a great teacher who clearly loves being in the classroom,” said Wendy DeLuca, who worked in finance before devoting herself to raising her family and extensive volunteer service. “If he could just influence a handful of his own students through what he’s learning from this research, it will be impactful.”

“Bullying does not stop when you get out of high school—in some ways, it can be worse in college,” Peter DeLuca said. “We wanted to support this research because it’s an opportunity to touch an individual who then can touch multiple students, and create long-lasting impact that’s felt throughout the college and beyond.”

From left, Dean Lori Bergen, Wendy DeLuca, Peter DeLuca, WooJin Kim and Kay Weaver, chair of the APRD department, gathered to give the DeLucas a chance to meet the recipient of the endowed position they created. ‘If he could just influence a handful of his own students through what he’s learning from this research, it will be impactful,’ Wendy DeLuca said.

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college.

A researcher who studies A.I.’s potential impact on advertising has been named CMDI’s first DeLuca faculty scholar.

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CMDI brings the conversation on immigration to center stage

Joe Arney — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 20:33:18 +0000

CMDI brings the conversation on immigration to center stage Joe Arney Thu, 10/16/2025 - 14:33

Joe Arney

Courtesy Motus Theater

For the first two years of its existence, the CMDI Distinguished Speaker Series has invited nationally recognized guests to provide insights on relevant topics like how technology encodes inequality into its products and services, and how to remedy a deeply polarized society.

While the focus on impact and important topics is the same, this year, the college invited local voices to share the stage and lead a conversation on immigration.

Boulder-based Motus Theater, which creates original works to facilitate dialogue on important contemporary issues, will stage a performance that will be followed by a panel discussion featuring journalists from The Colorado Sun, 9News and Colorado Public Radio.

If you go

What: Reapproaching Media and Migration

When: 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 22, CASE Chancellor’s Hall, fourth floor.

Who: Motus Theater, which brings silenced histories and marginalized voices to the stage, will give a performance of UndocuAmerica, followed by a panel conversation featuring local journalists.

Why: The CMDI Distinguished Speaker Series showcases some of the most pressing challenges of our time and invites future journalists, communicators, designers and technologists to consider their responsibilities as citizens and storytellers.

The event is open to all members of the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� community and the public.

Learn more

“What this series demonstrates is that CMDI is at the center of important conversations in our society,” said Nabil Echchaibi, associate dean of scholarly and creative work at CMDI and a professor of media studies. “We’re not just isolated in our own world. What we teach, what we do research on, what we explore creatively, it all has direct relevance to the world.”

Echchaibi encountered Motus as an advisor to one of the company’s performances, and invited the group to participate in a seminar class he taught a few years ago to help the students sharpen their media literacy skills.

“One of the things Motus excels at is reframing the conversation about these communities, around undocumented immigration,” Echchaibi, noting the company has been doing such productions since 2011.

UndocuAmerica, the project Motus will perform at CMDI, was created to counter the dehumanizing portrayal of immigrants through thoughtful engagement on the challenges facing the undocumented community, as well as the assets new arrivals bring to the United States. Motus works with leaders from the undocumented community to help them write powerful stories about their lives and experiences, then showcases them in moving monologues.

Echchaibi said he hopes the audience of communicators, storytellers and designers leaves with a better understanding of “our obligation as citizens, neighbors, journalists and educators to immigrant justice and honoring life for everyone.”

“I see CMDI as a convener of these conversations at a time when fewer people are having them,” he said. “We want to give a sense of perspective, some clarity about what we are all dealing with on a daily basis. Those conversations don’t only happen in the classroom—we are trying to foster a culture of meaningful and constructive discussion about issues of great public concern.”

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college.

A performance by Motus Theater headlines this year’s Distinguished Speaker Series.

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10 for 10: Projects that inspire

Amanda J. McManus — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 05:34:46 +0000

10 for 10: Projects that inspire Amanda J. McManus Sun, 09/28/2025 - 23:34 Hannah Stewart

CMDI students develop their creative, analytical and investigative skills through hands-on projects that prepare them for the challenges they’ll encounter at work. Here are 10 impressive projects from the college’s first decade, along with a look at where these students are now.

Jacob Glazier (StratComm’17) worked with fellow advertising students to create CU’s commercial The Moment Before, which ran during football games and on television.

He is a freelance director and cinematographer, with some of his work gaining recognition at the Denver Film and Best Short festivals, among others.

Tessa Diestel (Jour’18) was on the 2018 Carnegie-Knight News21 fellowship team that covered “Hate in America,” which received a Murrow award, among others. The fellowship brings together top journalism students nationwide to report and produce in-depth, multimedia projects for major news outlets.

Diestel and Ashley Hopko (Jour’19) worked with students from 19 universities, reporting on hate crimes, racism and intolerance in 36 states. Diestel is currently an associate producer at ESPN.

Francesca Rubin (Comm’19) was director of partnerships for the 2019 TEDxCU event—the first time the annual speaker series was organized entirely by the college. She and her team secured sponsorships from various companies to support the event.

She is now an account executive at the fundraising consulting firm Hudson Farris, in New York City.

Megan Weber (StratComm’19) was on the Project Reface team that won gold at the national 2018 Young Ones award show organized by The One Club.

She is currently at the advertising agency McCann, in New York City, working as an art director.

Julia Muell and Megan Lange (both StratComm’21) won gold at the national 2019 Young Ones show for their Inspired World campaign.

Muell now works as an art director at Wieden + Kennedy, in New York City; Lange is a copywriter for TBWA\Chiat\Day, in Los Angeles.

Max Gannett (InfoSci’22, MS’23) and Jay Ghosh (InfoSci’22) completed a data visualization project that analyzed more than 600,000 tweets to identify target audiences of disinformation campaigns.

“The meaning and work learned on this project launched a friendship that allowed us to start a company and keep combining politics and data science to create change,” Gannett said.

That company, Washington-based Delphi Intelligence LLC, offers data science consulting services; in addition to his work with Delphi, Gannett is a special assistant in the U.S. Senate.

Audrey Mayes (MMediaSt’22) launched a podcast, Where the Aud Things Are, highlighting rural perspectives related to wildlife conservation, as the final project of her master’s program.

She then hosted Remington’s podcast as a marketing manager with the Kinetic Group before transitioning to the health and wellness space. She currently serves as the director of marketing and strategy at Lifeplus.

Reporter Hannah Prince (Jour’22) and photojournalist Alex Levy (Jour’22) investigated fentanyl use for a reporting honors project, which was published in a collaboration between the CU Independent and The Bold.

After pursuing a career in public relations, Levy switched to product marketing and is now with Zayo Group; he also runs a professional cycling program.

Prince is a segment producer of special events at ABC News, covering daily news and producing major U.S. and international news coverage. She embedded with ABC’s investigative unit in Uvalde, Texas, to report on gun violence following the 2022 school shooting, and was an associate producer for the Emmy-winning news documentary It Happened Here—A Year in Uvalde.

Jordan Wirfs-Brock (MJour’11, PhDInfoSci’22) wrote an article for Inside Energy, a collaborative journalism initiative, that includes a history of U.S. coal production set to music. She is an assistant professor of computer science at Whitman College, teaching students creative, multisensory ways to communicate data.

She is working on an NSF-funded project to develop tools that allow people to reflect on the sounds in their lives.

Virtual reality experiences in her classes inspired skiing instructor Natanya Chatfield (CritMedia’24) to create Virtual Slopes: Adaptive Ski Adventure at Eldora Mountain. The project—a first-person skiing journey for VR headsets and YouTube—makes adaptive skiing more accessible by breaking down barriers people with disabilities face in starting the sport. She is now a social media intern with a local Denver studio.

Hannah Stewart graduated from CMDI in 2019 with a degree in communication. She covers student news for the college.

Here are 10 student projects from the college’s first decade and where those alumni are now.

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10 for 10: Alumni who impress

Amanda J. McManus — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 21:25:06 +0000

10 for 10: Alumni who impress Amanda J. McManus Fri, 09/26/2025 - 15:25 Malinda Miller

CMDI counts alumni from disciplines like journalism, communication and advertising as part of its history, meaning its impact goes back more than a century. But even in just the 10 years since its official founding, the college has produced some incredible graduates and amazing stories. Here are some of our favorites.

Drake Brown (StratComm’18)
Manager, Digital and Social Media, KPMG US, Philadelphia

Brown tells KPMG’s story through social and digital media channels. Experiences from classes and an Ogilvy & Mather internship helped him land an agency job after graduation.

“My capstone class was a value-add to my career. At my first agency job, I was thrown into multiple new business pitches, and it didn’t feel like it was my first time interfacing and presenting to an external client.”

Troy Fairbanks (CritMedia’18)
Owner of both Fairbanks Films and Rise Aerials, Denver

When Fairbanks entered college he was already freelancing, and he now owns and operates two companies. Fairbanks Films specializes in video production for sports, corporate work, documentaries, livestreams, and event coverage; Rise Aerials focuses on high-end aerial cinematography.

“All the different projects for class were exciting, and it felt so fun and fluid. Many were projects I wouldn't normally create on my own, so it was a really good exercise to broaden my skills. When I graduated, I had 10 to 15 videos for my portfolio.”

Jasi Les (Comm’18)
Enterprise Account Director, LinkedIn, San Francisco

After nearly a decade in tech—from startups to global brands— Les manages more than $4 million in business for LinkedIn across 30 strategic enterprise accounts. She works with executives to understand their challenges and gaps, then builds business cases of how LinkedIn products can help.

“My degree has made me a multidimensional communicator. I can speak very technically with a development team, then meet with a Fortune 500 executive and translate that message.”

Sophie Burgess (EnvDes’19)
Senior Landscape Architect, SLR Consulting, Edinburgh, Scotland

Since joining SLR in May, Burgess has worked on the best way to implement onshore substations for offshore wind farms across the United Kingdom while doing justice to the historical and local character of the areas where those projects are installed.

“It goes back to everything I learned in ENVD and at college—making sure your designs and the way you implement things are thoughtful and intentional, and trying your best to problem solve with the codes you're given.”

Katy Fetters Gaastra (MMediaSt’19)
Founder, Cerebral Palsy Strong, Portland, Oregon

Gaastra runs a nonprofit for adults with disabilities that includes an online platform based on sharing stories and connection, and a growing number of in-person events.

“I came to CU with a very specific goal—to understand how to become a better community organizer, storyteller and leader. The master’s in media and public engagement allowed me to explore how to do that with more intention, and how to build a narrative around a social justice movement to increase disability representation in a positive way.”

Cole Pates (CritMedia’19)
Global Video Director, The North Face, Denver

Pates’ day-to-day involves managing production for seasonal campaigns within the company. It’s a job that often requires on-the-spot problem-solving as the team tackles outdoor shoots under changing conditions.

“When I was in college, I assumed as long as I had a camera and something to go take a picture or video of, I was fine. But as you gain experience, and the productions get larger, you realize there’s a time and a place for what you learned in class. You start to understand roles and responsibilities, and how those factor in to accomplish the goal.”

Cheyenne Smith (StratComm’20)
Creative Producer, Chey Smith Media LLC, Boulder

Smith manages campaigns, produces commercials and creates social media content for outdoor brands—such as REI, Osprey and Teva—as a freelancer. She has also stayed connected with Pathways to Excellence, CMDI’s summer intensive program that prepares students for college.

“I love watching Pathways students find what they are passionate about, because that’s what helped light me up when I was in the program.”

Vinay Simlot (Jour, AeroEngr’21)
Washington Correspondent, Nexstar TV, Washington, D.C.

Following three years at a local station in Tennessee, Simlot now covers national politics and produces stories for local stations. Once in a while, he gets to use his aerospace engineering background for stories on space.

“I was ready to jump into local news because of NewsTeam. We learned how to work on the fly. We learned how to put stuff together on deadline. We learned to be flexible. And we learned every job in the newsroom—to report, anchor, produce, everything.”

Janghee Cho (PhD Info’23)
Assistant Professor, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore

Cho researches and teaches in the areas of human-computer interaction and social computing with a focus on the role of future technologies in our everyday lives—research he began as a Meta fellow. He also directs the Joyful Experience in Design and Interaction Lab.

“The information science department studies emerging technology from a sociocultural—not just a technical—perspective. It opened my eyes to understanding humans in a different way to influence design—to think more critically about the design.”

Bianca Zamora Perez (Comm, MediaSt’24)
PhD student, University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication, Philadelphia

Perez is continuing research she started at CMDI. Through the lens of copyright and labor, she studies authorship in relation to how an individual’s images and text—especially wage workers with marginalized identities—are training generative A.I. models without compensation.

“My time in CMDI gave me the books, theories and knowledge I need to perform academically. The college also introduced me to professors who saw me as both a student and a person they cared about. They supported me throughout the journey of finding my voice and using it.”

Malinda Miller graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in English in 1992 and Master's in Journalism in 1998.

CMDI boasts more than a century of history—meaning alumni in journalism, advertising and communication have gone on to truly incredible careers. But even just looking at graduates from the 10 years the college has existed showcases some amazing stories. Here are some of our favorites.

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Congratulations, Class of 2025!

Amanda J. McManus — Wed, 28 May 2025 19:44:19 +0000

Congratulations, Class of 2025! Amanda J. McManus Wed, 05/28/2025 - 13:44

More than 900 graduates were celebrated at CMCI’s annual recognition ceremony this past May. Our newest class of Forever Buffs arrived amid pandemic and leave as outstanding scholars and accomplished leaders.

View the 2025 Graduation Celebration

William W. White honorees
Meet the most outstanding students from each CMCI major, as chosen by our faculty.

‘A rock star who is going places’
The top student in her class, Sarah Carleo, discovered her passion for public relations as a student. She’s now off to Next PR, where she previously was a standout summer intern.

Getting the message
Andrew Johnson made the most of a New York City internship with BBH USA. The top strategic communication major is thrilled to return in an account management role as he gets another bite at the Big Apple.

Bylines are fine, but…
Most college students would be thrilled at getting an Associated Press byline. So is Celia Frazier, but she measures her work in impact, not clips. She graduated as CMCI’s top journalism major.

Meet the environmental design Class of 2025
Get to know some oustanding seniors and watch the recognition ceremony.

Celebrating ENVD

Connections through design
For Serena Langdon-Dimidjian, a graduate with a dual degree in architecture and ethnic studies, design is about building community, asking deeper questions and making space for connection.

"Everything you’ve done up to this moment has prepared you to succeed in a world where you can feel the ground moving under your feet.

Lori Bergen, PhD
Founding Dean
CMCI

Our newest class of Forever Buffs arrived amid pandemic and leave as outstanding scholars and accomplished leaders.

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