Week of January 17th 

Happy 2024, and welcome to the first CHDCM newsletter of the Spring semester! I hope that all of you had happy and healthy holidays and a great start to the new year. The break between semesters is all too brief this time of year, especially for those of you teaching or taking Winter Session courses…but hopefully even this brief respite has given you a chance to step back, breathe a bit, and enjoy the bonds of friends, family, and community.

As we start our new semester, you’ll see from the articles below that our CHDCM community has been busy, and that we have a lot of great news to share! One of the articles that I want to highlight here involves our Center for Sports Media, which is undergoing a change in leadership. Jane McManus, our inaugural Executive Director, is leaving Seton Hall to pursue other opportunities, including her recent prestigious appointment as editor of The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2024. Under Jane’s direction, the Center has taken root on and off campus, and has sponsored an exciting series of events and programs to not only honor our executive founder, Bob Ley, but also to benefit our students, faculty, and alums. Thanks to her work, the Center has accomplished a great deal in its first eighteen months, and she has really set the stage for its next chapter, with B.J. Schecter at the helm.

We are incredibly fortunate to have B.J. step into the role of Interim Executive Director of the Center, because he is an outstanding, highly-respected journalist with decades of experience in the field of sports media. In addition, he is no stranger to The Hall: B.J. played a key role in the creation of the Center for Sports Media and in its activities, while also serving our College as a professional-in-residence, as advisor to our award-winning student newspaper, The Setonian, and as Associate Director of the Center for Sports Media. As a leading voice in the conversation on sports, media, and society, the Center ensures that our students will be the ones charting the future for the profession, and for American society as a whole—and so I want to thank both Jane and B.J. for all that the Center for Sports media has, and will, accomplish with and for the faculty, students, and alums of the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media.

With that, I encourage you to read on, to catch up on the news and notes from our College community over the last month. I wish you all a smooth and easy start to the Spring semester, and let’s cross our fingers for better weather in the weeks ahead!

Finally—speaking of the Spring semester—if you are a CHDCM student and you haven’t registered yet for your classes, now is a great time to do so! As we kick of classes today, don’t miss the chance to add the classes you want and need for this semester before add/drop ends!

Dr. Bryan Crable
Founding Dean

Dr. Nicole Hansen 

We'd like to give a CHDCM Shout to Dr. Nicole Hansen, who recently received funding as a co-PI to work on a three-year project investigating the implementation and efficacy of Pennsylvania's new disability inclusive curriculum initiative. 

Dr. Hansen also presented at the New Jersey Council for the Social Studies conference alongside colleagues from Villanova, Rutgers, and Emerging America. They presented their results of a recent study of NJ secondary social studies teachers related to their practices and needs surrounding teaching about disability/disability history.

Further, Dr. Hansen's paper, "'Learning on the job': An Exploration of Teacher Educators' Training and Comfort with anti-ableist disability discussion," was published in Teaching And Teacher Education this month. To check out Dr. Hansen's paper, click HERE. 

Great work, Dr. Hansen! 

Dr. Dena Levine 

Another CHDCM Shout goes to Dr. Dena Levine, who gave a guest lecture for the University Honors Program on the Music of Romanticism and Romantic Nationalism. Dr. Levine has been a guest lecturer once a year discussing topics such as The Collapse of Tradition in the Modernist Era, Italian Opera, and Music of the Baroque. 

“Of the many academic highlights of the Honor Program’s year, Professor Levine’s lecture to the students and faculty of the Third Colloquium is the most eagerly awaited. Her virtuosity and versatility are both wonderfully on display as, at the piano or on the podium, she guides the class through the musical forms that characterized the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries," recalled Professor Dermot Quinn of the Honors faculty. 

Many congratulations, Dr. Levine! 

Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB) 

The Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB) gives all Seton Hall students a chance to enter an academic competition that combines excitement and fun with an educationally valuable experience in the areas of applied and professional ethics. 

The Seton Hall Ethics Bowl, coached by Dr. Abe Zakhem and Professor Catherine Zizik competed at University of Baltimore for the northeast regional tournament in December of 2023. The team researched 15 different cases in order to prepare for this event.

The cases consisted of current topics, including generative artificial intelligence at the workplace, medical insurance equity, the “Fitness” of political candidates, the censorship of Classics in schools, middle school sleepovers, true crime, dramatization series, "drag syndrome” and more.  

Our Pirates proved to be a formidable group and earned four ballot wins and four ballot losses  and one tie. In their third round against Yale University (the team that won the entire tournament), they earned a winning ballot with praise-worthy reviews. 

Staysha Taylor 

Staysha Taylor '24 is ready to kickoff the new year! She is determined to take on new milestones and accomplishments. Taylor will be taking her final course this semester to earn her M.A. in Communication with a concentration in Organizational Communication. Her Master’s Thesis project will focus on training and development for adjunct professors at Seton Hall University. 

In addition to her student role, Taylor serves as the Assistant Director of the Buccino Leadership Institute and looks forward to welcoming back the students. She will continue to support the program by executing upcoming events such as their annual spring kickoff, upcoming excursions, and celebratory event for leadership graduates.

“Seton Hall has taught me the value of education, discovery, and leadership. I now have more confidence in knowing that there is nothing that I cannot achieve.” Upon graduation, Taylor plans to travel internationally to Japan and Greece, and plans to redirect her attention to developing a business plan for her company, Taylor Solutions & Company LLC. 

WSOU and Pirate TV attend Orlando Convention 

This past October, student managers from WSOU 89.5 and student leadership from Pirate TV had the opportunity to attend the 2023 National Student Media Convention hosted by College Broadcasters Inc. (CBI) in Orlando, Florida. 

The convention took place from October 18-21 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel and included over 60 informational sessions and CBI’s National Student Production Awards. 

To read more about WSOU and Pirate TV's time at the convention, click HERE. 

WSOU Spotlight: Chris Kovalcik 

Chris Kovalcik '24 is a history major and is continuing his studies in the Museum Professions Master degree program. Kovalcik also works at WSOU as staff representative. 

"As staff representative of WSOU I was able to attend CBI's annual college radio convention in Orlando, FL. While I was there I attended a plethora of panels to improve my conflict management skills - as well as to improve WSOU as an organization," Kovalcik shared.

"My biggest takeaway however was the integral place that teamwork takes at the radio station and beyond, and I am committed to being a keystone member in my role as a representative and in my role as a teammate." 

B.J. Schecter to Lead Center for Sports Media 

B.J. Schecter, Associate Director of the Center for Sports Media in the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media, has been appointed Interim Executive Director of the Center.

Schecter has been closely involved in the Center's operation since it was founded in 2021. A seasoned sports journalist, Schecter first joined Seton Hall in 2017 as a professional-in-residence. He also serves as faculty advisor for the award-winning student newspaper, The Setonian.

To read more about Schecter's appointment, click HERE. 

Upcoming Event: Hoop Dreams: Doris Burke with Bob Picozzi on Basketball and Broadcasting

Hosted by the Center for Sports Media, a panel featuring ESPN's Doris Burke and Seton Hall alum Bob Picozzi will discuss breaking into sports broadcasting. 

The panel discussion will run from 12 - 12:45 pm on February 23, 2024 in the University Center. 

To learn more about the event or its hosts, click HERE. 

To register for this event, click HERE. 

Interested in getting professional headshots?

The College of Human Development, Culture, and Media is holding a Student Professional Headshot Session Wednesday, January 24 from 4-6pm at Jubilee Atrium (4th Floor). 

Two CHDCM Professors recently were named as 2023-2024 Adobe Grant Awardees, Dr. Joseph Martinelli and Dr. Edmund Adjapong. 

Dr. Martinelli's work Integrating Adobe Creative Cloud Tools to Enrich the Learning Experience discusses the necessity of digital literacy with specialization in Adobe's Creative Cloud. 

Dr. Adjapong's work Pre-Service Educator Digital Teaching Portfolio prepares pre-service teachers for their entry into the job market by developing a Digital Teaching Portfolio. Congratulations! 

Walsh Gallery is opening a new exhibit, "Contemporary African Spirituality." The show is curated by Atim Annette Oton the Director and Curator of Calabar Gallery which showcases contemporary African and African Diaspora artists in three locations. 

The exhibit will run from January 16, 2024 - May 20, 2024 and opening reception will be Thursday, January 18th from 5 to 8pm. 

To read more about the exhibit, click HERE and to register for the reception, click HERE. 

Interested in music? There is now a newly-revised, 15 credit Minor in Music has been crafted to accommodate a diversity of approaches and student interests. 

For more information about this, click HERE. 

Seton Hall alum (and WSOU alum) Bernie Wagenblast '78 was recently profiled in an article for The New York Times. 

"The Voice of the Subway Speaks for Herself, at Last," details Wagenblast's legacy as the voice of the MTA as well as her personal journey of her transition. 

To read the article, click HERE. 

Prospective Students are Invited to Graduate Open House! 

Join us at Graduate Open House on Saturday, February 24, to explore over 90 innovative programs, connect with faculty, meet other students, and discover your path to success. 

To register for the event, click HERE. 

The Office of Graduate Affairs is looking for graduate students who want to represent their programs and have a desire to help prospective and newly admitted students. 

Want to get involved? Click here to learn more about the Graduate Student Ambassador Program! 

Connect with Us