Butler CCOM Dean

Post by Dean Valenzano

CCOM Distinguished Lecturer: Dr. Nneka Logan

CCOM Distinguished Lecturer: Dr. Nneka Logan

College campuses are hotbeds of thought and action. From student projects and presentations to diverse co-curricular groups. From the intensity and joy of intramural and NCAA intercollegiate sports to intellectual explorations of contemporary issues, Butler University is a shining example of passion as a guide for growth and understanding. 

Contributing to these campus efforts, CCOM will host our annual Distinguished Lecture Series on Monday, Feb. 19th in Gallahue Hall (Room 104) at 4:15 p.m., shining a spotlight on Dr. Nneka Logan and her topic: “Exploring the Relationship between Corporations, Race and Responsibility in the Age of AI.”

For me, this year’s speaker, voted on by CCOM faculty, brings a personal connection as well. I met Nneka, currently an Associate Professor of Communication in the School of Communication at Virginia Tech, 20 years ago while I was studying for my doctorate. It is thrilling to have her join us and share her expertise and professional experience with our college and the entire campus community. She is brilliant, accomplished, enthusiastic, a fantastic speaker, and, most importantly, a genuinely good soul.

In addition to presenting her lecture, Nneka will visit Butler CCOM classes to provide more intimate opportunities for our students and faculty to learn more about her and her scholastic pursuits. Her lecture also qualifies as a Butler Cultural Requirement for current students. To learn more please visit the CCOM Distinguished Lecture event page.

We’re excited to welcome Nneka to Butler for this special event!

20/20 Fo(u)r Vision and Inspiration

20/20 Fo(u)r Vision and Inspiration

New can be exciting, and, if we’re fortunate, it lights a passion while inspiring our vision. Excitement greets me still every single day after completing my first year at Butler with CCOM. The Fall 2023 semester was successful in myriad ways and I was able to reflect on all of our accomplishments during winter break. 

During the down time my family headed to warmer weather—visiting the magical place “Where Dreams Come True,” for the first time with my 9-year-old son, Connor. Something new, and at first intimidating, for him was encountering a full-sized roller coaster.

We boarded the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Coaster and three minutes of twists, turns, and constant screaming later, we pulled into the exit and he was THRILLED. The positive new experience inspired him to try more roller coasters. A new year can also inspire us to do new things. It’s why now, as 2024 is just in its infancy, I am inspired by and excited for all the things ahead of us.

REASONS TO BE EXCITED IN ‘24

Morgan Snyder ’07, Sr. Director of Public Relations at Visit Indy and a CCOM Dean’s Advisory Board member, recently wrote 24 REASONS 2024 IS A BLOCKBUSTER YEAR FOR INDIANAPOLIS. It is a terrific piece highlighting tentpole events like hosting the NBA All Star Game, the Solar Eclipse in April, renovation at the Madam Walker Legacy Center, and much more.

Events on and off campus are great for the Indy community but are even more valuable, in our eyes, because they provide unmatched experiential learning opportunities for our students beyond the classroom. Here’s just a sampling of what we have on the horizon:

  • In February, 100 Butler students (many from CCOM) will serve as Hospitality Ambassadors during NBA All-Star Weekend thanks to a creative one-credit opportunity designed by faculty members Prof. Bob Schultz, Dr. Abbey Levenshus, and Dr. Lee Farquhar. 
  • Dr. Nneka Logan will be the 2024 CCOM Distinguished Lecturer on Feb. 19th. She will give a talk that explores the relationship between corporations, race, and social responsibility in the age of AI. 
  • Classroom visits by Larry Potash, WGN Morning News anchor (Chicago) 
  • Classroom visits by Cory Stark ’08, KMOV News 4 anchor (St. Louis) 
  • CCOM will host Steve Bulpett, of heavy.com and formerly of the Boston Herald, who will talk with our students in journalism about his experiences. 
  • Chicago Trek: Students will travel to the Windy City in April to learn more about career opportunities, and how to earn them, during an immersive experience across industries.

But it’s not just the academic experiences we are excited about, especially once we reach February. On the 12th we will have our inaugural CCOM Chili Cook-Off. Faculty and staff will line the hallways of Fairbanks with their Crock-pots to present their own homemade chilis at lunch time. Then, after all the tasting and comparing has been completed, students, faculty and staff will vote for winners in multiple categories. 

At the end of the short but impactful month, we will also celebrate Butler’s Day of Giving. No pies this year (you’re welcome Mark, Amira, Mary, etc.) but Fairbanks will be transformed into Fairways. Current students, alumni, and staff will have a chance to “Putt Against Their Prof” while supporting CCOM’s giving goals for this year’s incredibly important event. 

In March we will host March Madness Watch Parties in Fairbanks for the CCOM community—and mark my prediction—Butler will be playing! As the weather gets nicer I’ll also find excuses for us to do one or two Dogs with the Dean outings too.

We have so much ahead of us to be excited about and to get involved with. I know these opportunities will inspire our students to try new things, challenge themselves, and discover new passions to start 2024!

Go Dawgs!

CCOM Community Warmth & Well Wishes

CCOM Community Warmth & Well Wishes

The winter holiday season, for many, is a time of joy, celebration, family, and friends. On a college campus, this aura kicks into full swing upon the return from the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s hectic but full of positive energy, engagement, and a rewarding, sometimes exhausting, sense of accomplishment. This holiday season in CCOM provided numerous reasons for cheer, provided gifts full of meaning and recognition,and has inspired our college resolutions for the coming year.

A good friend of mine used to call exams, “celebrations of knowledge.” Whether it’s final exams, final projects, or final papers, it is something to acknowledge with a smile—for our hard working faculty, who have to grade each assignment on a tight deadline, as much as the students who have to perform the work. A small group of these students, after getting everything graded, finished their current course of studies.  

We proudly celebrated our December graduates in recent weeks. In the quiet of winter these students reached the summit of their undergraduate careers at Butler and now march undeterred into their bright futures as Bulldog graduates.I know they will make an impact on the world and their respective communities. 

These members of the CCOM community included undergrads representing numerous degrees, as well as students from our quickly growing graduate program in Strategic Communication. We hosted a reception for the entire group in Fairbanks. Each graduate received an alumni blanket to mark their momentous achievement, and to reassure each graduate they were always welcome to return to the warmth and comfort of “home.”    

The holiday season also ushers in the new year. It is common practice to resolve ourselves to improve on who we are and what we contribute. Instead of making resolutions supporting greater physical health (which I will do), eating better (which I also will do), and taking up a new hobby (unlikely), colleges and universities resolve to improve different things. So, here are just a few of CCOM’s resolutions for 2024:

Provide more opportunities for students to explore their intended vocation: 

We have several established immersive experiences for students to apply their knowledge in the classroom and in real life. And we encourage them to connect with industry professionals while exploring potential career paths, but I want to develop more of these opportunities. From New York to LA, and Atlanta to Indianapolis, I want our students to be able to navigate their path, and a successful future, wherever it may lead.

Develop new educational programs for students: 

We have a stable of strong majors and minors, as well as a budding graduate program, but there is more we can offer students. In 2024 I hope we can develop and introduce another graduate program. Fluidity and creativity are also important so we intend to offer some unique one-credit classes and workshops for students. These all provide memorable and impactful experiences.

Continue to keep alumni, friends and partners informed: 

In 2023 we launched this blog and the CCOM Pawcast (podcast), and they have been great vehicles for helping our community keep up with what is going on at Butler. In 2024 I want to explore ways to create more avenues to interact with students, alumni, and partners so even more friends can see how much we provide and accomplish as proud members, contributors, and stewards of CCOM.

Keep bringing the “fun” to Fairbanks:  

In 2023 we had “Pie the New Guy,” “Dogs with the Dean,” the “Stay Puft Marshmallow Dean Halloween,” and an Ugly Holiday Sweater party. It won’t stop there!  In 2024 I want to ensure that every month with students on campus we do something fun together. I tell people all the time I have the best job on earth, because I get to wake up every morning and go to Butler—so it should be fun!  What’s in store next year? One hint is that as a graduate student I always loved to putt golf balls in my hallway. 😊

This is the final Pawprints blog for 2023, and what a year it has been—and what a way to celebrate the holiday season with newly minted graduates! Even though I cannot wait for 2024, I want to wish all Bulldogs, friends of Butler, and our extended CCOM family a very happy, healthy, and joyful holiday season. May 2024 bring you all the blessings you could hope for!

GO DAWGS!!! 

Thankful As We Move Forward

Thankful As We Move Forward

Descriptions of Thanksgiving can offer many Hallmark-esque ways to define it—too often trite and fleeting. When I say Thanksgiving for me brings grace and gratitude to the forefront, I mean it on a deeply personal level.

Two years ago, my younger brother, Michael, lost his fight with addiction on Thanksgiving eve.  For the rest of my life I will never forget how I spent that holiday. Nor will I forget how from the seeds of grief we can experience and truly treasure the fruits of that grace and gratitude. Through my brother’s struggles and the heartbreaking nature of learning of his passing, my reflections on Thanksgiving help ground me in appreciation for the time we have with each other and the things we can accomplish and experience with the time we are given.

Like favorite plates at the family table during the holidays, here I’m going to share individual items that I’m able to reflect upon and cherish as I give thanks for the love, opportunities, and ever-expanding communities in my life. 

I am grateful to be in Indianapolis with my family.  The first six months of my time at Butler were spent becoming closely acquainted with I-70. I commuted between where my family was still living and the new community I had joined. Spending so much time driving each week, and the warm welcome I’d receive upon returning to Indianapolis, made me deeply appreciate the warm nature of everyone at Butler. It helped make the time when my wonderful family could join me here so much more special and I appreciate the sacrifices they made for me and my new opportunity.

I am grateful to work at a mission-oriented institution that clearly knows who it is and who it wants to be. Making a high-quality education like that which we provide at Butler available to, and accessible for, more people is a mission and a purpose that resonates deep within my core.  Activating and energizing the Butler community behind this mission is critically important—and with Butler’s New Two-Year College, in association with the non-profit Come to Believe, I have seen first hand we put our money and resources where our mission is.

Dr. Mary Gospel (center) is applauded by CCOM Dean Joe Valenzano (left), Provost Brooke Barnett (right), and fans during the first half of the Butler men’s basketball game vs. Southeast Missouri State at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Fri., Nov. 10, 2023. (Photo courtesy of zjbphotography.com)

I am grateful for my colleagues in the College of Communication.  Their patience and grace as we learn about each other and explore ways to elevate the college has helped me feel at home in Fairbanks. Their dedication to our students inspires me every day, just as it inspires those learners. Their willingness to serve their communities as well as participate meaningfully in shared governance motivates me to work hard for them. Most of all, I am thankful to them for their energy and enthusiasm, evidenced in large and small ways everyday. I was humbled to celebrate one of them—the very special Dr. Mary Gospel—recently at midcourt during the first half of a men’s basketball game as our CCOM Faculty All-Star.

I am grateful to be at a place with such amazing students.  From Abby Kom, who recently recorded a TedX presentation while also taking home hardware at every speech and debate competition around, to Kody Leach, whose ability to tackle opponents on the Bulldog football team is only exceeded by his tackling of his coursework in CCOM, to Ethan Polak who conducted a social media takeover during his summer broadcast internship with the Chicago Cubs, to Gabbi Hart who speaks so eloquently from her heart every chance she gets, especially about her desire to be a speech pathologist. That is such a small sample of so many other talented, hardworking individuals. I have no doubt these students will change the world.

I am grateful for working alongside my fellow deans, who have accepted and supported me from the jump. Like all of the senior leaders at Butler, they are a creative, innovative, mission-oriented, student-centered, and faculty-supportive group who all believe in what we do at Butler. Being around individuals like this is not a given. I am thankful for the opportunity to learn and work with them towards our common goals. I am thankful everyday for the fact we do not see ourselves as leading separate silos on campus, but as a team seeking to elevate Butler for all.

Matt Schumaker ‘14 (left), Mark Minner ‘12 (center), and Brendan King ‘17 (right) all visited campus and volunteered their time to discuss with sports media students the intricacies and secrets to their success in sports announcing.

I am grateful for alumni that continue to be invested in our students.  There is Corey McPherrin ‘77 who returns every month to work with students one-on-one. In Sports Media Matt Schumaker ‘14, Mark Minner ‘12, and Brendan King ‘17 have visited campus to run evening broadcasting workshops this fall. Our alumni continue to help the next generation of Bulldogs prepare for their careers with real-world anecdotes and samples from these leaders who are out there already living their dreams. It doesn’t stop there though. Kayla Long ‘19, just last week, saw we were running a canned food drive for the Butler Food Pantry and showed up with grocery bags full of cans to further the effort!  Then there is Steve Key ‘77 who helped bring the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame to Butler this past semester. These committed Butler community members continue to impress me with their engagement and desire to help their fellow Bulldogs.  

Finally, I am grateful for the challenges this year presented to me. Whether personal or professional, it was these challenges that continued to make me into a better version of myself. Things worth doing are often not done easily, and the value in the doing comes not just in the outcome, but through the process. The challenges of this past year are no different, and I am thankful for them and the people that helped me along the way.

As I reflect on Thanksgiving this year, and recall the tragedy of my brother’s passing two years ago, I remind myself that everyday is a gift and another opportunity to do good. The time we have each day is not promised, and as I continue to be thankful for the time I had with my brother, I am grateful for the time I get to do things I enjoy with terrific people whom I care about in the service of a greater good. I suppose the thing I am most thankful for is the time I have each day, and the ability to choose to spend it in pursuit of the good with my fellow Bulldogs.  

I wish all of you a very happy, healthy, and joyful holiday with your loved ones. May you spend this time in ways that make you feel fulfilled and warm.  

Thank you for reading and Happy Thanksgiving, Bulldog Nation!

Chill-inducing: Homecoming & Halloween 2023

Chill-inducing: Homecoming & Halloween 2023

PHOTOS: Amy Ulrich ’98 with Prof. Scott Bridge at Homecoming (left); Dean Joe Valenzano and Mary Duffer in Dr. Tatsiana Karaliova’s office in Fairbanks Center on Halloween (right).

Autumn, in many parts of the country, provides a soundtrack of crunching leaves accompanying a seemingly brush-stroked backdrop of reds, yellows, browns, and crisp greens as the transition from summer to winter occurs. This change in setting and temperature—and boy did the temperature change quickly this year—also alerts us to some of the most creative and enjoyable festivals and celebrations held in our communities. This fall, Butler introduced me to a new celebration, and reminded me why an age-old holiday remains a personal favorite.  

Homecoming may adopt the natural colors of the changing leaves and graying sky as its background setting, but Butler Blue and white still dominated Oct. 27 – 29 as school pride elevated with each alum who arrived on campus. It was extra-special for me, as I had never attended a Homecoming event before. With the excitement of a child on Christmas morning, I wanted to soak up everything as fast as I could. 

There’s a vibe that starts building in the middle of the week and ramps up on Friday as friends gather from near and far to first get business taken care of. The semi-annual meetings of the Butler Alumni Board, the different College Advisory Boards, and the University Alumni Award Celebration are all critical aspects of evolving the University, but also include hugs, handshakes, laughs, and smiles shared by those who lived their best Butler days as an undergraduate and light up while reminiscing about their time. As the Dean of  CCOM, it was humbling to see our energizing and inspiring alumni everywhere. 

Our Friday CCOM Dean’s Advisory Board meeting is a gathering that is fast becoming a highlight for me each year. Roughly 15 members of the Board met for five hours—yes, we stopped for lunch—and talked about the future of the College of Communication, shared successes by our faculty and students, and pre-celebrated two CCOM alumni who would receive University-level awards later that night (more details on this later). The meeting was engaging, and I am grateful to our members for volunteering their time, talents, and expertise to advise us on our opportunities going forward. The Chair and Vice-Chair, Dan Cooreman ‘76 and Patricia Mays ‘93, deserve special recognition for their leadership of this insightful group.

The calling of the CCOM Grill (thanks, Mark and Dutch for getting it ready) meant the meetings were over and it was time to unwind. I cooked both meat and plant-based hot dogs for our alumni, faculty, and students outside Fairbanks Center. The weather could not have cooperated better, and it’s a new tradition I look forward to carrying forward into the years to come.

PHOTOS: (Left) John Doyle ’74 accepting The Butler Medal; (Right) Sharon (Boyack) Myers ’90, Jacqueline Eckhardt ’13 after accepting the Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award, and Butler University President James M. Danko.

Later that evening many of us represented CCOM at the Butler Alumni Awards and were honored to watch all of the recipients be recognized, but especially the two CCOM alumni being honored.

Jacqueline Eckhardt ’13 received the Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award for her efforts as a young alumnus in giving back to Butler and the community through service. She was introduced during the awards by her long-time mentor and Butler professor, Bob Schultz. To help celebrate Jacqueline and her accomplishments to a larger audience, she joined me on the CCOM Dean’s Pawcast and, as always, represented Indianapolis well. 

CCOM’s second award winner was John Doyle ’74, who earned the Butler Medal, the highest honor the University can bestow on an alum. John is a special individual who is as caring as he is intelligent and inspiring. Upon receiving the award he praised the individuals who made a profound impact on his life. For all of John’s successes, and they are many, he remains humble and a seemingly peerless example of being a Butler Bulldog. It was an honor to be there with both Jacqueline and John for this very special evening to close out Friday.

A brisk Saturday morning welcomed the Homecoming celebration at its height, leading up to the football game, a 17 – 7 win by the Bulldogs over Valparaiso. The CCOM Tailgate tent, hosted by “Mr. 3 a.m. Email” himself, Professor Scott Bridge, was homebase for many alumni. Although the Indy Marathon prevented my attendance—no, I didn’t run it—I enjoyed hearing about the number of CCOM alumni who came to celebrate with one another. Finally, Saturday evening, I enjoyed watching the first men’s basketball exhibition game of the season with two amazing CCOM alumni, professional voice talent Amy Ulrich ‘98, who flew in from L.A., and Critical Communication and Media graduate, Kayla Long ’19.  Both Amy and Kayla are shining examples of CCOM and Butler success and generosity, and I was grateful to spend an evening learning from and laughing with them.

PHOTO: Prof. Rob Norris sharing stories with CCOM alumni outside Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Saturday of Homecoming.

After such an amazing introduction to Homecoming done right and spending time with so many wonderful individuals, you might think I was due for a letdown heading into the new week. Not a chance!

Halloween is a holiday I have always loved, and much like Homecoming, it wasn’t treated like a one-day or just a weekend event. During October the faculty in Fairbanks were invited to decorate their doors and offices, with prizes, based on student voting, for the most creative, the scariest, and the spookiest. In the first year of this exercise in Fairbanks it went so well—I was really excited and thankful for those who contributed to our culture—that I created a Best in Show Dean’s Award. The decorating by Dr. Tatsiana Karaliova and Dr. Kristen Patrow of their offices was so fantastic that I needed to up my game from a recognition standpoint. A high bar has been set for next year. There was candy, creativity, and camaraderie, and I even got into the act by giving out candy across campus in costume (contrary to people saying I was the Michelin Man, I was the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from the Ghostbusters)! From Fairbanks to Dugan, Jordan to Atherton, and through Irwin Library, I handed out treats  to students, faculty, and staff wherever I found them.  

To say this week was fun would be an understatement! From Homecoming to Halloween, it was a spooktacular experience for this new Bulldog, and one that will haunt my dreams, in the best way imaginable, for a long time!