Conferences are microcosms of human society. They are opportunities to observe people of all ages interacting, performing, charming and arguing. Everyone is a little nervous before they arrive and then they reveal themselves in the few appointed days of concentrated interaction. Conferences are a great way of focusing and honing your communication skills and your …
Category Archives: Academic Life
McMasterMCM’s photostream
McMasterMCM’s photostream on Flickr.
MCM Winter Residency 2014: Strategic reputation management through research
This week, I have the pleasure of hosting the McMaster-Syracuse MCM Winter Residency 2014. Both the first year and the second year cohorts are here. Here’s what they will be taking: First Year MCM (2nd Term of Program): COMM MGMT 722 Managerial Finance COMM MGMT 712 Public Relations and Communications Research Second Year MCM (5th …
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Fred Granek, 64, RIP.
There are moments when you hear news that affects you deeply, when hearing the news actually has a profound impact on your life. I recently was sad to hear of the death of Fred Granek, one of the most decent, honest and honourable men I have known. I came to know Fred when he joined …
New Years Resolutions 2014
I find, as the years pass, that the number of resolutions I commit to dwindles, but that I also feel an increasing urgency to keep them. This is the year that I turn 40 – a new decade, ready to be defined. I feel that it will be new chapter in my life. As such, …
The challenges of teaching professional ethics
I have been having many discussions – with colleagues and practitioners – about what it means to teach ethics to professional communicators. Ethics is a challenging subject to teach at the best of times, because it requires that the practitioner have experience. How do you get a student or a mentee to have that experience, …
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McMaster-Syracuse MCM February Residency: Record Cohort and 7 Capstone Defenses
Another successful residency of the McMaster-Syracuse MCM program drew to a close on Thursday afternoon. We had a wonderful time sharing ideas, debating the latest industry challenges and opportunities and simply building friendships and professional collaborations. This residency saw three key events: Seven students successfully defended their capstone research projects. The capstone project is the …
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Superb MCM October 2012 Residency concludes
What a successful, exciting week we had in communications management at McMaster. The record-setting October residency of the McMaster-Syracuse Master of Communications Management program came to a close – a week of learning, networking as well as personal and professional growth. We were joined by students from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Québec, Ontario, the United States, …
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Remembering Dr. Sue Vajoczki, the students’ champion
I recently received the sad news that our McMaster colleague, Dr. Sue Vajoczki, associate professor of geography and geology, has passed away, far too early. Her passing is profoundly sad news for McMaster’s students and faculty. As director of McMaster’s Centre for Leadership in Learning, Dr. Vajoczki was passionately committed to students and thought that …
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Inspired by our young people
I spent most of this weekend at the Ontario Universities Fair at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto, representing our new Honours Bachelor of Professional Communication program, of which I am the founding director. We have launched this new professional program, to meet the needs of the marketplace, and to provide a powerful education for young …