Communication Arts Department Faculty/Staff Listing

. Web media project – online community and video entertainment site built to educate, entertain and connect people who have human papillomavirus. Continuous work (2008/2009).


Exhibitions

Director/Producer, Period: The End of Menstruation (54 min documentary feature, distributed by Cinema Guild: NY, 2006). Screened at Doc Watchers: Harlem, NY. March 2, 2009, Connecticut National Organization of Women, Annual Convention, Connecticut College: New London, CT. November 15, 2008, Department of Women’s Studies, University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI. October 15, 2008.

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Anastacia Kurylo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Communication Arts
email
212-774-4864

Degrees
B.A., Stony Brook University, The State University of New York
M.A., New York University
Ph.D., Rutgers University

Professor Kurylo earned a Master’s degree in Speech & Interpersonal Communication at New York University and a Ph.D. in Communication at Rutgers University. Prior to joining Marymount Manhattan College, she taught at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, New York University, Pace University, Rutgers University, and St. John’s University. Her research interests include the examination of stereotype use in interpersonal, intercultural, and organizational contexts.

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Kathleen LeBesco, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Communication Arts
email
212-774-4861

Degrees
B.A., The State University of New York at Albany
M.A., The State University of New York at Albany
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Katie LeBesco regularly teaches Principles and Theories of Communication, History and Development of Communication Theory, and Communication Today. She also teaches electives including Gender, Sexuality and Media, Media Criticism, and Deconstructing Reality TV, and interdisciplinary courses including Edible Ideologies: The Politics of Food, Feminist and Queer Theory, and Queer Eye: Lesbian and Gay Cinema. She is author of Revolting Bodies? The Struggle to Redefine Fat Identity and co-editor of The Drag King Anthology, Edible Ideologies: Representing Food and Meaning, and Bodies Out of Bounds: Fatness and Transgression. She is currently working on a new book about food and class politics.


Recent Publications:

Review of Online Social Support: The Interplay of Social Networks and Computer-Mediated Communication, by Antonina Bambina. Journal of Language and Social Psychology 27.3 (2008): 312-314.

Review of Choosing Children: Genes, Disability, and Design, by Jonathan Glover. Disability Studies Quarterly 28.3 (Summer 2008); available online at .

“Weight Management, Good Health, and the Will to Normality.” Critical Feminist Perspectives On Eating Dis/Orders, 146-155. Ed. Maree Burns & Helen Malson. London, UK: Routledge Press, 2009.

“Quest for a Cause: The Fat Gene, the Gay Gene, and the New Eugenics.” The Fat Studies Reader. Ed. Sondra Solovay & Esther Rothblum. New York: New York University Press. Forthcoming.

With Kembrew McLeod. “Using Zines to Foster Critical Communication.” EME: Explorations in Media Ecology. Forthcoming.

“‘Gots to Get Got’: Social Justice and Audience Reception of Omar Little in The Wire.” Down to “The Wire”: Urban Decay and American Television. Ed. Tiffany Potter and C.W. Marshall. Continuum Press. Forthcoming.


Recent Presentations/Productions:

With Peter Naccarato. “Against Food Snobbery: Resisting Culinary Capital Through the Embrace of ‘Junk.’” Association for the Study of Food and Society Conference: State College, PA. May 29, 2009.

“Culture Jamming and/as Service Learning.” New Jersey Communication Association Conference. Union, NJ. March 28, 2009.

“Expertise, Taste and Authenticity in On-Line Restaurant Criticism.” Crossing Borders 2 Conference. Bedford Hills, NY. October 17, 2008.

“Disability Studies and Pop Culture.” Disability Studies and Media seminar: City University of New York Graduate Center. New York, NY. July 12, 2008.

“Ideologies of Disability in Friday Night Lights.” Society for Disability Studies Conference. New York, NY. June 21 2008.

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Corey Liberman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Communication Arts
email

Degrees
B.A., University of Delaware
M.A., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Ph.D., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey


Corey Liberman has specific interests in understanding how communication affects, and is affected by, membership in organizational social networks. Specifically, he studies issues of social influence and how this comes to affect such things as employee commitment, employee satisfaction, knowledge management practices, employee socialization, and employee identification. He has presented over 25 papers at national, regional, and local conferences (three of which won a “Top Paper Award”), and is co-author of an upcoming book chapter entitled “Networking smart: How social ties can create and impact opportunities.” Prior to coming to Marymount Manhattan College, Corey was an Assistant Instructor in the Department of Communication at Rutgers University where he taught courses in basic communication, interpersonal communication, small group communication, and organizational communication. Corey received the 2007 Teaching Award from the International Communication Association and the 2005 Teaching Assistant Award from the Department of Communication at Rutgers University.

Recent Presentations/Productions:

Liberman, C. J. Pivotal moments of development and change: The study of identification as a defining moment in organizational communication studies. Paper presented at the annual Eastern Communication Association conference. Philadelphia, PA. April 2009.

All of social life is a stage: Using video media to teach the basic interpersonal communication course. GIFTS panel presented at the annual New Jersey Communication Association conference. Union, NJ. March 2009.

Communicating effectively in small group settings: Understanding decision-making, conflict management, and leadership through experiential learning. GIFTS panel presented at the annual New York State Communication Association conference in Kerhonkson, NY, October 2008.

Birds of a feather flock together, or do they? Understanding the homophily/heterophily debate within the organizational communication context. Paper presented at the annual New York State Communication Association conference. Kerhonkson, NY. October 2008.

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David Linton, Ph.D.
Professor of Communication Arts
email
212-517-0642

Degrees
B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
M.Ed., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D., New York University

David Linton has been on the faculty of MMC for more than twenty years and holds the rank of Professor of Communications Arts. He is the President of the Faculty Council, the body that represents the faculty to the administration of the College. His research interests and publications are wide ranging including such topics as the media environment of Elizabethan England, the reading behavior of the Virgin Mary, the history of the Luddite movement, and the formation of literary and media canons. He is currently writing a book about the social construction and images of menstruation and teaches an interdisciplinary course on this subject in addition to course in communications theory, media, and public speaking.


Recent Publications:

“Keeping Secrets.” Grifith Review. Summer 2008-2009, # 22.



Recent Presentations/Productions:

“No Laughing Matter? - From Shame to Humor in Menstrual Product Advertising,” Keynote Address for Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. June 2009.

“Mother/Daughter Relationships in Menstrual Product Advertising.” Crossing Borders Conference at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. Bedford Hills, NY. October 17, 2008.

“The Public Period: Menstrual Product Advertising as a Marker of Change in the Perception of Women.” Berkshire Conference on the History of Women. Minneapolis, MN. June 15, 2008.

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Rebecca Mushtare, M.F.A.
email
212-774-4862

Rebecca Mushtare is a visual artist working in both the physical and virtual realms. Rooted in research, her projects often investigate the space and technology of power/privilege from that of the cyborg to the toys of a toddler. The dissonance of technologies that are simultaneously liberating and oppressive (many home technologies fit into this category) is of particular interest to Rebecca. She has worked in a variety of media, including: installation, physical computing, performance, lenticular and digital prints, artist books, web sites, and dyed/manipulated fabrics. Documentation of her projects can be found at http://rebeccawhite.us. Rebecca teaches courses exploring digital media.

Recent Presentations/Productions:

Co-Presenters: Dana Edell and Giovanna Chesler. “Service Learning in Creative Media” Service-Learning Symposium: “Beyond the Classroom: Co-Educating Students in the Service-Learning Partnership.” NYMAPS: City College of New York. New York, NY. May 5, 2009.

“Failing is NOT an Option.” National Symposium on Defining and Promoting Student Success. Faculty Resource Network: University of San Francisco. San Francisco, CA. November 21, 2008.NYU Facutly Resource Network.

Exhibitions:

Pieced Together. Hewitt Gallery of Art. Marymount Manhattan College. New York, NY. November 3 – December 2, 2008.

It’s Not Easy. Social Environmental Aesthetics. Exit Art Underground. New York, NY. July 24 – August 29, 2008.

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Anthony Naaeke, Ph.D.
email
212-774-4664

Anthony Naaeke's research interests include persuasion in cultural (African) narratives; communicating faith in a postmodern world; and communication and advocacy in development communication. He has published in the Journal of Dagaare Studies and Gender and Behavior.

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MJ Robinson, Ph.D.
email
212-774-4867

Degrees
Ph.D., New York University (2008)
M.A., Cinema Studies, New York University
M.A., English Literature, Loyola Marymount University
B.A., Communication Arts/Film Production, Loyola Marymount University
B.A., English Literature, Loyola Marymount University

MJ Robinson regularly teaches Introduction to Film and Video, Contemporary World Cinema, Film History and Communication and the Future. In addition to her academic and teaching careers, Robinson has worked as a film archivist and researcher for independent producers, and was a creative consultant to Meg Ryan and Jane Campion on Campion's 2003 film In the Cut. Most recently, Robinson was the production liaison between Kaledo, KG, an international producing firm and all three Law & Order series. She is currently working on a book based on her dissertation: “'Voice of the City?': The Rise and Fall of WNYC-TV.” Her other research and teaching interests include: film theory and history, media and globalization, media policy, new film technologies and broadcast history.

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Alister Sanderson, Ph.D.
Professor of Communication Arts
email
212-774-4863

Degrees
B.A., Oxford University
M.A., New York University
Ph.D. New York University


Prof. Alister Sanderson holds a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Oxford University and the M.A. and Ph.D. in Cinema Studies from New York University, where he was a George Amberg Doctoral Research Fellow and specialized in WWII British documentary film. Before coming to MMC, he taught at NYU, Drew University, the School of Visual Arts and Brooklyn College. He also made experimental films, sat on the board of directors of the Millennium Film Workshop, and founded and edited the Millennium Film Journal, a quarterly devoted to avant-garde film-making. In commercial television, Alister was A&E's Creative Director and senior producer during that network's launch. He went on to head up his own communications and production company which was hired for the launches of Lifetime, Lifetime Medical Television, Request Television (America's first pay-per-view channel), the Sci-Fi Channel and TNT. Among other clients were HBO, Showtime, The Movie Channel, Nickelodeon, National Geographic, the New York Times, USA Network, The Long Island Philharmonic, Artpark, Pilobolus, the David Parsons Dance Company, and the NYC Refugee Employment Project. Recently, Alister has been producing, writing and directing for the History Channel (for which he received the American Advertising Federation's Addy award) as well as for Biography, the Kennedy Space Center, the Smithsonian and the National Constitution Center. His own recent films include the award-winning A Little Tour of Manhattan and Sun Tea. Chase Games, made with Prof. Elizabeth Higgins and featuring MMC dance students, was shown in 2005 at the Utah Arts Festival and the Independent Film Festival in Florida. Among the courses Alister teaches are Beginning Video, Intro. to Film & Video, Producing for Television and The Avant-garde in Theatre, Film & Art. He is the Director of CommArts' Theresa Lang Center for Producing, which provides the facilities for MMC students to work creatively in video, sound design, graphic design and interactive multimedia.

Recent Presentations/Productions:

Writer/Producer/Director, on-air programming spots for The History Channel and A&E. June – December 2008.

Writer/Producer/Director, two commercials for Kingsborough Community College: The City University of New York. June 2008.

Film screening

The Four Senses and More of Kirche Zeile (Alister Sanderson, director). Marymount Manhattan College. May 6, 2009.

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Peter Schaefer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Communication Arts
email
212-517-0678

Degrees
B.A., Northwestern University
M.A., University of Iowa
Ph.D., University of Iowa

Peter Schaefer received his Ph.D. in Communication Studies from The University of Iowa and joined the faculty of MMC in the fall of 2008. He teaches classes such as Principles and Theories of Communication, History and Development of Communication Theory, and Introduction to Film and Video. His research examines histories and theories of new media including the ideology of aesthetics and simplicity in Apple products, interface design and the politics of user participation, and the role of batteries in communication history.

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Morgan Schwartz, M.F.A.
Assistant Professor of Digital Media
email
212-774-4865

Degrees
BSE Chemical Engineering, Princeton University
MFA School of Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University

Morgan Schwartz [http://sodacity.net] is a visual artist who creates video installations, single-channel videos, urban actions and interactive media projects. He works collaboratively on projects in response to specific sites or cultural systems. Morgan teaches courses in new media and interactive digital media. He earned a BSE in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University in 1996 and his MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University in 2002. Previous to joining Marymount Manhattan College, Morgan was Visiting Faculty in New Media at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University in Boston, MA.

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Cary Tamura
Macintosh Technician
email
212-517-0595

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Laura Tropp, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Communication Arts
email
212-774-4868

Degrees
B.A., Hunter College of the City University of New York
M.A., New York University
Ph.D., New York University

Laura Tropp specializes in media and politics and representations of pregnancy and motherhood in popular culture. She teaches courses in communication theory, media history, campaigns and elections, media law and new communication technologies. Her current research focuses on representations of pregnancy and motherhood in media, and the use of television in voter mobilization drives. Tropp is currently at work on a manuscript on pregnancy and media titled, A Womb with a View: Pregnancy in Changing Media Environments.


Recent Publications:

“Links, Chicks, Blogs, Banners: Using the Internet for Youth Voter Mobilization.” Mosh the Polls: Youth Voters, Popular Culture, Democratic Engagement. Ed. Brian Cogan and Anthony Kelso. Lexington Books: Lanham, MD. 2008.


Recent Presentations/Productions:

Panelist, “Pregnancy in New Media Environments.” Media in Transition Conference, MIT: Cambridge, MA, April 24, 2009.

Panelist, “Battling the Blues: Representation of Post-Partum Depression in Popular Culture.” Mothers Gone Mad: Motherhood and Madness Oppression and Resistance Conference, New York, NY. May 29, 2009.

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