MMC Communication Arts Professor Receives Distinguished Alumni Honor from Rutgers

New York, N.Y.—Corey Liberman, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication arts, has been selected as a distinguished alumnus in the field of communication by his alma mater Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Liberman, who received his master’s and doctorate degrees from Rutgers, was invited to present his research to Ph.D. candidates and faculty at Rutgers’ School of Communication and Information on April 20, which will be followed by a distinguished alumni dinner. Each year, Rutgers selects three distinguished alumni in the areas of communication, media studies, and library and information science for this presentation. 

Liberman will speak about his postgraduate successes, including a discussion about a textbook he recently co-authored and published with Kendall Hunt, entitled Organizational Communication: Strategies For Success, and ongoing research that examines the role of social influence on employee decision-making. Organizational Communication fuses theory, research and practice to highlight organizational leadership, organizational decision-making, organizational relationships, organizational power, organizational change and development, organizational auditing and organizational conflict. For the past six months, Liberman’s research has been drawing links between social networks and individual willingness to engage in upward dissent within an organizational setting. His study examines whether and to what extent employees are more willing to communicate negative feedback to their bosses if, in fact, other parts of their internal social network(s) condone such behavior. 

Liberman will also share developments from a new course he began three years ago at Marymount Manhattan College, entitled “Communication and Social Networks.” The course highlights the role of social influence on human decision-making practices, including individual willingness to engage in certain health-related behaviors (e.g. getting routine cancer screenings), individual willingness to engage in risky behaviors (e.g. taking illegal drugs), and individual willingness to make certain relational decisions (e.g. ending a long-term relationship). 

Marymount Manhattan College is an urban, independent, liberal arts college. The mission of the College is to educate a socially and economically diverse student body by fostering intellectual achievement and personal growth and by providing opportunities for career development.

Published: March 20, 2012