That’s a wrap on year one!

It’s the start of my first summer break in California, and I sure do have some updates! And they’re all professional! I’ve had such a great year and I feel like I’ve taken huge strides toward tenure in such a short time. I really hope I can keep up this momentum going into year two. I’ve made it to The Beach — now it’s time to ride the wave!

Research Updates

When it rains research, it pours research!

For the past couple of years I’ve been working with my good friend Jeremy on a series of content analyses, and we just added a new publication to our list — “Utilizing Reddit for Journalistic Purposes: A Content Analysis of the Washington Post on Reddit” — found here.

We also just found out that both of the manuscripts we submitted to this year’s annual AEJMC conference were accepted, so it looks like we’ll both be headed to San Francisco this August! I’ve already registered, bought my plane ticket, and submitted a travel request through the department, which will allow me to use my start-up funds to finance the trip. I still need to book my hotel room, but the discount blocks do not open until May 22, so I’m holding off until my next paycheck. To quote To Wong Foo, “I’m so excited I could just spit!”

If anyone has any recommendations on good places to eat in San Francisco, please let me know! I will be there from Wednesday, Aug. 6 through Sunday, Aug. 10.

Service Updates

I was voted on to Long Beach State’s LGBTQIA+Campus Climate Committee!! 🏳️‍🌈 That’s service at the university-wide level (which looks great for tenure), but more importantly it’s service that I truly care about. The LGBTQIA+ Campus Climate Committee is a subcommittee of the general Campus Climate Committee and its mission is to collaborate across the university to recruit, retain, and support the success of LGBTQIA+ students, staff, faculty, and administrators. My term starts this fall, but I’ve already attended my first meeting, which was also the last of the spring semester. My term lasts through 2028, but it’s work I hope to continue for much longer.

Teaching Updates

I’m all done on year one! Grades are in, and I’ve completed syllabi for two of my three fall courses. I’ll be teaching Multimedia Storytelling in the fall, which is my only course that will require additional course prep. But I’ve taught a class in the same vein at Ohio University and Augusta University, so I am not too worried. I am, however, using it as an opportunity to put a fresh face on an old constant.

Next semester all of my courses fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Research Methods meets from 8 to 9:15 a.m. and Multimedia Storytelling meets from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. twice a week. Media Design runs from 2 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., but only meets on Tuesdays. I’ll hold office hours in my break between classes on Tuesday and make a whole long day of it.

I’ve been screaming it from the rooftops all year, but I am so dang grateful for the past year at Cal State, Long Beach. This has been my most productive year in academia so far, and it has certainly been my happiest as well. I’m not much on tootin’ my own horn (I’m much rather have someone else toot it for me), but it really shows how crucial setting is toward success. 🚂 🚂

My cup has never felt so full. And now I have a whole California summer ahead of me!