Ethos_Newsletter_1_1

Ethos  
The Newsletter for San José State University’s Department ofThe Newsletter for San José State University’s Department of
Communication Studies Graduate ProgramCommunication Studies Graduate Program 
Vol. 1  No. 1   May 2012 
Vol. 01  No. 1  MAY 2012 
 
 
 
 
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Ethos! When prospective applicants
contact me about our master's program in communication studies,
they often ask, what can you do with a M.A. in Communication? After
an especially inspiring series of conversations with our current
graduate students, it occurred to me that documenting our students’
diverse accomplishments would be the best way of answering that
question
In this first issue, we turn the spotlight on three students, one in her first
year, one in her second year, and one graduating this May, who
collectively represent a range of research interests and pursuits. Their
work showcases the varied texture of communicative action and
lends substance to the theoretical idea that communication is world-
making.
In addition to these spotlights, we bring updates from students and
alumni in order to provide a snapshot of the current ethos of our
graduate program. We hope to provide many future snapshots.
- Kathleen McConnell, Graduate Studies Coordinator and Assistant
Professor of Communication Studies
News and Updates 
Jessica Leglu is graduating this 
May. Jessica's research focuses 
on interpersonal communication, 
nonverbal communication, and 
deception studies. After her 
experience as a facilitator for the 
"Difficult Dialogues" events at 
SJSU she has become interested 
in public dialog and hopes to 
continue practicing dialogue 
techniques in her professional 
career as an employee relations 
specialist and marriage/family 
counselor.   
 
Medha Roy is graduating in 
May. Medha focused her studies 
on intercultural communication 
and completed a qualitative 
study on the acculturation of 
Asian Indian employees in the 
U.S. Her project is titled "The 
effect of the Internet on the 
acculturation of Asian Indian 
employees in the United States."

What first‐time IT managers really need to know. 
We asked 5 accomplished managers the things they would’ve done 
differently at the onset of their careers 
Staci Gunner
Inspiring the Next Generation of 
Feminists
On March 17, 2012, Staci
Gunner, a second year
graduate student and Director
of SJSU’s Office of Student
Conduct and Ethical
Development, realized a
dream she has had for five
years. With the help of the
Women’s Resource Center,
Staci organized the first South
Bay Womyn’s Conference with
workshops on education,
abuse, body image, and
revolution.
The conference
attracted over a hundred
attendees. "The workshops
were by far the highlight," Staci
told us. The workshops, all
organized around the theme
of unity, allowed women and
men to share their stories and
perspectives. One workshop,
“Redefining Masculinity,”
addressed how to break down
gender stereotypes and unite
in creating an equal society.
Staci’s inspiration for the event
was the SJSU community. “We
felt the unity we wanted to
gain," Staci reflected. "People
felt moved from their soul. They
felt humbled. They felt that
they held a space on this
campus for a moment of time
that was simply theirs and that
was powerful to their being,
their identity, and their
experience here.”
Staci, who will be joining the
Graduate Teaching Associate
program in the fall, says she is
definitely doing this event in
the future. Her main goal is to
provide students a place
where they feel connected
and to sustain those programs
that allow her to give back.
This year, her only expectation
was that the conference
happen at all. Its actuality far
exceeded that expectation.
Stacy Ernst
Capturing the Content of San 
José
First year graduate student
Ethos
Stacy Ernst is engaged in a
very hands-on study of
independent print media. She
is the Content Strategist for
Content, a new magazine
about San José.
Founder and artistic director,
Daniel Garcia had a vision for
the magazine years ago. With
a deep love and passion for
the people and the city of San
José, Daniel created a
beautiful way to discover and
display the creative and
innovative individuals who are
making an impact on the
city’s culture. There are many
publications in the area, but
nothing quite like
Content. Stacy explains, "We
love San José, we know how
great it is, and how much it
has to offer, and we want to
share that with others."
Running the magazine has
been a learning experience
for Stacy and her staff. They
have been able to draw upon
their personal and professional
networks for questions or ideas,
but for the most part, they
have been figuring it out along
the way.
SJSU's Communication Studies
department has drawn Stacy
for the same reason as does
Content magazine: her love of
people. She loves talking to
people, learning their stories,

/ 
 
 
    
 
and finding out what makes
them tick. Her background in
communication studies (she is
an SJSU alum and
communication major) has
given her confidence in her
interactions with the people
she interviews and
researches. "I've had practice
in interviewing techniques as
well as practice in turning my
interview notes into a clear
and concise article."
If you would like to get
involved, email the magazine
at: http://content-
magazine.com/welcome/con
tribute/ and be ready to
commit. Content is a labor of
love. The staff's love for San
José, its people, and its culture
is a driving force behind the
late nights and tight
deadlines.
If you are interested in
subscribing to Content, you
can do so online at:
http://content-
magazine.com/welcome/get/
subscribe/.
Robert Gutierrez
Denver Bound
Rob Gutierrez is graduating this
May and will be attending the
University of Denver to pursue a
Ph.D. in communication with an
emphasis on communication and
culture. “I’m trying to look at
culture from a performance and
rhetoric point of view, and it is
rare to find programs that will let
you do that.” Rob's long-term
goal is to secure a tenure track
professorship at a four-year
university.
The process of applying for
doctoral programs required Rob
to mentally prepare himself by
memorizing his readings and
utilizing them when needed.
“When [I] approach my readings I
tell myself, how do I know this stuff
forever? I would use my readings
in the classroom, in my own
writings, and know that even
years from now I will still be
referring back to them.” Also
important, Rob said, is
maintaining an academic
résumé, or curriculum vitae, and
presenting yourself as someone
you would want to invite to your
university. “I had done lots of
performances on campus, kept
an agenda in the classroom
that set me apart..., and stayed
connected with my professors
via face time and email.”
In the future, Rob hopes to
reach out to his community and
to make a difference in
people’s everyday lives. He also
has a passion for writing and
wants to be well published in
academic circles and to author
children’s books.
News and Updates 
Laurina Lanham is 
graduating in May after 
completing a thesis 
that explores dialectical 
tensions experienced by first 
generation college students. 
The title of her thesis is 
“Beating the Odds?:  An 
Analysis of Dialectical 
Tensions Experienced By 
First Generation College 
Students.” 
Also graduating in 2011‐2012 
are Stephanie Benke‐
McLoughlin, Zachary Feere, 
Robert Gutierrez, Matthew 
Mathias, Cecilia O'Donnell, 
Tammy Oh, Delia Sanjaya, 
and Mary Anne Sunseri.  
 
Congratulations to all our 
graduates! 
 
Ethos
Ethos was designed and compiled by 
Richard Bui, a first year undergraduate 
majoring in Communication Studies 
and Assistant to the Graduate 
Program. If you have news for Ethos, 
contact Richard at: 
richard.bui@sjsu.edu.

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