Fredonia Communication Department

05/19/2026

Congratulations to Hana Gist, Communication Studies major and Class President, on speaking at Saturday’s afternoon commencement ceremony! 🎓

We are proud of Hana’s leadership, hard work, and the meaningful impact she made during her time at SUNY Fredonia. Representing the Class of 2026 at commencement is a well-deserved honor.

Congratulations, Hana! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish next. 💙

05/17/2026

From all of us in the Department of Communication at SUNY Fredonia — congratulations to the Class of 2026! 🎓

We’re proud of all you have accomplished and grateful to have been part of your journey. Thank you for the memories, hard work, and impact you’ve made on our department and campus community.

We can’t wait to see what comes
next for each of you. Once a Blue Devil, always a Blue Devil! 💙

05/04/2026

🎉 Student Spotlight: Molly Sunick 🎉
We’re excited to celebrate Molly Sunick for her outstanding work presenting at SURC!

During her internship with Iron Works, Molly gained hands-on experience applying communication skills in a professional setting. She worked on projects that strengthened her ability to connect with audiences, contribute to organizational messaging, and navigate real-world communication challenges.

At SURC, Molly showcased this work by reflecting on her internship experience—highlighting what she learned, the skills she developed, and how classroom concepts translated into practice. Her presentation demonstrated both professionalism and a strong understanding of how communication operates beyond the classroom.

👏 Join us in congratulating Molly on this impressive achievement! We’re proud to see our students representing the Communication major so well.

04/16/2026

Congratulations to this year’s Lambda Pi Eta inductees! 👏 We are proud to welcome you into the National Communication Association’s honor society and celebrate your academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to the field of communication.

A special thank you to our current Lambda Pi Eta members who joined us to support and recognize our newest inductees—your presence made the ceremony even more meaningful.

04/14/2026

Dr. Angela M. McGowan-Kirsch co-facilitated a preconference workshop on Promoting Civic Discourse Skills at the SUNY General Education Conference.

The session introduced a public deliberation model as a classroom-ready approach for engaging students in structured dialogue around complex public issues, with strategies for considering multiple perspectives, weighing trade-offs, and practicing informed civic engagement.

Pictured here with fellow SUNY Civic Fellows.

04/12/2026

Students in two of Professor Mike Igoe's classes got to hear some professional advice from Lilly Broadcasting's Corporate News Director, Scott MacDowell.
In the Public Speaking class Scott talked about "Presenting On Camera".
The Foundations In Journalism class learned about what they should be doing now while they're in colege to prepare for a future media career.

03/22/2026

Check out this interview with one of our instructors, Nick Smith, in The Buffalo Hive!

BTW, the Hive's editor is journalism prof Elmer Ploetz, and there are currently three Fredonia grads contributing to it and two current students serving as interns. Lots of Fred connections!

The WNY-based author and filmmaker discusses the independence, inspiration and integrity animals bring to his best-selling series

Nick Smith Whiskers in the Dark



LINK IN COMMENTS!!

03/03/2026

📘✨ Faculty Spotlight ✨📘

Dr. Angela M. McGowan-Kirsch has published a new chapter, “Empowering Digital Citizenship: Open Pedagogy as a Tool for Countering Misinformation,” in Teaching Political Communication (Edward Elgar Publishing), edited by Kevin Coe and Diana Zulli. Details here: https://lnkd.in/gx-9vNhe

In her chapter, Dr. McGowan-Kirsch explores how students can move from passive consumers of digital content to active, responsible digital citizens. Through a “Countering Misinformation” Wiki assignment, students analyze false claims, apply fact-checking strategies, and create public-facing content that debunks misinformation.

02/26/2026

Congratulations to the Fredonia Radio Systems students .
They went to their Intercollegiate Broadcast Systems conference last weekend and brought home numerous awards:
Kevin Chicas and Nox Blair for Best Spot News
Matt Volz for Best Sports Update
AJ Govenettio for Best ID - Broadcast Station
WDVL for Best Streaming Only Station (Under 10,000 Students)
They were finalists in 16 different categories.
Professor Mike Igoe is their advisor!

02/11/2026

A group of about 50 Williamsville South students visited the SUNY Fredonia Reed Library on Wednesday to get some research guidance for their upcoming podcasts.
Katelynn telford was the librarian who assisted them.
Professor Mike Igoe gave a presentation to two different sessions with tips on producing an effective podcast.
Photos by Angelina Seamster