After years away from Boulder, Pollak returned to 欧美口爆视频 for a collaboration between NerdWallet and Travis Hunter. Pollak and his team shot a video where Hunter talked about the 鈥淪martest NIL鈥� campaign and a giveaway where fans could win a collectible cutout piece of Hunter鈥檚 contract with the brand. The highlight for Pollak? A selfie with 鈥淗eisman鈥� Hunter.
How did you land Travis Hunter? In his Heisman season, no less?
I鈥檓 a huge 欧美口爆视频 fan with season tickets, and it just so happens that NerdWallet already has a partnership with 欧美口爆视频. I knew Travis Hunter would be a great brand ambassador, and we even sneaked into the Coach Prime documentary.
As to the Heisman, I thought he should win it and I thought there was a big chance. I鈥檓 happy it happened, but I can鈥檛 say I predicted it.
What鈥檚 the best advice you鈥檝e been given?
Focus on what you love. Success comes out of that.
I鈥檓 actually stoked for what I get paid to do. I like advertising because it鈥檚 a puzzle to figure out鈥攊t鈥檚 both strategic and creative, and I like intertwining all that.
You used to be a firefighter. What鈥檚 something memorable about that job?
You never want something bad to happen鈥攂ut there鈥檚 [an adrenaline rush] when you hear the bells and sirens.
My best friend鈥攁lso a volunteer, now with FDNY鈥攁nd I were driving to a car show when we got the page that his house went up in flames. We had to put out a fire that was going through his house, which we had played in as kids. It makes you sympathize with people.
Best compliment you鈥檝e ever received?
I was at Barchetta recently and my wife was sitting there with our kid, and this guy walked up to me and said, 鈥淵ou have a great spot鈥濃€攎eaning the table in the restaurant. I thought it was weird, but I said, 鈥淵eah, I know.鈥� He was like, 鈥淲ow, how confident!鈥� and walked away. I saw my wife was dying laughing, and she told me what he actually said was, 鈥淵ou have a great smile!鈥�
Rory Fitzgerald Bledsoe is a PhD candidate in media studies who runs a multimodal art gallery, , in East Boulder. Her first exhibition, 鈥淧hones are Heavy,鈥� ran from November through January; 鈥淎rchive Fever Dream鈥� opens in March.
Why did you want to open a gallery?
This space is public scholarship. I鈥檓 interested in creating discourse on cultural issues that transcend the limits of the law. I also ran a gallery in Boston where I gave solo shows to artists who hadn鈥檛 had one before, and it鈥檚 gratifying to elevate emerging artists and underrepresented ideas.
Was there a gallery you had in mind as you envisioned what Space__Space could look like?
I did an artist/curatorial residency in New York, at Flux Factory, and that has been a big influence on my drive for cultivating experimentation and community.
Something you hope visitors notice as they walk through the gallery?
The work, of course. And maybe the sunset-pink trim. Pink has connotations of being frivolous, but I see it as subversive鈥攁 power color. So I put it in the bottom trim around the gallery, where it鈥檚 a secret signature that doesn鈥檛 get in the way of the work.
Tell me about those sunsets.
I鈥檓 used to underground, windowless art spaces in New York and Boston. From the back of Space__Space, you can see mountains, and from the front, you get the sunset. Someday, I want to do a site-specific installation that harnesses sunsets, because they are so spectacular.
Biggest surprise?
Being able to do it. Every time you take the risk of creating something鈥攍ike in Boston, running Space 121 out of my apartment, I wasn鈥檛 sure what would happen. But I鈥檝e started to believe if you build it, when there is a thirst, they will come.
Wait, the gallery in Boston was out of your apartment? What did your landlord say about that?
They never found out. (Laughs) We had openings; we just called them parties.
Last one. A favorite work from your first exhibit?
The brilliant Flora Wilds flew in to install her sculptures, which was a magical collaboration. But I will say everyone who came in had a different favorite, and that is a mark of a resonant and successful show.
A selection of works from Space__Space鈥檚 inaugural exhibit, which closed in January. From left, works by Maya Buffett-Davis, a 欧美口爆视频 Boulder graduate student; Ana Gonz谩lez Barrag谩n; Devon Narine-Singh; and Flora Wilds. Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm鈥�18).
A regular feature catching up with people in our community who are doing interesting and impactful work. In this edition, a commercial with Travis Hunter and a new art gallery in East Boulder.By Joe Arney
Photos by Jack Moody (StratComm鈥�24)
The study of communication, as Jos茅 G. Izaguirre III knows, is more than just interpreting the words. It鈥檚 also about how those words are heard鈥攊n a speech or an article, or in a post or on a poster.
It鈥檚 why he leans so heavily on showing communication in its original form, whether in the classes he teaches at CMCI or in a new book examining the formation of the Chicano movement.
鈥淎s I was analyzing these different texts, I was just struck by the intentionality to make things look a certain way, which really enriched the communication I was studying,鈥� said Izaguirre, assistant professor of communication at the college, who goes by Joe. 鈥淚t was clear that those aesthetics were part of the story, too鈥攖he degree to which photography, illustrations and designs played a significant role in movements.鈥�
"It is possible for different people to come together around similar concerns, articulate different visions, but still try to work together to accomplish something good.
Jos茅 G. Izaguirre III
Assistant Professor
Communication
Izaguirre鈥檚 book, , traces the beginning of the movement鈥攚hich originated among striking farm workers in California鈥攖hrough its early years. His research examines the communications that organized Latin American voices into a global political power.
鈥淭he book highlights how race is always implicated in different political circumstances鈥攚hile demonstrating that however much we try to get away from the language of race, it鈥檚 always there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 tried to show the inescapability of race as a part of communication through a story about how Mexican Americans navigated racial dynamics and promoted a racial identity.鈥�
A good example: 鈥淐hicano,鈥� once a pejorative label, was itself reclaimed by the organization as it rejected assimilation and sought to assert its Indigenous roots. But while the movement united under one banner, it was never a singular voice. Izaguirre鈥檚 book shows how activists created a political power against the backdrop of the Cold War.
鈥淚 think the book highlights the importance of everyday activist movements, or even politically interested individuals who have concerns that are part of a broader community or communal concern,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t takes seriously these moments of everyday communication and spotlights them in ways that are maybe not typical.鈥�
鈥淓veryday communication鈥� in the 1960s was, of course, very different than today, when demonstrations largely exist and are communicated in ephemeral digital spaces鈥攚hat鈥檚 trending today is tomorrow鈥檚 relic. Much of Izaguirre鈥檚 source material was donated documents鈥攍eaflets, photos, newspapers and so on鈥攖hat made this project possible.
It鈥檚 how he was able to present so many period pieces in his book, alongside close readings of iconic artifacts like the National Farm Worker Association鈥檚 El Plan de Delano, or the poem 鈥淚 Am Joaquin.鈥� And there is value, he said, in seeing how those pieces are designed, even if it鈥檚 text-based, like the Delano document, co-written by Cesar Chavez, to guide their march through California. It contains a list of demands and concerns that, Izaguirre said, are valuable to see in their original context鈥攁nd language.
鈥淲hen I show these materials in classes, I want to show that communication as close as possible to what it would have been like to encounter it at the time,鈥� whether that鈥檚 a picture, a pamphlet or a speech, he said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 call it an epiphany, but there鈥檚 some level of understanding that happens when I show them the whole document. Because it鈥檚 not just text pulled out of somewhere鈥攊t鈥檚 communication they can see for themselves.鈥�
That also means students encounter the original communication in its original language. For much of La Raza, of course, that鈥檚 Spanish.
鈥淚 do show them an English version, so they understand the meaning of the words, but seeing it in its native language, they get almost the emotion of the words,鈥� Izaguirre said. 鈥淪eeing the original document puts it in that cultural or historical context.鈥�
It鈥檚 something he hopes readers and students consider in the context of modern political movements, from the iconography at campaign rallies to how people find one another and organize digitally. But he also hopes those readers will be challenged to rethink the narrative that movements鈥攐r communities鈥攃an be viewed singularly. The Chicano movement is a prime example.
鈥淚t can be harmful, to see communities being labeled in such a way that they鈥檙e cast as the opposition,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to consolidate groups and label them as friend or foe. What鈥檚 harder is politics鈥攚hich is really about building partnerships and opportunities for equal engagement.
鈥淲hat I hope the book shows is that it is possible for different people to come together around similar concerns, articulate different visions, but still try to work together to accomplish something good.鈥�
A new book looks at the rise of the Chicano movement through the lens of communication, from speeches to newspapers.By Joe Arney
Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm鈥�18)
There鈥檚 a brick paver walkway that crosses 18th Street on the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder campus by the ATLAS Institute. Thousands of pedestrians use it each day, crossing the brick path while cyclists, e-scooters, buses, emergency vehicles and the occasional car wend their way down the street.
鈥淒esign is a powerful tool to make an impact, because then we鈥檙e not telling certain people they鈥檙e functionally not correct. Instead, we鈥檙e saying, how do we create an environment that actually matches the needs of the user?
Elena Sabinson
Director
Neuro D Lab
Is it a crosswalk?
From the description above, you might assume so. But there鈥檚 no signage warning drivers of pedestrian activity, or telling them to stop or yield. And you鈥檒l find none of the striping associated with crosswalks.
鈥淲hen the students describe it, they鈥檙e like, 鈥業t鈥檚 basically Frogger out there,鈥欌€� said Elena Sabinson, an assistant professor of environmental design at CMCI and director of the Neuro D Lab, which explores the intersection of design, neurodiversity, equity and innovation. 鈥淭hat space of ambiguity becomes a place where conflict or confusion happens. The lab looks at how that affects everyone, but especially neurodivergent folks who might rely on clarity and clear signage to understand how to navigate things.鈥�
Neurodivergence has become a global point of conversation as a movement builds to both recognize that each brain functions differently and to better understand how to design products, services, buildings and so on that serve everyone, instead of asking people to conform to the built environment.
鈥淒esign is a powerful tool to make an impact, because then we鈥檙e not telling certain people they鈥檙e functionally not correct,鈥� Sabinson said. 鈥淚nstead, we鈥檙e saying, how do we create an environment that actually matches the needs of the user?鈥�
Elena Sabinson crosses the street in front of the CASE building. While the brick paver walkway looks like a crosswalk, it lacks striping and signage indicating it's safe to cross, which can confuse both pedestrians and drivers. Part of Sabinson's research work involves assessing wayfinding on the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder campus for confusing design cues.
Sabinson is uniquely suited to such challenges. As a PhD student at Cornell University, she was studying self-soothing technologies鈥攅specially in the area of soft robotics, like breathing wall panels that help people regulate their biorhythms during stressful experiences鈥攚hen she received a diagnosis of autism and ADHD.
鈥淭hat changed the trajectory of my research,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 still focusing on emotional well-being, but with this environmental lens of how to create inclusive, accessible products that are centered around self determination, agency and empowerment.
鈥淚 make a choice to say I鈥檓 an autistic-led lab, and I invite this type of conversation in by making that choice, rather than just being an autistic person doing research.鈥�
Bringing students into her lab and giving them opportunities to engage these challenges will, she said, push her to question some of her own assumptions developed after years of working in the field. But it鈥檚 also creating opportunities to potentially reshape the campus, such as the wayfinding project examining features like the ambiguous campus crosswalk.
That work is partially funded by an undergraduate research opportunities program grant issued by the university. Earlier this month, Sabinson鈥檚 work was accepted by EDRA56, the influential conference of the Environmental Design Research Association. She鈥檚 looking forward to presenting it this May, in addition to helping drive conversations around making the campus easier to navigate.
鈥淥ne thing we have as a research lab is access to students who are really engaged and passionate about this work, and who want to take on projects that can鈥檛 always happen in industry, due to timeline and budgetary constraints,鈥� she said.
Another thing she wants through both the lab and her classes is the chance for ideas from industry to influence her students鈥� innovation. In a course she teaches on fidgets and stims, one student created the Cacti Clicker, a plastic cactus with moveable segments. When you twist it, it makes a clicking sound, which isn鈥檛 always acceptable in a work or school setting.
鈥淪o the student redesigned it so some of the spins make noise and some don鈥檛, so you can still get the sensation if you鈥檙e in a crowded space,鈥� Sabinson said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 an example of how we field test these products with people, get feedback鈥攁nd learn to take feedback鈥攖o make their products better.鈥�
It also doesn鈥檛 look like a traditional fidget toy. That鈥檚 also by design鈥攊t just looks like a cactus statue on a desk in Sabinson鈥檚 office.
鈥淎 lot of what I consider in my work, and that we talk about in class, is the social stigma around using a fidget鈥攖hat a lot of people might want to, but they鈥檙e considered to be toys,鈥� she said.
The bigger goal is to eliminate that stigma altogether鈥攂ut in the meantime, she said, this product is an option for people who need it, while 鈥渏ust living on your desk and looking like a decoration.鈥�
Can design help those with neurodivergence be more comfortable in their environments? A new lab is searching for answers.Elena Sabinson demonstrates using an inflatable sensory band in her office. Part of Sabinson's research looks at inflatable surfaces and products that can be used by people managing anxiety to make them more comfortable in their environment.
On White Elena Sabinson demonstrates using an inflatable sensory band in her office. Part of Sabinson's research looks at inflatable surfaces and products that can be used by people managing anxiety to make them more comfortable in their environment. ]]>By Hannah Stewart (Comm鈥�19)
As a kid, Joel Thurman decided that while he didn鈥檛 have the wit or wealth of Batman, he could still train and shoot a bow like the Green Arrow.
Now, as a comic book scholar, Thurman is more interested in the character鈥檚 role as a foster father.
As a long-time Arrow fan鈥攁nd a high school history teacher of 10 years鈥擳hurman thought he鈥檇 research history through comics for his PhD program in media studies. But that focus shifted when he and his wife became foster parents.
鈥淚 was walking with my wife when I had an epiphany: study foster care and superheroes, find those connections and do a history of both,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 absolutely adore the Green Arrow, which since the early 2000s really depicts him as a foster father. I have a completely different appreciation for Green Arrow now than I did, say, five years ago.鈥�
Through his research, Thurman found that the success of superheroes鈥攅specially orphaned ones鈥攔eflect the myth that no matter how bad one鈥檚 situation is, it鈥檚 possible to overcome it. In reality, the myth is just that: Orphans are the least likely to graduate high school and maintain full-time jobs.
鈥淚 want to raise awareness of kids in foster care, and superheroes are a way to break the ice and have those difficult conversations with people who largely don鈥檛 know what the system is like,鈥� he said.
Students in the media studies department at CMCI learn that pop culture is a place where people both tell their own stories while considering and challenging the expectations for how society is supposed to work.
Given how current events and societal shifts鈥攏ot to mention changing perspectives, as new writers shape the voices of iconic characters鈥攊nfluence comic book writing, the medium itself becomes a unique way to examine the attitudes and norms of a given era.
鈥淲e train our students to think about other people and to consider positions of power, networks and social structure. Any of our students should be able to tell the stories of others,鈥� said Rick Stevens, associate professor of media studies and Thurman鈥檚 mentor.
Stevens said that together, they focused Thurman鈥檚 interest in how foster children are represented in comics on how those stories can help people learn about their world.
鈥淗e has passion around some of the characters and stories in this space, but I鈥檓 really glad to see his interests expand beyond just what his desires and likes are,鈥� said Stevens, who also is associate dean of undergraduate education. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 the sign of a good media studies scholar.鈥�
That growing interest now encompasses family dynamics and, even more broadly, industry trends such as readership changes, creator rights and consumer tastes.
鈥淢y research is so unique that, at the moment, I鈥檓 the only one who can write that particular narrative,鈥� he said.
These other branches of research have taken him to conferences beyond Boulder, which he said were incredible opportunities鈥攏ot only to present his work at places like Venice and San Diego Comic-Con, but to meet writers and actors who鈥檝e worked on series such as Batman, Spiderman, Daredevil and, yes, Green Arrow.
His favorite interview, though, was with actor Jon Cryer, who played Lex Luthor in the CW television series Supergirl. Not only did Thurman discover that Cryer is a massive comic book fan himself鈥攈e has a collection of original Marvel comic art that he showed Thurman during their interview鈥攖he pair also bonded over being foster dads.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize we would connect the way that we did, and it was just absolutely fantastic,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly grateful for the opportunities the university has allowed.鈥�
I love teaching and fostering students鈥� ideas. The comic book writing is for me鈥攊t鈥檚 a story I wanted to tell. The academic work is to make a difference."
Joel Thurman
PhD candidate, Media Studies
One such opportunity was meeting CMCI advisory board member (and 鈥渓egend,鈥� in Thurman鈥檚 words) Steven T. Seagle, partner at Man of Action Entertainment. Over dinner, he learned Seagle (Advert鈥�88) got his start from writing comic books while in college.
鈥淚 was like, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 a dream of mine.鈥� And he said, 鈥業f you really want to do it, do what I did: Hire an artist and get it done,鈥欌€� Thurman said.
He now has independently published a horror comic, Disinter, and is working on a sci-fi comic set to come out in April.
鈥淚鈥檓 having so much fun writing comics, but I鈥檒l probably dabble in both academia and comic writing, because I love teaching and fostering students鈥� ideas,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he comic book writing is for me鈥攊t鈥檚 a story I wanted to tell. The academic work is to make a difference.鈥�
Whether in the panels of a comic book or the classroom, Thurman hopes to challenge creators and the community to reconsider how they think about children portrayed in and beyond comic book stories.
鈥淔oster care is completely not discussed in comics, and I think that should change,鈥� he said.
If Thurman is able to change that conversation, it will be at least in part due to his CMCI experiences. Stevens said when it comes to being a voice for the vulnerable, he wants his students 鈥渢o be allies where we can, and to research more than just who we are and what we directly know.鈥�
鈥淛oel is really good at thinking outside himself, asking good questions, and interacting with people who create pop culture and their thought processes,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut he鈥檚 also really good at stepping back and looking at the effects, the structure, the consequences.鈥�
Joel Thurman loves everything to do with comic books鈥攔eading, researching and writing them. As a PhD student, he investigates representations of children and the foster system; and as a writer, he seeks to tell compelling stories.Visit our CMDI resources page for more on the college name and FAQs about the opportunities this change will afford to students and alumni.
By Joe Arney
Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm'18)
Art by Cuauht茅moc Campos
A childhood trek to visit Aztec temples in Mexico was the first time Cuauht茅moc Campos thought about a future in architecture.
It wasn鈥檛 the last.
Long before the first-year landscape architecture student set foot on the University of 欧美口爆视频 Boulder campus, Campos helped his father design a porch and a patio area for their home. Now, in his environmental design courses, he鈥檚 refining those skills and interests to bring his visions to life, from reusing physical space on campus to a design of his name that borrowed from those Aztec ruins that inspired him.
鈥淢ost of the projects we do are hands-on and challenge us to experiment with our creativity,鈥� Campos said. 鈥淏ut also, we do a lot of presentations to prepare us for when we need to talk about our work publicly.鈥�
He said he hopes to further strengthen his communication skills once the environmental design program becomes fully integrated with the College of Media, Communication and Information. On July 1, Campos and his peers will formally become part of CMCI, at which point the college will rebrand itself as the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information, or CMDI.
鈥淚 was a little shocked when I first heard we were becoming part of CMCI,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I feel like the resources we鈥檒l have from being part of the college will add more to what we鈥檙e able to learn, while hopefully introducing CMCI students to what makes ENVD special.鈥�
An important charge for Lori Bergen, founding dean of CMCI, was structuring the integration in a way that added value for ENVD students, alumni, faculty and staff without disrupting the cultures of either entity. As a department within the college, environmental design will be able to retain its identity while benefiting from enhanced and expanded services and networks.
鈥淲hen we created CMCI, we had three concepts that guided our vision鈥攖hink, innovate and create,鈥� Bergen said. 鈥淣ow, as we become CMDI, those principles are just as relevant to our identity. If anything, the intensely hands-on nature of an ENVD education reinforces our mission as a college that brings different, but related, disciplines together, to help us bring interdisciplinary insights to increasingly complex problems.鈥�
Azza Kamal, right, works with a student on a project to refresh the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse.
Faculty and staff from environmental design became part of the college in July 2024, so some collaboration has already begun. Azza Kamal, an associate teaching professor of sustainable planning and urban design, is working with Pat Clark, an assistant professor of critical media practices, to give her students access to the college鈥檚 Immersive Media Lab later this semester.
鈥淚n my studio, we鈥檙e working on a virtual reality/augmented reality model for retrofitting neighborhoods in Denver to comply with green building codes and emission reduction bills, and we鈥檒l use his facility so that students can work on their models, but also to explore and get hands-on with the technology,鈥� Kamal said. 鈥淚 was going to buy the equipment, but then found out Patrick had everything we needed in his lab. And he鈥檚 just amazing鈥攈e works around our schedule, students will have access to the lab 24/7, I couldn鈥檛 ask for more.鈥�
That kind of collaboration is something Stacey Schulte hopes faculty will build on as the players begin to work together.
鈥淣o discipline exists in a vacuum,鈥� said Schulte, director of environmental design. 鈥淚 am excited to see how environmental design will collaborate with communication- and media-related disciplines, and vice versa.
鈥淎s our students continue to create impactful work, they learn how to tell the story of their projects鈥攖he problems their designs are intending to solve, and how those solutions create positive community impact鈥攊n ways that resonate with stakeholders.鈥�
CMCI's emphasis on communication and presentation skills has Ella Seevers excited about environmental design becoming part of the college.
Kamal said she鈥檚 still learning about the players in CMCI who would be good fits for collaboration, 鈥渂ut there is a lot of potential where technology meets storytelling.
鈥淐ommunication has always been a challenge for architecture and planning students鈥攈ow to communicate in lay terms. Helping students to take technical, complex designs and be able to tell a story through them鈥攕o their clients and the public can appreciate their vision鈥攚ill be incredibly helpful in their careers.鈥�
That鈥檚 a need students recognized, as well. Sophomore Ella Seevers, a landscape architecture student, got some professional communication experience last year, when she worked on a project for the city of Boulder and was challenged to make better use of sites along its creek path. Earlier this month, she went on a site tour and presented her vision to city officials and landscape architects working on a pop-up installation for the summer. Hers is one of three student projects that will influence the final design.
鈥淚t was an amazing experience to share our ideas and see that they were actually valued by professional designers who have been doing this for decades,鈥� said Seevers, a teaching assistant in ENVD鈥檚 design studios and a mentor to first-year students. 鈥淪o, I鈥檝e had this opportunity to work with the city already, which is very exciting, because that usually doesn鈥檛 happen with a first-year project.
鈥淚f you can鈥檛 present your design well, and tell other people what you鈥檙e thinking and how it鈥檚 going to be implemented, then you won鈥檛 be a very effective designer,鈥� she said.
Helping students to take technical, complex designs and be able to tell a story through them鈥攕o their clients and the public can appreciate their vision鈥攚ill be incredibly helpful in their careers."
Azza Kamal
Associate Teaching Professor
Environmental Design
While both entities value hands-on learning, critical thinking and creativity, at first glance, it may not be immediately obvious how ENVD and its four majors鈥攁rchitecture, environmental product design, landscape architecture, and sustainable planning and urban design鈥攆it into CMCI. However, 鈥渨hen you think about the stories we hear, tell and watch, environmental design becomes another dimension of the story that we live in,鈥� said Stephanie Marchesi, president of WE Communications, a global integrated communications firm.
鈥淪torytelling is verbal, written and visual鈥攂ut through their environmental designs, these talented individuals are bringing stories to life in 3D,鈥� said Marchesi (Jour鈥�85), who sits on CMCI鈥檚 advisory board. 鈥淭his will be something very defining for the college, because it鈥檚 taking storytelling to new dimensions鈥攍iterally.鈥�
That鈥檚 something faculty in the college are excited to explore in depth.
鈥淢y initial reaction to the news was one of intense joy and excitement over what鈥檚 possible,鈥� said Bryan Semaan, chair of CMCI鈥檚 information science department. 鈥淒esign intersects so many different spaces. Environmental design researchers are looking at many of the same problems and topics as people across CMCI and within our disciplinary communities, but they鈥檙e operating on a scale of how humans will experience and be shaped by the natural and built environments in ways that are important to a sustainable future.鈥�
That could be anything from a database that governs an algorithmic system to the impact of a data center on the environment and people who live nearby.
Elena Sabinson, an assistant professor of environmental design, said an important part of her program鈥檚 culture is recognizing and creating things that match the needs of their users. It鈥檚 something she works on very closely as director of the Neuro D Lab, which studies how design can trigger innovations that support wellbeing and accessibility to those who are neurodivergent.
鈥淚 would say my colleagues in ENVD are interested in bridging those mismatches between the environment and the needs of a user,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I think CMCI is already doing a lot of that in its own way, whether it鈥檚 documentary or information science or any of those spaces.鈥�
Alumni like Christopher Bell (PhDMediaSt鈥�09) are watching to see how the college prepares students for the kinds of challenges he sees at work. Bell, a consultant and president of CreativityPartners LLC, said he鈥檚 excited to see student and alumni collaborations going forward, such as social media managers who can raise money and awareness for life-changing products coming out of environmental design.
鈥淧eople who believe they are 鈥榡ust鈥� technically focused are the people who need the most instruction in communication,鈥� said Bell, also a member of CMCI鈥檚 advisory board and an instructor who teaches courses in screenwriting and cultural studies. 鈥淭hose are the people who need us the most, because they are making arguments and sending messages.
鈥淎rchitecture and city planning are arguments. They鈥檙e arguments about what matters, who matters and doesn鈥檛, how we see ourselves in relation to other people, and what is important to spend resources on. So, who needs to learn about argument more than environmental designers?鈥�
When you think about the stories we hear, tell and watch, environmental design becomes another dimension of the story that we live in.鈥�
Stephanie Marchesi (Jour鈥�85)
CMCI Advisory Board member
Meet the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information.
CMCI and ENVD share a tradition of hands-on learning, a thirst for innovation and a passion for solving problems in ways that move the world. Those shared values will guide them as they join together and CMCI renames itself the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information. Art by Ella Seevers.
On White CMCI and ENVD share a tradition of hands-on learning, a thirst for innovation and a passion for solving problems. Those values will guide them as CMCI renames itself the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information. Art by Ella Seevers. ]]>By Joe Arney
Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm鈥�18)
Back when Bryan Semaan鈥檚 mom had a Facebook account, doomscrolling wasn鈥檛 part of her vernacular.
The Iraqi culture she was raised in compels celebration of accomplishments and milestones, 鈥渟o any time someone posted something, she felt she had to interact with it,鈥� Semaan said. 鈥淭hat personal engagement runs very deeply through our culture.鈥�
But it became exhausting for her to keep up as her network swelled into the hundreds, so she deactivated her account. For Semaan, it鈥檚 a fitting metaphor for his research鈥攚hich challenges the assumptions tech developers make about the users of their products and services. And it鈥檚 the kind of problem he wants to study through the Center for Race, Media and Technology, which the University of 欧美口爆视频 Boulder unveiled in the spring.
鈥淭he people developing these technologies are in Silicon Valley鈥攕o, mostly male, mostly white,鈥� said Semaan, director of the center and an associate professor of information science at CMCI. 鈥淎 lot of the values we bake into these technologies are being forced onto people in different cultures, often creating problems.鈥�
As a first-generation American, Semaan said he identifies with the liminal moments faced by others living between worlds鈥攊mmigrants, veterans, refugees, people of color or Indigenous people鈥攁nd the challenges of adopting to Western societal structures. Technology plays a big part, and the discipline鈥檚 blind spots are a key focus of Semaan鈥檚 research, which asks how these tools can create resilience for people in those liminal moments, such as a climate refugee fleeing disaster or a queer teenager anxious about coming out.
To kick off the center, in March, CMCI welcomed Ruha Benjamin, a professor at Princeton who鈥檚 developed her scholarship around what she calls the 鈥淣ew Jim Code鈥濃€攁 nod to both the Jim Crow laws that enforced segregation and the biases encoded into technology. Benjamin, he said, 鈥渇ocuses on how people consider technology to be a benign thing, when in fact it isn鈥檛鈥攖ech nology takes on the values of those who create it.鈥�
Fortunately, Semaan said, we鈥檙e at a moment when society is recognizing the importance of equity and justice, while seeing technology as a problem, a solution and a thread tying together the great challenges facing humanity鈥攑olitical polarization, disinformation, climate change and so on.
"These bigger challenges are going to require people thinking together at a much grander scale, which means changing how we work.
Bryan Semaan
He鈥檚 optimistic that the Center for Race, Media and Technology will collect the broad perspectives needed to make, as he put it, 鈥渢he intractable problems tractable.鈥�
鈥淲hat I imagine for the center is encouraging collaborations among the experts we bring together,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 really hoping my research direction changes as a result of getting to work with the amazing people I鈥檒l meet.鈥�
If it鈥檚 collaboration he wants to get out of the center, Semaan鈥檚 successes to date have been more about tenacity. Early in his career, he said, some of his colleagues tried to steer him from migrants and veterans, dismissing his interest in making technology equitable as 鈥渁 diversity ghetto.鈥�
That didn鈥檛 deter him鈥攁nd, with the benefit of hindsight, those rejections made him a better scholar.
鈥淚n my research, the people you work with are incredibly vulnerable, or are so busy surviving that they can鈥檛 talk to you,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to be passionate about that work, and prepared for long-tail effort before you make progress.鈥�
The work of the center will be a long game, but if successful, Semaan said, it will put 欧美口爆视频 Boulder at the center of the conversation around purposefully designed technology.
鈥淚t dovetails with the university鈥檚 broader mission around diversity,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just saying we鈥檙e going to increase diversity鈥攊t鈥檚 the issues we are approaching and the support we are building for different scholars across the university. Because these bigger challenges are going to require people thinking together at a much grander scale, which means changing how we work.鈥�
A new center at CMCI is organizing faculty thought leadership to answer big, systemic questions about technology鈥檚 role in issues of social justice.Jordan Campbell takes a selfie after spending more than a week in what he called a 鈥榥ot-so-safe safehouse鈥� that was under attack from Russian forces. Photo by Jordan Campbell.
By Hannah Stewart (Comm鈥�19)
The clouds and clear skies fought for dominance over Kyiv, reflecting the tension on the ground, as Jordan Campbell stepped off the worst bus ride of his life鈥攁 24-hour slog from Krak贸w, Poland, to Ukraine鈥檚 capital.
It was the second of what would be many trips to Ukraine, and the beginning of an ambitious documentary film. Standing at the bus station, weighted under camera
gear and body armor, he considered himself a storyteller.
Now, after three further visits to the front lines, he sees himself as a war journalist.
鈥淚t鈥檚 breaking my heart to see one of my favorite countries being hit like this,鈥� Campbell (Comm鈥�91) said. 鈥淚 was embedded with NGOs, riding around in an ambulance, because I鈥檓 fascinated by humanitarians doing amazing work around the world. And the best thing I can do to serve humanity is go out, tell the stories and come back safe.鈥�
Campbell traversed literal and figurative mountains to become the filmmaker he is today. Climbs in Tibet and Nepal gave him an up-close look at injustice and inequality, awakening a passion for humanitarianism. His work in media鈥攊n a senior communications role with Marmot and as a freelancer for National Geographic鈥攇ave him the tools to tell life-changing stories from across the globe.
鈥淚 was a corporate guy with a love of moonlight journalism,鈥� he said.
In 2011, on assignment for National Geographic in war-ravaged South Sudan, Campbell documented the work of cataract surgeon Dr. Geoff Tabin. Upon returning to the States, he was approached by filmmaker Michael Herbener鈥攚ho is also working on the Ukraine project鈥攚ith the idea of using Campbell鈥檚 footage to make a documentary.
That film, Duk County: Peace Is in Sight in the New South Sudan, went on to win awards and was screened twice at the United Nations.
鈥淭he awards feel good, but I want to connect with the audience and have them feel the same way I felt when I was in the field,鈥� Campbell said. 鈥淭o take it to the United Nations twice, that鈥檚 the stuff that makes me feel like we鈥檙e having an impact.鈥�
The desire for humanitarian impact鈥攃ombined with his experience as a communications professional and visual storyteller鈥攑rompted Campbell to found Ramro Global
in 2019.
Its seven-person advisory council contributes insights into global challenges. Christina Tobias-Nahi, who specializes in the Middle East and North Africa for Ramro, met Campbell in 2018 when she spoke at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder鈥檚 Conference on World Affairs.
She is based in Washington, D.C., and as director of public affairs, research and advocacy for Islamic Relief USA, she often travels to places with mass displacement.
鈥淚 do a lot of advocacy,鈥� she said. 鈥淓verything is so political and contentious, and I admire Jordan鈥檚 willingness to use his voice to change political will in Washington.鈥�
Somewhat unconventionally, Campbell also appoints advisors for issues that demand global attention, which is how Michael Carter鈥攁n expert in the geopolitics of power and energy鈥攃ame to the board.
Carter鈥檚 experience comes from more than 25 years in the energy industry, where he works on issues of transparency and inequity, like lack of access to sustainable power and movement toward a lower-carbon future.
鈥淚t takes a very thoughtful and calm, compassionate mind to look at inequity and do something about it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the essence of what Jordan is trying to accomplish.鈥�
As a business strategist, Carter has helped Campbell develop Ramro Global from concept to company. As an energy expert, he provides unique insight into the humanitarian projects Campbell chronicles.
Jordan puts his life in danger to bring these stories to people. I really admire his bravery.鈥�
Christina Tobias-Nahi
鈥淪ome of the first targets the Russian army hit were the Ukrainian power plants,鈥� Carter said. 鈥淧ower allows us to communicate鈥攅specially through mobile phones鈥攁nd I want to help Jordan communicate his message. He has dedicated himself to humanitarianism.鈥�
Campbell is also dedicated to truth and authenticity, which is why he kept returning to Ukraine despite the rising risk. He hasn鈥檛 shied from documenting the desperation and destruction he saw working alongside Project Konstantin, a front-line medical evacuation team. Last year, when the U.S. Senate hosted a Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum event, Campbell presented a six-minute cut of the film, Ukraine Under Fire. He also met with Ukrainian Embassy staff.
鈥淭here were representatives from 60 countries in attendance who appreciated my testimony because I was an expert witness on what was going on there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a cataract surgeon, I鈥檓 not a pediatric cardiac surgeon. But I鈥檓 a journalist and I鈥檓 a visual storyteller, and I can make some noise and do good things in the world.鈥�
Campbell鈥檚 goal with Ukraine Under Fire is to capture a slice of the war while focusing on themes like democracy, sovereignty and鈥攑erhaps most important鈥攔esilience. He posted a teaser on the company鈥檚 website for public viewing and hopes screenings of the completed film in Washington and throughout Europe will help to further those themes.
鈥淭his can turn into such a bigger conflict,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he scale and scope drew me to the subject. And if you鈥檙e a journalist, you want to capture something, add value鈥攁nd then get out of the way.鈥�
Not only has he been shaken by the devastation while on the front lines, but
the impacts have followed him home: Nearly every place he visited has since been bombed, and he鈥檚 lost friends to the conflict, as well. It has, as he put it, 鈥済otten under my rib cage.鈥�
That鈥檚 only strengthened Campbell鈥檚 commitment to honoring their courage and sacrifice through his film.
鈥淪ome people become the bystanders, and some people become the heroes,鈥� Tobias-Nahi said. 鈥淛ordan puts his life in danger to bring these stories to people, and it gives a face to that humanitarian need. I really admire his bravery.鈥�
To get to the front lines of Ukraine, Jordan Campbell (Comm'91) took the road less traveled鈥攆rom corporate communications to the mountains of Nepal鈥攂efore stepping foot on the streets of Kyiv.William W. White Outstanding Seniors are chosen by department faculty to recognize academic merit, professional achievement and service to the college. The Outstanding Graduate award honors the CMCI student with the highest overall GPA in his or her graduating class.
White, a Boulder native, graduated from 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 School of Journalism in 1933. He was a reporter in Boulder, Denver and New York before becoming the foreign editor of Time from the early 1940s through the mid-1950s, based in London, Brazil and Montreal. At the advice of his friend Edward R. Murrow, who told him 鈥渋t doesn鈥檛 matter what you do, what matters is that you do it where you want to live,鈥� White returned to Boulder, where he started the White and White public relations firm. White and his wife, Connie, established this endowment in 1998.
Meet our graduates and read their stories.
Andrew's advice to students is to try everything and talk to as many people as you can鈥攅specially outside your major. That way, you'll broaden your perspective.
When it comes to impact and being able to make something I鈥檓 proud of, a big part of that is being able to make technology for the people to use it, and make things that people enjoy using and improve their lives. Info places a big emphasis on that."
Lisa started her 欧美口爆视频 career as a computer science major before switching to media production. She said this was one of the best decisions she ever made because through the program, she discovered a passion for photography.
"I learned that keeping your work to yourself because of the fear of not being good enough does no good. If you share your work and receive feedback, you are able to improve your craft and obtain opportunities you otherwise never would have been able to.
Going into college, Elijah's goals for himself were to learn as much as he could and make it to the finish line. He says he's made good on those goals, and this award is an exciting bonus.
Your professors are people just like you. Get to know them鈥攊f you are able to resonate with your professors on a deeper level, you will be much more enriched by the knowledge they have to share."
Bianca is the first CMCI graduate to win outstanding student honors from two different majors. She's now off to a prestigious Ph.D. program.
"What I have is like a wish coming true. You can work very hard and that can still not be enough, and I鈥檝e seen that happen to people around me my whole life.
For Sujei, a first-generation college student, graduating means she's carving a new path for her family.
My community helped foster a place for self-discovery and encouraged me to be unapologetically myself while helping me grow within my values and beliefs."
Nic's CMCI experience in three words: fulfilling, inspired, treasured.
"I will take with me the connections I鈥檝e been able to make with people from so many corners of life. They鈥檝e taught me lessons that I may never have learned without their friendship and mentorship.
William W. White Outstanding Seniors are chosen by department faculty to recognize academic merit, professional achievement and service to the college. The Outstanding Graduate award honors the CMCI student with the highest overall GPA in his or her graduating class.By Iris Serrano
Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm鈥�18)
Sujei Perla Martinez was determined to take charge of her college career in the same way she takes charge of being a role model for her younger brother.
鈥淏efore college, I thought I had everything figured out since I鈥檓 the eldest sister. That couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth,鈥� Perla Martinez said. 鈥淥ver the years, I learned a lot about myself as I overcame many obstacles.鈥�
鈥淢y community helped foster a place for self-discovery and encouraged me to be unapologetically myself while helping me grow within my values and beliefs.鈥�
Sujei Perla Martinez
And she did so in style: She鈥檚 graduating as the William W. White Outstanding Senior for the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design, having completed a degree in strategic communication with an emphasis in media design. The White awards are chosen by CMCI faculty and honor students for their academic accomplishments, professional achievements and service to the college.
Perla Martinez said when it came to overcoming those obstacles, the community she built at CMCI was key, especially the people she met through her countless volunteering experiences and her classes.
Most important was her multicultural leadership scholars cohort, the Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority, and the UMAS y MECHA student group, as well as the classroom.
鈥淢y community helped foster a place for self-discovery and encouraged me to be unapologetically myself while helping me grow within my values and beliefs,鈥� Perla Martinez said.
Her academic and extracurricular achievements were not just due to her hard work. She said she recognizes the efforts of those who came before her who fought for her right to an education鈥攊n particular, her parents.
鈥淕rowing up, I saw my mother work hard jobs to raise my brother and me,鈥� Perla Martinez said. 鈥淓very day, I stand on campus and try my hardest to show my mother that her sacrifice wasn't in vain.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 the first in my family to get a degree. It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but I can finally say we did it.鈥�
The first in her family to graduate college, Sujei is grateful for the family sacrifices that empowered her success.By Joe Arney
Photos by Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm鈥�18)
When Bianca Perez called her mom in the middle of the day to tell her she鈥檇 been accepted to a prestigious doctoral program at one of the nation鈥檚 foremost universities, she expected there might be some tears.
She wasn鈥檛 wrong. But it wasn鈥檛 her mother who cried.
Perez鈥檚 mother, Leyda, was born and raised in Mexico, while her father, Ernesto, came to the United States from Peru. For almost 30 years, they have worked tirelessly at growing Perez Cleaning Services, in Steamboat Springs, in order to provide their daughter with opportunities they couldn鈥檛 imagine鈥攁nd don鈥檛 always understand. When she explained that she was applying to schools to be a doctor, Perez (Comm, MediaSt鈥�24) would clarify 鈥渁 doctor of words,鈥� since her family thought she was maybe interested in a medical career.
Now, as she explained on speakerphone that she was accepted to the PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania鈥檚 prestigious Annenberg School for Communication, in Philadelphia, 鈥渕y mom wasn鈥檛 sure what to make of it,鈥� Perez said. 鈥淚 could tell she was happy because she could hear the excitement in my voice.鈥�
But the client her mother was speaking with when Perez called couldn鈥檛 believe his ears.
What I have is like a wish coming true. You can work very hard and that can still not be enough, and I鈥檝e seen that happen to people around me my whole life.鈥�
Bianca Perez (Comm, MediaSt鈥�24)
鈥淗e was like, 鈥楧id I just overhear that your daughter's going to graduate school at Penn?鈥欌€� she recalled. 鈥淎nd I could hear him start crying, and my mom said to me, 鈥極h, no, I have to go, one of the clients is upset.鈥� But he wasn鈥檛鈥攖he guy went to UPenn for his undergrad, had wanted to go to grad school there but couldn鈥檛, and he was so happy and excited for me.
鈥淚 think for my mom, seeing a random person cry like that and be so joyful, helped her understand just how exciting this was for me.鈥�
It鈥檚 not the first time she鈥檚 had to overcome the barrier separating her lived experiences from those of her parents. But her working-class upbringing鈥攃ombined with her curiosity, care and enthusiasm for working hard鈥攈as already made her a promising scholar in the realm of artificial intelligence and labor.
鈥淚t鈥檚 because of her humble background that she understands that the ability to be in college, to read books and write for a living, is a privilege,鈥� said Sandra Ristovska, an assistant professor of media studies at the College of Media, Communication and Information at the University of 欧美口爆视频 Boulder, and Perez鈥檚 advisor. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unsurprising she鈥檚 interested in questions around technology and labor because she is seeking, through her research, to improve the lives and livelihoods of working-class people, immigrants and people of color.鈥�
Perez studies generative artificial intelligence and labor through the lens of copyright law. In the past year, artists and publishers have sued tech companies that have used copyrighted work to train generative A.I. platforms like ChatGPT, opening up a larger question of how to fairly value labor鈥攏ot just of plaintiffs like J.K. Rowling, Stephen King and The New York Times, but everyday social media users, whose likes and shares train algorithms to better recommend content that keeps people online.
Because that data is disassociated from the users, the labor of whoever generated that data鈥攖hose likes and shares鈥攊s obscured, meaning they can鈥檛 be compensated. And these are, of course, some of the world鈥檚 deepest-pocketed tech companies, whose forays into the development of A.I. are far ahead of gridlocked government regulators and already-alarmed ethicists.
鈥淲e have no way to check these models, even though we鈥檝e all been producing them through our work,鈥� Perez said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a new and complex expansion of wage theft. They鈥檙e taking all our labor and remixing it to make something else鈥攂ut it鈥檚 still our labor. How is that fair?鈥�
That question of what鈥檚 fair is central to Perez鈥檚 identity. Just the time and space to work as hard as she does, she said, is a privilege, especially when in high school she would see other smart, ambitious students fall behind because of work or family commitments.
鈥淚 always feel that there鈥檚 only a few degrees separating me being a migrant daughter who鈥檚 picking cherries, to my being here,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y parents taught me how to work very hard鈥擨 can鈥檛 underscore that enough鈥攂ut what I have is like a wish coming true. You can work very hard and that can still not be enough, and I鈥檝e seen that happen to people around me my whole life.鈥�
Fairness also ties into her related research interest in the exploitation of Black and Latino tech labor鈥攍ike DoorDash drivers during the pandemic, or Amazon warehouse workers toiling in hotter facilities in a warming climate. The combination of her interests has resulted in some unique scholarship that鈥檚 already getting noticed: This summer, Perez will present her thesis at the annual conference of the International Association for Media and Communication Research, in Christchurch, New Zealand鈥攁n honor usually reserved for PhD students and faculty.
Ristovska, her advisor, also attended a prestigious conference as an undergraduate before going on to Annenberg for her PhD, and is excited to see how sharing her work at one of the field鈥檚 most prestigious events influences Perez鈥檚 future work.
鈥淲hat she does is bring the human back to the discourse around A.I. and technology,鈥� Ristovska said. 鈥淗er work makes us think about how human creativity and human engagement are central to the development of A.I., and why it鈥檚 so important we figure out labor protections now, before the technology is even more advanced.鈥�
Perez called Ristovska 鈥渁n incredible influence on me鈥攕omeone who knows how to push me and who has held my hand on this journey, even though we were going uphill sometimes.鈥� Among her mentors, she also counts professors Omedi Ochieng and Danielle Hodge, of the communication department, as well as Rory Fitzgerald Bledsoe, who is pursuing a PhD in media studies; Perez called her first course with Bledsoe the foundational moment of her time at 欧美口爆视频.
Bledsoe recalled Perez for both her insatiable curiosity and her writing talent, which she called 鈥渞efreshing and invigorating in an increasing sea of generic ChatGPT.鈥�
鈥淏ianca will be successful in her PhD for the normal things, like being diligent and curious, but also for her inimitable voice鈥攂oth creative and critical鈥攖hat I have no doubt will contribute to our field and make it better,鈥� Bledsoe said. 鈥淧eople would benefit from being a little more like Bianca, by following your passion until it blooms in full force.鈥�
鈥淗er work makes us think about how human creativity and human engagement are central to the development of A.I., and why it鈥檚 so important we figure out labor protections now, before the technology is even more advanced.
Sandra Ristovska, assistant professor, media studies
Perez鈥檚 focus wasn鈥檛 always so direct. She arrived at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder thinking she鈥檇 major in media production, given her interest in documentary filmmaking, but after exploring different paths, arrived at her current combination after briefly considering information science. At commencement, she was honored as the William W. White Outstanding Senior for both communication and media studies, the first time a student has been recognized by two departments. The White awards are chosen by CMCI faculty and honor students for their academic accomplishments, professional achievements and service to the college.
鈥淢y different majors helped me discover different frameworks of thinking about the topics I was interested in, which has helped me think about my research more critically,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 always a specific lesson I was taught, but professors like Dr. Hodge showed me to think about whether what I鈥檓 working on actually speaks to the community鈥攁nd you do that by speaking with that community.鈥�
It鈥檚 a new twist on what Perez said is the most important lesson she learned at home.
鈥淭he best thing my parents taught me was to actually care about what you鈥檙e doing鈥攖o show up for others when it matters,鈥� she said. 鈥淢aybe cleaning is trivial to some people, but their business is pretty exceptional in our town, and it鈥檚 because they care very much for their reputation and the people they serve.鈥�
That鈥檚 why her mentor is convinced Perez will make her CMCI professors proud years after she has graduated.
鈥淲hether she chooses an academic career or the policy realm, I really think she鈥檒l make the world a better place, because her commitment to justice is ingrained in her,鈥� Ristovska said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so excited for what comes next for her.鈥�
A CMCI graduate鈥檚 working-class upbringing has given her a unique perspective on tech, wage theft and exploitation, which she鈥檚 bringing to an Ivy League doctoral program.