Auburn University became one of the first universities to have its own social networking Web site last week with the launch of "Auburn Family," a site designed to inform and connect current and prospective students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents and fans.

The site, which can be accessed at http://family.auburn.edu, allows users to manage their personal profile, upload Auburn-related photos, blogs and videos, set status updates and communicate with other members via their "comments wall" or direct messaging. The network also features current news stories about Auburn University from students' perspectives.

"It's the Facebook model taken to a different level," said Auburn's director of communications, Mike Clardy. "In addition to the interactive features, Auburn Family gives us the opportunity to place the Auburn story directly before those who want to read it. Prospective students, in particular, want to read more about the campus experience, and this network allows them to do that." Robert French, a public relations instructor, worked in cooperation with Auburn's Office of Communications and Marketing to develop the network. Each week, students in French's "Style and Design in Public Relations Messages" course write, blog and produce videos about news and events happening in Auburn's 13 schools and colleges. "For the students, it's a valuable learning experience," French said. "For the university, it's valuable to show this is a class, telling the Auburn story and we want you to participate.'" In addition to the students' featured stories, the site has a calendar of Auburn events and feeds of official Wire Eagle and This Week at Auburn headlines. The network, which was created using the social platform Ning, is visible to all, but those wishing to contribute must register.

John Roberson, a senior in public relations who is taking French's class, said he is glad the site will give him the opportunity to have his articles viewed by the public. "I think it's particularly good for alumni and fans," Roberson said. "It gives them an opportunity to feel more connected to the university."

The College of Liberal Arts is pleased to announce four new chairs in the departments of Music, Communication and Journalism, English, and Philosophy. They are Sara Lynn Baird, Music; Margaret Fitch-Hauser, Communication and Journalism; Jim Ryan, English, and Michael Watkins, Philosophy.

Sara Lynn Baird earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Florida State University, a Master of Music in Voice Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, and a Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis on Choral Conducting from Florida State University. Her previous position was Interim Dean of the College of Music and Dramatic Arts at Louisiana State University. Baird also served as Associate Dean for the College of Music and Dramatic Arts from 1998-2007 and Director of Graduate Studies from 2005-2007. Baird served as President for Southern Division ACDA and on the National Board from 2005- 2007.

Margaret Fitch-Hauser earned a bachelor's degree in English and Communication and a master's degree in Communication from Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas, and a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. For the past 20 years, she has taught Public Relations at Auburn University. During that time, the program has progressed from offering only two PR classes to being one of two accredited PR programs in the state of Alabama. She was chair of the Department previously from 1993-1996, and served as Acting Head of the Department from 1991 - 1993. In 2007, she received the International Listening Association Research Award, 2007 and the College of Liberal Arts Teaching Excellence Award in Communication and Social Science, 2004-2005.

Jim Ryan earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied English, political science, and urban life. He later earned a doctorate in early American literature from UNC-Chapel Hill. His current teaching and research fields are in early American Literature and interdisciplinary American Studies. For his work with undergraduate and graduate students at AU, he received the College of Liberal Arts Early Career Teaching Award (2004).

Michael Watkins earned a bachelor's degree in Sociology and a master's degree in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He received his doctorate degree in Philosophy from The Ohio State University and has been faculty in the Department of Philosophy at Auburn since 1994. Watkins is currently a Lanier Professor and was recently inducted to the College of Liberal Arts' Academy of Teaching and Outstanding Teachers.

Carrie Williams, a senior majoring in Radio, Television and Film, recently received a regional Emmy for her work on the student-produced show, "NBC Interns." (pictured above, Williams, second from right, with the Emmy and the four other interns)

The National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Williams and the four other interns involved with the show the Emmy for "Outstanding Achievement in Student Production." The group received their honors during the 51st Emmy Awards held in June in Washington, D.C.

"When I found out 'NBC Interns' won an Emmy, I was in absolute shock. I was driving home to D.C. from Auburn at the beginning of summer and got the e-mail on my phone. I made my Mom pull off the side of the road so I could tell her, and I just cried. I could not even believe it," Williams recalls.

Williams was joined by interns Drake Booth of Towson University, Eduard Tabaku of Syracuse University, Ryan Cole of Howard University, and Cheryl Glanville of the University of the District of Columbia. Williams said the five worked tirelessly together to develop, implement and edit the show.

"'NBC Interns' was not an overnight process to say the least," Williams said. "There were many hours that went into the brainstorming and pre-production process."

After pitching several ideas to NBC executives without success, the group discovered that a reality-based comedy focusing on the five interns and their real-life challenges to produce a show for NBC was exactly what they were looking for.

"The executives at NBC loved the show idea and the rest sort of fell into place," Williams said.

Excited to have found an intriguing concept, the interns now had to write, produce, edit and star-in the show.

"Every week, we would script out each show, pitch the rough plot outline to NBC, begin shooting our scenes in NBC's studios as well as all throughout the Washington D.C. region. After we had all of the footage, we began the editing process," Williams remembers. "The interns and myself would be in the editing studios all day and night before our show was due that Friday at 9 a.m. Literally, sleep was not an option during this internship. We knew what had to be done, we knew if we stuck with it something great would come from our hard work... and sure enough, it did!"

The show generated enough buzz to have the Network Executives from New York City visit them to look at the group's show and decided to give them their own Web site, and even syndicated "NBC Interns" to air after an episode of Saturday Night Live.

Williams describes her experience with the show as "life-changing" and an amazing learning experience. To learn more about the Emmy and the category, click here.

"Winning the Emmy reinforced the idea that passion, perseverance and hard work will always be rewarded at some point in your life," Williams said, "Even if it seems impossible at the moment."

The CLA Student Services Center (this includes all Advisor and Administrative offices) is moving to 321 Tichenor Hall. We hope to be open for advising in our new offices on Aug. 26. We will be closed on the afternoon of Aug. 21 and all day Aug. 24 and Aug. 25 in order to make the move. Please keep checking your email for updates--as with all moves, there may be some last minute changes to the schedule.

The Department of Communication and Journalism will also be moving back to Tichenor. Please look for more information from the Department.

The Department of Communication and Journalism will host a group of up to 20 students from Alabama and Georgia high schools in a summer workshop during which students will gain hands-on experience in journalism and other communications fields.

CLA Engaged Scholar Dr. Nan Fairley will serve as co-director of the seventh annual workshop. This year, the workshop will be held Sunday, June 14, through Friday, June 19. During their weeklong visit to Auburn, students will have opportunities to work closely with communications professionals and professors, take field trips and interact with staff members from the university's campus newspaper and radio station. Registration, room and board are free to selected participants. Students will stay in a campus residence hall with college-age chaperones.

Any undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at Auburn University is eligible to submit a video. Only one video may be entered per person or group.

$500 will be awarded to the creator(s) of the video selected as the first place winner. The creator(s) of the second and third place videos will receive $250 and $150, respectively. Prize money is sponsored by Auburn University's College of Liberal Arts.
The three winning videos will also be showcased on the CLA website.

To submit a video, upload your video on YouTube and then email its url to Christa Slaton, Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at ccepc@auburn.edu. Emails must be sent from an Auburn University email account. Please type "CLA YouTube Contest" in the subject line of your email, and include in the body of the email the names of the person, persons, or group submitting the video. The College of Liberal Arts will make your video available for viewing on the contest website. You will receive confirmation email from the College of Liberal Arts indicating that your video entry has been received.

In the event that you are unfamiliar with how to upload a video to YouTube, directions are available at http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=57931.

Videos need to be between one and five minutes in length.

The deadline for submitting videos is March 27, 2009. Videos received after the deadline cannot be considered.

Between April 1 and April 5, students are invited to vote for their favorite contest video by sending an email to Christa Slaton, Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at ccepc@auburn.edu. Emails must be sent from an Auburn University email account. Please type "Vote CLA YouTube" in the subject line of your email and indicate the title of the favorite video in the email's body. Only one vote per person will be tallied.

Videos will be judged by members of the College of Liberal Art's Civic Engagement Planning Committee. Videos will be judged based on the five criteria outlined below:

• Relevance to the contest theme
• Extent to which the video provokes productive reflection, discussion, debate, and/or critique regarding civic responsibility as a feature of learning and living at Auburn University
• Creativity
• Originality
• Number of student votes

Contest winners will be notified via email on April 10, 2009.

View the Video Entries

• Submitted by Amanda Morris
• Submitted by Ashley Nunn
• Submitted by John Anderson
• Submitted by Griffin Limerick and John Collins
• Submitted by Jillian Clair
• Submitted by Mallory Rice

Hollie Lavenstein's film "Just Act Normal" has been accepted to the 31st annual Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. The festival is Jan. 30 to Feb. 7 in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

The film is about a man's descent into disorientation.

The festival by the numbers:
More than 4,000: Number of films submitted
76: Total number of films accepted
4: U.S. Films accepted
1: Amazing filmmaker!!

Hollie Lavenstein, Assitant Professor in Communication and Journalism, makes short films in both the experimental and narrative traditions. Her films have screened and won awards at various festivals and venues including: The Chicago International Film Festival, Slamdance, The Seattle International Film Festival, AFI Fest, South By Southwest Film Festival, The Black Maria Film Festival, The Sundance Channel, and The Corcoran Museum of Art. Her current project, Directions to the Peace Pagoda, is a short narrative film based on poems by Pulitzer Prize winning poet James Tate.

Among those receiving awards were Daniel Butler, the Thomas Walter Professor of Technology Management and associate professor of marketing in the College of Business, and Steven Kincaid, alumni professor of anatomy, physiology and pharmacology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Both received the Gerald and Emily Leischuck Endowed Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching. Rex Dunham, alumni professor of fisheries and allied aquacultures in the College of Agriculture, was presented with the Creative Research and Scholarship Award. Chris Rodger, the Scharnagel Professor of Mathematical Sciences in the College of Sciences and Mathematics, received the Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach. Recipients of this year's Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Awards were Kelly Bryant, associate professor of industrial design in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction; Joey Shaw, professor in agronomy and soils in the College of Agriculture; and Ed Williams, professor in communication and journalism in the College of Liberal Arts.

Awards were also presented to the 2008 Alumni Professors: Susan Brinson, professor in communication and journalism in the College of Liberal Arts; Steve Duke, associate professor of chemical engineering in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering; Dan Givens, associate professor in pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine; John Saye, professor of curriculum and teaching in the College of Education; and Joey Shaw, professor in agronomy and soils in the College of Agriculture. Bernhard Kaltenboeck, professor of veterinary microbiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, received the Distinguished Graduate Faculty Lectureship. Complete details.

Ed Williams joined the Auburn University faculty in the fall of 1983 after a career with weekly and daily newspapers in Alabama, including The South Alabamian in Jackson, Ala. (reporter), The Montgomery Advertiser (state editor), The Brewton Standard (editor), and The Andalusia Star-News (editor). In 1992, he was selected as the teacher of the year in the College of Liberal Arts, and in 2003 he was inducted as a charter member to the Academy of Teaching and Outstanding Teachers in the College of Liberal Arts. Williams served as faculty adviser to The Auburn Plainsman from 1985 to spring 2008. During those 23 years, Auburn University's campus newspaper earned 13 Pacemaker Awards-considered the Pulitzer Prize in college journalism. Only one other college newspaper in the United States has been awarded more Pacemakers than The Auburn Plainsman. When Williams stepped down as Plainsman adviser in spring 2008 and to celebrate completion of his 25th year on the Auburn journalism faculty, he announced the creation of The King Edsel (Ed) Williams Jr. Endowment for Scholarships to provide funds for journalism students who are members of The Auburn Plainsman staff. In 1997, Williams wrote a book, The Press of Alabama: A History of the Alabama Press Association to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the APA.

Ed Williams has also been chosen as a recipient of the College Media Advisers' 2008 Distinguished Adviser Award. The award is a national honor given to advisers who have provided exemplary service to their institutions and students who also subscribe to and operate under the College Media Advisers' Code of Ethics. Williams received recently the award at the group's October convention in Kansas City.

Susan Brinson researches two aspects of the history of radio and television broadcasting in the United States. The first focuses on the politics of broadcast regulation, particularly Federal Communications Commission decisions between 1940-1965. A current project analyzes the FCC's national security/defense activities during World War II and the Cold War, which is a follow-up to a previous project on the impact of anti-Communist politics on FCC decision making during the same time period. This research extends our understanding of the influence of politics on government regulation of broadcasting, whether through decisions about who may own a station or the content that may be broadcast, to the ways in which broadcasting is used to protect political ideologies. She also researches the role of women in broadcasting during the 1940s-1950s. We know about the celebrities (Lucille Ball, Gracie Allen, etc.), but we know far less about the women who worked as government regulators, corporate executives, technicians/engineers, writers, producers, directors, and programmers. Thus, a current project explores women's employment in the radio industry during WWII.