communications

This meteorology student’s summer internship was a breeze

Shayla Brown — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 17:30:21 +0000

This meteorology student’s summer internship was a breeze Shayla Brown Fri, 08/23/2024 - 13:30

For rising senior Hanna “Bell” Tucker, an internship with the FOX 5 News Weather Department was a long shot.

“As a meteorology student, it was hard to find a media-based internship,” said the ��AV atmospheric sciences major. “[In my field] it’s mostly researching and working with data, so trying to find a position where I’d get experience with both my major and communications was really difficult.”

Many of the internship job descriptions specified that they were looking for journalism majors, said Tucker, but she was not deterred.

Tucker was eventually interviewed by FOX 5’s human resources director Murphy Baker and two weeks later was told that she had been accepted for the internship position. She has spent her summer in the Bethesda, Maryland, news studio gaining experience as a weather personality.

“I’m the only meteorology major, but they've been really helpful in showing me what to do. You just really have to take initiative there and ask questions about how you can contribute,” said Tucker, who transferred to George Mason from Liberty University.

Tucker said the College of Science course CLIM 301 Weather Analysis and Prediction, taught by Bohua Huang, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences, helped her prepare for the responsibilities of her internship.

The course has two parts—a lecture session and a lab session. The lab simulation led by Professors Zafer Boybeyi and Steve Zubrick was another important resource, said Tucker.

“We would do presentations where we would screenshot the models to predict and describe the weather for the week and present them to our peers in the lab,” said Tucker. “I'd say that was my most useful experience in regards to going into broadcast meteorology.”

Bell Tucker at the FOX 5 DC studio interning as a weather personality with Tucker Barnes. Photo provided.

Zubrick, who was previously a senior meteorologist and experienced weather forecaster with the National Weather Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, was able to provide great insight for Tucker as she prepared to apply for internships.

“The student-led weather briefing is a major part of the lab sessions, where students lead a weather discussion with the whole class,” said Huang.

“Students learn how communicate information of weather analysis and forecasts through presentation and discussion. Weather briefing and discussion is a daily practice in many weather forecast offices, so this is great training for students in the atmospheric sciences major,” he said.

“I love attending George Mason, especially because of the people that I’ve met and the [Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences] Department,” said Tucker.

“The biggest lesson I've learned is to try to be confident,” she added. “I put myself out there, and if I hadn’t, I would’ve never gotten this opportunity. I think just by taking small steps and putting yourself out there, it could take you a long way.”

Check out Atmospheric, Oceanic & Earth Sciences at George Mason

Topics

internships

Atmospheric Oceanic and Earth Sciences

New lab gives students access to best practices for writing, communication

Shayla Brown — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 17:24:16 +0000

New lab gives students access to best practices for writing, communication Shayla Brown Tue, 11/08/2022 - 12:24

In This Story

Heidi Y. Lawrence

Shelby Broberg, Susan Lawrence, Melissa Broeckelman-Post, and Heidi Lawrence Photo by John Boal

The Lab for Writing and Communication, like many other great creations, is the result of a group of dedicated people asking the question ‘what if?’

“That was the beginning of our vision,” said Susan Lawrence, director of the Writing Center and associate professor at ��AV. “What if the Writing Center and the Comm Center were in one place?” she asked with Melissa Broeckelman-Post, professor and basic course director of the Communication Department.

“Very soon thereafter, Heidi [Lawrence] came along and said ‘what if we build a research engine into this?’”

The lab, on the second floor of the Johnson Center, hosted a grand opening on Nov. 2.

“The primary function of what happens here is the writing consultation and the communication consultations for the students,” said Heidi Lawrence, associate professor of English. “It’s a space for them to bring projects, questions, future goals and aspirations and for them to workshop those pieces with consultants.

The Communication Center primarily focuses on helping students with speeches and oral presentations and the Writing Center focuses on written projects.

“The ultimate goal as we grow is to serve every student in the university,” said Communication Center consultant Sarah Strunk, a senior in film and video studies.

“Sharing our space makes things more active because we’re all together,” said Alice Christensen, a junior anthropology major and Writing Center consultant.

Writing Center consultants Laura Pixley and Shelby Rothberg describe the Lab’s services to a guest at the open house Photo by John Boal

“I can talk to a communication consultant and get some strategies that I wouldn’t be able to get from another writing center consultant, because that’s not part of our bubble, but I can learn from them and they can learn from us,” Christensen said.

Susan Lawrence and Shelby Broberg work together to help the center run and to help students, whether they’re working on written or oral communication goals, said Strunk.

Broberg, director of the Communication Center, joined the program in May.

“It just makes sense to have the Writing Center and Comm Center together because the things that we do work well together,” said Broberg. “There are times when we refer people to them in the middle of a session or they refer their clients to the Comm Center.”

Clients of the Lab for Writing and Communication get 30- to 45-minute consultations. Walk-ins are also accepted if a consultant is free at the time.

All consultants have standard university trainings as well as professional development throughout the year focusing on an array of topics, such as balancing the student communicators’ individual goals and learning preferences with best practice to shape a session that works well for the student, said Christensen.

“We talk through specific scenarios to get them thinking about how to work with different types of students,” said Ivan Moore, the Lab’s accessibility specialist, who assists in consultant education.

“The big thing we want to focus on when we’re consulting is transfer of knowledge,” said Christensen. “I want this student to leave better equipped to help themselves, so they don't have to keep coming back to me for help.”

“When students talk to a knowledgeable peer about their writing project, the disciplinary learning—the learning about the subject matter—gets deeper,” Susan Lawrence remarked. “It’s about the writing, but it’s not only about the writing. In consultations, students explore and scrutinize their ideas more fully, and I wish more people knew that.”

Communication Center consultant Fadzi Sambana tells guest Raymond Davis about the Lab and its services Photo by John Boal

In addition to housing consultations with student communicators, the lab is a site for research. Heidi Lawrence noted that “We want to make research opportunities available to our student consultants, and we want to apply the knowledge we’re building here with community partners, and to bring that expertise from the community back into the lab.”

“We want to help students empower themselves through their own language use,” said Susan Lawrence. “That is what we’re about.”

To book an appointment, use the online scheduler to login or register, and gain access to the calendar to see which consultants are available at certain times. Meeting options include in-person, Zoom sessions, or written feedback. Clients have access to consultant bios in order to see who might be the best fit for their academic needs.

Topics

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Nathan Crawford

rstaffo2 — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 19:09:16 +0000

Nathan Crawford rstaffo2 Fri, 04/16/2021 - 15:09

"[With] so many different ways to define success here at Mason, you are able to find your own success, which makes for a worthwhile college experience.”

Nathan Crawford, Honors College Communications graduate, 2020

Nathan Crawford knew he wanted to work in broadcast journalism and digital media ever since the summer of 2007.

“I remember turning on The Today Show when I was ten years old and immediately becoming mesmerized by the sights and sounds of a television studio,” says Crawford, who majored in Communication with a double concentration in Journalism and Media Production here at George Mason.

Photo provided.

Now an alumnus, Crawford still loves the world of journalism, specifically when it comes to highlighting the stories of those around him.

“Storytelling is at the heart of journalism,” explains Crawford. “This world is one of true amazement and awe if only we take [the] time to look for [stories] like a journalist.”

Crawford had the opportunity to strengthen his passion for media through courses directly related to his interests, like HNRS 110: Principles of Research and Inquiry, which was one of his favorite courses within the Honors College.

“I never thought that I [could] do academic-based research for my major, and this class proved me wrong,” says Crawford, who researched “how social media affects political marketing towards millennials in presidential elections.” Crawford took HNRS 110 during the Fall 2016 semester, conducting his research during the last few months of the 2016 presidential election. The timing of his research allowed Crawford to observe how politics and media affect one another in real-time. “It was a unique opportunity to see how social media played a role in getting millennials involved in the political process.”

Beyond the classroom, Crawford wore many hats across the university, including working for the Office of Admissions and Integrated Enrollment Marketing and on the Honors College Communications Team. In both those roles, Crawford was able to thrive as an individual and learn how to manage social media – almost by accident. “When I first started doing social media, it was by chance,” he explains, but “it was a very important and helpful stepping stone to launch me into where I really want to be.”

He also gave back to the Mason community by helping freshmen navigate college as a Resident Assistant for Housing and Residence Life and was an active member of numerous student organizations, such as the Honors College Recruitment Team and Society of Professional Journalists. One organization that is dear to him is the Mason Ambassadors, a group of students who give tours to prospective Mason families and provide aid for the university’s open house events, under the Office of Admissions.

Crawford joined the Mason Ambassadors his first semester as a student and served as the organization’s president his senior year. He considered it a great honor to “[oversee] the amazing 130 tour guides and see the impact they all have on future Patriots and their families.”

Honors College alumnus Nathan Crawford smiling for the camera during his summer internship with CNN, one step closer to reaching his ultimate dream. Photo provided.

Crawford knows firsthand the unique opportunities that Mason offers to its students. During the summer of 2019, he was able to fulfill a lifelong dream when he was offered an internship with the Cable News Network (CNN) in Washington, D.C. The budding journalist worked on video packages for CNN Newsource, the network’s affiliate service which provides global coverage for events through media partnerships worldwide. Some of the events that Crawford helped to produce coverage for included the 75th D-Day Commemoration and Robert Mueller’s congressional hearings on Capitol Hill.

For Crawford, making these lasting memories is an important aspect of college, along with getting an education. “Combining the two can often times be challenging, but so worth it,” Crawford emphasizes.

Now an Honors College graduate, Crawford is still juggling multiple responsibilities – and staying in touch with the Mason community. He is currently attending graduate school for a master’s degree program in Strategic Communications at his alma mater, in addition to working full-time in the Norfolk Newsroom at WAVY-TV 10 (NBC News) as a Digital Content Producer. In his new role, Crawford works with reporters and community members to build stories and publish digital content online.

“For me, this has been a lifelong dream in the making. I am really excited to do what I’ve wanted to do for my whole life.”

The work he did in the Honors College help set him up for that success. With the belief that each person is their own best advocate, Crawford encourages all students to “take advantage of the resources” that Mason provides.

“There are so many unique academic and social resources for [students] here on campus, most of which are free of charge,” says Crawford. “[With] so many different ways to define success here at Mason, you are able to find your own success, which makes for a worthwhile college experience.”

His best piece of advice: “Understand what you want and do everything you can to chase that dream.”