Media in the Mix

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communication at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture.

Today, we look back at guests Pallavi Kumar and Isis Amusa!  On this episode of Media in the Mix, we look back at everything SOC3. SOC3 Provides opportunities to students for hands-on learning while also giving them course credit and compensation. In other words, it's true real-life work experience in the communications world! 

⁠Pallavi Damani Kumar⁠ is a full-time professor in American University’s School of Communication and the former Division Director for the Public Communication division. Prior to teaching full time, Kumar gained more than 20 years experience in the public relations industry having worked as a vice president in FleishmanHillard's social marketing practice in Washington, DC, a vice president/account supervisor in Ketchum's healthcare practice in New York as well as associate director of international public relations at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in Philadelphia. She began her career in environmental communication at Ruder-Finn in Washington, DC.

Kumar co-authored the ninth edition of Public Relations Case Studies published by Cengage. Her articles and commentary have appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today and PRWeek. In 2015, she received the Outstanding Service to the University Community from American University. PRWeek named her to the 2017 Global Power Book - a list of the world’s most influential PR professionals. She was most recently profiled in a chapter of the book Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership published by the PRSA Foundation and Museum of PR. She graduated magna cum laude from American University with a degree in public affairs and public communication. She received her master’s degree in public relations/corporate communications from Georgetown University.

⁠Isis Amusa⁠ is (an SOC Alumna now!) who double-majored in journalism and justice & law. She is a queer Black social justice storyteller working in communications and was the Creative Strategist at SOC3. As a journalist, she has worked to uplift the stories of social justice activists as they ameliorate the threats upon undocumented immigrants' educational attainment and DACA, failing educational supports for incarcerated women, Black professorial exodus and performative antiracism in private white higher education, and most recently, food insecurity among college-aged youth. In her current roles, she communicates on behalf of Black farmers and food justice organizers, organizes for Black food sovereignty and Black land stewardship, and cultivates SOC3’s digital face to promote its history, aims, and client projects.

Visit ⁠⁠https://soc3change.com/ ⁠⁠ to learn more about this program and how you can get involved! 

Visit this link to apply for next semester: 

⁠https://www.american.edu/soc/experiential-learning/storytelling-for-changemaking.cfm⁠  

Follow SOC3 on social media ⁠@soc3change⁠! 

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communications at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture.

Trace Dominguez is an award-winning science communicator, video producer, content creator, podcaster and researcher. He graduated from American University in 2010 with his Master's in Public Communication where he wrote a capstone on the "Self-Efficacy of YouTube Comments for Political Interaction," relating specifically to commenters who submitted questions to President Obama during the 2010 State of the Union. He has written over 1,000 videos for award winning and top ranked Facebook and YouTube channels. He primarily focuses on quantum mechanics, astronomy, psychology, engineering and agriculture. Dominguez produces content for clients including CuriosityStream, Nebula, SMART and PBS Digital Studios. He has collaborated with the Obama White House, The US Air Force, Toyota, Boeing, Skillshare and more. Trace has also hosted, written or produced for PBS Television, Discovery Channel, Science Channel, TBD Network, Seeker, Amazon Prime, YouTube originals, and other networks across the globe.

To listen to Trace's podcast "That's Absurd, Let's Elaborate", visit this link: https://thatsabsurdshow.com/

To donate to American University's School of Communication, visit this link: ⁠https://giving.american.edu/

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communications at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture.

Irina is a passionate, strategic marketing executive with over 17 years of experience. Her career has spanned a wide range of industries including consumer and B2B technology, media & entertainment, CPG, alcohol/spirits, financial services, healthcare and pro bono social/political issues she is dedicated to supporting.  

She has led numerous high-impact, 360-degree campaigns for the world's largest companies (e.g., Amazon/Ring, Hulu, Intel, Microsoft, BMW, Toyota, Procter & Gamble, Nestle) in the world's biggest forums (e.g., Super Bowl, Olympics), building business and integrating messaging into pop culture. Fun fact: Irina helped develop Nestle’s first-ever Super Bowl spot for launch of Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups.  

In her current role at Amazon, Irina leads strategic campaign development for brand and promotional initiatives for Ring in addition to creative marketing operations.  

Irina is a former ballerina turned avid runner and yogi. She and her husband live in Los Angeles with their three cats: Calypso, Houdini and Helios.

Timestamps:

(00:00)- Introduction to Irina

Check out Irina's LinkedIn page to learn more:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinagilbertson/

To donate to American University's School of Communication, visit this link:
https://giving.american.edu/

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communications at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture.

David Ruck has told the stories of conservationists, aspiring astronauts, front-porch philosophers, underprivileged families in Baltimore, native Americans on the Olympic Peninsula, and shipwreck hunters of the Great Lakes. He's also made it a mission to help small businesses reach new customers, universities educate budding filmmakers, middle school teachers connect their students with mentors, and political candidates get more votes. All of this done with a camera, a computer, and the ability we all now have to reach an audience in the age of information.  

Grace Eggleston is a documentary filmmaker based in Washington, D.C. Originally from Michigan, she is particularly passionate about water conservation issues in the Great Lakes Basin and beyond. She loves telling stories that explore the ties between people and their environment. Grace works as a freelance cinematographer and editor for a wide range of production companies and nonprofits, focusing mostly on documentary projects. She earned her MFA from American University’s Center for Environmental Filmmaking and is a University of Pittsburgh alumna. She loves to collaborate with scientists, artists, and other filmmakers who are passionate about conserving our planet and exploring the intersection of art and the natural world.

"The Erie Situation", was David Ruck's idea for a documentary about a Great Lake gone bad after Ruck, president of Great Lakes Outreach Media, partnered with the Ocean Conservancy to chronicle NOAA’s use of buoys to monitor conditions on the eastern end of the lake, where the blooms migrate after they die, compromising the drinking water in places like Cleveland. One of the engineers who oversees the network of buoys encouraged Ruck to head to Toledo to learn what was causing the yellow tap water in Forest City. Eight months and 110 hours of footage later, Ruck needed an editor. Maggie Burnette Stogner, executive director of SOC’s Center for Environmental Filmmaking, connected him with Grace Eggleston, SOC/MA ’21, who was looking for a thesis project after COVID yelled “cut” on her film about the threats posed to the Great Lakes by Asian carp. Listen as they work together to navigate a documentary project during COVID!

To donate to American University's School of Communication, visit this link:
https://giving.american.edu/

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communications at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture.

On this episode, welcome School of Communications’ decorated professor; Claudia Myers. Claudia teaches  classes such as Advanced Directing, Advanced Screenwriting, and Directing Actors for Camera. Leading a double life outside the SOC building, Claudia was named one of "10 Filmmakers to Watch" by Independent Magazine in 2015. Most recently Claudia wrote and directed ABOVE THE SHADOWS, a supernatural drama starring Olivia Thirlby, Alan Ritchson, Jim Gaffigan, and Megan Fox. The film opened the 2019 Brooklyn Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature and was released theatrically last summer by Gravitas Ventures, and is now streaming on Hulu. Other projects include FORT BLISS; starring Michelle Monaghan, Ron Livingston & Pablo Schreiber, KETTLE OF FISH with Matthew Modine and Gina Gershon, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won a Nickelodeon Screenwriting Award, & THE LONG ROAD BACK, a documentary about the military community. As a filmmaker Claudia has won numerous awards, was twice a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and is an alum of the Hamptons Screenwriters Lab.

Claudia takes us through the status of directors, filmmakers, the pandemic (or endemic?) and where all responsibilities stand, have changed, or will change in the future. In addition, she breaks down the different classes she teaches at American University, their importance and how they can be used to shape your directing career earlier than you think! 

To donate to American University's School of Communication, visit this link:
https://giving.american.edu/

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communication at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture! Our special guest today is Derek McGinty! 

Derek McGinty is an SOC Alumni, journalist, an award-winning interviewer and a commentator. He got his first job on the air back in 1984 at WHUR radio in Washington DC. From there he went to WAMU-FM where he launched a nationally syndicated daytime talk show on NPR. By the end of the century, he’d been a correspondent on the CBS broadcast Public Eye with Bryant Gumbel and HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

After two years in New York as anchor of ABC’s World News Now and World News This Morning, it was back to his hometown of Washington DC to anchor WUSA’s fledgling 7pm local newscast!

Check out Derek's website here:
http://derekmcginty.com/
To donate to American University's School of Communication, visit this link:
https://giving.american.edu/

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communication at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture! Our special guest today is SOC Alumna, Jen Tanner, VP of Brand Partnerships at RCA Records!

Jen Tanner graduated from American University in 2012 where she studied Public Relations with a double minor in Music and Spanish. She received her Master’s Degree in Music Business after graduating from AU at New York University in New York City. She fiercely began her career with internships at MGS Communications, Sirius/XM Radio, the 9:30 Club, DBC PR + New Media and RCA Records, where she went from a Strategic Marketing Intern to current Vice President of Brand Partnerships in the last 10 years. In 2022 alone, she was named on Billboard’s “40 Under 40” as well as Variety’s “Hollywood New Leader” lists. As a bilingual professional, Jen continues to focus on bringing together her love and skills for music, artists, and global brands to create meaningful stories for her audience, and we are proud to call her an AU Eagle!

To donate to American University's School of Communication and to continue supporting this podcast, visit:
https://giving.american.edu/

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communication at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture! Our special guest today is SOC Alumn, H Spencer Young!

To give you a little background on our guest today: H Spencer Young is a contemporary artist, screenwriter and film director based on New York’s Lower East Side. At his time at American, he was sponsored by Czech author and screenwriter Arnost Lustig to attend the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.  
During undergraduate studies, Spencer was one of 13 students from across the United States selected by presidential historian and author Dr. Douglas Brinkley for The Majic Bus, a twice-run collegiate experiential learning program. The Majic Bus traveled to 44 states to study Geography of the American Civil Rights Struggle, American Intellectual History, American Road Literature, and American Social history, where it precisely happened.

Spencer’s artwork is featured in 3 shows in the next month at Art Basel Miami, and galleries in New York City and Cleveland. Amazingly, Spencer’s artwork raised thousands of dollars to help emerging artist grants, not-for-profit galleries, and organizations supplying resources to the art world. He has also written and directed many commissioned films, commercials, political documentaries such as “Swing State” in 2008, and music videos, which have been featured in W Magazine, The Atlantic, Brooklyn Vegan, Fact Magazine, New York Times, Zoe Report, Bloomberg, and film festivals nationwide.

To check out H Spencer Young's diverse body of work, visit:
https://hspenceryoung.com/
To donate to American University's School of Communication and to continue supporting this podcast, visit:
https://giving.american.edu/

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communication at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture. Today, we welcome special guest, VFX expert and SOC alumna (SOC/ MA '15), Anedra Edwards!

Behind every superhero film are teams of visual effects professionals and our own American University School of Communication (AU SOC) alumna and visual effects (VFX) editor Anedra Edwards is one of these VFX creators. With a degree from SOC’s Film and Electronic Media MFA (now MFA in Film and Media Arts) program, Edwards has gone on to contribute her talents to high-profile projects with brands like HBO, Discovery, National Geographic, and more. She has worked on the socially conscious CW drama “Black Lightning,” seasons one through three, before migrating to work at the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  There she has worked on the sequel to “Avengers: Endgame,” “WandaVision," and her VFX team even got nominated for an Oscar for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever".

In this episode, she talks to us all about her VFX journey thus far, industry tips and tricks and her upcoming projects!

To donate to American University's School of Communication, visit this link:
https://giving.american.edu/

Welcome to Media in the Mix, the only podcast produced and hosted by the School of Communication at American University. Join us as we create a safe space to explore topics and communication at the intersection of social justice, tech, innovation & pop culture. Today, we welcome guest, Laura Waters Hinson! Join us as we talk documentary filmmaking, Laura's amazing projects over the years, and Community Voice Lab!

To give you more background on our guest today, Laura serves as the division’s social impact coordinator and director of the Community Voice Lab. Laura’s films focus on personal journeys, especially among women in Africa, exploring themes of reconciliation, human resilience and entrepreneurship. Her first feature documentary, As We Forgive, about Rwanda’s reconciliation movement, won the 2008 student Academy Award for best documentary, the Cinema for Peace Award in Berlin, and was broadcast nationally on public television. 
 
Since 2009, Laura’s films have been screened at the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art and at dozens of international film festivals such as the Santa Barbara International Film Fest, Austin Film Fest, Seattle Human Rights Film Fest, Heartland Film Fest, Manchester International Film Fest, among many others. Her latest documentary, Mama Rwanda, is about the new generation of women entrepreneurs in Rwanda transforming their nation after genocide and was supported by the National Geographic All Roads Film Project. She partnered with the Akilah Institute for Women, using the film to promote women's education in East Africa and beyond. 

Most recently, Laura directed her first narrative short called Moving Violation, which starred Milana Vayntrub and won Best Narrative Short at the DC Independent Film Festival. During the Spring of 2019, Laura served as the director's shadow on the set of Showtime's Homeland. Prior to this, she served as Filmmaker-in-Residence within SOC where she re-launched the Community Voice Project (CVP), which partners American University student filmmakers with DC-based non-profits to produce a short film series capturing voices of marginalized DC community residents. 

To donate to American University's School of Communication and to continue supporting this podcast, visit:
https://giving.american.edu/