Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

D Y S O N C O L L E G E O F A R T S A N D S C I E N C E S 21 Melvin Williams, PhD, associate professor, Communication and Media Studies Williams's expertise on the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in popular culture was evident in prolific contributions on topics such as Elon Musk in America's political landscape, the narratives surrounding the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial, celebrity endorsements of the Harris-Walz presidential campaign, and cancel culture in light of Trump's presidential victory (USA Today, The New York Times, The Hill, CBS News, The American Prospect, Reuters). Podcast: Talking American Girl Dolls Professor of Communication and Media Studies Emilie Zaslow, PhD, was a guest on the podcast, History of the '90s, discussing the cultural phenomenon of the American Girl dolls. Her book, Playing with America's Doll: A Cultural Analysis of the American Girl Collection (Palgrave Macmillan 2017), is a critical account of the American Girl brand, which explores what its books and dolls communicate to girls about femininity, racial identity, ethnicity, and what it means to be an American. She is a highly sought-a er expe on the topic. Emmy-winning Alumni Six Media, Communications, and Visual A s alumni, Briana Cu ino '20, Jessica Pietryka '20, Rachel Skopp-Cardillo '20, Dev Stafford '20, Max Vuolle '20, and Ma hew West '09, '11, have each won Emmy awards for the 2024 Paris Olympics coverage they worked on. Media Dyson faculty were highly sought a er by local and national media outlets on a wide array of issues, from the 2024 presidential election, to local, national, and international geopolitics, the US economy and environmental concerns. Here's a small sample of some of their contributions. Drones Take Flight The Depa ment of Media, Communications, and Visual A s (MCVA) introduced a new 13-credit Drone Operations and Applications ce ificate. The ce ificate builds upon the MCVA depa ment's long-standing Making Media with Drones course by including additional coursework in media ethics, environmental monitoring, and GIS mapping. The ce ificate is highly experiential, providing students with hands-on experience flying drones and using them to gather data, and preparing them to become commercial drone pilots, which are increasingly in demand in a broad range of industries. The ce ificate also bolsters Pace's reputation as a leader in drone education. Pace was the first four-year institution in New York to become a member of the FAA's Unmanned Aircra Systems Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS-CTI) program. L to R: MCVA Alumni Jessica Pietryka, Rachel Skopp-Cardillo, Max Vuolle, and Dev Stafford

• Cover