1. The University of Miami
School of CommunicationFall 2015
Alumni
Weekend &
Homecoming
Celebrate Your Place in
History
Whether or
not you were a
student between 1951 and 1991, you probably
know about the rides, concession stands,
and booths that would line the Coral Gables
campus during Carni Gras, an annual ’Canes
tradition that lives on through the memories
of alumni.
Join us this year at Alumni Weekend and
Homecoming 2015 presented by Hialeah Park
Racing & Casino, to reminisce about all UM
traditions past and present and to celebrate
your place in Hurricane History. Help us
jazz up Alumni Avenue with the Mardi Gras
mentality of pure indulgence in our vibrant
campus community, great music, flavorful
food, and a happy heart.
There’s a set of beads with your name on it,
so save the date and make your travel plans
now!
UM Communications
Wins Awards
The redesign of miami.edu and the University’s magazine
Miami, take top honors in awards competition.
The University of Miami’s Division of
University Communications has been rec-
ognized for several projects during the past
year in an international awards competition
involving marketing and communication
professionals.
The redesign of miami.edu, launched in
April 2015, and the University’s signature
magazine, Miami, received Platinum Awards
in the 2015 MarCom Awards competition,
which is administered and judged by the As-
sociation of Marketing and Communication
Professionals.
UM Communications’ project, Haiti Spe-
cial Report [haiti.miami.edu], which chron-
icled the University’s work in Haiti during
the five years following the 2010 earthquake,
received a Gold Award.
Two projects received Honorable Mention
Awards: a mini-documentary called “Col-
laborating with Purpose” that was part of
the Haiti Special Report, and a publication
developed for UM Libraries titled access:
Reflections on Discovery and Growth at the
University of Miami Libraries.
The competition attracted more than 6,500
entries from throughout the United States,
Canada, and 15 other countries. Submissions
came from corporate communication and
marketing departments, advertising agencies,
public relations firms, and freelancers.
UM’s award winning
website
UM’s
award
winning
magazine
Student cheer on the
Canes at Sun Life
By Soc News
communication@miami.edu

2. SoC
Join the Conversation
UM President Julio Frenk launched his Listening Exercise during a Town Hall, urging
everyone in the UM community to share their ideas.
They came from every corner of the
U—students, scholars, and staff, scientists
and supervisors, trustees and alumni—all
of them gathering in one place to learn
more about the future of the community
they care so deeply about and the man
tabbed to lead it to greater heights. And
using a format popularized by political
candidates during election season, new
University of Miami President Julio Frenk
gave them what they wanted while also
lending an ear.
Frenk’s Town Hall Meeting at the
BankUnited Center on Thursday allowed
thousands in attendance and watching
via live stream to get a clearer sense of
the vision of UM’s sixth president and,
if they were lucky to get their turn at the
microphone, pose some of the questions
that have been weighing on their minds
ever since the former Harvard dean and
minister of health of Mexico officially took
office on August 16.
With a storied football program and
five national championships a big part of
UM’s legacy, the first question, submitted
via Twitter, was, of course, related to that
sport and what Frenk would do to help
the Hurricanes become title winners once
again.
“Make no mistake, I also like to win,”
said Frenk, who went on to explain that
the nation has many examples in schools
such as Southern Cal and his own alma
mater, Michigan, to demonstrate how
academics and athletics can co-exist. He
said that while he doesn’t have much skill
in throwing or running with a football, his
primary responsibility as UM’s president
is to “ensure the success of our stu-
dent-athletes on and off the field.”
When School of Communication alum-
nus Bryan Llenas, the national correspon-
dent for Fox News Channel and reporter
for Fox News Latino who moderated the
Town Hall Meeting, opened up the floor
for the live Q&A, eager UM students lined
up 10 and 12 deep at two microphones,
asking questions ranging from climate
change to the LGBTQ community.
When asked how UM would help deal
with the problem of rising sea levels,
Frenk pointed to research and the impor-
tance of making sure knowledge gener-
ated by University scientists is translated
into policy.
In answering a question on how he
would make a UM education more
accessible to students of lower economic
status, Frenk noted that 58 percent of the
University’s students receive some form
of financial aid, and that part of his vision
for the school is to ensure that financial
barriers will not prohibit bright and intel-
ligent students, who may be struggling
financially, from obtaining an education at
the private research institution.
On other issues, he noted that UM will
offer gender-neutral housing starting in
the fall of 2016, and he committed the
University to becoming an example of
diversity for others to follow, pointing to
himself as the first Hispanic president
of UM as an example of that diversity.
His grandparents fled the horrors of
Nazi Germany in the 1930s, fleeing to
a country, Mexico, which, while lacking
economic resources, was much richer
in its tolerance for different cultures and
groups.
He addressed how the University’s
UHealth brand could be expanded, noting
that UM’s medical and nursing schools
and its affiliated hospitals constitute a
“fantastic” academic health enterprise
that could lead the way in the “amazing
transformation of health care” in the
country.
The Town Hall forum was the first
public event of Frenk’s UM presidency.
It was only five months ago that Frenk,
sporting the colors of his new employer in
the form of an orange and green tie, told a
roomful of media at his introductory press
conference that he would immediately
begin a process of “immersion” to famil-
iarize himself with the private research
university he had just been chosen to lead.
To carry out that process, he promised to
listen and learn from as many sources as
possible. Thursday’s Town Hall, held as
Frenk entered only his fourth week on the
job, was a major step in making good on
that promise.
As such, he outlined for the audience
the Listening Exercise initiative he has
launched for his first 100 days in office.
He described it as an intensive, immer-
sive, and iterative listening project—one
that invites students, faculty, and staff
to share with him their aspirations and
hopes for UM. A website -- miami.edu/
listen -- has been launched where people
can weigh in with some of their recom-
mendations.
While Frenk is inviting the UM com-
munity to share their hopes for the U,
he opened his Town Hall Meeting with
a presentation that outlined his vision of
a roadmap to UM’s second century. One
of his primary messages: that with UM’s
100th birthday only a decade away, now
is the time to prepare for its centennial
and start building on what the institution
should look like in the 21st century.
He also detailed his four major aspi-
rations for the University: the pursuit of
excellence in multiple areas including
academics, service, the arts, athletics, and
administration; achieving relevance in
helping to solve the world’s most pressing
problems; becoming a model for values
such as diversity and tolerance; and be-
coming what he called “a force of integra-
tion across the Americas,” or specifically
taking advantage of UM’s geographic
location in greater Miami as a gateway to
the world.
In the coming weeks, Frenk will be
visiting UM’s schools and colleges and
meeting with University leaders, students,
donors, and trustees. Such efforts, he
said, will set the stage for his presidential
inauguration on January 29, 2016.
Frenk displayed a copy of UM’s
approved charter from 1925, asking the
audience to take note of Article IV, which
said the University should have “perpetual
existence.”
His roadmap for the future, he said, will
help ensure UM continues to be a leader
in the region, the country, and the world.
By Robert C. Jones, Jr
The Future of Public Television
As part of the University of Miami School of Communication’s Annu-
al Conversation Series, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger will visit
the campus to discuss the role of public media in the digital age.
Kerger’s Nov. 2 visit includes insights
from the broadcasting executive, fol-
lowed by a moderated Q&A session with
students and members of the university
community, presided by School of Com-
munication Professor Paul Driscoll.
“We are honored by Ms. Kerger’s
visit to the School. She has been
a visionary leader in broadcast-
ing during a time of tremendous
change, challenge, and opportunity. Our
students and faculty are thrilled by the op-
portunity to meet with her, learn from her,
and talk with her about the future of pub-
lic television,” says Gregory J. Shepherd,
dean of the School of Communication.
Kerger joined PBS in 2006 as its sixth
president and is responsible for the Pub-
lic Broadcasting Service’s highest rated
drama,Downton Abbey. Under her leader-
ship, PBS’ viewership has increased to al-
most 90 percent of television households
tuning in. Before assuming the position of
PBS’ president, Kerger was the executive
vice president and chief operating officer
of New York’s Educational Broadcasting
Corporation. Her honors include receiving
the 2008 Woman of Achievement Award
from Women in Development, and the
2012 Brand Builder Award from Promax/
BDA, Broadcasting & Cable, and Multi-
channel News. She is consistently includ-
ed in The Hollywood Reporter’s “Women
in Entertain-
ment Power
100” list.
Supported
by the Robert
Corley Groves
Lecture Series
Fund, the
UM School of
Communica-
tion’s Annual
Conversation
Series features
national leaders
who share their
insights with
students into
the current and
future state
of the media
industry. Past speakers included Leslie
Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Cor-
poration, and Ron Meyer, vice chairman
of NBCUniversal. To read more about the
Annual Conversation Series, please visit
http://com.miami.edu/annual-conversa-
tion-series.
The conversation on the Future of
Public Television begins at 11:15 a.m. on
Nov. 2 at the School of Communication’s
Shoma Hall (room 3053) in the Commu-
nication International Building and is
open to the university community. Those
who cannot attend can watch the live
stream through Periscope @UMSoC.
By Soc News
President Julio
Frenk talks to UM
community at
Town Hall Meeting
Paula Kerger discusses the
role of media in the digital age
with students at the annual
Conversation Series
2 3Fall 2015

3. SoC
University of
Miami Launches
its First
Communication
Master’s Degree
Online
University of Miami School of Communi-
cation is launching its first online master’s
program in January 2016. The UOnline
Master of Arts in Communication Stud-
ies will be taught by the world-renowned
faculty of the School of Communication,
in a flexible, online format. Offering a chal-
lenging curriculum, the program is geared
toward working professionals who want to
pursue a career in communication or earn
an advanced degree.
“In this program students will study
conflict resolution, group decision making,
relationship management, persuasion, and
much more in courses designed for people
who understand that mastering the art and
science of communication is key to leader-
ship development,” says Dean of the School
of Communication, Gregory J. Shepherd.
The UOnline Master of Arts in Commu-
nication Studies is designed to build oral,
written, critical thinking, and research
skills. The 36-credit program can be com-
pleted in 24 months, leading to a Master of
Arts in Communication Studies. Graduates
of the program can expect to gain a com-
petitive edge in the workplace by improving
their communication and leadership skills
in the contexts of interpersonal, intercultur-
al, and organizational communication.
Applications for the UOnline Master of
Arts in Communication Studies program
are now being accepted. Scholarships are
available for qualified applicants. For more
information, please visit www.miami.edu/
online or call 888.926.6968 to speak to one
of our advisers. The program is pending
approval from the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools Commission on Col-
leges and the University of Miami Faculty
Senate.
By Soc News
PRSSA Holds a Pitch
Perfect Panel
The University of Miami Public Rela-
tions Student Society of America chapter
(PRSSA) hosted a panel of local media
leaders for the Pitch Perfect II event on
Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the School of
Communication.
The journalists shared their advice to a
full audience of students and professional
PR practitioners on how to build relations
and credibility, as well as told a few horror
stories of things gone wrong.
“When does a public relations prac-
titioner become credible in your eyes?”
event moderator Jorge Martinez, vice
president of The Conroy Martinez Group
and a UM School of Communication
alumnus, posed to the panelists.
The answer was unanimous: The best
way for a pitch to be received is for the
public relations official to do research and
be familiar with the journalist’s work.
“You build credibility from knowing
the publication you are pitching to,” said
Chuck Strouse, editor of Miami New
Times and New Times Broward Palm
Beach.
He went on describe his biggest pet
peeve: When a public relations profes-
sional doesn’t even know who he or she is
pitching to.
“About a dozen times a week, I get
emails from someone saying ‘Dear Mr.
Johnson’ —calls from someone who
doesn’t know my name or doesn’t know
who they are calling,” Strouse said to
much laughter from the audience.
The panelists were asked to give one
piece of advice they wanted every one in
the room to know.
Abby Lawing, the assignment planner
for CBS-4 WFOR, urged the PR profes-
sionals to always talk to the reporter.
“Even if the news is negative, always
respond,” said Lawing. “At least say you
don’t want to comment or ask for more
time, but don’t ignore me. I will keep
calling.”
The Miami Herald’s Food Editor Evan
Benn suggested that if clients want to
see their names on the front page of the
newspaper, the best way for the PR prac-
titioner to accomplish that is to “think like
a journalist.”
The journalists also talked about the
changes their industry is facing, such as
declining viewership or readership. But
they were optimistic about the business’
future.
“Because of the new digital phenome-
non with so many new web sources, I find
it interesting that clients want more and
more to see a printed, published product,
said Benn. “Newspapers are iconic things,
and the legacy aspect of being in the
newspaper, above the fold, in color, means
a lot to people. Clients get excited when
they’re on the front page, which I think is
really cool.”
Filling out the panel was Myriam Mar-
quez, the executive editor for El Nuevo
Herald, the nation’s second-largest Span-
ish daily; and Curt Anderson, the legal
affairs reporter for The Associated Press.
Both talked about the incredible number
of emails they get requesting coverage,
amounting to thousands per week. But
they both also praised PR professionals
for finding them experts to talk to on
deadline to help explain a complicated
topic.
The Pitch Perfect II event is one of the
many PRSSA-sponsored events hosted on
campus. The pre-professional club, which
is open to all students, works to bring
real-world PR experiences to students. It
is hosting a fundraiser at Chipotle on Oct.
21 and a tour of a local PR tech agency on
Oct. 28.
Professor Heidi Carr, the faculty advis-
er for UM PRSSA, says that joining the
society is a must for all students interest-
ed in public relations.
“We bring in people who have years and
years of experience, and you get to meet
them,” Carr said, adding that these meet-
ings often lead to internships or part-time
jobs. “I’m not exaggerating when I say
this: This is how you get jobs today. You
build a connection with people to make
your résumé stand out from the other 500
the companies get. You build that one-on-
one.”
By Alexis de La Rosa
Producer of Little
Accidents Speaks
to Soc Students
Jason Berman, one of the producers
of the independent film Little Accidents
spoke to Robert “Trae” DeLellis’ Survey
of Motion Pictures class on October 22.
Little Accidents, starring Elizabeth Banks,
Boyd Holbrook, and Jacob Lofland, focus-
es on a small mining town after a terrible
coal mine accident. The film was shown
at Sundance Film Festival in January
2014 and was released in theaters a year
later.
Berman answered a range of students’
questions from details of the indie film to
filmmaking in general.
According to Berman, one of the most
challenging aspects of making the film
was shooting on location. Shooting on
location makes any film more difficult
because it adds expense to the film’s bud-
get and the elements and scenery are not
under control like on a set. The film was
shot in West Virginia because the writer,
Sara Colangelo, based the script off of
articles she had read about coal mining
accidents in West Virginia, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, and Kentucky. Berman said that it
took about 10 weeks to find a coal mine
that would let them shoot there.
“It was a very important location because
the movie was based around a coalmine,”
Berman said.
Another concern that spawned from
making a movie about a coal mining
accident was the reaction from corporate
America and the coal industry.
“People in the coal industry actually
appreciated the movie and thought we did
a good job,” Berman said.
The producer said that he got invested
in the film because of the storyline and
the level of talent that was attached to the
movie. Berman said that by the time he
got on board, Elizabeth Banks and Boyd
Holbrook had already been casted.
“It’s a powerful story,” Berman said. “It’s a
film that has urgent issues because of ev-
erything going from coal to clean energy.”
While two of the stars were a part of the
film before Berman, the character of
Owen Briggs was not. Berman said that
they did a wide casting search for this role
and eventually landed on Jacob Lofland,
with whom they were familiar from his
role in Mud.
“We asked [Jacob] to put himself on
tape for us and he just knocked it out
of the park,” Berman said on Lofland’s
audition.
Berman told the class that he didn’t
always want to be a producer. When he
started film school at the University of
Southern California he wanted to be a
director. However, he said that he did
know that he wanted to work in the film
industry since he was 7 years old.
After Berman’s first semester at USC,
he realized that his skill set was more
in producing than directing. After his
freshman year, he began to produce both
undergraduate and graduate students’
thesis films.
“I was one of the very few people in un-
dergrad that wanted to produce, so I stuck
out,” Berman said.
During his time at USC, he would road
trip to the Sundance Film Festival in
Utah, which is where he said he fell in
love with independent films.
Berman was one of four producers on
Little Accidents. The others were Anne
Carey, Summer Shelton, and Thomas
Fore. According to Berman, he helped to
put the financing together and dealt with
the investors, while Carey worked on the
creative aspects of the film, such as script
revisions and working with the writer/
director on the first actors. Shelton did
a lot of the physical producing, and Fore
was the only producer who was also an
investor.
“In an independent film, when you don’t
have the infrastructure of the studio, it’s
generally good to work with one or two
additional producing partners because
it’s good to divide and conquer and there’s
a lot of work that goes into the film,”
Berman said.
Berman was a part of Little Accidents
during pre-production, production, and
post-production.
“It was a long process, but it was one
that was very rewarding,” Berman said.
Front entrance
at the School of
Communication
Media leaders discuss
relationships, credibil-
ity and pitching with
students
4 5Fall 2015

4. Olivia Smith
5840 SW 57th Ave, Unit 105
Miami, Fl 33143
For submissions, please contact:
Gregory Shepherd
Dean
shepherd@miami.edu
Phone: 305-284-3420
Kebrina Maharaj
Professional Development & Alumni Relations
kmaharaj@miami.edu
Phone: (305) 284-6632
5100 Brunson Drive
Miami, Fl 33146
305-284-2265 communication@miami.,edu
Loretta Young
Administrative Assistant, Main Office
lgyoung@miami.edu
Phone: 305-284-2265
Creating a
More Cultural
Community
A task force made of faculty,
students and staff was created
in early February to increase the
number of black faculty. A break-
down of the University of Miami’s
faculty and student body by
ethnicity.