IPFW Professional Communication MA / MS Alumni

Brandy Reincke, MA 2011

Steven Carr — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:39:33 +0000

I am currently employed as a Limited Term Lecturer in the Communications Department at IPFW. In addition, I am an instructor with Ivy Tech State College in Fort Wayne and Warsaw. I teach a variety of subjects including: Introduction to Mac, Basics of Communication, and Introduction to Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication both online and in the classroom. I enjoy my work and I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given.

I directly apply the knowledge I have accrued in my formal education to my teaching and I am always looking for opportunities for growth. My constant thirst for knowledge and appreciation for education are two of the most important values I learned from my years at IPFW. I feel fortunate to be able to share this with my classes. I look forward to continuing my work in the college environment.

Artan Limani, MA 2009

Steven Carr — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:38:22 +0000

Currently, I teach Basic English language classes and English for Specific Purposes which at times may include English for Communication Studies and English for Business Communication at South East European University (SEEU) in Tetovo, Republic of Macedonia. I have also taught classes such as Human Resources Management and Marketing Communications. I was recently admitted in a PhD program at SEEU and will be doing my PhD in Rhetoric. I am the chief editor of the international journal of teaching and learning titled Talking About Learning which is published at SEEU.

During my Masters program in Professional Communication at IPFW I got equipped with sufficient knowledge in both theory and practice in the field of communication studies. I especially enjoyed the applied focus of the program and that the program was created to fit to any career a student might want to pursue. This concentration provided an opportunity to practice the subject matter and engage in real world projects with organizations, both inside and outside of campus. The overall experience during my studies in the US was life changing; it not only affected my learning and teaching, but it completely changed the way I see the world today.

My graduate teaching assistantship at the Department of Communication at IPFW provided me with a solid opportunity to get to know both the student culture as well as the organizational culture. That has provided me with sufficient comfort in both my teaching career and my participation in organizational life. I must mention that the openness and closeness of the academic and administrative staff at the Department of Communication have left a memorable impression that I will carry on with me wherever life takes me.

JeriSue Petrie, MA 2002

Steven Carr — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:18:00 +0000

In 2010, I moved from being Director of Medical Staff Services at Parkview Hospital to becoming Director of Graduate Medical Education and Continuing Professional Development with the Family Medicine residency program and physician education at Fort Wayne Medical Education Program. The FWMEP consortium includes Parkview, Lutheran, and St. Joseph Hospitals, so I still work with many of the same excellent physicians and staff. I’ve also enjoyed teaching a course or two each year in the Communication and Organizational Leadership departments at IPFW.

Every day I use what I learned during my masters program at IPFW. Entering IPFW’s Communication program was one of the best decisions I ever made. I remain grateful to the professors and staff for their excellent instruction and compassionate investment in each student.

Tonia Pankop, MA 2004

Steven Carr — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:49:56 +0000

I am currently a Full Time faculty member in the Communication Department at Ivy Tech Community College. Additionally, I continue to teach at the University of Saint Francis as Adjunct Faculty for the Communication Department in the School of Creative Arts.

My media passions led me to Access Fort Wayne where I have been producing and starring in my own television program entitled “Wanna Tell Your Story” for the past five years. I have been involved with Access FW for a total of eight years where I learned all aspects of video production from the AFW staff.

My degree has taken me to a lot of interesting places and given me many experiences in education, in not-for-profits, as well as in for-profits.

Sarah Szczepanski-Wakefield, MA 2004

Steven Carr — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:06:31 +0000

Sarah Szczepanski-Wakefield is a Technical Training Supervisor for Smith International, a Fortune 500 company in Houston, TX. Her primary responsibility is the design and development of technical training for audiences in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. In Fall 2010, she spoke on technical training at conferences in Brisbane, Australia and Florence, Italy.

Ryne Hillenberg, MA 2010

Steven Carr — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:33:25 +0000

I feel fortunate to have been offered a job at Texas A&M University as it had the 7th largest enrollment in the nation last year for public schools. Their athletic department sponsors 20 varsity sports and won three national championships last year.

As a compliance coordinator, I will be one of five compliance administrators in the athletic department. My primary responsibilities will be to monitor recruiting activities related to permissible telephone calls, evaluations, contacts, official visits, awards, equipment, apparel meals and other things. I will also work with monitoring permissible activities surrounding playing and practice seasons and financial aid provided to student-athletes.

I believe my MA of Professional Communication degree helped me to secure this job because of my excellent interpersonal and communication skills. During my interview I felt completely comfortable and competent. I also will use my knowledge of effective group communication and conflict management in this role.

Samantha Lake, MA 2008

Steven Carr — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:02:57 +0000

I am an instructor for WorkOne. For those of you that are unfamiliar with WorkOne they are an agency the government set up to help the unemployed find work, by getting the skills they need and also getting them enrolled into higher education. Currently they only teach Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, as well as resumes, cover letters, interviewing, and other skills. I plan on developing a few other courses, over the next few months.

I am actually the only instructor who has any teaching experience, so my first week has been very productive. On my third day I started redesigning the Microsoft Word course. I have also been making handouts because these classes needed supplemental materials. The students have been very appreciative of the extra handouts.

I have never encountered so many students who were so grateful and appreciative, for the chance to be able to learn. They have lost so much, so being able to help them is personally fulfilling. My co-workers are also appreciative to have me on board, and made it a point to let me know yesterday when several of them came up and thanks me for all I have done.

I am so happy that I found a place where I can use everything that I learned at IPFW (both teaching and from classes) and apply it to make an organization better.

Heathyr Harkless, MA 2009

Steven Carr — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:48:55 +0000

I accepted an offer from the St. Joseph County Family and Justice Center as the new Victim Services Coordinator. This is a newly created position funded by the US Department of Justice- Office of Violence Against Women and manages the collaborations and various services that are available to victims of domestic violence. I will be managing the volunteers and various services that the organization offers to victims of domestic violence. I’ve also been hired as adjunct faculty for IUSB and Ivy Tech teaching Public Speaking and Interpersonal classes.

I believe the combination of my MA in Professional Communication and BA in Sociology and Gender Studies will serve me greatly working in this position. Having gone through the MA program I was able to develop my research skills, public speaking and education skills through my Graduate Assistantship, and both my knowledge and application of interpersonal skills.

I was also pleased to have an opportunity to use my synthesis research to my advantage during my interview. I was able to discuss the boundaries between the teacher-student relationship and roles as it could be compared the the therapist-client relationship that occurs in their services. From my synthesis research I know the key to maintaining ethical relationships with students was to remain student-focused and make decisions student-focused decisions. In regard to co-dependency and self-disclosure, I believe my synthesis information may be able to be compared for therapists to remain client-focused rather than communicating with clients out of self-serving interests. This principle of professional relationships was not only useful in my interview, but will also be applicable in managing my volunteer therapists and prevention/maintenance of co-dependency between the therapist-client roles.

Judith LePera Dutill, MA 2006

Steven Carr — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:10:34 +0000

Since earning my MA in Professional Communication (’06) at IPFW I moved back to my home state of Pennsylvania. My first position out of the program was as Retention Specialist at Rosemont College in suburban Philadelphia. In this position I designed and conducted a communication audit in order to study student retention patterns in their schools of graduate and professional studies. Based on the results of this study I was able to make recommendations to the school which informed the drafting of the college’s first retention plan. Simultaneously, during this time, I continued as an adjunct faculty member at various institutions teaching courses in communication.

Eventually, I phased myself into full time adjunct teaching and academic advising. I was recently offered and accepted a full time tenure track faculty position at Harrisburg Area Community College‘s York Campus and I look forward to continuing my work in the field of communication as an educator beginning Fall 2009.

These experiences would not have been possible without the confidence and knowledge that I gained during my graduate studies at IPFW. I was nurtured by a caring, knowledgeable, and professional faculty who I viewed as professors and mentors during my studies. The program afforded me the flexibility to focus my studies on my own personal interest in communication in the higher education setting. The program transformed my life and my professional career.

Aleshia Panbamrung, MA 2008

Steven Carr — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:08:24 +0000

My graduate education through the communication department has been priceless to me personally and professionally. With my Master’s in professional communication I have been able to expand my career to become the associate director of a federally funded nonprofit agency (Northeast Indiana Area Health Education Center NEI-AHEC). I have also become a more informed and critical citizen and consumer of information. Finally, I am now able to exercise my agency using effective strategies and perspectives that I gained through my studies.