Faculty and Staff

The College of Fine Arts and Communications Congratulates Faculty Members for Their Rank and Status Advancements

The College Welcomes Seven New Faculty and 24 Full-Time Staff for the 2022–2023 Academic Year

Four Faculty Members Won Prestigious Awards at the Annual University Conference; Three Faculty Members Were Recognized During the College Meeting

Four Faculty and Staff Members from the College of Fine Arts and Communications Have Retired This Past Year

BYU Alum and Former Professor Don Peterson Shares What He Has Been up to After Retirement

Communications professor Scott H. Church (BA ’05) liked the ’80s before it was cool. One of his favorite TV shows is Freaks and Geeks, a cult classic about high schoolers in the 1980s.

The BYU School of Communications hosted a Public Relations Fest on Tuesday night in conjunction with the launch of the new Public Relations Intelligence Lab.

The College of Fine Arts and Communications congratulates members from faculty for their rank and status advancements

As social media and other online networking sites have grown in usage, so too has trolling – an internet practice in which users intentionally seek to draw others into pointless and, at times, uncivil conversations. New BYU research recently published in the journal of Social Media and Society sheds light on the motives and personality characteristics of internet trolls. Through an online survey completed by over 400 Reddit users, the study found that individuals with dark triad personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy) combined with schadenfreude – a German word meaning that one derives pleasure from another’s misfortune – were more likely to demonstrate trolling behaviors. “People who exhibit those traits known as the dark triad are more likely to demonstrate trolling behaviors if they derive enjoyment from passively observing others suffer,” said Dr. Pamela Brubaker, BYU public relations professor and co-author of the study. “They engage in trolling at the expense of others.” You can read the full article by Brenna Seeman here. Truths about trolls: the psychology of trolling on Reddit

The College launches an initiative to remind students that “You Belong Here. You Matter Here.”

Name: Janalee Emmer BYU employee since: 2014 My job at BYU is … one of the best at BYU. I get to research and organize exhibitions, and I oversee educational programs at the Museum of Art. I also love working with and teaching BYU students. Currently I’m working on … so many projects! Several upcoming exhibitions, possible acquisitions, new ideas for tours and educational programs, just to name a few. I’m currently reading … a stack of books by my bedstand! I like a mix of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, biography and spiritual books. But, it takes me a while to get through them that way! Travel and study abroad ... sparked my interest in my field. But, I did play the game Masterpiece a lot when I was young. It’s a board game where you become different art collectors, and buy and sell artwork at auction. I think it was my first real introduction to artists like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Cassatt, even before I knew who they were. When I have 30 minutes of free time, you can find me … learning to play the baritone ukulele. This has been my new COVID hobby; I’m definitely a beginner, but it has been very entertaining. My grandmother played all of the time, so it’s fun to think of her when I play. My advice to incoming freshmen is … take as many diverse classes as you can! You’ll never have the opportunity to study so many different things from experts. Continue reading the article written by Kaylee Esplin at news.byu.edu.

The Faith and Works Lecture with Ed Carter will take place on March 4 in the Madsen Recital Hall and will be streamed online

Inside the George H. Brimhall Building on BYU’s campus is a lab that sees 30 students every week. They come on their own time and receive no pay, but they do digital marketing work with organizations like the NBA, Subaru and Google. All because of one man that loves commercials. “In my heart, I love the idea of advertising,” said Y Digital Director Adam Durfee. “I’m one of the few people that like to watch commercials carefully and see what they are all about.” Y Digital is a student-run digital marketing agency sponsored by BYU. By the end of 2020, they have worked with over 35 clients and won numerous awards. But back in 2017, the agency was just an idea on Durfee’s dinner napkin. Read the full story written by Andrew Call at universe.byu.

Professor Luke Howard discusses the Diversity and Inclusion Committee initiatives for the college

Paul Adams was recognized for his three pieces: “Breathe,” “#MeToo,” and “President Kevin Worthen, Brigham Young University”

David Habben created a portfolio for his designs using a calendar format and participated in Salt Lake City’s “100 Show”

Professor David Habben shared how a 100-year-old guitar helped inspire him to make intentional changes that impacted his professional design work

Professor Brian Christensen’s expertise in ceramics, sculpture and 3D design has led him to ventures across the globe, including an excavation project in Egypt