School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies

December 7, 2022

Many non-traditional students find a home at the University of Cincinnati, and Emily O’Bryant is no exception. A student who comes from a history of displaced housing as a ward of the court, O’Bryant is a first-generation student pursuing her bachelor's degree in communications through the College of Arts and Sciences.  “I am an independent student. My birth mom had me at 14 and I ended up in multiple homes throughout my childhood,” says O’Bryant. “Neither of my parents made it out of the eighth grade. I went through a few different types of care when I was younger all over the place, but as an adult I wanted to be better and do better.”  Only 26 percent of first-generation students complete at least a bachelor’s degree, according to data from the Pew Research Center. In addition to the usual struggles associated with adjusting to college culture, there are myriad additional barriers that first generation can students face, including lack of support from family and peers, college preparedness, racial disparity and financial stability.

December 2, 2022

As global media descends on Eastern Europe to cover Russia’s war in Ukraine, two University of Cincinnati students are planning to cover the region from a different angle. Hunter Shallcross and Tanmay Srivastava, both digital media collaborative majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, have planned a trip to multiple European countries to film their own documentary, titled “The Edge of Chaos.” The trip is scheduled for May of 2023.  The pair became friends through their passion for film, and soon started partnering on projects. Last February, Shallcross and Srivastava became interested in the way culture and art are changing in countries on the edge of Europe due to the war, and decided to develop the idea into a documentary. “Everybody is flocking to Eastern Europe to document what is going on. We want it to show the artistic side,” says Shallcross. “The shots, the camera angles, and the narrative we want to tell about relationships and personal issues that go beyond war.”  They began pitching their documentary idea to various professors and making any connections they could to bring their idea to life. Last May, they even attended the Cannes Film Festival, to get some first-hand film experience, while networking with people there. 

November 9, 2022

The University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences now offers a PhD program in communication with an emphasis on social justice. Among the areas of focus for the new doctoral program are culture and globalization, health and environment communication, and interpersonal communication and leadership, among others. “Many of the social and professional issues that we are facing in the world today, including access to health information, stereotypes in the media, the consumptive culture, climate change activism, and more, can be traced to problematics in social justice topics,” says professor of communication Gail Fairhurst.