School of Communications
Alumna reporter who broke Nassar sex abuse story speaks about investigation during campus event
Marisa Kwiatkowski, '05, was one of three IndyStar reporters who broke the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse story that led to the conviction of sports physician Larry Nassar. More than 250 individuals have come forward with allegations of abuse against Nassar since the investigation began. Kwiatkowski shared anecdotes and insights about the investigation during the inaugural Robert Mayberry Comm-Unity Series event on March 26.
Mar 27, 2018
Reporter who broke Nassar sex abuse story to speak at GVSU
Larry Nassar will spend the rest of his life in prison, serving sentences for the sexual abuse of more than 160 young women and possession of child pornography, but the long road to justice started with serious investigative reporting by Marisa Kwiatkowski and her colleagues from the Indianapolis Star.
Mar 20, 2018
Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster receives surprise diploma during special presentation
John Records Landecker can look back on a storied career as a radio broadcaster, entertaining millions of listeners around the U.S. and Canada for more than 50 years. In honor of his career, Landecker was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2017, but that wasn't the only "class" he joined last year - he also became a member of the Laker Class of 2017. He just didn't know it until this month. Landecker visited the Allendale Campus February 8 to discuss his career and autobiography, but what he didn't know was tha
Feb 9, 2018
Alumna spreads Laker Effect around the world by ice skating for Disney on Ice
Shanda DeWitt, '11, has been traveling around the world skating alongside 42 other professionals with Disney on Ice since 2016. Her travels have taken her to many areas of the world, including Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Canada and across the U.S. DeWitt currently portrays Elsa from Disney's "Frozen" and said she enjoys spreading her Laker Effect through creating a fun and positive experience for fans of all ages.
Jan 16, 2018
Memorial service planned on campus for professor emeritus Robert Mayberry
A memorial service has been planned for Robert Mayberry, professor emeritus of communications and philosophy, who died December 8 at the age of 79. The service will take place January 12 at 3:30 p.m. in the Cook-DeWitt Center on the Allendale Campus. Mayberry, who came to Grand Valley in 1971, was instrumental in the development of both the William James College and the School of Communications.
Jan 8, 2018
Professor leads team of journalists and students to investigate global lottery industry
Jeff Kelly Lowenstein, assistant professor of multimedia journalism at Grand Valley, has been collaborating with more than 40 students, journalists from 10 different countries since November 2016 to investigate repeat lottery winners and money trails. The team discovered that there are eight gaming companies who control the global lottery industry. This project is the first global lottery industry investigation of its kind.
Sep 25, 2017
Expert to dissect psychology of police interrogations during Carey Memorial Lecture
Why do innocent people confess to crimes during police interrogations? This is one question that will be answered during the 7th annual James W. Carey Memorial Lecture. Featured lecturer, Kyle Scherr, associate professor of psychology at Central Michigan University, will discuss why innocence can still lead to injustice by presenting evidence from wrongful conviction cases and experimental psychological science. Scherr will present "Arresting Signs: From Miranda Waivers, Through False Confessions to Wrongful Convictions" Sep
Sep 22, 2017
New GVSU podcast spotlights historical letters and the stories behind the people who wrote them
"To the Letter: A Podcast from Grand Valley State University Special Collections and University Archives" is a new, episodic podcast that was created to provide more exposure to the various historical collections owned by the university. The initial episodes will spotlight a correspondence of letters between a member of the U.S. Army 26th Infantry Division and his sweetheart during World War II. Grand Valley students have been tapped as voice actors who will portray the authors of the letters during each episode.
Sep 8, 2017
23rd annual Summer Film, "For the Birds," wraps production
The 23rd annual Summer Film Project wrapped production on July 28 after two weeks of filming at various locations around West Michigan. Since 1994, the Summer Film Project has provided students with the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals while producing a feature length film. This year's crew consisted of more than 25 Grand Valley students, faculty, and professionals along with six professional actors from Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, and West Michigan. This year's screenplay was written by James Sturtrid
Aug 1, 2017
Student uses digital media skills to promote elephant sanctuary
Spencer Rohatynski, a senior majoring in public relations and multimedia journalism, spent five weeks serving as the digital media coordinator at the Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary, which is located in the Ban Na Klang Village in northern Thailand. During his internship, Rohatynski created a social media promotional video for the sanctuarym taught English to young children in the villageýs school and participated in village chores.
Jul 7, 2017
