Purdue Hosts Annual
Org Com Mini-Conference

Purdue graduate student Dan Wilbur, right, talks with other participants at the Organizational Communication Mini-Conference

By Sherri Wagoner
Telecommunication Senior

Organizational Communication scholars from across the nation gathered Oct. 11-13 at Purdue University for the annual Organizational Communication Mini-Conference.

The purposes of the conference are to expose undergraduate students to the field of organizational communication, give graduate students an intimate environment to showcase their research and present their ideas for their dissertation work, allow graduate students to receive knowledgeable feedback from professors in the field, and create opportunities for both students and faculty to network with each other for further research or employment.

About 75 undergraduates, graduates and professors traveled from Kent State University, Marquette University, Michigan State University, Northern Illinois University, Ohio University, Saint Louis University, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Miami-Ohio, University of Texas at Austin, Wayne State University, and Western Michigan University

"This particular organizational communication mini-conference had the highest attendance in several years.We had an excellent turnout from both students and professors," said Dr. Robin Clair, Purdue University associate professor of Communication and coordinator of the conference.

Keynote Speaker

Geist Martin speaks with conference attendees after her keynote speech

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Patricia Geist Martin

Contact Robin Clair

Dr. Patricia Geist Martin, who received her Ph.D. in Communication from Purdue in 1985 and currently is a professor in the School of Communication at San Diego State University, was the conference's keynote speaker. She has written three books and published over 40 articles and book chapters. According to her Web site, her research interests focus on negotiating identity, ideology, and control, particularly in health and illness.

During her keynote address, she shared that a life soul is the human spirit.This idea is derived from the Hmong people in Vietnam.She clarified that they believed a life soul is essential for individual happiness and health. Sometimes, however, it wanders off when we become angry, sad, afraid, curious, or wanderlust.

Through facial expressions, an upbeat voice, and hand movements, she encouraged everyone to begin returning their life souls to their life's work.

As Martin spoke, audience members took notes on her insights.When Martin finished her keynote address, individuals' arms sprang into the air to ask her further questions.

In addition to Martin's speech, 10 graduate students from different universities presented the research for their dissertations. Each graduate student was allotted 30 minutes to explain their work and answer questions from the audience.

Participant Reaction

These graduate students received valuable feedback from other colleagues and experienced professors. Furthermore, the audience gained from the presentations by grasping new ideas and finding out what research topics are prevalent.

"It's wonderful to have the opportunity to bounce ideas around with some of the most renowned scholars in organizational communication. Attending the conference always seems to help me develop my own ideas. Plus, I get to hear what some great colleagues are thinking and writing about," said Rebecca Meisenbach, a Purdue University graduate student.

Katie Hanson, a first-year graduate student at St. Louis University, not only gained new ideas, she also became empowered.

"The conference also gave me confidence to succeed in this field. If there are people just like me presenting, I should be able to do it as well," she said.

Another student from St. Louis University, Esterina A. Pericolosi, an undergraduate, said the conference served as a motivator.

"I am currently working on a research paper for my undergraduate Organizational Communication class with Dr. Paaige Turner, and I feel so completely motivated by this conference to research more and get more involved in my topic. I'm really excited about what I am researching, and the whole trip home from Purdue University I couldn't wait to get back to my research."

Before the conference, Dr. Turner, a St. Louis University assistant professor of Communication who received her Ph.D. at Purdue in 1998, hoped her students would become curious about the topics being discussed and seek out more information.

"On our return trip students were talking about the presentations, making suggestions, picking up ideas for their own work, and in general, energized," she said. "In fact, several individuals have decided to focus their energies at the undergraduate level on preparing for graduate school by changing their schedules, requesting additional readings, and deciding to do their research project rather than just completing a proposal."

Conference History

The mini-conference has been held at a different Midwest University in each of the past 15 years. Last year it was held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and next year it is going to be at Western Michigan University.

Each year the conference has progressed from the prior year.

"Over the past 15 years, the conference has changed. Now, it is not only for graduate students, but also for undergraduates. Also, the participants are not just from the Midwest. It has become more national; for example, this year we have the University of Texas at Austin with us," said Noshir Contractor, a professor of Speech Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Each attendee at the conference wore a black ribbon with their nametag in celebration of Organizational Communication's 50-year anniversary as a communication study recognized by the National Communication Association.

It was 50 years ago that Purdue University alumnus Charles Redding planted the seed for the field of Organizational Communication by organizing a small conference of professors from three universities: Penn State University, Ohio State University, and Purdue University. They discussed organizations as a prospective field for communication.Organizational Communication was born from that small conference.

Clair, the coordinator of the conference, said she has never had so many people tell her how much they gained from a conference before.

"Graduate students who presented their dissertation proposals said they gathered invaluable information for their dissertation work," she said. "Graduate students who were attending and had no idea what their dissertation topic was found the presentations of student and faculty so inspiring that they told me they now had the focus for their own dissertation.

"An undergraduate student from Saint Louis University who attended said that he was so impressed by the conference that he has decided he wants to go to graduate school. We can only hope he chooses Purdue as one of the schools he will apply to. I also had a professor from another university inform me that while watching and listening to the presenters, that she decided she would like to make a job offer to one of the graduate students."