UVA Wise Department of Communication Studies

05/09/2026

HAPPY GRADUATION DAY!!! 🎓🎓🎓

Congratulations to all of our amazing Seniors! We will miss you dearly and wish you the best of luck and whatever you do next!  ✨✨✨✨

05/01/2026

Congratulations to the Senior COM student winners of this year's Department awards!

Amanda Hayes (Ron Heise Award for Excellence in Communication Studies) for distinguishing herself in the diverse areas of Communication coursework offered by the Department.

Eliza Blankenship & Andrew Vipperman (Research Excellence in Communication Studies) for excellent research proposals in intercultural couple relational tension (Eliza) and the mutual use of AI in romantic relationships (Andrew).

We are so proud of you all!

05/01/2026

🔈Former students of Amy Clark: if you collected an oral history from your coal miner relative for one of my class assignments, would you contact me? You can message me here or via email.🎙️

04/29/2026

We just held our annual Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Honor Society induction ceremony! These students have demonstrated academic excellence in the Communication Studies field and have earned their honorary graduation cords and pins. Congratulations!

Eliza Blankenship
Ashlynn Colley
Kourtney Hall
Madeline Love
Taylor Thompson
Andrew Vipperman
Avery Wells

04/29/2026

Àftr you get your stress- busters in Slemp come get some dog therapy at the 4th floor library 1-2 today!

04/08/2026

We're trying out a new kind of spotlight - Course Spotlights!

Intern Andrew Vipperman spoke with Dr. Weiss about her Quantitative Research Methods class and put together graphics about the course.

We will have more photos from class soon, as students are busy doing their observational study on campus this week! Drop any favorite memories in the comments 🤓

04/01/2026

Our next Senior Spotlight is on Andrew Vipperman – our very own Department Social Media Intern from Stuart, VA!

The social media internship was a great fit for Andrew because when he graduates, he is looking to become a Content Specialist and eventually run his own social media marketing agency! Outside of his internship, Andrew enjoys spending time at the campus gym as well as watching sports games with friends for various teams here at the College.

Andrew, while discussing why others should join the COM major said, “This major is one of very few where you can consistently be an active talker in communication classrooms, and it benefits you, the professors, and everyone else.” We agree!!!

We asked Andrew his favorite memory from time in the Department, which he said was presenting his Senior Seminar project. He said, “Not only was it a very interesting topic, but it was something I was able to put a lot of effort into and was extremely proud to talk about with others.” Andrew worked with Dr. Weiss on a project titled “Just the Three of Us: Mutual Use of AI in a Relationship” which focused on how couples mutually used AI with their partners in various ways and how that could impact their romantic relationship. We think he crushed his presentaion!

Way to go, Andrew! We will miss your classroom chatter :)

03/18/2026

Willow will be at the UVA Wise Library Wednesday at 1!

Come join us this Wednesday from 1-2 to meet Willow and 'Paws for a Study Break' on the 4th floor of the library🐾

02/20/2026

Willow is here for pet therapy today!🐾

02/19/2026

Our next Senior Spotlight is on Amanda Hayes from Gate City, VA! Amanda is a Senior Communication major planning to graduate this Spring and is also pursuing a certificate in one of the College’s newer programs – Hospitality & Tourism Management. Amanda currently wants to work as a 911 dispatcher so she can work in a fast-paced environment and can help people when they need it most!

Outside of these programs, Amanda is highly involved on campus. She is a member of the Peake Honors Program, Lambda Pi Eta (the National Communication Honor Society), the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), Alpha Alpha Alpha (the first-generation honor society), and the Dean’s List.

For work, she has served as both Candidate Mentor and Treasurer for the Alpha Zeta chapter of Sigma Alpha Omega, worked as a Student Ambassador, works at the campus IT Helpdesk, assists with SAT testing, and is also an Orientation Intern for the Admissions Department.

Amanda’s Senior Seminar research proposal focused on emerging adulthood and Imposter Syndrome, looking at how the two intersect and how recognizing this connection can help mitigate the effects of Imposter Syndrome.

Andrew asked why Amanda joined the major and why she thinks others should join. She said, “I joined the major because Dr. Weiss got me hooked right out of the gate as a Freshman. I stayed because the Department truly feels like a family. I’ve talked about this before, but it still holds true: from my Professors and my peers, the support, encouragement, and sense of belonging make this major feel like home and remind me why I chose it in the first place. I think others should join the major because it helps you find your voice. The courses push you to think critically, speak confidently, and engage in conversations that matter, all while being supported every step of the way.”

What is Amanda’s favorite memory from her time in the Department? “My favorite memory would have to be the moment I finished presenting my Senior Seminar proposal. I worked incredibly hard on it, and being able to see the finished product (along with confidently answering questions about my research) made me feel accomplished, proud, and truly capable of everything I had learned throughout the major. Seeing the smile on Dr. Tighe’s face after I finished presenting is something I’ll never forget!”
Congrats, Amanda!