Dr. Nancy Bandiera
Lecturer
Office: C-745 G
(718) 730-7539
nbandiera@lagcc.cuny.edu
Dr. Nancy Bandiera, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at LaGuardia Community College, has been teaching full-time in higher education for over 15 years. She is a graduate of SUNY Albany, received an M.A. in Linguistics/Education from UT Arlington; an M.F.A in Acting and a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from UT Austin. Dr. Bandiera has taught ESL and numerous theatre and communication studies courses. She is a member of Actors Equity Association & the Voice and Speech Trainers Association as well as professional organizations in communication.
Her research is in spirituality & communication. She recently conducted a poster presentation on “The Use of Grounded Theory in Analysis of Liminality Among Labyrinth Walkers” and published an article, “My Experiment with the Labyrinth in Education.” Currently, Dr. Bandiera is teaching Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, and Oral Interpretation of Literature at LAGCC. The essence of Dr. Bandiera’s teaching philosophy is instilling in each student that he or she has a right to speak, an ethical responsibility to audiences, and an obligation to train the mind, body, and voice for clear, confident, and ethical communication in contexts of professional communication sites and social activism. Dr. Bandiera’s students are negotiators in discovering common ground among diverse opinions for the public good.
Dr. Andy Kai-chun Chuang
Program Director for Communication Studies
Associate Professor
Office: C-745 OO
(718) 349-4098
kchuang@lagcc.cuny.edu
Dr. Chuang received his Ph.D. in Communication Studies with a focus on organizational communication and a secondary focus in critical cultural communication at the University of Denver. He also received an M.A. from the University of Denver and a B.A. from Tamkang University in Taiwan.
Dr. Chuang’s work examines the intersections between critical rhetorical approaches and performance studies perspectives in organizational and professional contexts. His research perspective bridges rhetoric and performance in organizational communication and has manifested in some of his recent projects presented at both the National Communication Association (NCA) and International Communication Association (ICA). These projects explore the underappreciated concept of professionalism and the performance of identities and resistance by examining Taiwanese commercial airline pilots’ discursive practices.
Before joining LaGuardia in 2014, Dr. Chuang taught in both two-year and four-year colleges in Denver, Colorado. Now, he teaches Fundamentals of Speech Communication, Public Speaking, Communication in a Professional Setting, and Small Group Communication. He hopes to teach Organizational Communication, and Intercultural Communication in the future.
Dr. Sandra Dickinson
Professor
Office: C-745 II
(718) 482-5695
sandrad@lagcc.cuny.edu
Dr. Dickinson is ASHA certified in SpL (Speech-Language Pathology) and has authored numerous publications and conference presentations on language acquisition and phonetics.
Ms. Erika Heppner
Lecturer
Office: C-745 H
(718) 482-6026
eheppner@lagcc.cuny.edu
Erika Heppner has been a full-time lecturer at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY since 2004. Before coming to LaGuardia, she taught at Loyola University and Delgado Community College in New Orleans, Louisiana. She holds an M.A. in English and an M.F.A. in Drama and Communications from the University of New Orleans.
Her teaching and current research interests include oral history, digital storytelling and radio production, experiential learning, and learning communities. She feels fortunate to be part of the LaGuardia faculty and work with so many inspiring students and colleagues.
Dr. Sumanth Inukonda
Assistant Professor
Office: C-745 DD
(718) 482-5696
sinukonda@lagcc.cuny.edu
Dr. Sumanth Inukonda has successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at Bowling Green State University. His doctoral dissertation analyzes the relationship between media and the Telangana Separatist movement in India. He has earned his M.Sc. (with Merit) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. His Master’s dissertation analyzed the BBC’s positioning of business journalism in an emerging multimedia environment.
He is presently teaching Public Speaking and Communicating in a Professional Setting at LAGCC. In the past, he has taught Media and Information Society, Communication Theory, Interpersonal Communication and Interviewing.
He has professional experience working in the Media and Communications sector in the UK and in India. He has worked in London with a major financial publisher and in India as a Development Communications Consultant.
Prof. Doreen Kolomechuk
Associate Professor
Office: C-745 PP
(718) 482-5208
DOREEN@lagcc.cuny.edu
Doreen Kolomechuk is an Associate Professor in the Communication Studies Program at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY. She has over thirty years of experience in higher education and has focused on teaching, experiential learning, and career development and counseling throughout her career. She teaches a variety of online and classroom courses in the Communication Studies Program. She also assists students in securing internship opportunities and enables students to analyze and learn from internship experiences. Before joining LaGuardia Community College, Professor Kolomechuk worked at Hofstra University and Long Island University. She has an M.S. in Education and Counseling from Hofstra University, an M.S.W. from Hunter College School of Social Work, and is a Licensed Master Social Worker.
Dr. Jaime Riccio
Assistant Professor
Office: C-745XX
(718) 730-7526
jriccio@lagcc.cuny.edu
Jaime Riccio recently returned to her home state of New Jersey to join the LaGuardia Community College faculty. She is a full-time Instructor of Communication Studies and scholar of mass media. She earned her M.A. in Media Studies from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and her B.A. in Communications with a specialization in Radio/Television/Film from The College of New Jersey. She has a background in broadcasting and digital marketing, serving as a digital media strategist in the greater NYC area.
Her research interests include media effects, digital literacy, and child media use, with her doctoral dissertation focusing on adolescent identity formation in the digital age. Jaime has presented media research at national and international conferences, and has published a number of works on media theory, including chapters inProducingTheory 2.0, The Oxford Handbook of Political Communication, and the Handbook of Communication Sciences. Jaime currently teaches classes in Broadcasting and Public Speaking.
Dr. Joni Schwartz
Professor
Office: C-745 F
(718) 349-4061
jschwartz@lagcc.cuny.edu
Dr. Joni Schwartz is an Associate Professor in Communication Studies and a social activist scholar. She is the founder and developer of three adult education centers in NYC, is co-editor of Swimming Upstream: Black Males in Adult Education, reflections editor for Dialogues on Social Justice – a peer reviewed online journal, and has published in Adult Education Quarterly, Adult Learning, Science Education, and International Journal of Science in Society. Her documentary, A New Normal: Young Men of Color, Trauma and Engagement in Learning, is utilized in classrooms across the country, and she is currently the executive producer for an upcoming documentary about post-incarceration and engagement in learning.
She completed her Master’s degree in Communication at New York University and Doctorate from Rutgers University. Dr. Schwartz teaches online as well as traditional courses and enjoys teaching tremendously. For more information about her classes, undergraduate research projects and teaching approach, see her ePortolio: https://lagcc-cuny.digication.com/joni_schwartz_ph_d/Welcome.
Dr. Poppy Slocum
Associate Professor
Office: C-745 YY
(718) 349-4096
pslocum@lagcc.cuny.edu
Dr. Poppy Slocum has been a faculty member in Communication Studies since 2014. She has a B.A. in Classics and Romance Linguistics from the University of Washington and expects to receive her Ph.D. in Linguistics in Spring 2016 from Stony Brook University.
Her dissertation, The Syntax of Address, focuses on the internal and external structure of vocative phrases. In addition to generative syntax, Ms. Slocum is also interested in the relationship between language and power, both socially and politically. More details about her research and teaching can be found at poppyslocum.com.
Dr. Patricia Sokolski
Associate Professor
Office: C-745 WW
(718) 482-6027
psokolski@lagcc.cuny.edu
Dr. Patricia Sokolski has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature with a concentration in Medieval Studies. She has been involved in learning communities and teaches most of her courses in pairs and clusters. Her research interests include oral literature and interpersonal communication in the medieval times.
Dr. Shaunee Wallace
Associate Professor
Office: C-745 P
(718) 482-6187
swallace@lagcc.cuny.edu
Dr. S. Lenise Wallace, Ph.D. is a motivational speaker, college professor and communication professional. She is an Associate Professor teaching communication courses such as Public Relations, Communication in a Professional Setting and Persuasion & Debate. She has over fifteen years of experience in public relations and image consulting. Dr. Wallace has energized audiences across the country, turning her speaking engagements into overall interactive experiences.
Her research interests include public relations and race, gender and sexuality in mass media. Due to her prominent work in the field, Dr. Wallace was featured in two editions of The Practice of Public Relations by Fraser Seitel, one of the nation’s leading public relations textbooks. Dr. Wallace earned her B.A. in Political Science from Delaware State University, Dover, DE; M.S. in Organizational Communication & Public Relations from Iona College, New Rochelle, N.Y.; and Ph.D. in Mass Communication & Media Studies from Howard University, Washington, D.C. Dr. Wallace serves as the faculty mentor for the Public Relations concentration of the Communication Studies program and the LAGCC Public Relations Club.
Prof. Francine White
Associate Professor
Office: C-745 NN
(718) 482-5209
francine@lagcc.cuny.edu
Professor White is a member of the faculty in the Humanities Department at LaGuardia Community College. She has been a LaGuardia faculty member for more than twenty years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from City College, and a MBA from Dowling College. In her early years at LaGuardia, Professor White was privileged to work at Riker’s Island Adult Education program through LaGuardia – a relationship she is happy to continue as needed. She remains interested in issues of Criminal Justice, Prisoner Reentry and the impact of emotional literacy and listening in transforming lives.