Shani Clark

Shani completed her undergraduate degree at Grand Valley State University receiving her BA in public relations. She is studying organizational communication and will graduate in December 2002. As a second year Thurgood Marshall recipient, this semester she is teaching COM 104: Public Speaking and is serving as the Thurgood Marshall mentor. Shani's research interests include leadership consulting, manager/employee communication, and team building.

Tami Nelsen

An alumna of Western Michigan University, Tami received her BA in organizational communication in 2001. Tami was a member of the first group of McNair Scholars to graduate from WMU. She is currently working on her master's in organizational communication with an interest in health communication issues such as physician-patient communication. This semester she is assisting Dr. Regina Spellers with research on diversity in organizations. Tami also serves as the President of Communiqué.

Deena Filstrup

Deena obtained a BA degree from WMU with a double major in organizational communication and Black Americana Studies in 2001. Deena also was among the first McNair Scholars at WMU. Deena is the current Communiqué Vice President and plans to graduate in December 2002. This semester Deena is assisting Dr. Paul Yelsma with research on emotional expressiveness in marriage. She also works a few hours a week at the School of Multicultural Affairs in the McNair Scholars Program. Her research interests include diversity in the workplace and health campaigns for diabetes care within the Hispanic community.

Felicia Sanders

Felicia received a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Ohio University in 1993. After working in news for eight years in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, she decided to change careers and entered WMU to complete her Master's degree. Her research interests include media effects and content and intercultural communication. Currently, she is assisting Dr. Regina Spellers and Dr. Mark Orbe with research on African-American women and Co-Cultural Theory. She is also working on a thesis project in which she will investigate violence in slasher films. Felicia hopes to pursue a Ph.D. after graduation from WMU.

Ora Stokes

Ora graduated from Jackson State University in Mississippi in the spring of 2001 and entered WMU pursuing a Master's degree in organizational communication the following fall. Her current research interests include interpersonal and cultural communication. This semester Ora has been working as an editorial assistant for The Journal of Intergroup Relations edited by Dr. Mark Orbe and she is teaching COM 104: Public Speaking. Ora also has begun work on her Master's thesis.

Brigitte L. Cobbs

Brigitte is a graduate of Western Michigan University where she received a BA in Applied Liberal Arts with a minor in Communication. In 2001/2002 she was a Creative Arts Specialist for the Western Michigan University Forensics Team. This year she is assisting Dr. Leigh Ford with the graduate newsletter and a graduate handbook. She will also assist Dr. Ford with a research project examining identity construction in illness. Brigitte's current academic research interests include organizational communication, interpersonal communication and cultural diversity and identity.

Cornelius Fair

Cornelius attended Jackson State University in Mississippi where he received his undergraduate degree in Speech Communication in 2002. He is currently assisting Dr. Julie Apker, Dr. Wendy Ford, and Dr. Jennifer Butler-Ellis with research on organizational communication. His academic and research interests include leadership, gender communication, friendships in the workplace, and human resources.

Patrice Hargrow

Patrice received her undergraduate degree in Applied Liberal Studies with a Minor in Social Work in 2002 from WMU. As a senior Patrice received a College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Award and developed an independent research project under the direction of Dr. Mark Orbe. This semester she is assisting Dr. Maria Lapinski with research in persuasive health messages. Her academic and research interests include public relations, customer service, leadership training and development.

Tammy Jeffries

Tammy graduated in 2002 from Western Michigan University where she received her BA degree in interpersonal communication. While an undergraduate Tami was named to the Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges for 2001-2002 and was a McNair Scholar. Her first research article "An Autoethnographical Exploration of Racial 'I'dentity" has been published in the summer 2002 issue of The Journal of Intergroup Relations. Further, her debut article was chosen to receive the Top Student Paper Honors, and also will be honored as one of the Top Five Papers submitted to the African American Communication and Culture Division of the National Communication Association. Tammy will be presenting this paper at the 2002 NCA Conference in New Orleans this November. She is currently assisting Dr. Regina Spellers with research on diversity in organizations. Her academic and research interests include intercultural communication and identity development.

Angela Prater

Angela is a graduate of Ferris State University. She received her undergraduate degree in English, Journalism, and Television Production. This year she will be assisting Sue Ellen Christian with the Common Ground project, a collaborative project with local high school journalism classes. Angela's academic and research interests are in telecommunications.

Jill Chestang
Jill received her undergraduate degree in management from Spring Arbor University. She is working on a Masters degree in organizational communication, while maintaining her full time job at State Farm Insurance. Her research interests emphasize small group communication. Jill received a Thurgood Marshall tuition reimbursement grant available to students from under-represented groups who must work full time and attend classes part time.