Bachelor of Arts in

Digital Journalism and Media

Faculty

• Michelle Baker

  • Degree

    Ph.D., Mass Communications, Penn State
  • Degree

    M.S., Communications Studies, Shippensburg University
  • Degree

    B.A., Communications/Journalism, Shippensburg University

  Dr. Michelle Baker is the director of eLearning Initiatives and an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. She oversees the college's portfolio of online degree programs, which includes a B.A. in Digital Journalism and Media, an MPS and B.A. in Strategic Communications, and a media studies minor. Dr. Baker has been teaching both in-residence and online classes for Penn State since 2009, and she has more than 20 years of teaching and administrative experience in higher education. She has experience working as a journalist and freelance writer, and she served as the assistant editor for Bucknell University’s alumni magazine. She teaches COMM 160.

• Doug Barkey

  • Degree

    MFA, Photography, University of Iowa
  • Degree

    M.A., Sculpture, University of Iowa
  • Degree

    B.A., Fine Arts, Bethel University

  Professor Doug Barkey has spent decades working in photography and digital media among multiple cultures and languages. His work has been exhibited in one-person shows at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, along with galleries in Maine, Iowa, Michigan, and New Mexico. Professor Barkey’s work includes advertising, portraiture, landscape, and documentary photography. He has an M.A. in Sculpture and an MFA in Photography from the University of Iowa. He teaches COMM 215 and COMM 269.

• Curtis Chan

  • Degree

    M.A., Media Studies, Penn State
  • Degree

    B.A., Journalism, Penn State

  Professor Curtis Chan is the senior manager for public relations at Penn State, where he develops and implements university-wide, multichannel communications strategies. He serves as the senior communications adviser to administrators, crafting executive communications for University leaders, including the President. Professor Chan also provides high-level oversight and creative vision for Penn State Today, the University's flagship news publication. Prior to this position, Professor Chan served as the manager of internal communications at Penn State. He has been teaching for the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications for two decades. He teaches COMM 467.

• John Chapin

  • Degree

    Ph.D., Communication, Information, and Library Studies, Rutgers University
  • Degree

    M.S., Communications Studies, Shippensburg University
  • Degree

    B.S., Education, Bloomsburg University

  Dr. John Chapin is a professor of communications and the associate director of academic affairs for the Penn State Beaver campus. He earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 1998. Dr. Chapin conducts applied community-based research in violence prevention education. He is the recipient of the Stephen Schafer National Research Award for significant contributions to the field of crime victim rights from the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA). He has also received legislative citations for community service from both Houses of Congress. Dr. Chapin teaches COMM 150N.

• Anne Doris

  • Degree

    MBA, Marketing Management, Long Island University
  • Degree

    B.A., Journalism, City College of New York

  Professor Anne Doris is an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Telecommunications and Media Industries at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. A proven executive in the private sector — most recently with Sodexo USA as a regional vice president in the company's health care division — Professor Doris brings valuable experience and perspectives to Penn State. Professor Doris’ background also includes experience with an online education service provider and nine years with Cox Communications, one of the nation’s largest cable companies, which further enhances the expertise and value she brings as a University faculty member. She teaches COMM 380.

• Jenna Grzeslo

  • Degree

    Ph.D., Mass Communications, Penn State
  • Degree

    M.A., Communication, University of Hartford
  • Degree

    B.A., Political Science, Communication Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison

  Dr. Jenna Grzeslo is the senior manager of research and learning at BRAC USA. Dr. Grzeslo works closely with the Brac Institute of Governance and Development at Brac University, where she supports the Women’s Economic Empowerment and Digital Finance (WEE-DiFine) initiative. Dr. Grzeslo develops proposals for research and innovation projects in partnership with various BRAC entities and teams. Dr. Grezslo’s work has been published in numerous journals, including Computers in Human Behavior and Digital Policy, Regulation, and Governance. She has also served as the managing editor of the Journal of Information Policy, a research fellow at UNESCO, and the coordinator for the Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) Consortium at Penn State. She teaches COMM 310.

• Shannon Kennan

  • Degree

    Ph.D., Mass Communications, Penn State
  • Degree

    M.Ed., Counseling Psychology, College Student Personnel Administration, James Madison University
  • Degree

    B.A., Early Childhood Education, University of Richmond

  Dr. Shannon Kennan oversees the online portfolio for the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications and teaches a variety of online courses. Formerly, she was a second-grade teacher, an in-home family therapist, and a student affairs professional. She is interested in the place where technology, psychology, and education converge. She also works with a variety of social media, new technologies, and online teaching competencies. Dr. Kennan's latest research has to do with training journalists to understand how trauma affects people at the scene of tragedies, such as mass shootings or natural disasters.

• Rex Martin

  • Degree

    Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Studies in Mass Communications, Penn State
  • Degree

    M.Litt., Modern History, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
  • Degree

    B.A., Modern History, Carroll College

  Dr. Rex Martin has spent most of his adult life playing, studying, designing, and writing about games. He has worked for various game companies and spent 13 years as the managing editor at the Avalon Hill Game Company, where he was responsible for all the rulebooks, box copy, and a bi-monthly magazine devoted to military history and simulations. In 2001, he was awarded a doctoral degree from Penn State. His dissertation was titled "Cardboard Warriors: A Cultural History of American Wargaming, 1958–1998." After nearly a decade as a professor, he became the senior writer at Firaxis Games. He teaches COMM 190.

• Jill Mott

  • Degree

    M.A, Art Education, San Jose State University
  • Degree

    B.S., Communications Photography, Syracuse University

  Professor Jill Mott is a visual multimedia journalist, photographer, and photo educator. She specializes in lifestyle portrait and editorial photography featuring children, seniors, families, and events, as well as documentary photography. Professor Mott has more than two decades of experience as a photojournalist and has traveled the world taking photographs and creating live and recorded vlogs. She brings her curiosity and passion to tell authentic stories through her photography. She teaches COMM 215 and COMM 269.

• David Norloff

  • Degree

    MBA, Marketing, Rutgers University
  • Degree

    B.S., Industrial Engineering, Penn State

  Professor David Norloff is an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Telecommunications and Media Industries at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. He is a wireless industry veteran, with a 20-year career leading technology and wireless initiatives. His diverse corporate experience includes leadership positions in management consulting, product strategy, and product development. While at Nextel, he led the Inter-Carrier Messaging, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) product launches and served on the 4G technology strategy team after the Sprint merger. He received the Deans’ Excellence Award for Outstanding Faculty Associate in 2014 and the Deans’ Excellence Award in Teaching in 2019. He is actively engaged as a mentor for Happy Valley LaunchBox and served as the first faculty co-chair for Penn State Startup Week 2021. He teaches COMM 280.

• Stacie Shain

  • Degree

    M.A., Journalism, Indiana University Bloomington
  • Degree

    B.A., Mass Communication, Bellarmine University

  Professor Stacie Shain is an award-winning communications professional with extensive experience in sports reporting, public relations, and corporate communication. She has written for daily newspapers across the United States and served as the sports editor and managing editor of a newspaper in Missouri. Professor Shain also worked as a public affairs specialist, public affairs officer, and advertising and public affairs chief in the U.S. Army’s Recruiting Command. She won numerous awards from that command, including Program Specialist of the Year in 2008. Professor Shain also managed public and community relations for the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Carson, Colorado, and worked on the first-ever Warrior Games. She teaches COMM 412.

• Matthew Solovey

  • Degree

    MPS, Strategic Communications, Penn State
  • Degree

    B.S., Organizational Leadership, Penn State

  Professor Matthew Solovey has more than 25 years of communication strategy experience. Starting his career as a journalist, Professor Solovey launched a community newspaper when he was fresh out of college. The paper invested in a former coal town that had seen its best days behind it and provided Matthew with a solid foundation for more than 15 years of community journalism experience. Ultimately, Matthew launched two newspapers and rehabilitated three before embarking on a career in marketing and communications in health care and academia. He currently is a regional marketing manager at Highmark Health. He teaches COMM 260W and COMM 271.

• Dan Yesenosky

  • Degree

    M.A., Mass Communication, University of Missouri-Columbia
  • Degree

    B.A., Broadcast Journalism, Penn State

  Professor Dan Yesenosky has more than ten years of professional experience in journalism and communications, currently serving as assistant director of external communications for Capgemini. Prior to his current role, he worked in corporate communications for a technology company specializing in cybersecurity, and he was a TV news reporter for NBC affiliates in Charlotte and Greenville, North Carolina. While progressing through his career, Dan earned his master’s degree in media management online through the University of Missouri. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Penn State, attending the University Park campus. Professor Yesenosky teaches COMM 260W, COMM 271, and COMM 409.

• Will Yurman

  Degree

  B.A., Biology, University at Albany, SUNY

  Professor Will Yurman worked in journalism for more than two decades as both a still photographer and multimedia producer. He was a staff photographer at the Democrat & Chronicle in Rochester, New York, and did freelance work for the Associated Press (AP). Professor Yurman also spent three years in the Middle East covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. His work has been exhibited at The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, and it has been recognized in the Best of Photography contest and the Picture of the Year International contest. Professor Yurman’s skills include documentary filmmaking, still photography, writing, editing, web design, and 360-degree augmented reality video. He teaches COMM 215, COMM 269, and COMM 469.