Cheryl Casey, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication
(ccasey@hamilton.edu) Cheryl A. Casey, visiting assistant professor of communication, earned her Ph.D. in media, culture and communication from New York University. Her research interests include the intersection of communication practices and forms with religion. Casey has presented and published her work in both international and national forums, and in 2004, was invited to speak at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, as one of 12 international scholars researching ritual practices on the Internet. She is currently serving a second 3-year term as executive secretary for the New York State Communication Association, and has served as managing editor for Explorations in Media Ecology. Before coming to Hamilton, Casey taught at New York University, The New School University and Marist College.
Catherine Phelan, Ph.D., Professor of Communication
(cwphelan@hamilton.edu) Catherine Waite Phelan, chair and professor of communication, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, with an interdisciplinary degree in communication and philosophy. Drawing on the work of Walter Ong and Marshall McLuhan, her scholarship exhibits an enduring interest in technology and society.
Recent publications address a theory of video that challenges current assumptions regarding the role of television. She has published articles in Critical Studies in Mass Communication, Cultural Studies, Symbolic Interaction, and Proteus, among others. Her recent book, titled Mediation and the Communication Matrix, (Peter Lang, 2003) discusses how the screen in its myriad forms has contributed to an emerging view of the self in American culture that is unique to our time.
Phelan's teaching interests include courses on media theory, the First Amendment, and technology and society.
Heather Stassen-Ferrara, M.A., Visiting Instructor of Communication
Heather Stassen-Ferrara has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio Northern University, a master’s in organizational communication from Ithaca College, and has ABD standing in rhetoric and public culture at Ohio University. Her research interests are at the intersection of rhetoric, gender and critical theory, audience response methods and marginal public culture controversies. Stassen-Ferrara is currently completing her dissertation which explores recent public controversies concerning polygamist communities in the United States. Her teaching interests include argumentation, research methods, and persuasion.
Robert Del Buono, M.A., Lecturer in Communication
(rdelbuon@hamilton.edu) Robert Del Buono, lecturer in communication, is a vice president and trainer for Fiber Instrument Sales, Inc., in Oriskany. He was formerly superintendent, principal and social studies teacher at Chadwicks Union Free School which later merged with Sauquoit High School. A master trainer in effective communication, Del Buono has taught in all major U.S. cities and Canada, as well as in both eastern and western Europe. He earned a bachelor's degree from Utica College of Syracuse University and master’s from New York University.
Hamilton's commitment to strong writing and speaking skills dates back more than a century and a half, when the young College first forged a distinctive program in rhetoric and elocution. Students learned to speak with power, polish and persuasive ability, and that tradition continues today with Hamilton's innovative, writing-intensive curriculum.
Honoring Excellence
The College hosts an annual public speaking competition. The six speaking awards are among the most prestigious student honors on campus and include $6,000 in prizes. Topics and formats vary — persuasive speeches, informative speeches and essays may be considered. Hamilton is also a member of Lambda Pi Eta, a national honor society dedicated to encouraging and recognizing excellence in communication studies. Membership is based on scholastic performance and commitment to the field.
Innovative Approaches
The emerging culture of the Internet combines elements of a modern, print-oriented mentality with a much older oral tradition. Postmodern theories of self and society tell us a great deal about the practice of rhetoric in ancient Greece and Rome — and the reverse is just as true. Perhaps more than any other field of study, communication combines past and present to illuminate both.
Interdisciplinary Connections
The study of communication at Hamilton is highly interdisciplinary. It makes connections among such fields as literary studies, media studies, psychology, anthropology, education, ethics and even religion in order to explore the complexities of communication from a variety of viewpoints.
Hamilton's commitment to strong writing and speaking skills dates back more than a century and a half, when the young College first forged a distinctive program in rhetoric and elocution. Students learned to speak with power, polish and persuasive ability, and that tradition continues today with Hamilton's innovative, writing-intensive curriculum.
Honoring Excellence
The College hosts an annual public speaking competition. The six speaking awards are among the most prestigious student honors on campus and include $6,000 in prizes. Topics and formats vary — persuasive speeches, informative speeches and essays may be considered. Hamilton is also a member of Lambda Pi Eta, a national honor society dedicated to encouraging and recognizing excellence in communication studies. Membership is based on scholastic performance and commitment to the field.
Innovative Approaches
The emerging culture of the Internet combines elements of a modern, print-oriented mentality with a much older oral tradition. Postmodern theories of self and society tell us a great deal about the practice of rhetoric in ancient Greece and Rome — and the reverse is just as true. Perhaps more than any other field of study, communication combines past and present to illuminate both.
Interdisciplinary Connections
The study of communication at Hamilton is highly interdisciplinary. It makes connections among such fields as literary studies, media studies, psychology, anthropology, education, ethics and even religion in order to explore the complexities of communication from a variety of viewpoints.
Hamilton's commitment to strong writing and speaking skills dates back more than a century and a half, when the young College first forged a distinctive program in rhetoric and elocution. Students learned to speak with power, polish and persuasive ability, and that tradition continues today with Hamilton's innovative, writing-intensive curriculum.
Honoring Excellence
The College hosts an annual public speaking competition. The six speaking awards are among the most prestigious student honors on campus and include $6,000 in prizes. Topics and formats vary — persuasive speeches, informative speeches and essays may be considered. Hamilton is also a member of Lambda Pi Eta, a national honor society dedicated to encouraging and recognizing excellence in communication studies. Membership is based on scholastic performance and commitment to the field.
Innovative Approaches
The emerging culture of the Internet combines elements of a modern, print-oriented mentality with a much older oral tradition. Postmodern theories of self and society tell us a great deal about the practice of rhetoric in ancient Greece and Rome — and the reverse is just as true. Perhaps more than any other field of study, communication combines past and present to illuminate both.
Interdisciplinary Connections
The study of communication at Hamilton is highly interdisciplinary. It makes connections among such fields as literary studies, media studies, psychology, anthropology, education, ethics and even religion in order to explore the complexities of communication from a variety of viewpoints.
Hamilton's commitment to strong writing and speaking skills dates back more than a century and a half, when the young College first forged a distinctive program in rhetoric and elocution. Students learned to speak with power, polish and persuasive ability, and that tradition continues today with Hamilton's innovative, writing-intensive curriculum.
Honoring Excellence
The College hosts an annual public speaking competition. The six speaking awards are among the most prestigious student honors on campus and include $6,000 in prizes. Topics and formats vary — persuasive speeches, informative speeches and essays may be considered. Hamilton is also a member of Lambda Pi Eta, a national honor society dedicated to encouraging and recognizing excellence in communication studies. Membership is based on scholastic performance and commitment to the field.
Innovative Approaches
The emerging culture of the Internet combines elements of a modern, print-oriented mentality with a much older oral tradition. Postmodern theories of self and society tell us a great deal about the practice of rhetoric in ancient Greece and Rome — and the reverse is just as true. Perhaps more than any other field of study, communication combines past and present to illuminate both.
Interdisciplinary Connections
The study of communication at Hamilton is highly interdisciplinary. It makes connections among such fields as literary studies, media studies, psychology, anthropology, education, ethics and even religion in order to explore the complexities of communication from a variety of viewpoints.
AFTER HAMILTON
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Communication are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Investment Banking Analyst, Bear Stearns & Co. Inc.
Associate Producer, ESPN
Publicist, Random House, Inc.
Ice Hockey Coach, New York University
Homeland Security, The White House
Senior Regulatory Analyst, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Cheryl A. Casey, visiting assistant professor of communication, earned her Ph.D. in media, culture and communication from New York University. Her research interests include the intersection of communication practices and forms with religion. Casey has presented and published her work in both international and national forums, and in 2004, was invited to speak at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, as one of 12 international scholars researching ritual practices on the Internet. She is currently serving a second 3-year term as executive secretary for the New York State Communication Association, and has served as managing editor for Explorations in Media Ecology. Before coming to Hamilton, Casey taught at New York University, The New School University and Marist College.
Catherine Waite Phelan, chair and professor of communication, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, with an interdisciplinary degree in communication and philosophy. Drawing on the work of Walter Ong and Marshall McLuhan, her scholarship exhibits an enduring interest in technology and society.
Robert Del Buono, lecturer in communication, is a vice president and trainer for Fiber Instrument Sales, Inc., in Oriskany. He was formerly superintendent, principal and social studies teacher at Chadwicks Union Free School which later merged with Sauquoit High School. A master trainer in effective communication, Del Buono has taught in all major U.S. cities and Canada, as well as in both eastern and western Europe. He earned a bachelor's degree from Utica College of Syracuse University and master’s from New York University.
