More than 50 USC Annenberg faculty and graduate students will chair discussions, present papers, participate in panel discussions, and serve as respondents at the 2004 National Communication Association Annual Convention, held November 11-14, in Chicago. This year's conference theme is "Moving Forward/Looking Back." Among the highlights, communication professor Sandra Ball-Rokeach chairs a panel discussion, "Community Challenges and Mobilization," that features presentations from several USC Annenberg doctoral students.

Communication professor Sandra Ball-Rokeach chairs a panel discussion "Community Challenges and Mobilization." As part of the panel, several communication graduate students present their latest work, including Peter White, who presents "Entering the Field: A Communication Infrastructure Approach to Immigration Research,." Antonieta Mercado, who presents, "Immigrant Organizations and the Local Media in Los Angeles," Matthew Matsaganis and Vikki Katz present, "Piecing the Puzzle Together: Uncovering the Communication Infrastructure that Made the South Gate Recall Possible," Holley Wilkin and Pauline Cheong present a paper co-authored by Prof. Ball-Rokeach entitled, "Community Change Begins at Home: The Role of Family Interaction on Civic Engagement Outcomes." Communication professor Michael Cody serves as the respondent.

Public Relations professor Craig Carroll chairs a panel discussion "Looking Back: The Silver Anniversary of the Study of Organizational Rhetoric, Part 1 ? The Contributions of Rod Hart." He also presents a paper, "Moving Forward with Organizational Rhetoric: Organizational Identity as an Organizational-Rhetorical Constitution."

In addition to serving as the respondent on the panel discussion, communication professor Michael Cody participates in another panel discussion, "Video Games and Learning: Exploring Content Patters, Theoretical Linkages, and Negative and Positive Outcomes Associated with Game Play."

Communication professor Janet Fulk is the respondent at a paper session, "Knowledge Work and Trasactive Memory." She also presents a paper with communication professor Peter Monge and communication graduate students Matthew Matsaganis and Yu Yuan called, "Task Assignment in Transactive Memory."

Communication professor Tom Goodnight is the respondent for two panel discussions, both hosted by the American Forensic Association, "Productive and Critical Interactions of Law, Argument and Identity," and "Veni, Vidi, Vico? What's Behind the Revival of Vico Studies in Rhetoric?" which will include graduate student Omri Ceren's presentation of his paper, "Vico and New Historicism: Tempering Radical Contingency."

Communication professor Larry Gross is the respondent for two paper sessions, "Masculinity and Heteronormativity in Contemporary Film," and "Public Places, Forbidden Spaces, and Negotiating Advocacy: Top Papers of the Caucus on Gay and Lesbian Concerns."

Communication professor Thomas Hollihan chairs both the panel discussion at the Doctoral Chairs Breakfast and the Doctoral Education Committee Business Meeting.

Communication professor Colleen Keough presents her paper, "The Justice Public Relations Inquiry Project" in a paper session about public relations.

Communication professor Randall Lake presents his paper, called "Editor, 'Argumentation & Advocacy'" at a panel discussion about Argumentation and Forensics called "Insight from the Editors: A Roundtable Discussion of Forensic Research." He also serves as the respondent for a panel discussion about American Studies called "(Re)Appropriating the Past to Move Towards New Cultural and Political Futures for Native American Communities."

Communication professor Peter Monge participates in a panel discussion about Organizational Communication called "Publishing Organizational Communication Research."

Communication professor Stephen O'Leary presents a paper with journalism professor Larry Pryor called "Simnews and the Internet: Competing Perspectives of Reality." He also presents his paper, titled "Utopian and Dystopian Possiblities of Networked Religion in the New Millennium" at a panel discussion panel about Religious Communication called "God Today: Religion in Contemporary Culture."

Journalism professor Joe Saltzman participates in a Panel Discussion called "The Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture ? From Ancient Scribes to Sob Sisters to War Photographers: A Media Literacy Presentation with Pedagogical Applications." He also participates in a Pre-Convention Seminar Conference called "Visions of Chicago in Sight and Sound: Looking Back at the Fantasies, Moving Forward to the Realities."

Communication professor Stacy Smith chairs a panel discussion, "Video Games and Learning: Exploring Content Patters, Theoretical Linkages, and Negative and Positive Outcomes Associated with Game Play." The discussion includes presentations by communication professor Kwan Lee with graduate students Namkee Park and Seung-A Jin of a paper titled, "Effects of Narrative on Feelings of Presence in Computer/Video Games" and post doctoral associate Rene Weber with professors Ute Ritterfeld of USC Annenberg and Klaus Mathiak of the University of Tuebingen of a paper called "Violent Computer Games, Aggression and Brain Activity: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study." Michael Cody will serve as a respondent on the panel.

Communication professor Gordon Stables participates in both the CEDA Business Meeting and the CEDA Executive Council Meeting.