Faizah Butt
Faizah Butt graduated in May 2012 from James Madison University with a double major in Communication Studies and Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication. She served as the director of alumni and member services for the Public Relations Student Society of America. In the future, she hopes to combine her enthusiasm for communication and writing to work in the public relations field.
Her passion in communication combined with her multicultural background has piqued her interest in international communication. In the summer of 2011, she was fortunate enough to study conflict analysis in Northern Ireland. Born and raised in a Pakistani family, she developed a unique and diversified outlook on the world around her.
Faizah looks forward to visiting professionals on this trip in order to enhance her understanding of communication all over the world. This experience will serve as a way for her to develop as a professional as she prepares to immerse herself in a variety of cultures and meet experts in her chosen career path.
Her passion in communication combined with her multicultural background has piqued her interest in international communication. In the summer of 2011, she was fortunate enough to study conflict analysis in Northern Ireland. Born and raised in a Pakistani family, she developed a unique and diversified outlook on the world around her.
Faizah looks forward to visiting professionals on this trip in order to enhance her understanding of communication all over the world. This experience will serve as a way for her to develop as a professional as she prepares to immerse herself in a variety of cultures and meet experts in her chosen career path.
Katie Casey
Katie Casey is an energized and imaginative Communication Studies undergraduate concentrating in public relations. Katie is working toward minors in Educational Media and Writing and Rhetoric. She is from Fairfax, Virginia.
She is a brother of Phi Sigma Pi, a coed national honors fraternity, based upon leadership, fellowship and scholarship. Katie is a member in the James Madison University chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America. She received the most dedicated member award for the spring 2012 semester.
After returning from the tour, Katie will be interning at MSNBC in Washington, D.C. She is grateful for the unique opportunities she will be experiencing and learning from this summer. Katie will be returning to James Madison University to finish up her undergraduate degree this fall. Throughout her senior year, fall 2012 through spring 2013, Katie will be interning at the James Madison University Public Affairs office in addition to being a full-time student.
Katie is always looking for a challenge from which she can learn a new lesson. She is excited to receive real world public relations insight while exploring the Middle East, India, and Europe. Katie is most excited to visit global locations of many larger public relations firms as well as all of the briefings and professional meetings she will be attending. This tour is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity!
She is a brother of Phi Sigma Pi, a coed national honors fraternity, based upon leadership, fellowship and scholarship. Katie is a member in the James Madison University chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America. She received the most dedicated member award for the spring 2012 semester.
After returning from the tour, Katie will be interning at MSNBC in Washington, D.C. She is grateful for the unique opportunities she will be experiencing and learning from this summer. Katie will be returning to James Madison University to finish up her undergraduate degree this fall. Throughout her senior year, fall 2012 through spring 2013, Katie will be interning at the James Madison University Public Affairs office in addition to being a full-time student.
Katie is always looking for a challenge from which she can learn a new lesson. She is excited to receive real world public relations insight while exploring the Middle East, India, and Europe. Katie is most excited to visit global locations of many larger public relations firms as well as all of the briefings and professional meetings she will be attending. This tour is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity!
Mary Cerasa
Mary Cerasa is from Shrewsbury, New Jersey. She is a Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communications major and a Communication Studies minor. She hopes to one day be either a journalist or a technical editor.
In her free time Mary loves to read, write, run, and practice yoga. She is involved in the Kijiji student leadership program, is a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County, and a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America. For the past two years Mary was an athlete on James Madison University’s cross-country and track teams. Mary is fortunate enough to have a received an internship for the month of August in Istanbul, Turkey working for the Istanbul Metropolitan Muncipality. She is eager to gain experience in both writing and communications while working in a foreign country.
Mary is extremely excited to go on this trip because she has never traveled very far out of the United States. This trip looked like a great experience to see the Middle East, Asia, and Africa while allowing her to learn more about the field of public relations, which is something she would like to concentrate on within her minor. Mary would love to have more experience in how foreign public relations firms work to see if international communication might be something that she is interested in for a future career.
In her free time Mary loves to read, write, run, and practice yoga. She is involved in the Kijiji student leadership program, is a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham County, and a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America. For the past two years Mary was an athlete on James Madison University’s cross-country and track teams. Mary is fortunate enough to have a received an internship for the month of August in Istanbul, Turkey working for the Istanbul Metropolitan Muncipality. She is eager to gain experience in both writing and communications while working in a foreign country.
Mary is extremely excited to go on this trip because she has never traveled very far out of the United States. This trip looked like a great experience to see the Middle East, Asia, and Africa while allowing her to learn more about the field of public relations, which is something she would like to concentrate on within her minor. Mary would love to have more experience in how foreign public relations firms work to see if international communication might be something that she is interested in for a future career.
Meg Durcan
Meg Durcan is studying International Affairs with a focus on European Studies. Her love of languages and travel have led her to also pursue a French minor. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Meg splits her time away from school in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Richmond, Virgina. She is a member of Pi Sigma Epsilon, a co-ed business fraternity and Circle K International, a community service organization catering to the needs of children and families. To further enrich her international perspective, Meg spent a month last summer working on an organic farm in St. Niklass, Belgium through WWOOF, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. In doing so she was able to travel to Germany and the Netherlands, practice her French, and get a better understanding of the European lifestyle.
This past semester she interned at C-SPAN for the Washington Journal as a part of the Washington D.C. Semester Program offered by her university. Working full-time as a research assistant for the producers and hosts gave her the opportunity to learn more about broadcast journalism and provided a non-partisan view of the inner workings of both the government and the media. Hoping to combine her appreciation for culture and communication, Meg views this trip as a way to build off of her experience at C-SPAN and learn more about the role of public relations in the media and business. Living abroad has always been a goal of hers, which makes the contacts and the information she receives on this trip invaluable to her future.
Andrew Reese
Andrew is a senior from Alexandria, Virginia. An International Affairs and
History major, he evaded graduation this semester by interning with the State
Department in Rwanda. He has previous internship experience with HDMK Strategic
Communications and Carolina for Kibera in Kenya. Currently, he is learning
Swahili and hopes to further put off leaving James Madison University by studying in Tanzania next
year.
He is involved in Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity and Student Ambassadors. He previously participated in Student Government where he served as the Executive Treasurer and Student Body President.
Andrew loves to travel and is excited about the many places to see, people to meet and food to eat. Never far from his soccer ball, he has extensive experience abroad, but is looking forward to visiting parts of the world he has never been before.
He is involved in Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity and Student Ambassadors. He previously participated in Student Government where he served as the Executive Treasurer and Student Body President.
Andrew loves to travel and is excited about the many places to see, people to meet and food to eat. Never far from his soccer ball, he has extensive experience abroad, but is looking forward to visiting parts of the world he has never been before.
Dr. Frank Kalupa
Dr. Frank Kalupa serves as the program director for this annual international communication tour. His communication career is a diverse blend of university teaching, research, and administration; corporate and government consulting; aerospace public relations; and journalism.
Before joining James Madison University in 2006, he was a visiting professor at American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Previously he was a professor at the University of Texas at Austin for 15 years and has served on faculties in California, Alabama, and Georgia. He has contributed to professional and academic programs in Portugal, Spain, France, England, Turkey, Chile, Mexico, Canada, Ghana, Morocco, Egypt, India, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Iran, Lebanon, and Malaysia. During 12 years in corporate public relations and journalism, he was director of communication for an aerospace research and development center in California and a reporter and an editor with newspapers in California and Wisconsin. He has served a variety of prominent corporate and government clients over the past several decades.
He received a Ph.D. in communication and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Before joining James Madison University in 2006, he was a visiting professor at American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Previously he was a professor at the University of Texas at Austin for 15 years and has served on faculties in California, Alabama, and Georgia. He has contributed to professional and academic programs in Portugal, Spain, France, England, Turkey, Chile, Mexico, Canada, Ghana, Morocco, Egypt, India, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Iran, Lebanon, and Malaysia. During 12 years in corporate public relations and journalism, he was director of communication for an aerospace research and development center in California and a reporter and an editor with newspapers in California and Wisconsin. He has served a variety of prominent corporate and government clients over the past several decades.
He received a Ph.D. in communication and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.