World Bank-Annenberg Executive Course

in Communication and Reform

June 2 – 13, 2014

USC-Annenberg, Los Angeles, CA

Speaker/Faculty Biographies

 Contact Information

François Bar is Associate Professor of Communication in the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California. He is a steering committee member of the Annenberg Research Network on International Communication. His research and teaching focus on the social and economic impacts for development of telecommunication policy, user-driven innovation and technology appropriation, from East Africa and Latin America to Los Angeles. He is co-creator of Mobile Voices (VozMob), a cell-phone based mobile story telling platform designed to create power in communities and achieve greater participation in the digital public sphere. A widely published author, Francois Bar is co-Editor in Chief of Information Technologies and International Development (ITID).  Originally from France, Prof. Bar holds degrees from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, as well as Harvard University and a PhD from University of California Berkeley.

Michael X. Delli Carpini is Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the University of Pennsylvania faculty in July of 2003, Professor Delli Carpini was Director of the Public Policy program of the Pew Charitable Trusts (1999-2003), and member of the Political Science Department at Barnard College and graduate faculty of Columbia University (1987-2002). His research explores the role of the citizen in American politics, with particular emphasis on the impact of the mass media on public opinion, political knowledge and political participation. Michael Delli Carpini has written extensively on political communications, public opinion and political socialization, including A New Engagement? Political Participation, Civic Life and the Changing American Citizen (Oxford University Press, 2006), and Talking Together: Public Deliberation and Political Participation in America (University of Chicago Press, 2009). He earned his PhD at the University of Minnesota and was awarded the 2008 Murray Edelman Distinguished Career Award from the Political Communication Division of the American Political Science Association.

Dana Chinn‘s teaching, research and consulting focus on digital analytics for news and nonprofit organizations. She is the media analytics strategist for the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center Media Impact Project, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

She also teaches data journalism and directs interdisciplinary programs that bring together journalism, business and engineering students and faculty. Previously at USC Annenberg she directed the Convergence Core Curriculum, which teaches students to report in print, broadcast and online.

Eric M. Eisenberg is Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at; the University of South Florida. He joined the Communication faculty in 1994 having previously taught at the University of Southern California. His primary areas of expertise are organizational and health communication, with a focus on the strategic uses of communication to promote positive organizational change. He is the author of numerous articles and books and the winner of both teaching and research awards. His current research investigates issues of organizational leadership and engagement, dialogue, attachment, and the role of communication in preventing errors. An experienced consultant, he applies his knowledge in large corporations, health and educational institutions, and government organizations. He holds a PhD and MA from Michigan State and a BA from Rutgers.

Thomas Hollihan is Professor of communication in the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. The author of many articles and books including Uncivil Wars: Political Campaigns in a Media Age, Prof. Hollihan teaches and publishes in the areas of argumentation, political campaign communication, contemporary rhetorical criticism, and the impact of globalization on public deliberation. In addition to his teaching and academic publishing, Tom Hollihan has served as a consultant to many different political candidates, elected officials, business leaders, and also to the leaders of non-profit organizations. Professor Hollihan makes frequent appearances in the media to discuss political issues and campaign strategies. He has served in senior administrative capacities at the University of Southern California and in national leadership roles for professional associations such as the National Debate Tournament and the American Forensics Association. He holds a PhD in Speech Communication from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Lauren Kogen received her Ph.D. from the Annenberg School at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Kogen is involved in CGCS’s ongoing efforts to expand the community of researchers around monitoring & evaluation of media development (M&E). She also focuses on U.S. media coverage of crises and conflicts and journalistic norms regarding crisis coverage.

She worked extensively on the CGCS project Researching Attitudes Toward Peace and Conflict in Darfur, which sought to gauge public opinion in Darfur concerning the Darfur conflict. For this project, Lauren helped develop a survey methodology as well as analyze data from semi-structured interviews of Darfuri IDPs. This work was instrumental in refining Lauren’s research interest and knowledge in the use of media in conflict and post-conflict zones and emerging democracies, and informed a 2010 journal article that she published with CGCS Director Monroe E. Price, Deflecting the CNN Effect: Public Opinion Polling and Livingstonian Outcomes, in the Journal of Media, War & Conflict.

Sheila Murphy is a professor of health communication in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California.  The primary focus of her research has been investigating how message factors (such as framing, channel, affective versus non-effective information), individual level factors (such as ethnicity, gender, self-efficacy, identification, and involvement) and cultural level factors (e.g., social norms and beliefs) impact decision-making.  For the past 10 years, her work has primarily focused on health-related decisions and on the role of narrative or storytelling in shaping the public’s knowledge, attitudes and practices.  Her ongoing research focuses on cancer, HIVAIDS and tobacco.  She works with the USC Annenberg/Hollywood, Health and Society Television Monitoring Project and the Annenberg National Health Communication Survey (ANHCS).  Sheila has received grants from the Kaiser Family Foundation, Norris Cancer Center, NIH and the CDC among others.  She has published in the Journal of Communication, International Journal of Public Health, the International Journal of Communication, Sex Roles and the Journal of Communication among others.  She received her BA, MA and PhD degrees from the University of Michigan in Psychology.

Allison Noyes is a doctoral candidate studying strategic communication at USC’s Annenberg School. Her current research focuses on communication and collaboration in healthcare organizations though her research interests span across a variety of different aspects of organizational communication. Since coming to Annenberg, Allie has worked on research and training projects with a variety of nonprofit organizations, the U.S. Navy, the World Bank, and the entertainment industry. She is currently conducting her dissertation research on collaborative capacity in a hospital organization.

Sina Odugbemi is program head of Communication for External Affairs at the World Bank. He has over 25 years of experience in journalism, law, and development. Before he joined the World Bank in 2006, he spent seven years in the UK’s development ministry, DFID. His last position was Program Manager and Adviser, Information and Communication for Development.  Sina holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (1980) and in Law (1986) from the University of Ibadan, a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Philosophy (1999) from the University College London, and a PhD in Laws (2009) at the same university on the subject Public Opinion and Direct Accountability between Elections: A Study of the Constitutional Theories of Jeremy Bentham and A.V. Dicey. Sina’s publications include a novel entitled The Chief’s Grand-daughter (Spectrum Books, 1986) and three co-edited volumes: With the Support of Multitudes: Using strategic communication to fight poverty through PRSPs (2005), Governance Reform under Real-World Conditions: Citizens, Stakeholders, and Voice (2008), and  Accountability through Public Opinion: From Inertia to Public Action (2011).

Ceren Ozer is an Economist with the South Asia Economic Policy Unit of the World Bank where she works as a country economist for Nepal and on migration and remittance related research. As a Young Professional, Ceren spent more than a year in Dhaka working on economic policy and governance issues. Ceren has a Ph.D. in political economy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in progress; an M.A. in international relations and international economics from SAIS, and a B.A. in economics from the Bogazici University.

Manuel Pastor is Professor of American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California where he also serves as Director of USC’s Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE) and co-Director of USC’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII). Founding director of the Center for Justice, Tolerance, and Community at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Pastor holds an economics Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has received fellowships from the Danforth, Guggenheim, and Kellogg foundations and grants from the Irvine Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Wellness Foundation, and many others.

In recent years, his research has focused on the economic, environmental and social conditions facing low-income urban communities in the U.S., resulting in articles published in Economic Development Quarterly, Review of Regional Studies, Social Science Quarterly, Journal of Economic Issues, Journal of Urban Affairs, Urban Affairs Review, Urban Geography, and elsewhere. He has also conducted research on Latin American economic conditions, with articles published in journals such as International Organization, World Development, Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Latin American Studies, Latin American Research Review, and Foreign Affairs. His most recent book, Uncommon Common Ground: Race and America’s Future (W.W. Norton 2010; co-authored with Angela Glover Blackwell and Stewart Kwoh), documents the gap between progress in racial attitudes and racial realities, and offers a new set of strategies for both talking about race and achieving racial equity. Previous volumes include This Could Be the Start of Something Big: How Social Movements for Regional Equity are Transforming Metropolitan America (Cornell University Press 2009; co-authored with Chris Benner and Martha Matsuoka), Staircases or Treadmills: Labor Market Intermediaries and Economic Opportunity in a Changing Economy (Russell Sage 2007, co-authored with Chris Benner and Laura Leete).  He is a member of the Building Resilient Regions research network sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation.

Patricia Riley is associate professor and Director, Global Communication Master’s Program (a dual degree offered together with the London School of Economics) at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism and Director of the USC Annenberg Scenario Lab (uscscenariolab.com). She is a specialist in organizational communication and internationally known for her work on institutional politics and organizational culture change. Her most recent research focuses on the role of communication infrastructure in knowledge management processes and on the role of communication and information technologies in organizational change and transformation. She is the founding director of USC Annenberg’s Scenario lab and is working with government and non-governmental agencies to develop and evaluate virtual training and planning programs. A widely-published author, Patricia Riley teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as high level executive education seminars in organizational communication and culture. She is an internationally renowned consultant and facilitator in areas of leadership and change, strategic communication, knowledge management, and organizational learning to Fortune 500 and media companies, and government agencies in the US, Japan and elsewhere. Professor Riley holds a PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Shabnam Shalizi‘s doctoral work at USC builds on her applied experience as a practitioner leading and supporting engagements in diverse landscapes, including the volatile setting of war. Her emphasis on communications and change stems from her performance measurement portfolio across multiple countries and sectors, including rule of law, gender, food security and public financial management. Shabnam’s research interests include levers for change in how aid and assistance works to build and maintain lasting relations with countries and people. Moreover, how personnel, processes and systems in both headquarters and the field can increase impact and facilitate sustainability. She has led and implemented studies in over fifteen countries as part of her work developing evidence-based measures for improved performance that results in meaningful and relevant change. Having consulted and advised officials across several international and multilateral organizations, her experience includes extensive work with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development.

Shabnam is a certified Change Management Advanced Practitioner from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, has facilitated performance workshops and focus groups internationally, guest lectured and taught modules on qualitative data collection, stakeholder buy-in and performance optimization. She holds two graduate degrees, an MS from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MA from the University of Southern California, where she worked on the political history of communications and engagement in areas of conflict, public diplomacy and effectiveness in multiple regions, including MENA, South Asia and Africa.

Of Afghan heritage, Shabnam’s background and story is one that demonstrates her commitment to the efficacy of human assistance and aid. With one ear to policy and the other to the human experience, her dedication to performance links 21st century statecraft to accountable decision making that encourages collective growth for global security.

 

Prawit (Wit) Thainiyom was a 2010-2012 Fulbright scholar from Thailand and recently earned an M.A. in Health Communication from the Pennsylvania State University. Before coming to the US, Prawit was a communications executive at Ogilvy Advertising and subsequently worked for Education Development Center and MTV EXIT Foundation (with donors such as USAID, AUSAID, UNICEF, Deutsche Bank, Hewlett Packard, Reebok/Adidas & Disney), where he managed various international health programs and social change campaigns on a range of issues such as HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, post disaster development, poverty reduction, and micro-enterprise development through ICT in over 12 countries across Asia. His experience propels him to explore the roles of media campaigns, entertainment education, social marketing, social movements, and communication technologies in international development and health interventions. As a doctoral student at USC Annenberg, he is working on a study that examines the relationships between different emotional appeals in HIV prevention campaigns and the unintended effects of stigma and discrimination. He is also doing a study that investigates how anti-trafficking organizations in Southeast Asia use narratives in their edutainment and community organizing efforts to transform the public knowledge, attitudes, and behavior on human trafficking.

Gail Fann Thomas is the Program Manager for Strategic Communication in the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Executive Education (CEE). She has been teaching high-performing teams NPS’ Graduate School of Business and Public Policy since 1989. Program Manager for Strategic Communication in NPS’s Center for Executive Education (CEE). Dr. Thomas conducts research on inter-organizational collaboration, conflict management, communication competencies for executives and mid-level managers, and communication as it relates to strategy and organizational change efforts.  She has published in several academic journals and co-authored a booklet on conflict management in team settings.  Gail Thomas received her doctorate in Business and Education from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.

Cecilia C. (Caby) Verzosa is WBI Program Leadership for Leadership for Development. Ms. Verzosa has worked with the World Bank for eighteen years and is the Program Leader for Leadership for Development at the World Bank Institute’s (WBI) Governance Practice.  In this capacity she directs WBI’s work with regional partners in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.   She has served as Communication Advisor for Learning and Capacity-building in the WBI Governance Practice and provided technical leadership in the areas of stakeholder relationship management, coalition-building, strategic communication, integrating these into priority learning and knowledge-sharing initiatives of WBI. While working at the External Affairs Vice-Presidency, Ms. Verzosa developed a competency-based curriculum on strategic communication, conflict-management and client engagement and directed a Bank-wide Strategic Communication Learning Program which was delivered to some 8,000 participants including World Bank managers and staff, developing country government officials, leaders from the private sector and civil society organizations. She served as a member of the Knowledge and Learning Board of the World Bank Group from 2003-2009. Before joining the World Bank, she worked with two inter-national organizations, was the Executive Director of a CSO working on social marketing in health, and provided technical support on strategic communication to developing country programs worldwide. Recent published work include: Building Commitment to Reform through Strategic Communication:  Five Key Decisions (2009) She produced an interactive, online performance support tool “Strategic Communication Decision Tool” (2009) and a web-compatible, interactive video “Negotiating Difference” (2009), a first of its kind on public sector reform. Ms. Verzosa has a Ph.D in Intercultural Communication, minor in Conflict Management, a Master’s degree in Public Administration, and a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Communication.

Rong Wang received her B.A. from School of Journalism and Communication, Nanjing University (P.R. China), and her M.A. in Communications and New Media at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore. Her Master’s thesis examined, from a network perspective of collective action, online communities that focus on commons-based peer production. While pursuing her Master’s degree, she taught an undergraduate course on Cultural Industries and assisted in the teaching of courses on: Social Media; Cyber Asia; and Introduction to Media Writing. Before joining in USC, Rong worked at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) with the Information Networks and Inclusion program. Her work included assisting research programs in the areas of information and communication technologies for development. Rong has presented her research in international conferences including ICA, IAMCR, NCA, AoIR, and INSNA Sunbelt. Currently pursuing her doctoral degree at USC Annneberg, her research interests are focused on social network analysis, evolutionary theory and organizational communication.

Rebecca Weintraub is a clinical professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism and directs both residential and online master’s degree Programs in Communication Management.  Dr. Weintraub has spent more than 20 years in the field of communication, facilitation, change management and organizational behavior. She teaches strategic communication classes in the Communication Management program and provides communication and facilitation consulting services to organizations in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

Ernest J. Wilson III is Walter Annenberg Chair in Communication and Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California. He also is a professor of political science,. Dean Wilson’s experience at the intersection of communication and public policy spans the private and public sectors. He has led research centers and academic departments at Michigan University, the University of Maryland College Park and the University of Pennsylvania. With an academic focus on the convergence of communication and information technology, public policy, and the public interest, with a an emphasis on global sustainable innovation in high-technology industries, and the role of ‘information champions’ and politics in the diffusion of information and communication technologies world-wide. Published widely, Dean Wilson also co-edits the MIT Press series The Information Revolution and Global Politics and the journal Information Technologies and International Development. Dean Wilson has served as a consultant to international agencies such as the World Bank and the United Nations, worked in government at the White House National Security Council and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and serves on numerous national and international boards advising, among others,  President and senior members of the US government. He received a PhD in Political Science from the University of California Berkeley.