Like a Champ: Broadening Student Horizons
To understand the mission of the Journalism and Media Communication Department’s Center for Science Communication (CSC), it helps to know that Land Grant Universities like CSU seek to apply powerful scientific methods to meet social and technical challenges. Matching communicators with scientists are critical, yet sometimes challenging steps in this endeavor.
The Department of Journalism and Media Communication (originally Technical Journalism) was formed when CSU leaders recognized the need for ‘technical communication’ skills to drive public understanding of scientific and technological advances.
From its inception, JMC’s trajectory has been based on values of awareness, adaptability, and convergence. Journalism-trained communicators create media that eliminate informational barriers to build community instead of silos. This encourages students to breach both physical and conceptual boundaries, building coherent narratives about complex processes and ideas. The Center for Science Communication is designed to amplify and expand that mission.
-Greg Luft, Journalism & Media Communication Department Chair
Networking. It’s a term we hear every day in our tech-savvy society, with anyone and everyone touting the benefits of relationships and connections. Students are told from a young age to prioritize spending time with instructors and studies they’re passionate about, to further immerse themselves within their desired career — essentially, growing their network. But — as time has progressed, and the human attention span has rapidly shrunk, the difference between a true relationship and simply being connected on social media has narrowed…begging key questions:
How valuable is networking? Are our students wasting their time interacting with teachers during office hours and outside of class — would they be better off weaving their way into an industry digitally, at home on their laptops? Or, perhaps most simply: how important is the quintessential face-to-face interaction?
In sitting down with one of Colorado State University’s most influential networking professionals’, Joseph Champ, these questions were addressed, providing key answers for students interested — and excited — to delve into their careers.
“This is the interesting part — when I first began building these relationships, these agency communicators with the Forest Service, the National Park Service, and other science communication organizations were coming to me saying that communication is changing, mass media is changing, you know — that technology is changing. It’s all going digital,” said Champ. “And then they asked me what I had that could help them. “What kind of students do you have, with what skills? And do they know how to communicate in this digital realm?”
Champ paused, gently adjusting his glasses as they slipped down his nose. He smiled, as if he was revealing one of the most archaic secrets of the department of Journalism & Media Communication (JMC) — and in a way, he was. “With our (JMC) program, we’re very adaptive and aware of what’s going on — we like to keep ourselves flexible. And these agencies need to modernize, which is why they came to me, and the network I’ve helped build. They were looking for somebody who could give them some new ideas, new strategies, new skills — and that’s where we, the Center for Science Communication, come in.”
In recent years, Colorado State University’s Center for Science Communication (CSC) has morphed from an idea into a concrete organization, pairing countless students with career opportunities. As the center has evolved through the pandemic, characters like Jaime Jacobsen (newly appointed CSC director), Ashley Anderson (Science Communication Associate Professor), and Katie Abrams (Strategic Communication and Natural Resources Associate Professor) have helped immensely in widening the CSC’s reach. But what secrets lie within the CSC, and just how are its leaders so adept at connecting students to employers? Let me introduce you to one of the College of Liberal Arts’ most transformative journalism instructors, an avid outdoor and cultural communication advocate, and perhaps most simply: a selfless individual who always puts his students first: Joseph Champ.
“A fun part of my job is, well, what I would call a being a headhunter, but that’s not exactly culturally acceptable,” Champ chuckled, “But, it’s somewhat true. It’s the notion of being a facilitator for students — it’s really something I enjoy and that has become a hobby of mine — students will approach me saying “Hey, look this career within blank is something I’m really interested in,” and I’ll help them find connections and an opportunity within that industry.”
Joe Champ, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor within the Journalism and Media Communication department with unique concentrations in environmental communication, media, critical and cultural identity, qualitative methods, video production, and many more specializations — basically, he’s one of the Center for Science Communication’s (many) superstars. With published works in multiple natural resources and environmental journals such as Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture and the Journal of Media Education, in addition to collaboration with the USDA Forest Service, the National Park Service, and the United States Geological Survey — it’s clear that Joe is beyond qualified to teach and inspire CSU students. Rather paradoxically, you would never hear all these accolades, or boasting of any kind for that matter, from Joe himself. Rather, there’s much more hidden behind his gangly figure, enthusiastic mannerisms, and a crafty smile — therein lies a man who prioritizes the success and limitless exploration of his students above personal gain. Over Joe’s ten-plus years at CSU, he’s helped hundreds of students connect with industries aligned with their interests, and many have gone on to become famous journalists and communicators across the globe. So, Joe Champ, headhunter extraordinaire, may best be envisioned as the Center for Science Communication’s recruiter — seeking out jobs worthy for students who share their goals with him.
“The origins of how this extensive network was built with science communication organizations around us is quite interesting, actually” Joe offered. “My wife, Patricia Champ, is an economist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station with the Forest Service. Over the years, I got to know a lot of friends and relationships with the Forest Service, but it was never as concrete as trying to get them to hire our students or fund projects — oftentimes, it was as simple as spending an evening with these people, cracking open a beer with researchers, and just building friendships.”
Joe went on to describe a group known as the Interactions of Society and the Environment Seminar Series (ISESS), which is a group of agency researchers looking at Human-Environmental-Interaction. Naturally, through conversations and work get-togethers with his wife and friends, Joe began planting the seeds for a potential network formation between CSU communicators and scientific research.
“With the convergence of digitalization, everything just comes together now, and that’s what these scientific researchers were searching for to communicate their findings. When you watch your TV, or video clips embedded in websites, there’s often text that comes along with it — very much like newspaper and magazine. There’s audio too — sound familiar? These are all things we do, and that’s what they realized they needed. Scientific organizations like the Forest Service and National Park Service had a real reason — an incentive — to partner with the university,” Joe exclaimed. “They also really like to help students, which is a huge part of their mission. Ever since about 2012, we’ve had firm relationships with these organizations — it’s really ceremonious, actually, that they let us rotate three to four interns from CSU working with these science communication offices. In fact, I think we’ve had 15–20 different interns [with the Forest Service alone] already.”
When I sat down with Joe and spoke on his role as a science communicator and networking agent for student job opportunities, he touted the benefits of students who show up — both in the literal sense of coming to class and completing coursework on time, but also along the lines of following through with commitments and actively listening.
“I know who shows up on time, who’s ready and prepared when I ask a question, who turns in their assignments on time and completed them thoroughly — I know a lot about my students,” offered Champ. “It always amazes me when somebody slacks off the whole semester, and then they’ll tell me about a field they want to get into. I’m usually thinking ‘Well, you wouldn’t be the first person I’d recommend…’, as I’m more apt to pair job opportunities with students who do the work — they get out what they put in.”
Joe has linked job opportunities across Northern Colorado and beyond with journalism and media communication majors who are dedicated to their craft. Apart from helping me find a chance to work with the National Park Service, many former CSU students would have a much different future if not for the networking provided dutifully by Joe. Nora Anderson, recent JMC Communications graduate, and current CIG (Communication Infrastructure Group) public relations specialist was connected to a communications internship with the U.S. Forest Service and a social media management internship with the National Park Service — thanks to her diligent passion for communication, and willingness to build her own relationships and social network. When Nora’s career met Joe’s early on in her education at CSU, her networking hub dynamically expanded.
“Joe was starting the science communication club, and they needed a treasurer — so that’s really how I initially began working with Joe, Katie (Abrams), and more of the CSC faculty through the club — and really started gelling with that community,” said Nora. “Then, Joe randomly called me one day, saying he had a job opportunity, and asked if I had a job right now — just totally out of the blue.” She then told Joe that she was all-ears to a job shift, as she worked (at the time) as a teaching assistant for an entry-level natural resources class.
“I somewhat figured it would be his assistant or something like that, but then he went on to casually tell me: ‘Cool! It’s with the USDA Forest Service, and you would be a communications intern if you’re interested.’,” Nora chuckled, continuing, “So basically, he was offering me my dream job — I had to apply. From that point on, Joe has been my mentor ever since.”
Nora went on to complete an internship with the Forest Service, then started (another Joe Champ recommendation) an internship with the NPS in August of 2020. It’s undeniable that Nora’s successful undergraduate experience was thanks in large part to her work ethic, but there’s certainly something to be said for being, well, on the list. The ‘list’ is a topic Joe, Nora, and many other in-the-know students will refer job-seeking CSU students to. There’s no luck involved — students simply must have a willingness to put in hard work, to show up outside of class hours, and have the tenacity to establish relationships that are not only meaningful to them, but their career.
“I’m not sure I would’ve ever had the confidence to even apply for a communications internship with the NPS if Joe never sent me an email, saying it would be a good fit for me,” Nora said. “Who knows what my career would look like if I didn’t apply? Sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith — especially when you have people like Joe and the CSC behind you.”
As Nora finds herself on the brink of an exciting career within the public relations and communications fields, another former CSU graduate offers her own praise of Joe and his skillset.
“It was really easy to work with Joe — in part because I had already established a working relationship with him in the intro JTC 100 course. He’s a comfortable, attentive guy, and once I started my work with white-nose syndrome, he let me kind of go my own way with it; I had a lot of flexibility, and he was extremely helpful with feedback and keeping me on track.”
That was Kristy Burnett, a communications specialist with the National Park Service, who graduated CSU in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in public communications. While Kristy’s journalistic focus varied from Nora’s social media and PR concentrations, her specialization within research and the written side of journalism similarly earned her interest from Joe. She is another integral example of the success students can achieve if they put time and effort into their desires. That white-nose syndrome Kristy mentioned describes a horrific fungal disease that kills hibernating bats at an alarming rate — over 90% of three North American bat species — and was the centerpiece of her master’s thesis.
“I worked with a small business to business marketing company, and I wasn’t really into it — that’s when Joe floated the opportunity to work on (white-nose syndrome) the bat project with the NPS, and I thought it sounded great — way better than what I was doing at the time,” Kristy said. “I didn’t know anything about white-nose syndrome when we started, but working with everyone at the NPS…they’re all so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the work they do. It’s a really fulfilling place to work, and now I find myself as a key part of the NPS team tackling this disease. I would’ve never gotten the chance to even apply for that initial internship if it weren’t for Joe and his recommendation.”
Why bats, though? Many scientific researchers and communication professionals have an affinity for a certain topic of study — that’s why some of us write about sports, and others write about science. For Kristy, it was less about the actual research and more about the message of communicating difficult-to-understand science.
“Joe probably knew I didn’t know anything about bats or even care that much for natural resources at that point, but he still encouraged me. He told me I had the skillset to work at the National Park Service, and that everyone there would be very supportive of me and my research, which was a huge comfort to me,” smiled Burnett. “Everyone that I work with at the NPS is so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about such a complex disease (white-nose syndrome) — it’s just such a fulfilling place to work.”
Now, the inner workings of white-nose syndrome in North American bats are very complicated — perhaps too much so for this article — but the important takeaway is best illustrated from the flagship website (www.whitenosedyndrome.org) that Kristy and her NPS team has constructed in this quote:
“Why care? We need bats. They are fascinating and valuable animals, vital to a healthy environment eating tons of insects nightly, which benefits our crops, our forests, and us.”
Apart from being one of the worst wildlife diseases of our modern era, the message that white-nose syndrome, and Kristy’s collective research and career over it, portrays a fascinating (and inspiring!) perspective for students poised to carve out niche careers. “Even when I came on with the NPS, there weren’t that many people who knew a ton about white-nose syndrome — at that point, it was even less known than it is now,” said Burnett. “I came into the role with a blank slate, a willingness to learn, and was met with curiosity and open arms.”
Kristy and Nora are prime examples of due diligence, hard work, and extensive communication networks — all qualities crucial to becoming a successful component of science communication in the 21st century. While their paths and personalities, just as many other students who’ve previously worked with Joe, are inherently different, they share the fundamental building ground of being good people.
“There’s a big component of interviewing where you’re trying to make sure someone isn’t an ax murderer,” Joe laughed, “you know, that adage that someone might have a hidden personality trait that an employer doesn’t like. Myself, and employers, just want to see if someone is a good person — questions like ‘are they bright, creative, motivated, etc.’ quickly follow — but I really think that being a pleasant person is most important.”
There you have it; Joe Champ — professor, scholar, and hero — shares his greatest tip for prospective science communicators looking to get into bigtime job positions…being kind!
As the CSC looks onward, so do its leaders, including Joe, Jaime Jacobsen, Katie Abrams, Ashley Anderson, Marilee Long, Gaya Sivakumar, Jamie Folsom, and Samuel Tham — the CSC’s depth chart of outstanding members goes on and on. Nora and Kristy’s stories are but grains of sand compared to the entire influence the CSC has had, and can potentially have — but it will take committed and determined students of the next generation to truly make an impact in science communication. As Kristy, Nora, and many other students have found out, science communication is nothing without mentors and training to promote, distribute, and altogether aid in an organization’s communication goals. The CSC provides this opportunity, giving students the chance to research under well-versed professors, discuss difficult media topics, and formulate a career within exotic disciplines of their choosing. The CSC’s team of diverse professors and resources remains unprecedented, fostering renowned expertise in the science of science communication, teaching students how to communicate via print and digital mediums more effectively about difficult topics. With the foundations put in place by Joe, the next generation of science communicators with the CSC is committed to utilizing research-driven strategies to illuminate the exact role of science communication in CSU — and beyond. If you’re a student interested in getting involved with the CSC, you can find more information on the Department of Journalism and Media Communication’s website, here. And…rest assured — if you need a job recruiter looking out for a job you really want, I think the folks at the CSC might just know a guy.
“I’m proud of how the center (the CSC) has grown. We’ve built this center that knows what’s going on around campus as far as science communication, and we have goals to potentially coordinate that activity,” Joe said. “The more connections across campus we make, the more our students will be motivated to spread science communication — and that’s our goal here at the CSC.” Joe leaned back, flashing a toothy grin. “And you know what? We’re just getting started.”
