Ever wonder if giving a paper at NEPCA does any professional good? We won’t kid you–the job market is very tough–but sometimes good things happen to good people. At NEPCA’s 2013 conference, then graduate student Lisa Silvestri delivered a paper titled “Social Media at War: Shining, Happy People Holding Guns.” It was so good we awarded Lisa the prize for the best graduate student paper delivered at the conference.But wait! There’s more. Here’s an excerpt (used with Lisa’s permission) of a lovely and gracious note she sent to Amos St. Germain, who chaired the prize committee:
Dear Amos:
Thank you for the note! I have been on a dead sprint since August. I began a new job at Gonzaga University- I am an Assistant Professor in their Communication Studies Dept. So far, so good. I am really enjoying Spokane, WA. My first experience with the Pacific Northwest. It really is as beautiful as they say.
I want to apologize profusely for missing the conference. I am so proud of that award. It gave me the confidence to share my work more broadly. I want you to know that that paper turned into an article for Visual Comm Quarterly and I have a book contract with Kansas Press for my book, Friended at the Front: Social Media and 21st Century War, to be published in the fall of 2015. I think it really all started with that award and the courage it instilled in me. It made me feel like my project is worthy and my voice is valuable. Thank you so much for the support.
NEPCA 