News

SwampScapes: A Journey Through the Everglades

As South Floridians, we boast beautiful beaches and tropical temperatures, but often fail to acknowledge the sweeping beauty of the Florida Everglades. As the earth undergoes accelerated change, understanding the landscape’s function in human and ecologic survival is essential. Former Visiting Knight Chair Liz Miller, University of Miami School of Communication Associate Professor Kim Grinfeder and Miami-based filmmaker and artist Juan Carlos Zaldivar co-directed an immersive four-platform project designed to reconnect users with the importance of the swampland. Graduate and undergraduate SoC students enrolled in Miller’s and Grinfeder’s classes also [...]

2019-12-16T18:32:31-05:00November 15, 2018|Interactive Media, Motion Pictures|

Q&A with Disney Animator Jorge E. Ruiz Cano

Join Jorge E. Ruiz Cano, a character animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), on Monday, Nov. 12 at Shoma Hall, CIB 3053, for a Q&A starting at 12:20 p.m. Ruiz Cano's credits include the studio’s first-ever VR short, Cycles, the Academy Award®-winning features Frozen, Big Hero 6, and Zootopia, in addition to Moana, the short films Feast, Frozen Fever, and Inner Workings, and the holiday featurette Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. Ruiz Cano has been a part of the faculty at the California Institute of the Arts for the last five [...]

Patrick Cunnane Visits SoC for Alumni Weekend

By: Karina Valdes Alumni Weekend and Homecoming at the University of Miami is a time when alumni return to their alma mater to celebrate what it means to be a ‘Cane. This year, the School of Communication invited Patrick Cunnane, B.S.C. ’10, to share with students his journey since graduating. In a conversation moderated by Jack Miller, assistant professor of professional practice, Cunnane spoke about his experience at UM, applying to intern at the White House, and how that opportunity led him to a career as a writer. But he [...]

2020-04-23T13:04:18-04:00November 5, 2018|School of Communication|

Parkland Survivors: The Power of Taking a Stand

The Cannes Lions Experience infuses students with inspiration that lends itself to the University of Miami School of Communication’s program of exploration and excellence. But this year, inspiration flourished into action.   Societal Reform Corporation, Branches of Bravery and Change the Ref, organizations established in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, shared tear-jerking experiences during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. UM SoC students returned to Miami with clear objectives to uplift those affected by the Parkland tragedy. “As part of the youth, I feel the need to stand up for myself and my peers. [...]

Award-Winning Director and SoC Alumnus Working on Latest Project

Farbod Ardebili, B.S.C. '18, director of the award-winning film Bats and Jokes, recently began working with Orange Umbrella, the School of Communication’s student-run consultancy, on his new project, The Fallers. Ardebili has been working closely with Orange Umbrella to help further his personal brand and message. OU has assisted Ardebili with establishing his target audience, marketing and promoting his project, as well as creating original content about his latest film. The Fallers is supported by professional film organizations such as the Sundance Film Intensive and is categorized as a Cyberpunk Noir [...]

The UM Debate Team Hosts Team from Rwanda

Twenty-three years after experiencing a brutal civil war which led to a genocide that took the lives of a million innocent people in a period of 100 days, the nation of Rwanda is a new country, rebuilding itself with a remarkable story of overcoming its past. In order to help raise awareness about the genocide, to celebrate the importance of civil discourse through its practice, and to create a cross-cultural experience enabling American students and those from Rwanda to build understanding and networks of empathy and friendship, the young people [...]

#4 UM Debate Team Travels West

The UM Debate Team traveled west this weekend, with the British parliamentary team competing at the University of Denver and the policy team competing at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.   The Parliamentary team finished out of the award rounds, but competed well against outstanding competition including the University of Alaska, Loyola University Chicago, the US Air Force Academy, and Clemson University. Anna Heinzen competed in her first intercollegiate debate tournament with partner Kerra Masso, and Evan Aldo and Artem Sviridov also represented the U. The policy team had [...]

Join the Data Revolution: VizUM Symposium

Large sets of raw data can be overwhelming and difficult to understand without the aid of charts, graphs, and other forms of data visualization. Diverse industries have taken note and are increasingly interested in discovering the stories that can be found within datasets and communicating those findings to their audiences.  At the fifth annual VizUM Symposium at the University of Miami, all things data will be celebrated. The symposium begins with talks from two remarkable thought leaders in the data visualization field, Bongshin Lee, senior researcher at Microsoft Research, and Hadley [...]

Patrick Cunnane: From Sky Blue Waters to the West Wing

Whether he’s working within the White House walls or crafting scripts for White House-inspired television, Patrick Cunnane is no stranger to politics. The Washington D.C.-bound ‘Cane graduated in 2010 with a B.S.C and no inclination of the six-year journey he would soon embark on with former President Barack Obama. As the former president’s senior writer and deputy director of messaging, Cunnane developed statements in Obama’s voice and partook in many significant visits around the world. “Miami was key. I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life [...]

The UM Debate Team are Champions Again

The UM Debate Team collected yet another tournament championship by winning the Sweepstakes of the Chicken and Egg Debate Tournament hosted by the University of North Georgia from Sept. 29-30. Fourteen UM debaters traveled to Gainesville, Georgia to compete in British Parliamentary Debate. UM’s Spanish-language debate team took four of the top five speaker awards, advancing three teams into finals. UM debaters Christian Guevara and Rafael Gonzalez won the Spanish-language division placing UM as a leader in Spanish-language debate in the United States.  “It's so exciting that UM has a Spanish-language [...]