Emerson College School of Communication

The latest issue of SOC News, Stories, Insights looks back at an extraordinary close to the 2025–26 academic year.

Inside: student honors, faculty achievements, the 45th EVVY Awards, Commencement 2026, Henry Winkler’s charge to graduates to find their gift and give it to the world, and recent stories from across the School of Communication.

Together, they offer snapshots of the work, creativity, scholarship, and community that shaped SOC this year.

Read the full issue:
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/SOC-News--Stories--Insights-----Vol--25-26--No--3.html?soid=1127219747965&aid=PoOoqToDbkM

When Matt Mascobetto, MA’26, traveled to Poland in January to support deaf and hard-of-hearing Ukrainian refugees, the experience felt deeply personal, shaped by his own upbringing in a multilingual immigrant household.

“It’s really humbling, seeing people in these circumstances and realizing that our profession can help people past country boundaries,” said Mascobetto. “When we seek out these opportunities, we can make a difference in that community, and it’s really special to see [how] the way we practice our profession can have long-term impacts. A lot of these families were in tears after we gave them hearing aids.”

Read more about his journey to Emerson College Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders and Ukraine on Emerson Today.
https://today.emerson.edu/2026/04/29/mascobetto-ma-26-supports-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-ukrainian-refugees/

Gen X came of age in analog, built careers through the digital revolution, and now finds itself helping define what creativity, leadership, and authenticity mean in the age of AI.

That perspective shaped a recent conversation hosted by Business of Creative Enterprises @ Emerson College, as part of its 10th anniversary celebration. The forum brought together alumni, faculty, and industry leaders to reflect on how creative professionals can adapt to constant change without losing sight of their voice, values, or point of view.

Thank you to moderator Brenna McCormick, MA ’06, Senior Executive-in-Residence and Director of BCE, and to our panelists for sharing their insight and experience:

Michael Gilday ’99 reminded students that creativity is rooted in lived experience: “Great creativity is not made, it’s discovered.”

Dave Habeeb, MA ’91, spoke to the importance of keeping technology connected to humanity: “If I’m going to succeed in the digital world, it needs to be grounded in the analog, or dare I say, human world.”

Nina Webb ’96 offered a valuable perspective from her years in the music industry, recalling early skepticism about the internet and urging students to see new technologies as tools rather than threats: “Understand that there is room for many different elements of technology, and they aren’t always trying to replace each other.”

And Dr. Brent Smith emphasized the value of authenticity, community, and creative confidence: “You need to be in your own frame, and your own system, because that is the system that won’t fail.”

At a moment when AI is reshaping creative work, the panel offered a clear message to students and emerging professionals: embrace the tools, but don’t outsource your voice, your process, or your point of view.

Read more in Emerson Today: bit.ly/BCE-intersection26

Recognition matters — not just for those who receive awards, but also for those whose work earns the respect of their professors and peers.

Earlier this month, the School of Communication gathered for its annual SOC Awards, celebrating student achievement across a wide range of categories. This year’s ceremony also marked an important step forward: in addition to the schoolwide SOC Awards, each of our four academic departments presented awards of their own, making the program more inclusive and reflective of the breadth of disciplines and talents across SOC.

We were proud to honor this year’s recipients, and just as proud to recognize every nominee. With 79 nominations for School of Communication awards alone, plus another 75 for departmental honors, the event was a powerful reminder of the talent, dedication, community, and respect that define the School of Communication.

Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees and award recipients. We see you, and appreciate you.

Read more and see the program recording at Emerson Today: bit.ly/SOCawards26

2026 SOC Award Recipients:
DJ Mara, Bushe Wang, Averie Morren, Oliver Katz, Amaya Briones, Jocelyne Castellanos, Logan Ramos, Carter Castaneda, Iselin Bratz, Bryan Hecht, Meg Richards, Emily Martinez, Jules Telfort, Everest Leach , Arthur Mansavage, Katelyn Chen, Jordan Fayne, Elani Waight, Briana Cordon, Logan Braden, Kendi Bispham, Shibo Mu, Olivia DeCesare, Harry Sostek

📸 : Melis Basaran

What do SXSW, Bad Bunny, and research spanning AI to autism have in common?

They’re all part of the latest SOC News.

Inside this issue:
• Faculty revealing new discoveries through new questions
• Students reporting from SXSW
• Research on how Bad Bunny’s music shapes social awareness
• A student agency working with a national journalism organization
• Student journalists covering Super Bowl media week

It’s a snapshot of how communication is being taught and learned by doing.

Dive into the full issue: https://conta.cc/47IQPwP