5th Annual International Summer School in Communication

June 1 - 4, 2021

“Emerging issues for emerging technologies: Informed provocations for theorizing media futures”

 

UPDATE 10/30/2020: It is with profound regret that we are cancelling our planned program for 2021. We will be in touch with applicants, and we sincerly thank the entire academic community -- as well as Texas Tech University -- for their support of our program. We do have plans to offer a similar program in the future and thus, we leave this page active as an archive and reference. Please direct any questions to Dr. Nick Bowman at nick.bowman@ttu.edu.

 

The College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University is pleased to invite graduate students at all levels to submit applications for competitive selection for the 5th International Summer School for communication and media psychology scholars. For ISS@TTU, graduate students will be paired with leading scholars of emerging media technologies where students will have the opportunity for directed feedback on their own research programs while also being part of a provocative and future-forward series of panels and thematic workshops aimed at charting future research directions.

Confirmed themes and scholars for this year's event include: 

• Social Robotics and Human-Robot Interactions, with Dr. Astrid Rosenthal von der Pütten, U Aachen, Germany 
• Video Gaming and Game Streaming, with Dr. Vivian Chen, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• Progressive Embodiment and Virtual Worlds, with Dr. Sun Joo "Grace" Ahn, University of Georgia, USA 
• Media Entertainment and Technology, with Dr. Allison Eden, Michigan State University, USA - 
• Mobile Communication and Social Media, with Dr. Veronika Karnowski, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Germany 
  
  

Texas Tech College of Media & Communication is proud to host the fifth in this series of International Summer Schools. Previous schools have been hosted at Cologne (the original program, organized by Dr. Gary Bente), East Lansing, Michigan (Dr. Ron Tamborini), Singapore (Dr. Joseph Walther) and Muenster (Dr. Thorsten Quandt)—all four scholars are scheduled to attend our event, as well as Dr. Steve Jones, current editor of New Media and Society as well as the Digital Formations book series with Peter Lang Publishing.

The aims of this Summer School series are to provide advanced training for graduate students of communication and related field and foster sustainable and productive international and interdisciplinary scholarship networks.  

As with previous events, this year's event is offered immediately following the 2021 International Communication Association conference. With #ICA21 located in Denver, the ISS@TTU offers a unique opportunity for international scholars to visit the Hub City of West Texas in Lubbock. Several major airlines offer multiple daily direct flights from Denver to Lubbock. Adventurous travelers (either bus or car rental) can opt for highway routes through the splendor of the front range of Colorado and New Mexico, or the high plains of Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle.

All conference attendees will be provided free accommodations within walking distance of campus at the Overton Hotel & Conference Center, and many meals will be included as part of the ISS@TTU schedule of events. Finally, selected dialogues and manuscripts from ISS@TTU will be include in a soon to be announced edited volume with a major academic publisher. 

Submission Guidelines 

Applicants are asked to submit (a) an application letter, (b) an up-to-date CV, (c) a list of at least three references (letters are not required for application) and (d) an abstract of an in-progress study concept related to one of the five themed tracks (not to exceed 1200 words, with citations).

Applications will be competitively selected based on their research focus and potential. We expect to invite no more than 30 students into the program. Accepted students will be asked to prepare a poster for presentation at ISS@TTU, although posters can be submitted for printing prior to the event (at no cost to attendees, as we can print these posters on site here at TTU).  

Email submissions to nick.bowman@ttu.edu. 

Fees and Accommodations

There is no cost to apply or attend ISS@TTU. Accepted individuals will be provided housing at the Overton Hotel & Conference Center, (double-occupancy rooms) and most meals and social events will be paid for by the conference organizers. 

However, attendees will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Lubbock. From Denver (the site of #ICA21), several US airlines (such as United, Southwest, and American) operate daily direct flights to Lubbock Preston International, and the airport is less than 10 minutes' drive from Tech's campus. There is daily bus service from Denver to Lubbock, and some participants may consider a scenic drive (just under 550 miles, or about eight to nine hours). There is no train service connecting the two cities. Conference organizers are happy to help attendees plan travel to and from Lubbock. 

Important Dates 

Although not formally associated with #ICA21, our schedule roughly follows with ICA so that attendees can plan to attend both events.

Current deadlines are listed below: 

1 September 2020: Applications can be submitted (via email, to nick.bowman@ttu.edu) 

1 November 2020: Priority deadline for applications. This roughly deadline coincides with the deadline for ICA submissions. 

31 December 2020: Final deadline for applications. Qualifying applicants will be accepted as space allows. 

31 January 2021: Acceptance notifications and invitations sent to selected applicants. 

28 February 2021: Deadline for accepting invitations. 

31 March 2021: Accepted applications notified of final program schedule. 

30 April 2021: Deadline for submitting posters (for printing); deadline for submitting travel details. 
 

Questions?

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about ISS@TTU,
please reach out directly to conference planner Dr. Nick Bowman,
by email at nick.bowman@ttu.edu.