Quick LinksDepartment welcomes new staff
Multimedia intern
The new school year brings with it some new faces to the Communication Department. Take some time to get to know these new staff members!
Michael Almaraz comes to the department as a computer support analyst. Prior to moving to Seattle, Michael lived in Champaign, Ill., where he attended the University of Illinois majoring in psychology and minoring in computer science. He worked at the University of Illinois in two capacities. First, Michael worked with a lab in the UofI Psychology Department researching visual cognition. Second, Michael worked as a network analyst. When he’s not working, Michael enjoys reading in and outside cafes and exploring the city of Seattle.
Summer Dela Cruz is the associate outreach manager for the MCDM program and the Department of Communication. Though new to the position, Summer was most recently the graduate program assistant in the department. Summer is thrilled to work closely with members of the MCDM team to continually improve the program. She said, “There are many goals for this program that I strongly believe in and know that can be achieved. I am excited to be a part of it!” Summer also works on events and alumni relations for the Communication Department. Summer graduated from the UW with a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in human resource management and marketing, in conjunction with a retail management certificate. Some of Summer’s pastimes include playing soccer, “window” shopping, and cooking.
Scott Macklin is the associate director for the Master of Communication in Digital Media program. Though new to the Communication Department, Scott has worked at the University of Washington for nine years. He was the associate director of UWired and ran the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology. He was instrumental in developing the technology suite Catalyst, and co-authored the article "The Catalyst Project: Supporting Faculty Uses of the Web...with the Web," which won the EDUCAUSE contribution of the year award. Later, Scott worked within the College of Education developing their technology infrastructure, identifying not only the role technology plays in UW course work but also how course work impacts schooling nationally and internationally. Scott and his wife, Angelica, are award-winning filmmakers. Their feature-length documentary "Masizakhe: Building Each Other" explores a new generation of activism through artistic expression within the South African community. Scott said he looks forward to bringing his experience to the Communication Department, "especially as we look at the components of storytelling, business models, and social media being sort of our core goals within the MCDM. I think there's a lot of room and play here so I'm very excited to be working with the program."
Mary McGhee joins the Communication Department as the graduate program advisor with more than 25 years of experience in the student affairs field. Mary most recently worked in admissions at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. She is excited about getting to know the Communication Department students and faculty. Mary has a bachelor’s degree in social ecology from the University of California at Irvine and a Master of Science in higer education from Southern Illinois University. She has served on the Executive Council of the American College Personnel Association, and in 1999 ACPA made Mary a diamond honoree for “outstanding and sustained contributions to higher education and the student affairs profession.” In her spare time Mary crochets and cooks, and she admits to making “a darn good peach pie.”
Andrew Shinn joins the Communication Department as the outreach manager for the Master of Communication in Digital Media. Andrew has bachelor’s degrees in political science and Asian studies from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he later worked as the outreach counselor for the College of Liberal Arts. He then completed a Master of Political Science from the University of Washington and worked on the advancement team for UW Undergraduate Affairs. Andrew enjoys meeting the talented and interesting members of the MCDM community. “The MCDM program is really cutting edge and important,” he said. “I'm really looking forward to helping spread the word about the opportunities fostered by MCDM's work.” In his free time, Andrew studies multiple styles of martial arts, and is learning to play flamenco guitar.
