Dr. Scott Gratson
Office: Room 9C Annenberg Hall
Office Hours: Wed 9:45- 12″15
Phone: 215-204-6434
Fax: 215-204-4811
E-mail: sgratson@temple.edu
The Program is directed by Dr. Scott Gratson, appointed to the position after serving in the Strategic Communication (STRC) Department. Dr. Gratson’s focus areas are as eclectic as the Program itself, including aspects of argumentation and debate, sexuality and gender studies, urban communications and neighborhood studies and all things relating to New York City, including his work with the Educational Division of the New-York Historical Society and serving as the Lead Archivist at the Hetrick Martin Institute. Having had years of experience in hosting major academic events such as national debate and public speaking competitions while also furthering a complex theoretical research framework, Dr. Gratson lends his expertise to the creation of a Program that “combines theory and practice, representing any number of academic and corporate possibilities and applications to the students who join us.Along with serving as director of the Communication Studies Program, Dr. Gratson also serves on multiple school and university committees as well as being the director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of Communications and Theater. He currently volunteers his time in New York City on a number of service endeavors pertaining to his academic and research interests.
Sharon Eisenhour has been in broadcasting in Philadelphia since 1980 when she was host and producer of a nightly classical music program on WHYY-FM. She moved to positions as national broadcast producer for the Philadelphia Orchestra, announcer and host on WHYY-TV, and announcer for WFLN-FM and WRTI-FM. From 1994-97 she was producer and announcer at NewsChannel, a 24-hour cable TV news service. Ms. Eisenhour is active as a voice-over and on-camera performer in a variety of commercials, industrials, phone lines (First Union Bank and Donnelly Directory), web audio, and books-on-tape. An adjunct professor at Temple University for 10 years, she teaches broadcast performance, writing, and senior seminar classes to broadcasting and communication studies majors, and also created a new course, Introduction to Broadcast Technique, begun Spring 2002. She founded SpeakEasy! in 2006 to provide voice and presentation coaching to private and corporate clients. Ms. Eisenhour has given workshops in broadcasting technique at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting branch in Cherry Hill, NJ. She lives in the Philadelphia area with husband Bob Craig, former program director and radio personality at WPEN, and now jazz host on WRTI-FM and HD, and announcer/host on Martini Lounge Radio 1340 AM, and their border collie mix, Bandit, who’s a therapy dog.
Donald L. Heller
Office: 332 Engineering and Architecture
Phone: 215-204-5285
E-mail: dheller@temple.edu
Donald L. Heller is a versatile executive with 30 years business experience. In January 2000 he joined Temple University as a faculty member in the School of Communication and Theater and was appointed as Executive in Residence in September 2000. In December 2000 he was appointed Director of the School’s Communications Major, a rapidly expanding Liberal Arts interdepartmental major. He served as the Interim Chair of the Theater Department during the 2002-2003 academic year. He was appointed Assistant Dean in the College of Engineering in October 2005 and Assistant Dean in the School of Communications and Theater in November 2009 and continues to serve as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Communications and Theater conducting Senior Seminar for Communications Majors and also a BTMM online course Communications in Organizations. He has also taught at Cabrini College. During the past nine years he has provided interim management and consulting services to a variety of companies in the areas of business development, operations and financing. He also provides due diligence reviews for Ben Franklin Technology Partners, a State funded organization who provides funding to start up ventures.Prior to joining the university, he was involved in the entertainment and cable television industries. From 1993 through 2000, as a senior executive of Lenfest Communications the parent company of Suburban Cable, he worked on international assignments. Regular travel to Australia and France dealing with development of satellite and cable television in those countries was a primary responsibility.He began his career with Arthur Andersen and Company, one of the former Big 8 public accounting firms, which led to a series of financial positions of increasing responsibility and diversity. Two of the companies he joined were former clients/associates while at Arthur Andersen.
Movement into senior management positions consisted of complete financial responsibility as Corporate Controller at the Spectrum arena in Philadelphia, which led to the position as Vice President Finance and Administration for PRISM, Philadelphia’s then premier cable channel. In 1984 he was appointed Vice President General Manager, a position he held for ten years prior to joining Lenfest Communications. While at PRISM he led the start up of a second cable channel Sportschannel Philadelphia. These entities were the programming model for today’s Comcast Sportsnet. Experience in mergers, acquisitions, new business development and start-up situations complement experience in mature businesses.
With a strong commitment to community involvement, Don serves as Vice Chairman and a twenty-five plus year Board Member of the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia (PAL). He serves as the Chairman of the PAL Scholarship Foundation Committee. He served as a member of the Board of the YMCA, Hero Scholarship Fund and has worked with numerous charitable organizations. In November of 2001 he was elected in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania general election to the position of school board director for Springfield Township, Pennsylvania. In December 2003 he was appointed Board Treasurer, in 2004 Vice President and in 2005 President. He has also served on local government and school advisory boards and as a member and officer of home and school associations.
Don is a native of Philadelphia and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University. He served four years in the United States Air Force. He was awarded a Certified Public Accounting (CPA) certificate in 1974.
Staff
Darragh Dandurand Friedman(Office Staff) Office: Room 9 C Annenberg Hall
Darragh Dandurand Friedman is currently an undergraduate in SCT’s Communication Studies Program and CLA’s Women’s Studies Department with a focus in “Sex in Media” at Temple University. She is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts and is recognized as a Young Woman of Distinction for her work with Holocaust survivors in the Philadelphia region. Darragh is an active executive council member of the Communication Studies Club, a student-run research organization. With hopes of working towards an Entertainment Law Career, she still has a great interest in both vocational and analytic studies. Darragh finds at home working for the Communication Studies Program under Dr. Gratson and invites anyone to stop by the office for tea!
Several student workers assist in the running of the Communications Program:
Dan Suraci(Office Intern) Office: Room 9 C Annenberg Hall
Office Hours:
Phone: 215-204-6434
E-mail: dan.suraci@temple.eduDan Suraci (Class of ’11) is a double major in both Strategic Communication, with a focus in Public Relations, and Geography and Urban Studies. His responsibilities range from handling Dr. Gratson’s schedule to assisting in the management of large events. Dan’s research focuses on urban sustainability and New York City, both of which he explores in his funded honors scholar thesis and recent diamond scholars research project. Dan has received a Temple University Diamond Award and the Lew Klein Scholarship for Excellence in the Media. Dan is currently applying to Graduate school at New York University for a master of urban planning as well as a number of fellowships with the city.
Faculty and Staff
Related Links
Director:
Office: Room 9C Annenberg Hall
Office Hours: Wed 9:45- 12″15
Phone: 215-204-6434
Fax: 215-204-4811
E-mail: sgratson@temple.edu
Adjunct Faculty
Office: 205 Annenberg Hall
Phone: 215-204-5401
E-mail: sharon.eisenhour@temple.edu
Office: 332 Engineering and Architecture
Phone: 215-204-5285
E-mail: dheller@temple.edu
Movement into senior management positions consisted of complete financial responsibility as Corporate Controller at the Spectrum arena in Philadelphia, which led to the position as Vice President Finance and Administration for PRISM, Philadelphia’s then premier cable channel. In 1984 he was appointed Vice President General Manager, a position he held for ten years prior to joining Lenfest Communications. While at PRISM he led the start up of a second cable channel Sportschannel Philadelphia. These entities were the programming model for today’s Comcast Sportsnet. Experience in mergers, acquisitions, new business development and start-up situations complement experience in mature businesses.
With a strong commitment to community involvement, Don serves as Vice Chairman and a twenty-five plus year Board Member of the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia (PAL). He serves as the Chairman of the PAL Scholarship Foundation Committee. He served as a member of the Board of the YMCA, Hero Scholarship Fund and has worked with numerous charitable organizations. In November of 2001 he was elected in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania general election to the position of school board director for Springfield Township, Pennsylvania. In December 2003 he was appointed Board Treasurer, in 2004 Vice President and in 2005 President. He has also served on local government and school advisory boards and as a member and officer of home and school associations.
Don is a native of Philadelphia and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University. He served four years in the United States Air Force. He was awarded a Certified Public Accounting (CPA) certificate in 1974.
Staff
Office Hours:
Phone: 215-204-6434
E-mail: darragh.friedman@temple.edu
Darragh Dandurand Friedman is currently an undergraduate in SCT’s Communication Studies Program and CLA’s Women’s Studies Department with a focus in “Sex in Media” at Temple University. She is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts and is recognized as a Young Woman of Distinction for her work with Holocaust survivors in the Philadelphia region. Darragh is an active executive council member of the Communication Studies Club, a student-run research organization. With hopes of working towards an Entertainment Law Career, she still has a great interest in both vocational and analytic studies. Darragh finds at home working for the Communication Studies Program under Dr. Gratson and invites anyone to stop by the office for tea!
Several student workers assist in the running of the Communications Program:
Office Hours:
Phone: 215-204-6434
E-mail: dan.suraci@temple.eduDan Suraci (Class of ’11) is a double major in both Strategic Communication, with a focus in Public Relations, and Geography and Urban Studies. His responsibilities range from handling Dr. Gratson’s schedule to assisting in the management of large events. Dan’s research focuses on urban sustainability and New York City, both of which he explores in his funded honors scholar thesis and recent diamond scholars research project. Dan has received a Temple University Diamond Award and the Lew Klein Scholarship for Excellence in the Media. Dan is currently applying to Graduate school at New York University for a master of urban planning as well as a number of fellowships with the city.