Department of Communications

I have been a professor in the Department of Communications at Okanagan College since 2007. I primarily teach professional writing and communication, rhetoric and persuasion, and visual communication and culture.

My teaching philosophy centres the importance of learning to learn, of recognizing that critical awareness is integral to our lives. It helps us to better understand social, political, and cultural contexts—both within and outside of our own experiences. I hope my students come to appreciate that the ability to think critically, creatively, and independently, as well as to communicate clearly and persuasively, provide the tools through which we negotiate understandings of ourselves, of others, and of the world around us.

Credentials:
PhD, English/Cultural Studies, University of Alberta (ABD)
MA, English, University of Alberta
BA (Hons.), English, University of Calgary
BA, Art History, University of Calgary

View extended profile

I’m thrilled to share my passion for communication with students at Okanagan College. My professional experience includes operating a strategic communications consulting business, serving as the chief communications officer for a national nonprofit, and working as a reporter, editor and columnist for a variety of news organizations.

In past research projects, I’ve explored a social marketing approach to community-led health interventions and the communication of environmental issues in our current media landscape. My research into the communication of sustainable practices and climate change solutions continues.

Credentials:
Doctor of Social Sciences, Royal Roads University (in progress)
MA, Communications and Technology, University of Alberta
BJourn, University of King’s College
BA, English Literature, University of British Columbia

I don't brew my own beer nor makes my own wine.
But if I write about it, you’ll swear I master both techniques.
I cannot sing. I don't play any instruments. I am a clumsy dancer. And I still doesn’t understand the rules of hockey.
But I can spend hours cooking Brazilian barbecue while telling stories from my travels to over 60 countries or my 15 years of experience as an international journalist.
When I came to Canada for an MFA in Creative Writing at UBC, I discovered a new passion: teaching.

Credentials:
MFA, Creative Writing, UBC

I have a B.A. and M.A. in Literature from Carleton University. Having worked for the Department of National Defence and other Canadian companies like Norco Performance Bikes, I have extensive experience writing for industry in the fields of Technical Writing, Business Composition, and PR/Marketing. With the emerging new technologies in the electronic world, I am currently engaged with the process of developing courses on writing in digital environments, and the effects of culture on communication. An award-winning poet and filmmaker, I view film and video as opportunities for raising social issues and creating community.

My short documentary, (kə nā′dē ən), screened at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2008, placed in the top 10 in the CBC/Radio Canada International competition, Migrations, and received a U.S. premiere at the largest Hispanic film festival in the U.S., Cine Las Americas.

Strange Fruit: A Changing Landscape in The Central Okanagan, is a feature-length documentary that explores family-run orchards and the issues of land, labour and water. It received the Best Home Grown Film award at the 2010 Okanagan International Film Festival. It was also screened at the 2010 Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival in Toronto and was selected as an Official Finalist Award winner at the 2011 Las Vegas Film Festival as it “demonstrated superior and standout filmmaking and is deserving of special recognition.”

At a young age, I was chosen by the League of Canadian Poets to represent future voices at the Gala Reading in Association with the National Library's exhibition "Let us compare mythologies: Half a Century of Canadian Poetry in English." My most recent publication is Carta a mi padre (Letter to My Father) a book-length documentary poem. I am currently working on a new short documentary film, Spinning Green, which explores the possibilities of urban agriculture.

Credentials:
MA, Carleton University
BA, Carleton University

I have an extensive professional background in journalism, communications and marketing in various sectors, including government and post-secondary education. I have won several awards for writing and campaign work. My current research interest centers on wartime propaganda in Canadian history and its effects on marginalized communities in rural B.C. Outside the classroom, you can find me pulling weeds from the garden or spoiling my dog, Tater. 

Credentials:
MFA, Dalhousie/University of King's College
BA, Simon Fraser University
Diploma in Journalism and Public Relations, Kwantlen Polytechnic

https://www.simoneblais.com

Stories of all sorts have always compelled me, and I believe that language, culture, and history powerfully shape how we understand ourselves and each other. I bring that conviction to everything I teach in the Department, whether practical career skills or media creation, literacy, and analysis. Above all, I love the dynamic and dialogue of the classroom, and having the chance to work alongside students as we learn to communicate clearly, think critically, and engage thoughtfully (or when needed, disruptively!) with the world around us.

One of my current interests is health communications, with a focus on storytelling and the role that narrative can play in communicating information. I come to this area through lived experience as a cancer survivor, and it now informs much of my research and community advocacy.

Credentials:
PhD, English/Cultural Studies, McMaster University
MA, English, University of Calgary 
BA, English, York University

I am happy to wear two professional hats: College Professor of Communications and experimental game designer in my spare time. Raised in Romania under communism, I witnessed the fall of a dictator and the influx of the free market. Moving to Calgary as a graduate student, I continued my immigrant journey to Montreal where I gained my doctorate from Concordia. Mount St. Vincent in Halifax was my first full-time teaching role in a Public Relations program where I may have remained if it were not for several memorable powder days at Big White which brought me to the Okanagan in 2008.  

My teaching and my work are informed both by theory and practice. I teach and research across mass communication, rhetoric, and videogame studies, with an applied focus on public relations, digital media and storytelling, design and systems thinking, and serious games. I use games and digital media not just as objects of study, but as tools for persuasion, learning, and social impact. The same skills translate into my work as a department social media administrator, bargainer, committee member, or volunteer.

Above everything else, I continue to be a student. My current professional development is anchored in game design, UX/UI, and critical AI literacy.
 

Credentials:
PhD, Communication, Concordia University
MSc (With Distinction), Digital Media Design, University of Edinburgh
MA, Communication, University of Calgary
Certificate in Public Relations, McGill University
BA, Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Bucharest

www.ralucafrati.com

View extended profile

I joined Okanagan College's communications department in 2018 and I teach courses in communications theory and technical writing. Prior to OC, I worked as a journalist for 12 years, including six years at CBC Kelowna. As a freelancer, I produced work for the Tyee, Canadian Press, and the Globe and Mail. For a fun side hustle I covered the Kelowna Rockets for four seasons, attending games and filing stories for a small magazine called Hockey Now. After leaving the media I spent a year working as a communications consultant for the City of Kelowna. These days, my side hustle is providing freelance communications services.

Credentials:
MA, Cultural Anthropology, Simon Fraser University

I have had the pleasure of teaching at Okanagan College since 2015. My research interests have centred on identity development, relationship dynamics and social tie theory through digital social media. I also actively research the technoself, which examines how people’s digital identity is increasingly influencing their decisions in real-world communication. Prior to teaching at OC, I taught Advertising, Public Relations and Communications at Canadore College and Nipissing University. I have also worked extensively in communications and stakeholder relations in the post-secondary and non-profit sectors. Outside the classroom, I enjoy fitness, carpentry, entrepreneurial endeavors and being disappointed by the Blue Jays.

Credentials:
MA, Communication Studies, University of Ottawa
BA (Hons), Communication Studies, Laurentian Unviersity
Diploma in Advertising, Georgian College

I hold a PhD in English, specializing in Rhetoric and Discourse Analysis from the University of Waterloo and teach multimodal rhetoric, literary studies, professional and technical communication, academic writing, and communication.

At Okanagan College, I have taught a range of courses in professional writing, technical communication, and workplace communication. These courses address communication in professional, technical, scientific, and organizational settings, with particular emphasis on effective writing, research, audience awareness, persuasive communication, and collaborative problem-solving.

My teaching and research interests span rhetorical theory, persuasion, argumentation, multimodal communication, and the rhetoric of science and technology. I am particularly interested in how language, images, and other forms of communication shape knowledge, influence public understanding, and inform decisions in scientific, technological, professional, and cultural contexts. More recently, my interests have expanded to the implications of artificial intelligence for writing, professional communication, and education.

Credentials:
PhD, Rhetoric and Discourse Analysis, University of Waterloo
MA, English Language and Literature, Azad University, Tehran
BA, English Language and Literature, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran

View extended profile