The Ripple Effect
To provide another learning channel for communication professors, Beth Goodier, associate professor of communication and director of the Martin Center for Mentorship in Communication, proposed a faculty shadowing program.
“This program allows faculty to shadow practitioners in the field and see how what they are teaching in the classroom is applied on the job,” says Goodier. “Having one professor observe and share current trends and cutting-edge practices can impact up to 300 students a year. It creates a ripple effect of graduates who are better prepared to enter the workforce.”
When Goodier shared her plan with John Cooper and Lynne Eickholt, friends of the Martin Center, they agreed to provide initial funding for the program. With significant faculty and executive experience, they appreciated the value of helping both faculty and students connect theory to practice. One of the first to be accepted when Goodier announced the opportunity was Xi Cui, associate professor of communication. He wanted to see research analytics in action.
Cui connected with Ketchum, a global public relations firm, where staff immersed Cui in their daily operations and asked him about communications from an academic perspective.
Cui’s weeklong immersion over spring break in March 2024 quickly extended into a monthlong deep dive. He attended more than 20 meetings on everything from media landscape analysis and brand-lift surveys to research support for requests for proposals.
“To say that this experience was eye-opening would be an understatement; it was transformative,” says Cui. “Seeing the practical application of research methods I teach was exhilarating. From survey design and measurement validity to qualitative coding — every aspect of my course content was in play. One of the highlights of my experience was an influencer-vetting project that incorporated a comprehensive analysis of the media landscape, brand values, candidate influencers’ audience niches and performance metrics. This inspired my rethinking of the real-world relevance of research methods, from conceptualization to data analysis.”
Determined to delve deeper, Cui visited Ketchum’s offices in Chicago and New York over the summer to observe the leadership and teamwork dynamics firsthand. He saw how research experts there fostered a supportive environment, underscoring the importance of soft skills in research.
Cui also engaged with young analysts who reflected on their college research methods classes, the learning experiences on the job and the new tools and perspectives they had gained. Their stories revealed gaps between academic research and industry practices, highlighting areas where Cui could help bridge those gaps in his classes.
Job shadowing led Cui to refine his teaching approach. He designed assignments that build conceptual depth incrementally to help students connect the dots through smaller, manageable tasks – more like the projects a junior analyst would handle without first seeing the bigger picture.
“I’m excited about the direction of my research class,” says Cui. “We’ll be following industry standards while maintaining academic rigor.”
After Cui’s job shadowing, his students will be more workforce ready.