Rick Cherwitz and Stefanie Sanford, Office of Graduate Studies     return to On Campus contents page

Editor's note: Areteis an ancient Greek word for virtue, describing the quest for individual excellence. In this regular feature ofOn Campus,the University salutes its graduate students--whose considerable contributions to the academy and larger community are truly virtuous. These features will be framed and posted in the lobby of the Office of Graduate Studies, Main 101. Name: Sharon Jarvis Hometown: Castro Valley, Calif. Department: Communication Studies Advisor: Roderick P. Hart At a time when many U.S. citizens, candidates and journalists have had it with political parties, Sharon Jarvis is studying them. Her dissertation, "The Talk of the Party: Political Parties in American Discourse, 1948-1996" is an analysis of how Americans have talked about parties for the past 50 years. She has found that despite candidates' attempts to distance themselves from parties, other forces in the political system (the media, educational institutions and legislatures) keep parties strong. This connection is particularly evident in the relationship between presidential candidates and elite newspapers in the late 1990s. "It seems the less a candidate talks about party," Jarvis said, "the more likely elite journalists are to mention them." Jarvis holds a bachelor's degree in political science (University of California, Davis) and a master's degree in communication (University of Arizona). While an undergraduate at UC Davis, she attended a lecture by former University of Texas Professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson on the history of political advertising in the United States. Jamieson's lecture encouraged her to blend her interests in politics and communication, and showed her that research could be passionate, important and fun. In addition to studying political communication in the university, Jarvis has also published scholarly and non-scholarly articles on the topic, worked on local and state level political campaigns and taught high school civics for a non-profit educational foundation in Washington, D.C. A passion for teaching and research, she insists, is what attracts her to the university. Jarvis will finish her Ph.D. in communication studies this year and has accepted a tenure track position in the communication studies department at UT beginning in January, 2000. Her university honors include: H. Michael Burgoon Outstanding Student Award (1995, Arizona), PEO Scholar Award (1997), Richard Cullen Graduate Fellowship (UT Austin, 1997-1998), National Communication Association Honors Conference (1998) and A. D. Hutchinson Graduate Fellowship (UT Austin 1998-1999). NOTE: Nominations (including self-nominations) for ARETEshould be sent to Stefanie.Sanford@bus.utexas.edu (232-1613).

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