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About
Marist Commencement
Celebrating the Class of 2025
• The graduate ceremony will be held on Friday, May 23.
• The undergraduate ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 24.About
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Academics
Marist Commencement
Celebrating the Class of 2025
• The graduate ceremony will be held on Friday, May 23.
• The undergraduate ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 24.Academics
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Admission & Financial Aid
Marist Commencement
Celebrating the Class of 2025
• The graduate ceremony will be held on Friday, May 23.
• The undergraduate ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 24.Admission & Financial Aid
-
Student Life
Marist Commencement
Celebrating the Class of 2025
• The graduate ceremony will be held on Friday, May 23.
• The undergraduate ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 24.Student Life
- Athletics
Image of student in Marist's Center for Social Media
Center for Social Media
image of marist "m" in red
Turning digital natives into strategic users of social media.
The Center for Social Media provides training in social media listening, engagement, influence, and analytics. Using social media listening software, students learn industry-leading practices that enhance their skill set and ensure they stay competitive in their internships and careers.
Center for Social Media by the Numbers
Student Interns
Over 100 student interns have worked with the Center for Social Media since its inception.
Engaged Departments
The Center for Social Media collaborates with all five of the departments within the School of Communication & the Arts.
Research Success
Success rate for Center for Social Media student research projects that have been accepted to national or international communication conferences.
Pillars of Hands-on Experience
Community-Based Learning
Student interns at the Center for Social Media gain hands-on experience by managing clients' social media strategies and creating content for them. Clients include:
- Department of Art & Digital Media
- Dutchess County SPCA
- For The Record
- Marist's Center for Civic Engagement and Leadership
- Marist's Investment Center
- Marist's Swimming and Diving team
- Poughkeepsie Public Library District
- Sprout Creek Farm
- Walkway Over the Hudson
Undergraduate Research
The Center for Social Media is a hub of undergraduate research and inquiry. Students in Marist's Honors program collaborate to use social media listening software for multidisciplinary projects ranging in topics such as:
- Cancel Culture
- Beauty Bias
- Corporate Social Responsibility
Additionally, student interns undertake a content analysis project using data harvested from the software. Their work has evolved into original manuscripts presented at national and international communication conferences.
- Student interns at the Center for Social Media have a dedicated lab to collaborate on projects utilizing global digital listening data
- In the classroom, students complete social media listening assignments using the social media listening software, which provides essential experiential learning
- Student organizations, including North Road Communications and Mporium, integrate the social media listening software into their operational model, establishing measurable objectives and producing top-notch deliverables
- Faculty work hand-in-hand with the Center for Social Media staff to customize a software tutorial and an assignment catered to the unique subject matter of a particular course
- Faculty collaborate with undergraduate students for research projects using data harvested from the software
- Network with engaged faculty in other disciplines or institutions for social media-related research initiatives
- Community partners have the opportunity to meet students and build long-term professional partnerships
- Achieve organizational goals by tapping into valuable human resources
- Community partners make larger, more meaningful contributions to the community through collaborative efforts
Benefits of the Center for Social Media
- Student interns function as on-site social media professionals by keeping office hours in the Center, giving tours of the space, and providing software tutorials to classes and student organizations
- In the Center space, student interns have a dedicated lab to come together to discuss and work on projects using seven screens and two computers that process and display digital listening data from across the globe
- In the classroom, students complete social media listening assignments using the social media listening software, which provides essential experiential learning
- Student organizations including North Road Communications and Mporium integrate the social media listening software into their operational model, establishing measurable objectives and producing top-notch deliverables
- Work hand-in-hand with the Center for Social Media staff to customize a software tutorial and an assignment catered to the unique subject matter of a particular course
- Collaborate with undergraduate students for research projects using data harvested from the software
- Network with engaged faculty in other disciplines or institutions for social media-related research initiatives
- Valuable opportunity to meet students and build long-term professional partnerships
- Achieve organizational goals by tapping into valuable human resources
- Make larger, more meaningful contributions to the community through collaborative efforts
Experiences from Poughkeepsie to New York City
The Center for Social Media offers a myriad of experiences on-campus and off. The Center for Social Media hosts a lecture series on campus that brings together social media professionals and students to discuss industry trends, cutting-edge practices, and career opportunities. Previous speakers for the series have included professionals from LEGO, ESPN, IBM, Beautyblender, and Marvel Entertainment.
Located just 90 minutes north of New York City, a hub for communications organizations and experts, student interns at the Center for Social Media have the opportunity to visit the city for networking events with social media professionals. These interns frequently attend and present at software conferences.
Community Workshops
Student interns in the Center for Social Media immerse themselves in their Hudson Valley living and learning environments. As such, they are passionate about giving back to the community through workshops and presentations that enhance the local workforce. Through a partnership with the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region, student interns offer social media training as part of the United Way's "Community Conversation" series.
90 Minutes from New York City
Being just a short train ride from New York City, a haven of communications organizations and experts, student interns in the Center for Social Media visit the City for networking events with social media professionals. Additionally, Center student interns regularly attend and give presentations at software conferences.
image of marist "m" in red
Meet the Director: Dr. Amanda Damiano
Amanda D. Damiano, PhD is an associate professor of communication and director of the Center for Social Media. She holds a bachelor's degree in public relations-journalism from Utica College, a master's degree in media studies from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and a PhD in communication from the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York. Her research focuses on the intersection of health communication and risk communication on social media. She has previous experience working in the industry doing marketing communications, public relations, and stakeholder engagement. She has been the director of the Center since May 2019.
Amanda.Damiano@marist.edu
244 Lowell Thomas
(845) 575-6124
History of the Center
The Center for Social Media was established in the fall of 2017 and was one of the first social media labs created at a higher education institution. It has a dedicated space where students and faculty collaborate on projects using seven screens and two computers that process and display digital listening data globally. Student interns there serve as on-site social media experts, keep office hours, give tours of the space, and offer software tutorials to classes and student organizations. Since its inception, the primary goal of the Center for Social Media has been to turn digital natives into strategic users of social media.