October 2020
Election 2020: The Road to the White House – The Debates
The second in a series of discussions about the always-arduous road to the White House, even more complicated in 2020.
- Sue O’Connell ’84, New England Cable News journalist and co-publisher of Bay Windows and South End News
- Fred Baldassaro ’96, communications director at Pew Charitable Trusts and former advisor for the U.S. Treasury Department
- Miriam Valverde ’10, contributing writer/editor at PolitiFact
This event is presented in partnership with the School of Communication, Emerson College Polling, and the Washington, D.C. Alumni Regional Chapter.
How to Do Conflict Better: Tips for Navigating Contentious Times
Campus on the Common LIVE, Episode 2
Special Guest: Israela Brill-Cass, Senior Affiliated Faculty in Communication Studies, Conflict Communication Consultant
If conflict is everywhere (and just about anyone would agree that it is) why is it so hard for us to address it productively? As we approach the most contentious presidential election in recent history amid social, racial, and economic tensions, bonds between friends and family are being tested by conflicting viewpoints. In this episode, we’ll explore what creates conflict, what exacerbates it, and most importantly how can we “do conflict better.”
About Campus on the Common LIVE
In 2020, we are thrilled to introduce the online event series, Campus on the Common LIVE. Like the podcast of the same name, this production will showcase the ideas and insights of the Emerson community, with the added bonus of a live and interactive audience. Campus on the Common LIVE offers participants the chance to learn from faculty and professional experts and each other, no matter where they are.
About Israela Brill-Cass
Israela is a negotiation and conflict communication professional with over 25 years of experience as an attorney, mediator, facilitator, trainer and consultant. In 2015, she launched her company, fixerrr — the three r’s stand for rethink, respond and resolve — to help individuals, groups and organizations recognize their strengths, assess their options and gain the tools they need to succeed. Israela has designed, managed and served as a neutral for conflict resolution and workplace communication programs for the Massachusetts Superior Courts, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, federal agencies, colleges, universities, and corporations. She created the first federally funded Agricultural Mediation Program in New England to help local cranberry growers. In 2017, she became Wesleyan University’s first Ombudsperson, serving as a resource for approximately 900 faculty and staff members on their Connecticut campus. In 2018, she was awarded the Alan L. Stanzler Award for Excellence in Teaching at Emerson and she has been recognized as a New England Super Lawyer (2012, 2016) and as a Top Woman Attorney in Massachusetts by Boston Magazine (2013, 2016). Israela received her bachelor of arts from Brandeis University and holds a juris doctorate from Suffolk University.