About the Social Media Technology Conference and Workshop

Co-founded by Howard University and Bowie State University in 2009, the Social Media Technology Conference & Workshop brings together scholars and professionals who are experts in the area of social media to share their perspectives on the shifting paradigm in the academia, governmental and non-governmental organizations orchestrated by digital and social media in this era of technological determinism. As social media continue to influence all areas of our lives, it is important to examine and debate not only the use of various social media tools in different contexts, but how they change the manner in which individuals, academics, business owners and the government make use of this media. This one-day intensive conference combines panel discussions, posters sessions, roundtables and hands-on workshops designed to enlighten scholars and practitioners about social media and provide them with the knowledge to create and effectively utilize social media in different contexts.

Working with past presenters and other researchers, the conference co-founders edited two social media books. The first was published in 2014 entitled Social Media: Pedagogy and Practice. It is available on Amazon and the University Press of America’s website. The second published in 2016 through Lexington Books. It is titled Social Media: Culture and Identity.

Each year, the conference is held at Howard University and is hosted by the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. Dr. Kehbuma Langmia and Dr. Tia C. M. Tyree are two of the original co-founders and current organizers, and they are faculty members in the Department of Strategic, Legal and Management Communications. Ingrid Sturgis joined the conference’s planning board, just one year after its creation in 2010. She currently organizes the conference, too, and she is from the Department of Media, Journalism and Film.

To stay connected with the conference, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @smtechconwork. Send all general inquiries to Dr. Kehbuma Langmia.

About the Cathy Hughes School of Communications’

Departmental Hosts

Department of Media, Journalism and Film

The Department of Media, Journalism and Film (MJFC) prepares students for the media world of today and the future through core and cluster courses. The MJFC department draws from the fields of digital audio/radio, digital video/television, and film production, scriptwriting and reporting, and broadcast (i.e. radio and television), print, mobile and online news. The MJFC Department addresses current industry standards, technological trends of convergence and community needs, while meeting the university’s historical mission. The Department unifies several intellectual and creative strands within the School that share the common concerns of communicating in effective ways at the local, regional, national and global levels.

Department of Strategic, Legal and Management Communications

The Department of Strategic, Legal and Management Communication (SLMC) aims to prepare students for careers and advanced study in communication used for strategic purposes such as public relations and special event planning, advertising and sales, non-profit and for-profit management, law and policy, organizational training and development, corporate communications, government relations, entrepreneurship, human resources, marketing communications, and media management. SLMC majors will develop strong critical reasoning, writing and case development, verbal and nonverbal communication, problem solving, research design and implementation. Students will be equipped with persuasive and informative methodologies to enhance the creation and development of messages in a variety of communication contexts including digital media. The mission of the new Strategic, Legal and Management Communication (SLMC) Department is to promote the study and practice of communicating effectively within institutional, corporate, organizational, legal, social, intercultural and interpersonal contexts.