Communication & Media Alumni Profiles

Hayley Rosenfeld

"The Department of Communications and Media at SUNY Oneonta had a huge impact on me both as a student and as an alumna. Currently, I am a Graduate Student at Sarah Lawrence College majoring in Dance Movement Therapy and I hope to become a psychotherapist. In my current program, I have been able to use the skills I learned in the Communication and Media Department. Some of the skills include but are not limited to non-verbal, public speaking, interpersonal, small group, intercultural, and listening. Along my journey at Oneonta I found a feeling of home within the department and professors who would become my role models. I am grateful for the never ending support I continuously receive. The Communication Department at SUNY Oneonta has given me everlasting memories and with each memory the one constant that remains with me today is the opportunity and underlying support to explore myself. The opportunity for self-exploration has guided me into my field. This self-exploration was the first time I was introduced and faced with vulnerability, and how to open myself up to the world around me; learning that the more I can give the more I will receive. I was faced with the reality that I don’t need to do something on a big scale to make a difference, that it is the journey alone that makes the difference. As my journey of self-exploration continues I find myself embracing each step I take."

Brendan Day

"I graduated SUNY Oneonta in 2016 with a Bachelor's of Science, majoring in Mass Communications with a Production Concentration as well as double minoring in Film and Theatre. After graduation, I started my career as a freelance video editor as well as interning for a production company in Manhatten called Suite Spot. Eventually, I was hired by NBC Sports to be a Logger/Subclipper for the NHL, which required me to watch live hockey games and record the statistics. Near the end of the hockey season I was offered to work on the Showtime series All Access: Quest for the Stanley Cup as a Post Production Assistant. The series lasted a month, and I went back to freelancing until I found my current job, an Assistant Editor for the online media company Refinery29. I work in the video department and help prepare projects, organize footage and data archive for the editors and producers. I also work under another SUNY Oneonta Alumni, Kelly Zdanowicz.

The Mass Communications program really helped me and prepared me for the working world. I was able to learn all of the different aspects of media such as Film, TV, News, Sports, Internet, etc. With that knowledge, it has helped me gained experience and be able to work in various fields in order to figure out what I want to do. The Media industry is always changing, so knowing as much as you can about each field and being able to adapt is what has helped me become so lucky early in my career. Majority of my classes required video editing, and having that experience and the knowledge of the craft was also a huge help. My advice to current students would be to really take advantage of the school's resources for not just your projects, but for your own experience. While at Oneonta, I was a part of Wire TV and Film Club, which allowed me to create my own content, learn about equipment, and more importantly, make a ton of mistakes. You learn so much from what you did wrong or what didn't work. And to be in an environment that encourages to be creative and allows student to be hands on with video equipment was incredibly useful."

Visit Brendan's website.

View a short film Brendan shot on campus.

Barbara Parsons

"I am currently attending SUNY Oswego and I am enrolled in the Strategic Communications Program with a track in Organizational Communication. After graduating SUNY Oneonta, I moved to Oswego to begin the Master’s Program and began my role as a Graduate Assistant within the department. I owe my smooth transition into this program to the guidance and encouragements of my previous professors and mentors within the Communication Department at SUNY Oneonta. I'm looking forward to the next couple of years to completing my Master's degree. I also hope to secure some internships to gain even more experience. Aside from schooling, I have also continued my love for rugby and I have joined SUNY Oswego’s Women’s Rugby club, which ended with a successful undefeated season in 2017."

Nate Wind

"I am currently a full time freelance videographer, photographer, & digital editor living in New York City. I work largely with Broadway casts and individual performers on one-off projects as well as within a series called Broadway at W. Apart from this work, I have done some touring with musicians as a tour manager, photographer, and videographer, including a full US tour with acoustic musician Chase Huglin at the beginning of 2017. Furthermore, I also work on various media projects in other industries and have held many different positions within media and content creation leading me to where I am now.

While at SUNY Oneonta, I had the opportunity to have a lot of hands on experience both with shooting and non-linear digital editing, so by the time I graduated I had a strong base from which to further hone my skills. While there, I was also able to enroll in courses outside of production, which gave me a more well-rounded base of knowledge going into my career. In addition, many of the friends I made while attending college have since introduced me to opportunities to further my career. New York City is a big city to dive in to right after graduation, but somehow SUNY Oneonta grads tend to find each other and help each other out when they can. Thanks to those connections, my wide range of experiences at SUNY Oneonta, and a lot of hard work & networking, I have been able to work in content creation within numerous industries, all while being my own boss."

See some of Nate's work.

Robert Caliendo

“I graduated in May of 2015 with a degree in Communication Studies, and a minor in Business Communication. Currently, I am working at The United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) as a client-facing Business Operations Consultant. I concentrate on creating, revising, and implementing initiatives for clients that will: drive growth, strategically reduce costs, improve operational excellence, help better understand and manage risk, improve efficiency in their businesses, and bring positive change while adhering to regulatory compliance and requirements.

While my job is quantitative in nature, I strongly believe that the Communication discipline has helped me achieve success in my personal and professional life. The discipline exposes you to a wide variety of courses and experiences that will widen your breadth of perspective and enhance your ability to connect, understand, and articulate. Those skills are essential in any field you choose."

Jake Alviene

“I am currently working as an Integrated Producer with Grey Advertising in New York City. I help manage the creation of broadcast, web and still advertisements. I currently work most heavily with our technology brands, helping them to break through the noise of a crowded and competitive market. Grey recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and Townhouse, our production wing, its 1st year of business. Grey has provided me with amazing experiences and has taught me so much about the industry and how I can fit into it.

To any students interested in working in media, advertising or film, I would say that becoming successful is all about growing and learning. As much as you get from your daily work, you can gain even more by actually doing what you love. Find what your passion is and start doing it, as much as you can in and out of the office. That obsessiveness is what got me from my first job to the one I really wanted and I've seen it carry many others forward as well.”

Mary Insinga

"After graduating with a BA in Communications from SUNY Oneonta in 2014, I pursued a career in Public Relations. Following the completion of two strategic internships at smaller boutique agencies, I landed an entry level position at Zeno Group, an integrated communications agency born from PR under the DJE Holdings Company.  Zeno is an agency ideally built for the challenges of today – and tomorrow. Mid-sized, yet global.  Audaciously creative, yet pragmatic in applying our thinking. Relentless in chasing results that drive business value for our clients.

I have been at Zeno for the past three years and I am now an Account Supervisor overseeing media strategy for consumer brands across the food and beverage, luxury hospitality and CPG industries. Our mandates for our clients are multifaceted and always changing but at the core include, earned media relations, strategic planning, campaign ideation + execution, and influencer relations. Recently, we’ve begun to offer our clients a new set of capabilities that continue to differentiate Zeno from its competitors and keep us on the cutting edge of the ever-changing digital media landscape. My team is now developing media partnership campaigns, paid social strategies and supporting performance analytics for some of the largest brands in the world such as Intel, Hershey, Lenovo, Asics, Netflix and more.

My advice, for students on the Communications track at Oneonta, would be to get as involved in the department as you can and get an internship as soon as your Sophomore year. Being a teacher’s assistant, a part of the Communications Arts Society, Lambda Pi Eta, Phonathon, etc. really set me apart when I was looking for internships in college. When you’re at that stage of your educational journey, no employer is expecting you to have much applicable professional experience. But if you can proficiently illustrate the skillsets you’ve developed, specific projects you’ve lead and how you’ve grown your network while juggling classes, essays and homework – you will be off on the right foot. And always, try and tap your alumni network. We can help!"

Bill Pullman

At SUNY Oneonta, Bill was active in all areas of theater, as a technician, director, and actor. He began his professional acting career, following a short period of teaching at the Montana State University, Off-Broadway, but soon moved to LA to become a screen actor, with more than forty featured and starring roles to his credits. He is also a producer for Big Town Productions, which sponsors live theater in the LA area. He lives today in the Hollywood hills< with wife, Tamara, (a dancer) and their three children, Marisa, Jack, and Lewis.

Jay Winuk

Jay S. Winuk ’80 is a nationally recognized inspirational speaker and award-winning public relations executive whose journey to overcome personal tragedy to achieve monumental success in the service sector has resulted in millions of acts of kindness throughout the world for people and communities in need. As a primary force behind the establishment of the anniversary of 9/11 as federally designated National Day of Service and Remembrance (“9/11 Day”) and its growth into America's largest annual day of charitable engagement, he is one of the nation’s leading voices for volunteerism and charitable activity. His work, commentary and< personal story have been featured in countless major news media reports, documentaries and books throughout the nation and world. Jay is the brother of attorney and volunteer firefighter Glenn J. Winuk ’83, who died in the line of duty on 9/11.

Jay serves as president of Winuk Communications, Inc., the public relations agency he founded in 1994. He has provided PR support to many of the nation’s leading corporations, nonprofits and other organizations, and has won numerous national PR industry awards. Previously, Jay was an executive at Burson-Marsteller and Golin/Harris, two of the nation’s top 10 PR firms, and served as director of public relations for Radio City Productions, one of the nation’s leading live entertainment companies. He also was a partner and managing director of PR at Dirty Water Integrated, a branding/advertising/PR agency. Jay began his career in the nonprofit sector, serving as the director of public relations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston. In 2012 he received SUNY Oneonta’s “Distinguished Alumnus Award.”

“My four years at Oneonta set me on the path to success and satisfaction, both professionally and personally. I began as a pre-med student, but soon switched my major to communications, which was a better fit and which well-prepared me for pursuit of a Master of Science degree in public relations later on at Boston University. While in the communications program at Oneonta, I had substantial opportunities to learn and/or sharpen skills that serve me well to this day, including in public speaking, writing, and verbal and organizational communications. I benefited as well from coursework focused on argumentation, the First Amendment and several other compelling topics. The education I received in the communications program also contributed to and complimented some of my other pursuits while at Oneonta, including serving as a Student Association government leader, as an on-air DJ and newscaster on W.O.N.Y., and as an intern in the college’s PR department. I greatly value my experiences inside and outside the classrooms at Oneonta. My advice to all college students is to make your college experience diverse. Make the effort to pursue new challenges, take risks and be open to new ideas. There’s much to learn and enjoy by stepping out of your comfort zone and expanding your horizons. Doing so will serve you well.”

David Daly

"After leaving Oneonta I returned home to England and joined the Mars Corporation in a division called Four Square. Four Square made vending machines and I was fortunate enough to be part of a management training program there which was outstanding. I progressed into Sales and did that for 3 years before joining what was then a small American sports brand called Nike.

I spent 30 years working for Nike initially in Sales and Sales Management before progressing to a role in the Soccer Division. For the next several years I worked in Product Creation, Marketing, Sports Marketing, and General Management helping Nike to build a global leadership position in Soccer. I’ve always loved to travel and with Nike I was very fortunate that I got to live and work in some great places like Amsterdam, Portland (Oregon), Hong Kong, Turin, plus London, Manchester, and Newcastle within the UK. My travels gave me a chance to see the world but also to work in some very culturally diverse environments. As I moved from country to country I needed to learn how to adjust my communication style and approach in order to be culturally sensitive but still to be able to achieve things. Towards the end of my career I returned to Sales and became Sales Director for Nike UK/Ireland which is Nike’s 3rd biggest market globally.

During my time in Oneonta I majored in Business Economics with a Minor in Speech Communication. My Speech Communication studies help me enormously throughout my career. Ultimately you need to get along with people in order to make things happen and to be successful in a career. Learning the art of persuasion and the skills required for Public Speaking in Oneonta were of great benefit to me inside a big corporation. If you want to be successful in any organization you need to be a good team player but also be strong and confident with your communication skills. My studies in Oneonta laid the foundation for that and my learnings there were a major contributor to my successes during my career."