This document provides a summary of Erica Watson-Currie's grant project research experience, teaching experience, education, publications, conference presentations, and awards. It details her work on projects related to smart grids, tobacco control, women's health, and curriculum design. She has over 15 years of experience conducting research, teaching communication courses, and presenting at conferences. Her education includes a PhD in Communication Theory & Research from USC.

1. Erica Watson-Currie,MCM,PhD
Senior Evaluator at SmartStart Evaluation & Research
ewatson@smartstart-er.com
GRANT PROJECT RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Department of Energy Grant: Smart Grid Demonstration Project - Customer
Behavioral Portion (5 Year Project Awarded Fall 2009. Began January 2010.
Communication & Sociology Portions Defunded during Fall 2011)
Research Leads: Julie M. Albright, Ph.D. and Donald Paul, Ph.D.
The Smart Grid Demonstration Project was a partnership between the Los Angeles
Department of Water & Power and a consortium of top Southern California research
institutes including USC, UCLA, and Cal Tech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A
developing digital energy grid using “smart meters” – Smart Grid will be rolled out to
every home and business in the United States by 2030. It is designed to increase
energy efficiency, and give more feedback to customers to help them change their
energy consumption behaviors. Project intended to explore and increase role of
targeted messages, recruitment of opinion leaders, social media, education and
outreach in increasing public understanding of renewable sources of energy,
sustainability, and adoption of effective energy-conservation behaviors.
California Department of Health Services Grant: Tobacco Control (1999 – 2002)
University of Southern California
Annenberg School for Communication
Principal Investigators: Michael J. Cody, Ph.D. and Sheila Murphy, Ph.D.
Tobacco Industry Monitoring Project: Study designed to search and abstract
documents made public as a condition of the Minnesota Agreement. Purposes
included exploring and assessing how tobacco products have been (and are still
being) marketed to various target audiences via different media and other outlets;
examining purposeful alliances (e.g., with pharmacies, military, fire fighters) and their
effects; providing usable research for public information campaigns (e.g., to
encourage cessation, support adoption of tobacco-free legislation, reduce littering of
cigarette butts).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Grant (1997 – 2000)
University of Southern California
Annenberg School for Communication
Principal Investigator: Lynn Carol Miller, Ph.D.
Co-PI Sheila Murphy, Ph.D.
Woman-to-Woman: Study designed to educate sexually-active women, and
improve knowledge about Sexually Transmitted Infections (particularly HIV), and
their efficacy to negotiate safer sex practices with their intimate partners.
IMMERSIVE LEARNING CURRICULUM DESIGN AND EXPERIENCE
California State University at Long Beach
Department of Communication

2. COMM 337: Conference Management & Event Planning
* Service Learning course: Student teams partnered with various community
organizations, generally three to five each term. Most teams raised an average of
$4000 for organizations such as Surfrider Foundation, Pediatric & Adolescent
Diabetes Research & Education at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, and Boys
& Girls Clubs of Long Beach.
COMM 450: Communication Training in Organizations
* Service Learning component: Teams developed interactive educational programs
for Junior University Day.
COMM 490: Special Topics – Health Communication
* Created Course: Service Learning Component: Through partnership with Boys &
Girls Club, student teams redesigned and implemented their SMART Moves
program (Skills Mastery And Resistance Training). Emphasis on building health
knowledge, skills and self-efficacy in resisting drugs and premature sexual activity;
and promoting knowledge and decision making skills for better nutrition, exercise,
skin care, and sun-safety. This project resulted in first time their SMART Moves
group had 100% completion and passage rate. It also made them eligible to apply
for $8 million in grant funds, which they received.
USC/Marshall School of Business
Associate Trainer in Experiential Learning Center
Facilitated interactive learning activities (e.g., role playing, collaboration, immersive
activities). Director Gita Govahi.
Snow Orthodontics
Consultant June 2001 – October 2014
Specializing in Customer and Employee Satisfaction, Media Effectiveness. Created and
Implemented Surveys; Conducted Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis.
Presented findings to clients, and led discussions and other activities at annual retreats.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
University of Southern California
Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism - Adjunct Faculty Member
COMM 204: Public Speaking - (formerly Human Communication Principles & Practices)
(Fall 2012 - Fall 2014)
 Emphasis on creating informative and persuasive multimedia presentations,
particularly using Assertion-Evidence design.
USC/Keck School of Medicine
Department of Preventive Medicine
PM 526: Communications in Public Health (Spring 2014)
 Emphasis on tailoring effective messages to promote health awareness and pro-
active behaviors using a variety of communication vehicles and outreach efforts
(e.g., brochures, media alliances, public service announcement videos).
University of Southern California

3. Annenberg School for Communication Clinical Assistant Professor - Taught 3
classes. Supervised and directed 2 Teaching Assistants.
COMM 301L: Empirical Research in Communication (Spring 2012)
 Emphasis on creating experimental, observational, and survey research projects;
data collection; statistical analysis using SPSS; and reporting results.
COMM 204: Human Communication Principles & Practices (Spring 2012)
Research Assistant Professor
COMM 301L: Empirical Research in Communication (Spring 2011, Fall 2011)
Lecturer
COMM 102: Human Communication Principles & Practices (Fall 1997, Spring 1999)
COMM 204: Human Communication Principles & Practices (Spring 2001 – Spring 2004)
COMM 315: Health Communication (Fall 2000).
Teaching Assistant
COMM 200: Communication as a Social Science (Fall 1997). Professor Ken Sereno,
Ph.D.
COMM 301: Empirical Research in Communication (Fall 1996, Spring 1997). Fall
Professor Chris Weare, Ph.D., Spring. Professor Sheila T. Murphy, Ph.D.
COMM 304: Interpersonal Communication (Fall 1999). Professor Michael J. Cody,
Ph.D.
COMM 384: Interpreting Popular Culture (Spring 2001). Professor Ishita Sinha-Roy,
Ph.D. COMM 540: Uses of Communication Research (Spring 1997). Professor Peter
Clarke, Ph.D.
COMM 554: Regression and Multivariate Communication Research III (Fall 2000).
Professor Lynn Carol Miller, Ph.D.
COMM 620: Health Communication (Fall 2002). Professor Lynn Carol Miller, Ph.D.
University of Southern California
Marshall School of Business Lecturer
BUAD 304: Business Communication (Fall 2004, Spring 2005)
Grading Assistant
BUAD 304: Business Communication (Spring 1999, Fall 2000, Spring 2004)
Professor Ellen Linnea, Ph.D.
California State University at Long Beach
Lecturer
COMM 130: Essentials of Public Speaking (Fall 2005, Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Spring
2009)
COMM 306: Communication Theory (Fall 2008)
COMM 307: Measurement in Communication Research (Fall 2005, Spring 2006, Fall
2006, Spring 2007)
COMM 335: Persuasive Speaking (Fall 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009)
COMM 337: Conference Management (Fall 2005 through Fall 2008)

4. COMM 450: Communication Training in Organizations (Fall 2005, Fall 2006, Spring
2008, Fall 2008)
COMM 490: Special Topics – Health Communication (Spring 2006, Spring 2007)
IS 301: Business Communication (Summer 2005)
California State University at Northridge
COMS 321: Rhetorical Discourse (Spring 2002).
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Communication Theory & Research, University of Southern California,
2004
Major Areas of Study: Negotiation and Persuasion; Public Health
Communication; Message Tailoring; Public Perception of Emerging Technologies;
Trends in Awareness, Attitudes, and Adoption or Rejection of Informative and
Persuasive Messaging Campaigns.
M.A., Communication Theory, University of Southern California, 1999
Major Areas of Study included: Technology - Diffusion & Usability; Internet Search
Engines & Online Shopping; Power & Politics within Organizations; Theoretical
Approaches to Public Health Campaigns; Goals Theory and Practical Applications.
M.A., Communication Management, University of Southern California, 1997
B.A, Psychology, California State University at Northridge, 1992
JOURNAL ARTICLES
Birney, L. B., Watson-Currie, E., & Jha, K. (Winter, 2016) Curriculum and
community enterprise for New York Harbor restoration in New York City public
schools. Radical Pedagogy, 14(1).
Molina, M., Watson-Currie, E., & Birney, L.B. (2016). Development of curriculum
+ community enterprise for restoration science: A formative model for educational
partnerships. Psychology Research, 6(8), 466-472.
ONLINE PUBLISHING
Watson-Currie, E. (Feb. 9, 2010). Blowback attack: The Smart Grid’s greatest
danger. SmartGridNews.com. Commentary Section. Available Online: http://
www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/Business_Strategy/Blowback-Attack-
The-Smart-Grid-s-Greatest-Danger-1875.html
TECHNICAL REPORTS AND WHITE PAPERS
Watson-Currie, E., Cody, M. J., Murphy, S. T., & Cohen, E. L. (2002). Industry
watch: The military as targets. Project Report for the California Department of
Health and Human Services: Tobacco Control Section.

5. Watson-Currie, E., Cody, M. J., & Murphy, S. T. (2002). The troubling
relationship between R. J. Reynolds, Philip Morris, and the Rite Aid chain of
drugstores. Project Report for the California Department of Health and Human
Services: Tobacco Control Section.
Cohen, E. L., Watson-Currie, E., Bryant, J. A., Murphy, S. T., Tennebrusso-
Gradis, M., & Cody, M. J. (2002). Point of sale: How the tobacco industry targets
Los Angeles residential communities. Project Report for the California
Department of Health and Human Services: Tobacco Control Section.
Cohen, E. L., Cody, M. J., Murphy, S. T., & Watson-Currie, E. (2002). Tobacco
in Los Angeles' urban neighborhoods. Project Report for the California
Department of Health and Human Services: Tobacco Control Section.
Cohen, E. L., Watson-Currie, E., Ingram, J., Unger, J. & Cody, M. J. (2002).
Navigating the online tobacco document maze. Project Report for the California
Department of Health and Human Services: Tobacco Control Section.
ACCEPTED CONFERENCE PAPERS, POSTERS, PANELS, AND PRESENTATIONS
Watson-Currie, E., Molina, M., & Birney, L. B. – Curriculum + Community
Enterprise for Restoration Science (CCERS): Diverse Teams Collaborate on
Middle School Curriculum with Hands-on STEM-C Projects in New York Harbor –
Accepted as Poster Presentation for 8th National Summit on Coastal & Estuarine
Restoration and 25th Biennial Meeting of The Coastal Society in New Orleans,
LA, December 10 - 15, 2016
Molina, M., Watson-Currie, E., & Birney, L. B. (2016) - Curriculum + Community
Enterprise for Restoration Science (CCERS) in New York Harbor – Accepted as
Poster Presentation for 8th National Summit on Coastal & Estuarine Restoration
and 25th Biennial Meeting of The Coastal Society in New Orleans, LA, December
10 - 15, 2016
Molina, M., Watson-Currie, E., & Birney, L. – Practical Guidance on Assessing
Organizational Collaboration and Social Network Analysis – Paper accepted for
presentation at American Evaluation Association’s 2016 conference in Atlanta,
GA, October 7, 2016, 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM.
Watson-Currie, E., Birney, L., & Molina, M. – Session Presenter at National
Science Teachers’ Association (NSTA) 5th Annual STEM Forum & Expo in
Denver, CO. Topic: CCERS Partnership Model Teacher Fellowship: An
Interdisciplinary Approach to STEM Education – July 28, 2016, 11:00 AM – 12:00
PM
Watson-Currie, E. – Panelist at Global MindED 2016 conference in Denver, CO
(June 9th)

6.  Practical and Professional STEM: Educating for Career Awareness and
Success – Panel Leader: Jodi Cutler, IBM
 Change Agents in STEM Education: Teachers Transforming Habits, Shifts,
and Outcomes in STEM – Panel Leader: Alma Rosalies, CSU
Watson-Currie, E.; Birney, L.; Molina, M.; Moore, G.; Nicolas, A. – Curriculum +
Community Enterprise for Restoration Science (CCERS): Diverse Teams
Collaborate on STEM-C Project in New York Harbor (A Quantitative Analysis of
Findings So Far) – Accepted as interactive poster for Science of Team Science
(SciTS) 2016 conference in Phoenix, AZ (May 2016)
Molina, M., Watson-Currie, E., & Birney, L. – Curriculum + Community Enterprise
for Restoration Science in New York Harbor (A Qualitative Analysis of Progress
So Far) – Accepted as interactive poster for Science of Team Science (SciTS)
2016 conference in Phoenix, AZ (May 2016)
Molina, M., Watson-Currie, E., & Birney, L. – Development of CCERS – A
Formative Model for Educational Partnership accepted as interactive poster for
National Association for Research in Science Teaching in Baltimore, MD (April
2016)
Watson-Currie, E. - Attachment, Accommodation, and Love accepted for Poster
Session at International Communication Association’s Annual Convention in
Phoenix, Arizona (May 2012)
Cody, M. J., Murphy, S. J., Cohen, E. L., Hong, T., Bryant, J. A., Watson-Currie,
E., & Shumate, M. (November 21, 2002) Panel Discussion on "The Tobacco
Industry Monitoring Project: An Evaluation of Tobacco Industry Marketing
Strategy after the Master Settlement Agreement." at National Communication
Association Conference in New Orleans, LA)
Watson-Currie, E. "Relational maintenance strategies: Reviewing the existing
theoretical approaches, and introducing a social roles perspective." Paper
presented at the Western States Communication Association Convention
(Vancouver, B.C.) February 19-23, 1999.
AWARDS, HONORS, & ACADEMIC SERVICE
• Reviewer for Nicotine & Tobacco Research (Spring 2014)
• Reviewed Dana K. Keller’s Tao of Statistics by request from Sage Publishing
• Nominated for Steven Sample Teaching and Mentoring Award given by the Parents
Association (Spring 2011)
• Reviewer for Western States Journal of Communication for 2007-2008, 2010-2011
• Proposals Reviewer for Program Committee of the Eighth International Research
Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (April 2008 for
Conference October 25-28, 2008, in New Orleans)

7. • Served on Education Policies and Curriculum Committee at CSULB.
• Member of Faculty Learning Committee on Incorporating Service Learning into
Curriculum (Awarded CCE/FCPD’s Faculty Learning Community 2006-07)
• Reviewer for International Research Conference Planning Committee (2007)