Barbara Tholen. | Photo by JMC student Maya Smith. 

Barbara Tholen will become executive director of the Kansas Scholastic Press Association beginning August 2025.

Tholen has taught journalism at Lawrence High School for 15 years, following 10 years as a newspaper reporter at The Kansas City Star and The Topeka Capital-Journal. She has been an active KSPA member and currently serves as president-elect.

In addition to leading KSPA, Tholen will teach classes in the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas and lead KU’s Jayhawk Media Workshop beginning in 2026.

Emergency fund application now available: Current JMC students experiencing a financial emergency can apply for one-time grants up to $500. The funding does not have to be repaid. Information about what qualifies as an emergency and the application can be found here.

April 15 deadline for Greater Kansas-PRSA memorial scholarship: The Greater Kansas City-Public Relations Society of America chapter is accepting applications for the Inez Y. Kaiser Memorial Scholarship. The application portal is open and ready to receive applications. The 2025 scholarship will be awarded to a Black college student of junior or senior level who demonstrates the same character and skills as Inez Kaiser. Applications are due April 15, 2025. 

JMC lecturer Lisa Loewen (left) checks the flavor of a drink during a taste testing in JMC 560 last week. | Photo by Evan Riggs

JMC class supports non-profit: JMC 560 Message Development students are collaborating with Kate Barker, the founder of Zen Donkey Farms (ZDF), a Kansas City-based cold-pressed juice and soda water producer that also operates a donkey rescue and therapy program for people on their farm. More than 50 students across three sections are learning messaging strategies, customer segmentation, video production and content creation for social media, public relations and advertising tactics to support ZDF.

Students gathered in the Clarkson Gallery last week to taste test different products and responded to a survey that will be shared with ZDF for insight on Gen Z consumers tasting and labeling preferences towards ZDF. Throughout the semester, students will develop messaging and produce content to appeal to this target audience.

Study Abroad: Come join the fun in Stirling, Scotland this summer through the Study Abroad Program. Take a sports media course through KU and an additional, unique course through the University of Stirling. The four-week course runs from June 7 to July 5. Attend informational meetings on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the Clarkson Gallery. For more information, contact Cal Butcher at calbutch@ku.edu. 

The Eudora Times celebrated its sixth birthday last week. Founded in 2019 by Associate Professor Teri Finneman, the news desert publication has provided about 50 KU students with community journalism experience serving as the local paper for this community. The online newspaper has won over 80 awards for its work and raised over $125,000 to support student awards.

New research from Assistant Professor Vaibhav Diwanji (pictured) has found when dealing with embarrassing issues, people prefer the anonymity and nonjudgmental nature of AI chatbots. However, when angry, they still preferred dealing with a fellow human. The study was based on topics related to COVID-19 vaccination, and the findings could help health professionals and marketers connect with people more effectively. Read the full story in KU Today. 

Professor of the Practice and doctoral candidate Angie Hendershot presented her research at the American Marketing Association winter academic conference in Phoenix on Feb. 14. The 2025 conference theme was Marketing in Service of Nature and Humanity, emphasizing the crucial role marketing plays in expanding beyond traditional profit-centric models. Hendershot’s study examined narrative strategies used in personal finance advice by and for first-generation college graduates on Instagram.

School of Business hosting summit for KU students March 7: The School of Business Impact Program team is hosting IDEALS, a summit for all KU students aimed to bring students together through workshops, networking and panel discussions to view access, belonging, respect and success through numerous lenses in their professional lives. This summit will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, March 7 at Capitol Federal Hall. There is no cost to attend, and meals will be provided. Students can register here. 

Work for the Eudora Times: The Eudora Times is looking for a summer reporter interested in covering general assignment stories, taking photos and improving video skills. The Times is an award-winning, nationally recognized online newspaper based in the KU School of Journalism and Mass Communications with a commitment to community engagement.

The summer reporter will get substantial real-world experience covering a community of 6,500 that relies on the Times for local news. The town is about 15 minutes from campus, so the summer reporter can remain based in Lawrence. The 10-week internship will pay $5,000, and you can expect to work 36-40 hours per week. Applicants should have completed JMC 415 Multimedia Reporting by the end of the spring semester. 

Submit your resume and two clips to eudoratimes@gmail.com by Feb. 28.

Students interested in health communications are welcome to join KC Health Communicators for the 2025 Education Event, Health Care in the New Political Environment, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at North Kansas City Hospital. Lunch and networking are planned for 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m., followed by a panel discussion with Jaron Caffrey, Director of Workforce and Health Care Policy, Kansas Hospital Association; Jane Drummond, General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Governmental Relations, Missouri Hospital Association; and Kenny Wilk, Vice President Government and Community Affairs, The University of Kansas Health System. You must be a KCHC member to attend. Please RSVP as lunch will be served. Send your RSVP to Jan Fenwick at jfenwick@kha-net.org. 

Local job opportunity for a JMC student: The Lawrence Farmers Market is hiring a part-time market manager. The market manager will help the market run every Saturday morning during the season, handle administrative tasks and vendor relationships, create content, engage with the community and manage social media channels. The full position description is available here. To apply, send your cover letter and resume to lawrencefarmersmarket@gmail.com.

JMC career fair still has openings for organizations: The KU Journalism and Mass Communications Career Fair is Thursday, March 6, at Stauffer-Flint Hall. If your organization would be interested in reserving a table to connect with 200-plus students, please contact Steve Rottinghaus, career and outreach coordinator, before Feb. 28 at steve_rottinghaus@ku.edu.

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William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications
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