Undergraduate students - the deadline to apply for School of Journalism and Mass Communications scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year is less than one month away! Last spring, the school offered over $860,000 in scholarships and awards to current and incoming students, and 93% of students who applied received at least one scholarship. All students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications are encouraged to apply. 

Apply here (Click the red Sign In button at the top, then log in with your KU online ID and password). You may be asked to complete a general questionnaire before moving to the School of Journalism and Mass Communications Undergraduate Scholarship Application.

The applications deadline is December 15, 2023. Recipients will be notified in March 2024.

Dan McCarthy named KU employee of the month for September: McCarthy is the assistant director of Jayhawk Academic Advising, and he supports advisors and students across many programs, including the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the School of Education & Human Sciences.

McCarthy has been with KU since 2005. As a winner of the Employee of the Month award, McCarthy received a surprise visit from the provost or her designee, a certificate of award, a biography feature in KU Today and a monetary award.

More than a handful of JMC School sports media traveled to Chicago to cover KU basketball’s win over Kentucky in the Champions Classic last week.

Lauren Richey and Lindsay Ryan from Playmakers produced a vlog that features a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to cover the KU basketball team on the road.

Students from the Playmakers, University Daily Kansan and KJHK cover the game with print, audio and video content. 

Lindsay Ryan and Lauren Richey stand on half court of the United Center. | Photo courtesy of Lauren Richey

Donate to Nutrition Nook: As the semester proceeds, we’re receiving more requests for food assistance. We will be collecting donations for the Nutrition Nook before the Thanksgiving break. If you would like to contribute, please stop by Suzy DePardo’s desk in the Dean’s office. We greatly appreciate your support.

Please contact Associate Dean Scott Reinardy at reinardy@ku.edu, Assistant Dean Frances Lyons at flyons@ku.edu or email jschool@ku.edu for additional assistance.

KU Animators will be hosting its first meeting on Tuesday, November 28, from 4 ⁠p.m. to 5 p.m., at Summerfield Hall in room 401.

The meeting will introduce the mission of the club, discuss animation projects as members, and develop a plan and set the schedule for future meetings next semester. If you are interested in animation in any or all of its forms, join us for our first meeting Tuesday, November 28, to share your thoughts and learn more. Don't miss this chance to help develop KU Animators!

Questions? Email Alias Moser at moser.alias@ku.edu for additional information.

Apply for Learning Online Learning Innovator Scholarship: The online tutoring company Learner has new scholarship opportunities that are currently open for KU students. Applications are open through 2024 and range from $500 to $1,000 in amount. Both of these scholarships are recurring and will accept new applications immediately after the listed deadline. Information on eligibility and how to apply is available at the links below:  

Learner Online Learning Innovator Scholarship
Learner Mental health Empowerment Scholarship

Professor of the Practice Angie Hendershot was an invited panelist titled “Pros to Know” at the 2023 greater Kansas City PRSSA Student Summit along with PR pros from VML, Park University and HolcimUS. Students from Kansas and Missouri universities spent the day in workshops and seminars on public relations careers in Kansas City.

Angie Hendershot (left) poses with PR pros. | Photo courtesy of Angie Hendershot.

Professor Yvonnes Chen is one of the three panelists in the NoFilter - Imposter Phenomenon on November 16. NoFilter is a graduate panel series supported by the office of graduate studies. It seeks to normalize conversations that academic and professional experiences that academics rarely talk about. In this panel, Professor Chen, Dr. Sarah Kirk and Dr. Nicole Reiz discussed systems and environmental conditions that promote imposter phenomenon and how imposter phenomenon often masks racism and bias. They also discussed how to change the conditions and cultures that promote imposter phenomenon.

Graduate student Ayman Alhammad and Assistant Professor Chris Etheridge presented a study on ethnic identity and message credibility at the National Communication Association's annual convention in National Harbor, Maryland on Friday. In the talk, they highlighted how perceptions of credibility in pro-vaccination health influence messages didn't appear to be impacted by source ethnicity, which challenges some previous scholarship on health message sourcing strategies.

Former KU Assistant Professor, now at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Ever Figueroa, Assistant Professor Chris Etheridge, and graduate student Fernanda Silva presented a study on team-level communication strategies regarding social justice at American sports teams at the National Communication Association's annual convention in National Harbor, Maryland on Saturday. In the talk, they shared that sports communication practitioners rely on corporate social responsibility efforts to signal the team's social justice priorities and work to differentiate team initiatives from player causes and concerns.

Assistant Professor Margarita Orozco was the keynote speaker at the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies’ Merienda Series: A Difficult Transition: Colombian peace Process and Ex-Combatants. 

Professor Yvonnes Chen's "Yes We Can!" campaign is one of the three winners of the 2023 American Public Health Association's Public Health Education and Health Promotion (PHEHP) Materials Contest. This integrated campaign, part of her collaborated CDC-funded project, educates under-resourced populations about the type of assistance community health workers can offer while encouraging community members to scan the QR code to access the referral form on the project website.

Associate Professor Hong Vu was invited to give a public talk on increasing digital literacy in refugee communities at the Ulrich Museum of Arts, Wichita State University, on November 7.

Professor Yvonnes Chen presented, along with her community collaborators and KU Medical Center colleagues, on fostering health equity journalism in Harvey County at the APHA conference.

Professor Yvonnes Chen (right) is pictured with PHEHP chair Dr. Karen Mancera Cuevas at the award ceremony. | Photo courtesy of Yvonnes Chen. 

Job opportunities

Internship and student jobs

Jackson Kurtz appeared on a recent episode of Cheers to Careers. Kurtz is the weekend evening anchor and reporter for KMBC. Watch the full podcast. 

Drop in schedule for finals projects:

JMC300
1-3 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 30 
9-11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 7
1-3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11

JMC304
2-4 pm Monday, Dec. 4
9-11 am Monday, Dec. 11

JMC104
8:45-10:45 am Tuesday, Dec. 5
1-3 pm Thursday, Dec. 7
2-4 pm Tuesday, Dec. 12

Alumni job updates

Arthur C. Newby died Nov. 6 at age 25. Read his obituary.

Calendar

William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications
journalism.ku.edu

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).

The University of Kansas is a public institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.