JMC celebrates Class of 2026 during commencement ceremony at Lied Center
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Angie Hendershot, professor of the practice, celebrates during the doctoral hooding ceremony on Saturday at the Lied Center. | Photo by Steve Rottinghaus
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Congratulations to JMC doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degree candidates who were recognized at the graduate recognition ceremony and hooding on Saturday morning at the Lied Center. More commencement celebration photos
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The senior capstone class, led by Megan Denneny, recently delivered their final campaign presentations to their client, Yelp, in the Clarkson Gallery.
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Assistant Professor Megan Denneny's senior capstone delivered their final campaign presentations to their client, Yelp. The projects were the culmination of a semester’s worth of intensive work, moving from deep-dive research and strategic development into the execution of several impressive creative concepts. The Yelp team was on hand to see the final results, marking a strong finish for these graduating seniors as they transition from the classroom to the industry.
Congratulations to Steve Bien-Aime and Vaibhav Diwanji on being promoted to associate professors with tenure. Promotion and tenure are effective at the start of the fall semester.
The Bremner Editing Center is pleased to announce that the project “The impact of a copyediting course on novice editors’ reading behavior: An eye-tracking study” is the winner of the third annual Iles Award for Research in Editing. The $1,000 research award is made possible by a generous gift from a KU alumna to honor the legacy of KU editing professor John Bremner. The winning project was submitted by Brigham Young University Assistant Professor Holly Baker and Professor Mark Wolfersberger, who work with the editing and publishing program in the BYU Department of Linguistic. They will be using eye-tracking technology to provide evidence of effective classroom curricula that enhances novice copyeditors' aptitude in identifying copyediting errors in texts. Judges for the award said the study "should have practical applications for both educators and professionals." Entries are judged anonymously. This year’s judges were Alyssa Appelman of the KU William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Laura Johnston of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and Kirstie Hettinga of California Lutheran University. Both Appelman and Hettinga have previously been awarded Iles research funding.
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RESEARCH, PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS |
Assistant Professor Vaibhav Diwanji was among presenters at the KU Center for Teaching Excellence's 2026 Celebration of Teaching.
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Assistant Professor Tamar Wilner and Assistant Professor Vaibhav Diwanji were among the presenters at the KU Center for Teaching Excellence's 2026 Celebration of Teaching on May 8 in the Kansas Union Ballroom. Wilner presented the poster “Understanding Mass Communication Content Types via Reading Reflection” through the CTE’s Course Design Institute program, while Diwanji presented “Global Mindset, Local Impact: Internationalization in Strategic Message Development” through the CTE’s Course Internationalization Faculty Seminar program. The annual celebration highlights innovative teaching practices and faculty contributions to student learning across the University of Kansas.
Associate professor Genelle Belmas recently talked to the KSPA board about legal developments in Kansas affecting student journalism students and advisers. Two new state laws are of concern: HB 2299, banning all personal electronic devises in accredited K-12 schools, effective Sept. 1, 2026 (with limited exceptions), and an amendment to the budget bill, SB 315, that establishes complaint policies and penalties for student walkouts, including the need to obtain parental permission, the assessment of fines, and the designation of the walkout day(s) as non-instructional. Also, Belmas had two research projects accepted for the annual AEJMC conference in the Law & Policy Division. They’re titled “‘Facts of Originality’: Extending Copyright Protection to AI-Assisted Content” and “From Adam to Zackery: Shifting Approaches to Assessing Liability for Digital Harms to Minors.” She will present her work in New Orleans later this summer.
Professor Teri Finneman is moderating a Museum After Hours event at 6:30 p.m. June 12 at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka. This panel discussion explores what journalists today can still learn from William Allen White's success, as well as what's needed from the public to revive rural journalism. Knight Chair Steve Wolgast will be on the panel, along with JMC alum Lily O'Shea Becker of KSHB, JMC alum Clay Wirestone of the Kansas Reflector and Mará Rose Williams of the Kansas City Star. The event is open to the public.
First-year doctoral student Hailong Peng's study, “Thinking Deeply to Act Green: Examining Cognitive Elaboration and Environmental Risk Perception as Mediators of ChatGPT Use Intentions among University Students,” has been accepted for presentation by the Mass Communication & Society Division at the 2026 AEJMC Annual Conference in New Orleans. This study was submitted to the Moeller Student Paper Competition, which is for papers written for a class and required the faculty’s nomination. The paper was nominated by Assistant Professor Judy Watts.
Distinguished Professor Hyunjin Seo’s research paper, “Perceptions of Online Privacy among Justice-Involved Women,” has been accepted for publication in journal Convergence. The study uses a modified photovoice approach to examine how justice-involved women conceptualize and navigate online privacy issues. Also, Seo is serving as a co-designer and panelist for the “Centering Community Needs in Program Design” workshop at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s annual convening of grant awardees in Kansas City on May 20.
Assistant Professor Tamar Wilner will be a guest on KCUR 89.3 Up to Date at 9:38 a.m., Thursday, May 21, to discuss her research examining media literacy, how it is developed and how it intersects with individual’s susceptibility to misinformation.
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• JMC alum Clay Wirestone, opinion editor at Kansas Reflector, has released his book, “Opinionated: Kansas Journalists Who Proved Why Commentary Matters.” He will discuss his book from 7 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 29, at The Raven Book Store.
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Internships and student jobs
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Contact JMC School Leadership |
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Scott Reinardy
Interim Dean
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| Mugur Geana
Interim Associate Dean
Research & Faculty Development
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Lisa McLendon
Interim Associate Dean
Student Success
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| • Aug. 23: Academic Welcome, Stauffer-Flint Hall
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Upcoming Monday Memo Schedule
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