Gerri Berendzen, lecturer and coordinator of the Bremner Editing Center, has been awarded the Budig Teaching Professorship of Writing for academic year 2026. The professorship, established by former KU Chancellor Gene Budig and his wife, Gretchen, is awarded to a School of Journalism and Mass Communications faculty member who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in the teaching of writing. As part of the professorship, Berendzen will present a lecture in the fall semester titled “When Writing and Editing Meet: The Growing Value of Revision.” The lecture will look at how revision boosts professionalism and credibility and why revision is particularly important in the age of artificial intelligence. The day and time of the lecture will be announced at a later date.

Former KU basketball player and current student Mario Chalmers (center) is pictured with Brian Hanni's class earlier this month. | Photo courtesy of Brian Hanni. 

Former Kansas basketball player Mario Chalmers visited lecturer Brian Hanni’s JMC 500 (Sports Play-By-Play) class earlier this month as part of a CBS Sports feature as he wraps up his undergraduate degree. Watch the full feature here. 

Are you interested in traveling to London for KU Football’s game next fall? Applications are now being accepted for scholarships for students’ travel to London for the KU vs. Arizona State football game. Undergraduate students who will be enrolled as full-time students (12-credit hours) in Fall 2026 are eligible. The travel dates will likely be from Sept. 12 to Sept. 20 (although those dates may slightly change), and recipients agree to conduct work under the direction of JMC staff/faculty. As part of an eight-week, three-credit class, JMC 500 students will receive the opportunity to produce content for professional media organizations and meet and learn from communications professionals in London. Full details and how to apply. Contact Dr. Steve Bien-Aimé, interim Sports Media & Society chair, bienaime@ku.edu, with questions.

JMC School students covering March Madness: Students working for the University Daily Kansan, KUJH News and Playmakers KU traveled to San Diego to cover a pair of KU basketball NCAA tournament games.

KU receives 13 honors at KAB Student Awards: KU JMC School students received 12 awards in the college visual category, including three first places, and one award in college audio at the 2026 Kansas Association of Broadcasters Student Awards competition. View the full list of placers here.

Save the Date: JMC Dean Finalist Public Presentations: Please join us at the upcoming JMC School Dean candidate public presentations. More updates, including livestream details, will be available on the on the dean search page and in KU Today over the next few weeks.

Candidate 1: 2-3 p.m. March 30, Watson 3 West
Candidate 2: 2-3 p.m. April 6, Watson 3 West
Candidate 3: 2-3 p.m. April 13, Watson 3 West
Candidate 4: 2:15-3:15 p.m. April 16, Capitol Federal Hall 1020

Faculty and graduate students affiliated with the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas are conducting research to better understand how Generative AI tools are being used in workplaces like yours. If you are older than 18, work in a communication job, and would be willing to be interviewed over Zoom or Teams about this topic, please fill out this brief questionnaire. Interviews should take about 60 minutes. More information about this study can be found by contacting Assistant Professor Chris Etheridge at cetheridge@ku.edu. The researchers do not anticipate any risks to you by participating in this study.

Brenna Daldorph, a 2010 KU graduate in journalism and French studies, Zoomed into Professor Stephen Wolgast’s 551 Advanced Multimedia Reporting class from her home in Glasgow, Scotland, on March 11. A freelance narrative series producer, documentary maker and investigative journalist, Daldorph explained how Story Corps was an early inspiration for her career and showed a segment she reported for Channel 4 in the UK, about immigrant children in England. She previously lived and reported in London, Paris and the Central African Republic.

Capstone class researching how academia uses archives: A JMC capstone class is researching how academia uses the Kansas Historical Society archives. The survey is available here. For more information, contact Kaylan Martin at kaylanmartin@ku.edu.

Elizabeth Cox, Michael Douglas and Ashleigh Lee. | Photo courtesy of Cox. 

Assistant Professor Elizabeth Cox presented a piece of her dissertation looking at how Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) partnerships can potentially develop and foster fan-team relationships in Dublin, Ireland at the Summit on Communication and Sport earlier this month. She also presented alongside her co-author, Nicole Butterbaugh, about their developing theoretical framework considering NIL’s media influence on college football. Doctoral students Ashleigh Lee and Michael Douglas both presented as well. Lee, who is also the communications coordinator in the KU School of Business, presented on fan identity and emotional engagement of soccer fans online. Douglas presented on how the AP Stylebook reacts to the growth of women’s sports on behalf of a research team that includes Assistant Professor Steve Bien-Aimé, Professor of the Practice Patricia Gaston, Ryleigh Gilmore and doctoral students Beth Randolph Taylor and Hanbo Liu.

Lecturer Eric Thomas discussed creating engaging learning environments in an age of digital distraction at a Spring 2026 Lunch & Conversation series session put on by The Center for Teaching Excellence. Read more here.

Professor of the Practice Angie Hendershot led a general session at the NASPA national conference in Kansas City earlier this month. She presented her research on first-generation college graduates to this national association of student affairs professionals to develop new practical applications of the findings. The group discussed ways to extend the work of college campus staff to support recent college graduates navigating personal finance and career decision-making.

A study by Assistant Professor Judy Watts found that people with strong connections to a character or story were more likely to spot Easter eggs, and when they did, it not only heightened their enjoyment, but they were more likely to engage in fan behavior, such as posting about the experience online or rewatching. Read more.

Associate Professor Alyssa Appelman will present at this week's Red Hot Research-Keeler Fellows panel, hosted by The Commons. The event takes place from 4-5:30 p.m. Friday, March 27 at the Watson Library, 3 West.

Professor Teri Finneman coordinated a first ladies symposium Saturday at the Harry Truman Presidential Museum. Finneman "graduates" in May with a master's certificate from KU's museum studies program. Finneman also spoke to the Senior Foundation of Eudora's March gathering about first ladies and America250.

Terri Finneman is pictured back, left. | Photo courtesy of Finneman. 

The first workshop from the "Ideas in Action" series, titled "The Empathy Loop: Adapting Human-Centered Design for Complex Cultural, Social, and Professional Landscapes," will take place on April 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Clarkson Gallery. Curated by Professor Mugur Geana, the workshop brings together local and international specialists in Human Centered Design (HCD). Participants will have the opportunity to learn about HCD as a tool for research and positive social and community development. Open to KU undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and faculty. For planning purposes, please confirm your participation here.

Join KU Wellness on Wednesday, April 8, in the Kansas Union Ballroom from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., for the KU Employee Wellness Fair — a drop-in event expected to bring together 400+ faculty and staff and 50+ wellness vendors and campus partners. Add it to your calendar. 

Internship and student jobs

Job opportunities

Cheers to Careers podcast: JMC alums Erin McDaniel, director of communications at the City of Newton, and Stephanie Campbell, CEO at the Beacon, were recent guests on Cheers to Careers.

The JMC School is launching a Student Portfolio site to highlight exceptional undergraduate work. This is an opportunity to showcase your work to employers and community partners, increase your professional visibility, and publicly document your growth and experience. Submit your portfolio here for the showcase.

Started your Tech Tools classes? Stop by the JBar to get help running Creative Cloud or get support as you work through your first assignments!

Scott Reinardy
Interim Dean

Mugur Geana
Interim Associate Dean
Research & Faculty Development

Lisa McLendon
Interim Associate Dean
Student Success

Calendar

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

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