Judith Rosenbaum-Andre, associate dean for faculty affairs and administration in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Maine, will begin her new position as JMC dean on July 19.

Judith Rosenbaum-Andre, associate dean for faculty affairs and administration in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Maine, has been named the next dean of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Also, the chair of the Department of Communication and Journalism and a professor of media studies at Maine, Rosenbaum-Andre will begin her new position on July 19 when she assumes responsibilities from interim dean Scott Reinardy, the Malcolm Applegate Professor in News Management and Editing. Reinardy will return to the faculty.

JMC students participated in the Center for Strategic & International Studies Journalism in Washington, D.C. Patricia Gaston, Lacy C Haynes Professor of Journalism and Professor of the Practice, was the faculty adviser.

JMC students from the University of Kansas joined earlier this semester other KU students at the Center for Strategic & International Studies Journalism Bootcamp in Washington, D.C. From video and audio production to data visualization and the nuances of reporting on global issues, each session was designed to expand the students’ understanding of the media ecosystem, while giving them a chance to apply new skills that bring important stories to life. Within a broader focus on feminist foreign policy, they chose to report on female heads of state and analyzed their impact on gender-based violence in the countries they govern, with a focus on Italy and Mexico. In reporting on this story, the students learned from experts in feminist foreign policy, Mexican and Italian politics, election optics, and legal and societal frameworks constructed to protect women from various forms of violence.  The 10 KU students involved in the boot camp were Elliot Akerstrom, Brynn Bertie, Baya Burgess, Robert Eppler, Charlotte James, Isabella Johnson, AJ Moser, Nicolas Cash Navarro, Matt Wormington and Zaynab Zlitni. Patricia Gaston, Lacy C. Haynes Professor of Journalism and Professor of the Practice, was the faculty adviser.

Interim JMC Dean Scott Reinardy presented faculty and staff honors to Alex Treaster (upper left), Judy Watts (upper right), Vaibhav Diwangi (lower left) and Himee Kamatuka (lower right) at the annual year-end meeting Friday. | Photos by Steve Rottinghaus

Congratulations to the four members of the JMC faculty and staff honored at year-end faculty and staff meeting on Friday in the Clarkson Gallery. The award winners were the following:
Anne and Jack Bowling Family Excellence in Teaching Award: Alex Treaster, assistant professor of practice
John Katich Creativity Award: Judy Watts, assistant professor
Kathleen Dole-Airoldi Research Achievement Award: Vaibhav Diwangi, assistant professor
Outstanding Staff Award: Himee Kamatuka, senior recruitment coordinator

A DMC Advisory Council, featuring industry professionals, held its first meeting on May 6. | Photo by Matt Tidwell

The new DMC Advisory Council made up of industry professionals and faculty members had its first meeting on May 6 with a reception to meet the full faculty afterward at the KU Welcome Center.  This group will meet three times per year to help the concentration understand workforce needs, discuss curriculum adjustments, develop new experiential learning opportunities, etc. Members include: Jen Nigro, Signal Theory; Amy Lafferty, Heart to Heart International; Nick Segura, Segura Marketing and Media Solutions; Cozetta Smith, Barkley OKRP; Brooke Estell, SmartMagic; Lindsay Santee, Populous; Rob Litt, Republic Services; Andy Hyland, Johnson County Government; and faculty ex-officio members: Matt Tidwell, Vaibhav Diwanji, Alex Treaster and Angie Hendershot.

Associate Professor Carol Holstead has been elected to the Hall Center for the Humanities Friends Council for a three-year term. The council helps promote Hall Center activities and membership. 

Students in Alex Treaster's JMC 615/715 Social Media & Emerging Technologies course presented social media content recommendations to JMC alum Nate Bukaty. He and fellow JMC alum Rustin Dodd collaborated on the upcoming book, “Perfect Pitch: How Kansas City Became the Heart of American Soccer and Landed the World Cup.” 

Students in Assistant Professor of the Practice Alex Treaster’s JMC 615/715 Social Media & Emerging Technologies course presented social media content recommendations last Tuesday to JMC alum Nate Bukaty, author of the upcoming book, “Perfect Pitch: How Kansas City Became the Heart of American Soccer and Landed the World Cup.” Bukaty and his co-author, fellow JMC School alum Rustin Dodd, collaborated with the class ahead of the book’s launch on May 26.

Students in Assistant Professor of the Practice Alex Treaster’s JMC 645 Media Arts & Production Capstone class will deliver a final presentation to their client, the KU Finance Shared Service Center, at 9 a.m., Tuesday, May 12, in the Dole Human Development Center, room 2000. The students’ multimedia project includes brand identity development, marketing content, and tutorial videos.

The 2026 graduating class of the JMC master’s degree program in digital and integrated marketing communications presented a research-based strategic marketing communications plan to their client Spirit Plate, a streaming docu-series about Native American food and culture available on PBS Food and YouTube.  The 28 working professional graduate students in Professor of the Practice Angie Hendershot’s course shared a robust vision for Increasing Indigenous Food Sovereignty: Awareness and Community Connective through Digital Media. Spirit Plate executive producers Charlie Perry and celebrity chef Pyet DeSpain joined the online presentation from Los Angeles where they hope to implement many of the students’ ideas as they launch into season two of the show’s filming this summer. 

Twenty-eight working professional graduate students in Professor of the Practice Angie Hendershot's course recently presented a strategic marketing communications plan to their client, Spirit Plate.

Associate professor Alyssa Appelman presented “Jewish journalists’ job satisfaction, burnout, and relationships with readers” at the Dorothy Stein Ernest Colloquium in Jewish Studies at KU. Appelman has been working as an affiliate faculty member of KU's Jewish Studies program this semester as part of the Keeler Family Intra-Family University Fellowship program. Also, Appelman co-authored "Beyond the full game: Development and validation of the sport highlight viewing scale” in International Journal of Sport Communication. Lead author Suyeon Jung is a doctoral student in KU's sport management program, and she began this project in Appelman's JMC 802 Media Communication Methods course.

Along with her COPE project collaborators, Professor Yvonnes Chen published a mixed-method evaluation in Public Health in Practice that examined mobilizing community assets to address health equity in 20 Kansas counties. This study identified 12 priority areas, documented 2,435 community assets, and implemented 1,520 activities to serve 224,325 Kansans in a three-year period. The COPE project was funded by the CDC's national initiative to address COVID-19 health disparities among populations at high-risk and underserved, including racial and ethnic minority population and rural communities. 

Professor Teri Finneman was awarded this year’s $15,000 Hall Center for the Humanities Scholars on Site grant for her reviving rural news work. Finneman, with assistance from graduate student Ethan Andaloro, will work with 14 Kansas newspapers in the coming year. Also, Finneman's work on Mamie Eisenhower's portrayal in the Eisenhower museum was accepted for presentation at the Oral History Association's conference in October in Portland.

Students from Assistant Professor Judy Watts' JMC 640 Campaigns course (above) presented their campaign plans to their client on May 5 and 7. Over the spring semester, students worked with the National Association for Media Literacy Education to develop campaigns promoting media literacy week. 

In addition to looking into activities that abridge the freedom of the press, Stephen Wolgast, Knight Chair for Audience & Community Engagement for News, researches the history of academic dress and the traditions around wearing cap and gown. On May 5, Wolgast was featured by Columbia University for the article he wrote about how Columbia’s academic dress came to be, starting with its colonial roots as King’s College. Wolgast earned his master's in journalism from Columbia. Part of his research showed that the person who suggested that the U.S. standardize its caps, gowns and hoods held an honorary degree from KU. That was John J. McCook, who had donated $2,500 to build KU’s first football stadium. He is remembered today by McCook Street, on the northeast side of Memorial Stadium. At left is a photo of Wolgast in his cap and gown from Columbia. He will wear at the school's recognition ceremony on Saturday.

• JMC alum Lauren Davidson is senior strategic ISV account executive  at Twillo
• JMC alum Mark Mears recently released his second book, “LOVE@WORK: Creating Communities of Purpose and Belonging for Revolutionary Growth in a New World of Work”
• JMC alum Jose Montoya is business development manager at Sun County Golf House in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Jobs

Internships and student jobs

Cheers to Careers podcast: Stephanie Morales Macedo, (above), chief executive at Project X Entertainment in Hollywood, was a recent Cheers to Careers guest. 

Cheers to Careers with Stephanie Morales Macedo

JBar Associates are available Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m.-noon.

These are your guaranteed time to get help from the JBar Associates:

JMC 300 / Infographics

Tuesday, May 12 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (Final)

Portfolios - any class

Tuesday, May 12 9-11 a.m.

Wednesday, May 13 1-4 p.m.

Thursday, May 14 Portfolio 9 a.m.-noon

Friday, May 15 Portfolio 9 a.m.-noon

There is still time to get your portfolio entered! 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 - the deadline is May 15. 

Scott Reinardy
Interim Dean

Mugur Geana
Interim Associate Dean
Research & Faculty Development

Lisa McLendon
Interim Associate Dean
Student Success

Calendar

• May 16: JMC School Recognition Ceremony, 8:30 a.m., Lied Center
• May 17: KU Commencement, 10:30 a.m., David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium

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

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