Members of the University Daily Kansan staff and UDK Director of Strategy Nick Jungman display the All-Kansas Online & Digital Media plaque for four-year public universities in the state and the Big J Journalism Award. | Contributed Photo

The University Daily Kansan has been named All-Kansas, best in the state, for Online & Digital in the four-year public university category. The UDK received 10 first-place finishes, 12 second-place finishes, five third-place finishes and eight honorable mentions. The UDK was honored with the Big J Journalism Award for its fight for funding from Student Senate, resurfacing as a serious contender in Kansas Collegiate Media competition and for innovating the printed newsletter that debuted earlier this month. UDK Editor Emily Harter was second and reporter Marissa Buffon was third in the Journalist of the Year category. Here is a list of the UDK placers:

JMC alum Laura Okmin hosted a GALVANIZE program last week at Stauffer-Flint Hall for female students interested in sports journalism. | Photo by Laura Okmin

Eighteen JMC students participated in a GALVANIZE program, led by JMC alum Laura Okmin (above), at the Clarkson Gallery on April 14 at the Clarkson Gallery. Okmin, a sports journalist for more than 30 years, is the third longest tenured sideline reporter in the NFL and has covered 20 Super Bowls. The program is designed to train and mentor young women entering a career in sports journalism plus provide networking opportunities.

Ellen Kuwana, a KU grad, freelance science writer and editor and copy editor for the Journal of Environmental Health, visited KU on April 9 and spoke to Gerri Berendzen’s JMC 419 Multimedia Editing class. Kuwana discussed AI editing tools, the ethical use of AI in the profession and the scientific impact of generative AI. Students said they were especially interested in her comments about how generative AI intersects with copyright issues and the idea of “deskilling” and AI when it comes to critical thinking.

Karen Lane Christilles will join the JMC team on April 27 as an administrative associate. She previously was the executive assistant to the KU Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Chair. 

The Eudora Times won 30 awards – with 15 of them first place – in the Kansas Press Association contest for its work in reporting, photography and special projects. While most awards are a competition against papers of similar size, Annalynn Phanthadeth won third place in the statewide contest for photographer of the year.

KU PRSSA members connected with public relations professionals on April 15 during tours of Visit KC, KU Medical Center and FleishmanHillard. | Photo by Gabe Carter

Members of the KU Public Relations Student Society of America (above) visited the KU Medical Center, Visit KC and FleishmanHillard to network with public relations professionals and learn more about opportunities in the PR industry.

Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star visited Al Wallace's JMC 626 Multimedia Sports Reporting/Advanced Media class on April 7. He helped the class understand the significance of the World Cup coming to the KC and Lawrence area, and specifically, the impact that the team from Algeria will have when it uses Lawrence as a base camp.

Everyone is welcome to join the JMC 201 class, Journalism in the Movies, for its final movie of the year, “All the President’s Men,” at 6:30 p.m., Monday, May 4, in Stauffer-Flint 100. 

The finalists for JMC dean's position completed their on-campus presentations and sessions with faculty, staff and students last week. The deadline to complete the feedback forms is 5 p.m., Tuesday, April 21.

Professor of the Practice Angie Hendershot was recently elected as 2026-2027 incoming faculty co-chair of KU’s First Generation Faculty Staff Council, which seeks to create broader visibility, understanding, and support for first-generation faculty, staff, and graduate students at the University of Kansas. This year, current staff co-chair and JMC alum Ashleigh Lee helped lead the group of more than 50 members with programming focused on members’ professional development, access, mentorship, and well-being.

Graduate students and faculty from KU and KUMC attended on April 15-16 the first installment of the "Ideas in Action" workshop series, organized by the School and coordinated by Professor Mugur Geana, Interim Dean for Research and Faculty Development. The topic for this year was "The Empathy Loop: Adapting Human-Centered Design for Complex Cultural, Social, and Professional Landscapes." The attendees benefited from lectures from researchers and practitioners from the KU School of Architecture and Design, the KU School of Nursing, Reichman University (Israel), and Matchboxology (South Africa). The client for the immersive hands-on exercise on day two of the workshop was OVO Chile, a nonprofit agency that addresses obstetric violence in Latin America. The participants had the opportunity to interview online the director of OVO, Chilean physicians and midwives, the Head National Office of Women's Health from the Chilean Ministry of Health, as well as a mother who has experienced obstetric violence. The event encouraged participants to reflect and apply empathy-driven, human-centered approaches to navigating complexity across diverse contexts. It was also an opportunity for our doctoral students and faculty to meet and establish connections with other scholars at KU and abroad.

Graduate students and faculty from KU and KUMC recently attended the first installment of the "Ideas in Action" workshop. | Photo by Mugur Geana

Eight JMC students representing all four of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications' concentrations have an opportunity to participate in an immersive academic and professional experience while covering the September 19 KU football game against Arizona State in London.  The cost of travel, lodging, and meals in London is approximately $3,000 per student. In addition to airfare and housing, there are also expenses related to obtaining passports and ensuring that the faculty members leading the program are able to participate. To learn more about the opportunity and support the initiative.

Marisa Porto, center, Knight chair at the University of North Carolina, leads a panel of exiled journalists with professor of the practice Stephen Wolgast, right, and Jose Nieves from Cuba on the left.  Photo by Damon Kiesow

Stephen Wolgast, Knight Chair for Audience and Community Engagement in News, spoke at two sessions at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy, on April 16. With Lucia Mesquita, Lusofono University in Portugal, he unveiled a project to create a global database of lawsuits around the world that intend to harass journalists. At the other panel, he joined exiled journalists from Afghanistan, India, and Cuba to explain government encroachment on press freedoms. 

Professor Teri Finneman was on a first ladies panel at the Organization of American Historians conference in Philadelphia. Her co-edited first ladies book was featured at the Cambridge University Press booth. Finneman and junior Elena Akerberg recently finished a museum exhibit about the North Dakota press that will be on display on the second floor of the School starting this week. The exhibit will then move over to Snow Hall (Museum Studies) for the summer before going to North Dakota. This is the first of two exhibits they made together this semester.

Doctoral students Samuel Muzhingi and Hanbo Liu (left) presented their research at the Institute for Policy & Social Research Doctoral Research Fellows Reception on Friday. Muzhingi's project was “Do AI Guidelines Matter? Journalism Students’ Self-Efficacy following AI-Literacy Module” and Liu's was “From Problem to Presence: A Comparative Analysis of ADHD Frames on TikTok.”

Jobs

Internships and student jobs

• Emily Baldwin is associate producer at IMG.
• Makenzie Cain is associate manager, PR and influencer marketing at Natura Bisse.
• Tyler DiDomenico is partnership solutions coordinator at Learfield and Jayhawk Sports Properties.

The University Career Center is hosting a Just In Time Job Fair from 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 at the Kansas Union.  The fair is open to all students – freshmen through graduate level. Forty-plus employers are registered for the event. For more information. 

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.

Don't forget to get a head start on that portfolio with help from our JBar Associates. They are available 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon Friday.

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!

Off campus and need help from the JBar? Find us virtually on Teams! This is also a great way to get help outside of our normal hours.

On Thursday, April 23, the JBar will be relocated to the main lobby. 

Make sure you are following @jschooltech on Instagram. JSchoolTech is offering quick tips to help students build portfolios all week.

Scott Reinardy
Interim Dean

Mugur Geana
Interim Associate Dean
Research & Faculty Development

Lisa McLendon
Interim Associate Dean
Student Success

Calendar

• May 6: Donuts with the Dean, 9-10 a.m., Stauffer-Flint lobby
• May 8: Faculty and staff meeting, lunch and awards, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Clarkson Gallery
• 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

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 person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU and KUMC 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. Reports can be submitted by contacting the Title IX Coordinator as provided herein or online and complaints can be submitted with the Title IX Coordinator or online.

© The University of Kansas. 2025.