Professor of the Practice Angie Hendershot and PhD student Beth Taylor were awarded a regional research grant from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) to expand their research on social media financial influencers. Hendershot and Taylor will be conducting a study examining responses to first-generation finfluencer content. The grant committee commended the study’s potential to expand knowledge regarding the impact of first-generation social media influencers on individuals from different cultural backgrounds. 

Are you enrolled in JMC 101? Then you should check out the JMC 101 Bring Your Own Buddy Exam #1 study session happening tonight! Invite a JMC 101 classmate to join you for exam preparation from 6-9 p.m. in the Clarkson Gallery, first floor Stauffer-Flint Hall. 

Join alumni and faculty at our annual Getting Ready for the Career Fair workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 1, from 5-7 p.m. in the Clarkson Gallery. Get tips on networking, scoring the interview, how to deal with impostor syndrome and more. Appetizers and mocktails provided! Please register here. Contact Himee Kamatuka (hkamatuka@ku.edu) with any questions.

Student Support Resources

Wingspan: Center for Learning and Writing Support is home to tutoring, peer academic coaching and a library of academic success guides. Free, in-person and virtual tutoring is available for over 60 KU courses. Individual, group and drop-in formats are offered based on the class and demand. 

The Student Access Center’s (SAC) mission is to “assist students with disabilities by facilitating accommodations that remove barriers to their academic success.” Students must register with the SAC and submit documentation to get started. Visit their office in Strong Hall room 22 or go online to learn about the accommodation process. 

The Spring 2026 schedule of classes will be available on Thursday, Sept. 25, at classes.ku.edu. If you haven’t already, schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to discuss your goals, enrollment questions and degree plan. You can schedule online with your assigned advisor through Jayhawk GPS. 

KC Current Vice president of Communications Dani Welniak speaks to a JMC class last Thursday. | Photo by Evan Riggs

Kansas City Current Vice President of Communications Dani Welniak visited Assistant Professor Steve Bien-Aimé's JMC 330 class (Sports Media in the 21st Century) last Thursday. Welniak discussed her journey from working in television to landing with the KC Current, the team's branding and rebrand and the power of storytelling in creating a fanbase. 

The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWM Foundation) Scholarship Program has a new scholarship opportunity, The AWM Foundation & NCTA – The Internet and Television Association Scholarship. The chosen student will receive a scholarship to their educational institution for $10,000 and a ticket to attend the Gracies Leadership Awards in New York City on Nov. 18. The deadline to apply is Sept. 26. Check out more details and apply here. 

Gary Dixon, the president of PassItOn.com chatted online with junior Tyler Brewer this week, via Zoom. PassItOn.com is part of The Foundation for a Better Life, which creates public service campaigns to communicate the values that make a difference in our communities. These uplifting messages, utilizing television, movie theaters, billboards, radio and the internet, model the benefits of a life lived by positive values. 

Gary Dixon

Dixon discussed the history and the process of creating the 30- and 60-second PSA's that can be seen within Media Crossroads and KUJH TV programming, including the famous spot where a young boy is trying to become the greatest hitter in the world, only to discover he is actually the "Greatest Pitcher in the World." 

Join the Movetober challenge this October from Employee Wellness. This month-long challenge encourages KU employees to move, connect, and learn. Weekly prize drawings are available. Learn more here.

Michelle Keller presented at Red Rocks in Emporia, Kansas, last week. | Photo courtesy of Keller. 

Director of Professional Graduate Studies Michelle Keller traveled to Emporia, Kansas, on Sept. 14 to give a presentation at Red Rocks, the home of William Allen White. Titled “Free Speech Still Matters,” the lecture was centered around the idea put forth in White’s Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial, “To An Anxious Friend,” that free speech is not to be curtailed in times of civil unrest. Coincidentally, the Kansas Reflector re-published “To An Anxious Friend” on Sept. 14. Professor Patricia Gaston also attended.

Professor Teri Finneman's North Dakota journalists oral history work has received national news attention this week after the death of Marilyn Hagerty of the Grand Forks Herald. Hagerty went viral several years ago for an earnest column she wrote reviewing the local Olive Garden. Watch some of her oral history here, where she tells Finneman about sexism she faced as a woman journalist in the 1940s and how she feels about her legacy forever being tied to Olive Garden. Read Hagerty's AP obituary here. 

Professor of the Practice Matt Tidwell was the featured speaker at the Aug. 26 KU Self Graduate Fellowship policy luncheon.  His topic was crisis communications as it relates to organizational policies.

Assistant Professor Melissa Greene-Blye has been elected to the board of the American Journalism Historians Association and will serve a three-year term. 

Bremner Editing Center coordinator Gerri Berendzen presented a session called “Information Quest: Researching Efficiently and Credibly” during the ACES: The Society for Editing fall virtual conference on Sept. 19. The session, geared toward fact-checkers, editors and writers, looked at ways to improve research tactics and sifting out misinformation.

On Monday, Sept. 29, Ellen Jovin of “Grammar Table” fame will set up the Grammar Table right outside of Stauffer-Flint Hall from 9:30-11 a.m. Stop by and ask a question or just chat about all things grammar!

Jovin is in town for a screening of her movie, “Rebel with a Clause,” which will be shown Sunday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m. at Liberty Hall. Admission is free. Her visit is sponsored by the Lawrence Public Library and the Bremner Editing Center.

JMC students invited to AVL Rep Expo: Expect to connect with top manufacturers, industry experts and professionals in the audio, video and lighting industry on Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Overland Park Sheraton, 6100 College Blvd. This event is a prime opportunity to network with top-tier reps in the AV industry. Bring your resume and enjoy a panel of industry experts, training sessions, a career fair and more. RSVP and enjoy a complimentary lunch, door prizes, hourly drawings and a TV grand prize. RSVP in advance here.

Elyce Arons, co-founder of the Kate Spade and Frances Valentine brands, will make her first return to the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence in more than four decades for a fireside chat for students and the broader KU community. The fireside chat will be moderated by entrepreneurship expert Elizabeth Embry, assistant professor in the KU School of Business. The event begins at 2 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Burge Union and will be followed by a book signing. There is an online RSVP for those interested in attending. Arons and Kate Spade both attended the JMC School for two years before transferring to Arizona State to finish their degrees.

Doris Truong, a journalism inclusion expert, will present a program called “Centering a range of perspectives” from noon-1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, in the Clarkson Gallery. She will cover ways to ensure that your journalism and mass communication work captures life experiences that reflect your multidimensional audience. The presentation will include small breakout sessions and examples of how to include all parts of your audience. Truong led teaching and diversity strategies for the Poynter Institute and has two decades of daily news experience at The Washington Post and The Dallas Morning News. She served as national president of the Asian American Journalists Association and as a board member on the Fund for Investigative Journalism. During her visit to Lawrence, she will also speak to a JMC editing class.

Doris Truong

Internship and student jobs

Job opportunities

Lindsay Hutter was named as a 40 Over 40 Award recipient by the Alexandria, Virginia Chamber of Commerce. The award “highlights accomplished individuals who have made extraordinary contributions across industries and throughout the Alexandria community.” Hutter is the Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer of Goodwin Living. Read the full news release.

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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