JMC School students pose for a photo with award-winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott at last week's gala. | Photo courtesy of Rebekka Schlichting. 

Assistant Professor of the Practice Rebekka Schlichting’s JMC 440 (Creative Producing and Directing) class filmed the Lawrence Juneteenth Organization’s Gala last Thursday. Students had the opportunity to interview award-winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott, who was a speaker at the event.

Senior award application now open: Each spring semester, the School of Journalism and Mass Communications distributes several student awards. For this application, students must be graduating in the 2026 calendar year with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications. If this applies to you:

Students: We want to hear from you and learn more about your experience in the SJMC. Complete this survey to help us build more programs and a supportive community for all our students. All responses are anonymous and will not be used beyond SJMC administration. Participation is voluntary. You can access the survey here. If you have any questions or concerns about this survey, please contact:
Impact Advisor Himée Kamatuka, Impact Advisor hkamatuka@ku.edu
Assistant Professor Sarah Cavanah, sarahcavanah@ku.edu. 

JMC students Isabel Zamarripa (left) and Abby Jones (right) pose for a photo at the photo booth of last week's Resource Center event. | Photo by JMC student Katelyn Lazenby. 

The Resource Center hosted its first social event, the Valentine’s Bowl, last Thursday. The event featured football/Valentine’s bingo, a photobooth, a Valentine’s card station, prizes, snacks and a cookie decorating station. All equipment used for the photo booth is available to check out from the Resource Center desk on the second floor of Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Resource Center will host another event next month, so stay tuned for more details.  

The Eudora Times marks its seventh birthday this coming week. The Eudora Times is an award-winning, student-produced online publication that has brought local news back to the nearby town of Eudora, Kansas, after losing its local newspaper. The news site was founded in 2019 by Associate Professor Teri Finneman.

Henry Greenstein, sports editor of the Lawrence Journal-World, visited JMC 692 (Sports on the Beat Capstone) earlier this month to discuss story pitches and career development.  

Eudora Times birthday cake. | Photo courtesy of Teri Finneman.

Students representing Good Morning Indian Country and Haskell’s Indian Leader traveled to the Investigative Reporters & Editors-Indigenous Journalists Association Indigenous Student Investigative Journalism Workshop in Oklahoma City, Feb. 12-13. Students were selected for participation in this workshop after a very competitive application process and received a stipend to offset expenses, allowing them to travel to receive training from top Indigenous and investigative journalists. 

Left to right: Emmitt Brazille, Tara Roanhorse, Trina Tsinnie, Melissa Greene-Blye, Alysah Carpenter, Shia Blackcloud. | Photo courtesy of Melissa Greene-Blye

Students welcome at KC Health Communicators event on Feb. 25: KC Health Communicators is holding its first education event of the year at 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25, at NKC Health, 2800 Clay Edwards Drive, North Kansas City, Missouri. It’s a great opportunity for KU students interested in healthcare communications to network. The topic is “Legislative Update Panel” with Jaron Caffrey, director of workforce and health care policy at the Kansas Hospital Association, and Jane Drummond, general counsel at the Missouri Hospital Association. Student membership is $10 and can be paid online. For more information, contact Autumn Bishop at autumn.bishop@lmh.org.

Apply for student sportswriting award: The Center for Sports Communication & Media at UT-Austin sponsors the award, which includes a cash prize. A student division has been added to the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting competition. The new student medal will honor a single piece, reported and written by a college student or students (co-authored), that reflects the literary sophistication and journalistic integrity befitting the Jenkins name. Entries may include profiles, event coverage or feature journalism. Entries must have been published in student or professional media in the 2025 calendar year. Qualified entrants include both current students and 2025 graduates. There is no fee to enter. The deadline for submission is March 16. More information on how to apply here.

Assistant Professor Margarita Orozco is a co-author of a research project among educators, students, journalists and communities in six states that has found that pairing student journalists with communities through structured conversation can help to rebuild trust while also teaching future reporters how to listen to and investigate on the needs of people who are often overlooked. Read the full news release.

Professor of the Practice Lisa McLendon again served as the pronouncer for the Douglas County Spelling Bee, the first step for local students on the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. 

Margarita Orozco

Professor Teri Finneman's article, "Making Mamie: How a Presidential Library Reinvented a First Lady’s Collective Memory," has been accepted for the inaugural issue of the Journal of First Ladies Studies.

Cheers to Careers podcast: JMC alum Chelan David, business solutions partner at Johnson County Community College and author of “Stories from the Phog,” was a recent guest on Cheers to Careers

Internship and student jobs

Job opportunities

Elevating Your Portfolio for Your Dream Career: Join us for a portfolio workshop on Thursday, Feb 26, from 1-2 p.m. at the Clarkson Gallery. This workshop is designed for students who are building or refining their portfolio, with a focus on strategy, clarity, and presentation—not software.

This session will immediately follow the How to Get the Most Out of the Career Fair Experience workshop from noon to 1 p.m. 

From Idea to Identity — Logo & Brand Kit Basics (sessions online and in person): Ready to turn an idea into a real brand? In this workshop, you’ll learn how designers create logos and brand systems that feel intentional, polished, and professional – not random or one-off. Using Illustrator and InDesign, you’ll dive into vector drawing fundamentals, including Shape Builder and Bezier curves, to design a flexible logo that works everywhere. You’ll also learn how color and typography systems come together to create a consistent brand look across platforms. Sign up for all events.

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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