Congratulations to Alexis Greenberg on being named a 2024-2025 Self Memorial Scholar. She is one of 22 KU students to receive the merit-based scholarship that is awarded to outstanding seniors who will be transitioning into their first year of a master's or doctoral degree program at KU in the fall 2024 semester.

Greenberg was recently inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha, the national honor society for students majoring in journalism and mass communications. She will pursue a master's degree in project management.

Lacy C. Haynes Professor Patricia (Weems) Gaston served as a 2024 Pulitzer Prize juror. The Pulitzer Prize is regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievement, and musical composition.

Gaston was part of the International Reporting Jury that met at Columbia University in late February. The winners and nominated finalists were announced on May 6.

"This was a full-circle moment for me, given that I co-edited a winning project in the early 1990s," said Gaston. "The jury process is not for the faint of heart, but it is awe-inspiring to read thoughtful, well-written pieces given continued down-turns in our industry."

Gaston was co-editor of the Dallas Morning News' 1994 Pulitzer Prize-winning series that looked at the universality of violence against women.  

Three faculty members receive promotions: Congratulations to Mugur Geana, Angie Hendershot and Lisa McLendon on their approved promotions by Chancellor Douglas A. Girod. Geana is promoted to full professor, Hendershot to full professor of the practice and McLendon to full professor of the practice.

JMC School re-accredited: The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) unanimously approved the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications for re-accreditation during the Council meeting Friday, May 3. The School is an originating member of ACEJMC accreditation, and has continuously been accredited since 1948. Reviews are conducted every six years.

Seniors: Share your Graduation photos with us on Instagram by tagging @kujschool to be featured on our story. Be sure to stay up to date on graduation information by checking our website frequently. Pre-register for your photos here, and then you will be notified once your proofs are ready. You can also view the proofs of your photos here by locating the journalism event and typing your name. 

The Bremner Editing Center is pleased to announce that the project “Exploring the Potential for AI Editorial Assistance in Student Newsrooms” is the winner of the inaugural Iles Award for Research in Editing. This award of $1,000 is intended to support research pertaining to the teaching or practice of editing written language. The winning project, by Kirstie Hettinga and Dru Pagliassotti of California Lutheran University, will explore whether and how student newsrooms could use artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT and Claude for editing student-written content, and to find out how the quality of AI editing compares with student editors’ work.

Kansan Editor staff applications are now open for the 2024-25 academic year. We are looking for news-driven individuals who are interested in breaking news, arts & culture, men’s and women’s sports, video, audio and graphics. These are yearlong positions, and some are paid positions! As the Audience Engagement Editor, you will play a crucial role in connecting our content with our audience. Responsibilities include overseeing our social media channels, creating content to promote articles, engaging with our audience on social platforms, regularly analyzing audience engagement, creating monthly analytic reports, posting sponsored content and working closely with the business team. Please email Gracie.wheeler@kansan.com with your resume and why you are interested in the position to apply.

Attention upcoming graduates: Please stop by Stauffer-Flint Hall, room 200 to pick up a name card. All student participants in Saturday’s graduation ceremony need one. The card will ask for your name and its phonetic spelling. The announcer will take your name card from you and read your name as you walk across the stage.

JMC student Gus Baylow (pictured on the right) received the 2024 Brian Hanni Broadcaster of the Year award from KJHK Sports. Baylow will graduate this weekend and soon after become the Broadcasting, Community and Public Relations Assistant for the Frederick Keys in the MLB Draft League. 

Hanni, the new namesake for the KJHK Sports Broadcaster of the Year, is a former KJHK student broadcaster and current voice of the Kansas Jayhawks. 

Be featured on social media: If you would like your summer internship or study abroad opportunity to be featured on the JMC School Instagram, please email Communications Coordinator Evan Riggs at evanriggs@ku.edu.  

The Office of Faculty Affairs invites faculty at all ranks and classifications to take a day (or several) to reflect on their strengths, anticipate challenges, grow in their skills, and learn something new before summer takes off from May 13-17. Faculty Development Academies are day-long intensives, focused on a particular topic, giving faculty time to delve deep and develop a core capacity in a chosen area.  

Participants are welcome to register for as many dates as they’d like. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided. All Academies Days take place on the Lawrence Campus. Please register by Monday, May 6. Learn more about each day and register at this link.

Master’s students present to client: Despite thunderstorms and tornado watches across the state, 21 online master’s degree students in Professor of the Practice Angie Hendershot’s Capstone in Marketing Communications course presented their final plan to the Kansas Department of Commerce on April 30. The strategic marketing and communications recommendations for recruiting talent to the state were presented to Patrick Lowry, Marketing and Communications Director, and Bridgette Jobe, Kansas Tourism Director. The group was also joined by Brooke Chonko of the program’s advisory board and program alum Laura Phillips of the Kansas City Area Development Council. “I was struck by the thoroughness and professionalism of the plan,” said Lowry. This weekend the students will become the first graduating class of the new fully online graduate program offered by the school through Jayhawk Global.

Professor Yvonnes Chen was the featured Faculty Speaker for KU Chancellor’s Top Scholar Reception on May 1. This annual event honors high achieving high school sophomores and juniors from the four high schools in Lawrence, based on academic recommendations from the schools. Each student received a special award from Chancellor Girod. Professor Chen's remark highlighted two success stories from her work with high-achieving students in her role as Professor in the School and as a University Honors Faculty Fellow. She was the only faculty speaker at the event.

Associate Professor Emeritus Max Utsler (pictured on the right) spoke at the Kansas Association of Broadcasters (KAB) Student Broadcast & Sports Seminar on April 23. Utsler spoke once to the student attendees and once to the professional members of the KAB. His topic was the business of NIL.

Professor of the Practice Patricia Weems Gaston and Assistant Professor Melissa Greene-Blye will be featured in the panel discussion, “Empower Journalists of Color” on Tuesday, May 7 in Lawrence. The panel is at the Art Collective on 646 Vermont St. from 6-8 p.m. and is open to the public.

Cheers to Careers podcast: JMC School alums Sara Beane, owner and public relations manager at Beanes-Talk Media, and Sheyenne Denton, associate creative operations manager at Wieden + Kennedy,  were recent guests on Cheers to Careers. Watch the full episodes below.

Internship and student jobs

Job opportunities

Alumni job updates

Leroy Zimmerman died April 10 at age 87. Read his obituary. 

Alice McCart died April 26 at age 77. Read her obituary. 

Calendar

William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications
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