E-ALERT
- February 1, 2006
Dear Friends of the College of Mass Communications and Information
Studies:
February - many say it's the cruelest month. We know, T.S.
Eliot said April is really the cruelest. We're just fine
with February. It may help that it's sunny and 60 degrees
on campus today. But here are a couple of other things we
like about this month.
•The School of Journalism and Mass Communications
will hold Ad Bowl III on Sunday February 5th at Newsplex,
the USC/Ifra converged newsroom. Students in Professor Bonnie
Drewniany's advertising class systematically evaluate each
ad aired during the Super Bowl. The creators of the winning
ad are then invited to USC to explain their inspiration and
receive the coveted Cocky Award during the College's I-Comm
Week, April 3-8. To enhance the program in 2006, Professor
Drewniany has developed a rating system on the school's Web
site. At the end of the game, viewers can go to www.jour.sc.edu/superbowl/index.html
and cast their votes. The site will be available for voting
one hour after the game, and results will be combined with
the students' to determine the winning commercial.
•The dean, director of the Journalism School and
our development team will travel to Charlotte on Thursday,
February 9th, for another of our "Reconnect" receptions
with alumni and friends at GMR Marketing. The reception will
be hosted by USC alumni couples Mike and Kim Boykin and Sig
and Judy Huitt. Please RSVP to etaylor@sc.edu if you plan
to attend.
•It's the height of the hiring season on campus
and we're making some splendid additions to the faculty and
staff:
- Cindy Kellett joined the College on Monday, January
30, as the new director of development. Cindy is a 1987
public relations graduate of the School of Journalism
and Mass Communications. She joins us from Wachovia Securities.
Earlier, she was senior vice president of operations
for the American Cancer Society and director of development
for the Easter Seal Society of South Carolina. Cindy's
e-mail is kellet@mailbox.sc.edu.
- The School of Library
and Information Science is in the midst of a search for
a director to succeed the retiring Dan Barron. (That seems
oxymoronic, but is a statement of Dan's future employment
status, not his personality.) Several candidates have already
visited the school. Interest has been high because of our
coming doctoral program, undergraduate plans, the Augusta
Baker Chair and the Children, Libraries, & Literacy
Initiative.
- Dr. Carter has already hired several new faculty members
for the Journalism School's fall semester. John Besley,
now at Cornell, will assume a new faculty position in risk
communication created under the interdisciplinary FEI (Faculty
Excellence Initiative) program. Dr. Sherrie Wallington,
now at Howard, will take up a new position funded by the
University's Office of Research, to specialize in health
and science communication. Dick Moore, vice president of
news at WKYC-TV in Cleveland, will bring his more than
30 years of television experience to our broadcast faculty.
Chris Roberts, one our Ph.D. candidates and a former business
editor at The State and other papers, joined the print
journalism faculty this semester.
•Dr. Nancy Zimmerman, associate professor in the
School of Library and Information Science, has been elected
national president of Beta Phi Mu, the library and information
science honor society.
•The College will hold its third annual I-Comm Week,
April 3-8. We don't see anything cruel about April either.
I-Comm Week is our opportunity to shine a spotlight on all
the disciplines with speakers, workshops and events for students,
alumni and friends. Cocky, too. (See Ad Bowl above.) The
theme this year is "Inspiring a New Generation." Watch
this space for more details.
If you have an address, phone, email or job change, send
those to Elaine Taylor at etaylor@sc.edu.
Sincerely,
Charles Bierbauer
Dean |
