E-ALERT - August 1, 2006

Dear Friends of the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies:

There are no summer doldrums here, as we get ready for the coming fall semester, a new freshman class and quite a few new faces among the faculty and staff.

• Please join me in welcoming Dr. Samantha Hastings as the new Director of USC's School of Library and Information Science. Dr. Hastings begins today, but she and Dr. Dan Barron have been preparing for months for a smooth leadership transition. Dr. Barron is now officially retired, though hardly retiring, and only a mountaintop away in North Carolina.

• By the way, the Library School recently received a $30,000 donation from the Sunshine House Foundation for our SC Center for Children, Books and Literacy. And the Center's workshop facility at the USC Child Development and Research Center is up and running. Touch base with Ellen Shuler at shulere@mailbox.sc.edu to see how our literacy initiative is progressing…and how you might help!

• Alumnus Jay Bender is a familiar face in a new role. Jay has joined the faculty as a visiting professor in both the Journalism and Law schools. He had been an adjunct professor while maintaining his law practice as a partner at Baker, Ravenel & Bender, LLP. Now we will benefit from his expertise full time. Among other things, Jay will be working to develop a media law course that can be offered through distance learning to other colleges and universities in the state and looking to develop a center for the promotion of constitutional protection for commercial speech.

• Beverly Dominick brings more than 25 years of professional experience in corporate recruitment, training and placement at news organizations that include The State newspaper, Gannett, Inc., and Media General, to her new role in the Journalism school. Beverly will be responsible for coordinating scholarships, internships, placement, job fairs and student competitions. If you're hiring or looking for interns in any of the School's disciplines, contact Beverly. Her e-mail is dominicb@mailbox.sc.edu. Beverly succeeds Jen Horne, now at the USC Alumni Association.

• Art Farlowe will settle in next week just down the hall from Beverly as the new undergraduate student services manager for the Journalism School. Farlowe has served as the undergraduate coordinator for the USC Psychology Department for the past six years and assistant director of student services for USC's Distance Education office before that. This heavily trafficked office handles student advisement and registration. Art succeeds Gail Pack, recently appointed as Director of Student Services in the USC Honors College.

• We're creating more study abroad opportunities throughout the College. Dr. Kent Sidel, is heading our effort to expand these opportunities in the Journalism school. My recent travels to China and Korea have opened some conversations with communications programs. Library School students also take advantage of overseas programs, including current graduate assistants for the College's development office, Laura Jowdy and Rae Kammerer. If you have a study abroad experience or recommendation that you'd like to share, please let us know. Dr. Sidel is at mksidel@mailbox.sc.edu.

• Our CMCIS Alumni Society will be enlarged when I get to congratulate more than 100 graduates this Saturday, August 5, during our summer commencement. The Alumni Society invites all to join the celebrations immediately following graduation. The Journalism School reception will take place in the Frank McGuire Room, located inside the Athletic Practice Facility. The Library School reception will take place in Davis College. RSVP to Elaine Taylor at etaylor@sc.edu if you plan to attend.

• Your college Alumni Society has new co-chairs--Library School alumna Valerie Byrd Fort and Journalism School alumna Sara Price Powell. They will build upon the foundation that Jack Claypoole and Ellen Shuler set forth in the Society's inaugural year. Society task forces are shaping up to create mentoring opportunities and events that will reinforce the bonds among our alumni and with our current students. Watch for our fall event announcements. Please contact Valerie val_byrd@yahoo.com or Sara sppowell@danielislandmedia.net with any questions or ideas.

Football season is only weeks away. We hope Coach Spurrier and the Gamecocks will again provide something to cheer about.

But if they don't, how about this: Recent public relations grad Jamie Hill and current broadcasting major Kellie Patterson, both USC cheerleaders, are paired as one of the contestant teams on the 10th edition of the Emmy-winning CBS reality show "Amazing Race" airing in mid-September. Jamie and Kellie can't tell us how the race turns out or how amazing it was, at least not just yet. We may all be watching CBS this fall, if not for Katie Couric, then for Jamie and Kellie.

If you have exciting news to share about alumni of either School, please e-mail Cindy Kellett, Director of Development for the College, at kellett@sc.edu.

More info about more things, as always, on www.sc.edu/cmcis. If you have an address, phone, e-mail or job change, send those to Elaine Taylor at etaylor@sc.edu.

Go Gamecocks!

Charles Bierbauer, Dean