Journalism department honors students, awards scholarships
The department of journalism and communication at Utah State University honored the 107 members of the Class of 2004 April 16 and announced its best and brightest students of the year during the Annual JCOM Awards Banquet at the David B. Haight Alumni Center on the Utah State campus.
Nearly 100 journalism students, faculty, family and friends attended the event, which included announcement of Utah State’s outstanding broadcasting, print journalism and public relations students, and the recipients of $18,200 in scholarships for the 2004-05 academic year.
Keynote speaker Holly Mullen, columnist for “The Salt Lake Tribune,” told the student journalists about “Doing Journalism in Utah – Nudging the World a Little.” Mullen, a 22-year veteran newspaper reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in Washington state, Minnesota, Texas and Salt Lake City, said journalists are engaged citizens who can make a difference.
“No one gets rich in this business, but you can make a living – I’ve never gone hungry,” Mullen said. “And it’s a wonderful job. You really can nudge the world.”
The journalism faculty honored 22 students as the most outstanding juniors, seniors and graduate students in each of the department’s three concentration areas: broadcasting/electronic media, print journalism, and public relations/corporate communication. In addition, 23 continuing students were awarded department scholarships for 2004-05.
Junior, senior and graduate students in journalism and communication are recognized annually by the faculty for their exemplary performance as scholars, professionals and citizens in the classroom, the department, the media professions and the university. Utah State’s journalism and communication department, which an industry group called “the best professionally oriented journalism program in Utah,” enrolls more than 400 undergraduate and graduate student majors.
The department also honored three of its own as outstanding faculty members in teaching, research and service.
Assistant professor Nancy Williams, a former newspaper journalist who has taught at Utah State since 1987, was named the JCOM teacher of the year for her work with the department’s online news website, The Hard News Café, and for anchoring the print journalism program. Williams also was honored by the Utah State Greek System as a “Top Prof” of 2004.
Assistant professor Cathy Ferrand Bullock, a former magazine editor who has taught at Utah State since 2001, was named researcher of the year for her ongoing study of how the press in Utah covers domestic violence that ends in death.
“Cathy’s work helps draw attention to real-world problems with serious consequences in Utah, and the press’s role in addressing those issues,” said Department Head Ted Pease. “It is important work that makes a difference in both the classroom and in our communities.”
Public relations assistant professor Les Roka, who has taught at Utah State since 2001, received the faculty service award for his work with the Utah State chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, and for expanding connections with businesses and agencies that result in more internships for students and more professionals coming to Utah State classrooms.
The outstanding members of the Utah State class of 2004 are:
Michael Chidsey of Sandy, Utah, now a video editor for KUTV news in Salt Lake City, was named 2004 Outstanding Graduate in broadcasting/electronic media.
Myrica Hawker of Vancouver, Wash., who graduates with a 3.98 grade point average, was named the 2004 Outstanding Graduate in print journalism; she will go to work for the Deseret Morning News’s new media department upon graduation.
Shara Holt, a straight-A public relations major from Blackfoot, Idaho, who worked for NASA and the Rocky Mountain Space Consortium this year, was named 2004 Outstanding Graduate in public relations/corporate communications.
Nineteen other students were honored for their work during 2003-04:
Outstanding JCOM graduate student: Anna Brunson McEntire; Outstanding seniors and juniors in broadcasting/electronic media: Samoana Matagi, Mark LaRocco and Stacey Taggart; and Shawn Dyson, Kristi Henderson and Jon Ryan Jensen.
Outstanding seniors and juniors in print journalism: Heidi Burton, Leon D’Souza and Jacob Moon; and Denise Albiston, Emilie Holmes and Jasmine Michaelson.
Outstanding seniors and juniors in public relations/corporate communication: Tracy Kell, Danielle London and D’Artagnon Wells; and Lindsay Child, Sarah St. John and Rachel Schwab.
The 23 recipients of $18,200 in JCOM scholarships for the 2004-05 academic year also were announced, including Tyler Riggs, Logan: Jared Eborn Scholarship in Sports Writing; Doan Nguyen, Brigham City: “Deseret Morning News” Scholarship; Jasmine Michaelson, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Brooke Niemeyer, Salt Lake City; Brooke Nelson, Cedar Hills, Utah; Stephanie Olsen, Hooper, Utah; and Lynze Wardle, Bountiful, Utah: Jay Glasmann Family Scholarships in Print Journalism; Emilie Holmes, Bountiful, Utah: Glasmann/Standard-Examiner Summer Intern-Scholar; Shawn Dyson, Salt Lake City, Utah; Jon Ryan Jensen, Bountiful, Utah; and Jason Roundy, Logan: Glacus C. and Marie B. Merrill Scholarships in Broadcasting; Maren Farnsworth, Duchesne, Utah: Joseph A. Hays Family Scholarship, and the Wilford C. Porter Scholarship; Jasmine Michaelson, Idaho Falls, Idaho: John Morris Scholarship in Print Journalism; Lori Bonham, Sanger, Calif.; Natalie Andrews, Bountiful, Utah; Rachel Schwab, Bountiful, Utah; and Amanda Wouden, Taylorsville, Utah: Edward C. Pease Scholarships; Lindsay Child, West Haven, Utah: Seeley-Hinckley Scholarship (tuition and fees); Leon D’Souza, Logan; Branigan Knowlton, Murray, Utah; Jack Saunders, Logan; and Holly Scott, Sandy, Utah: Donnis E. Sweeney Scholarships; Lesley Godfrey, Soda Springs, Idaho, and Kristi J. Henderson, Blackfoot, Idaho: Josey Barnes Wayman Scholarships for Women in Broadcasting.