Baylor 2023 JPR&NM Summer Alumni Newsletter

Graphic by Alumna Carlye Thornton

A Few Words from Interim Chair Dr. Frieda Blackwell

Although I teach Spanish in my “other life,” I’ve been honored this semester to serve as interim chair of the department. This is my second term in the position, the first being in the fall of 2011. As an outsider, my goal at the beginning of the semester was “to keep the ship afloat” and hopefully, moving forward. The department’s faculty and administrative staff have made me feel very welcome in the department, and have been very helpful and cordial, for which I am most appreciative. Our semester has been full. We have completed faculty and staff evaluations. We have hired a tenure-track professor in Public Relations, Dr. Rosalynn Vásquez who comes to us from Boston University and brings significant experience and publications. We have also hired another lecturer, Prof. Kim Patterson, also in Public Relations, who has 25 years of experience in the field through McLennan Community College and in the Waco community.

We will be hiring a full-time temporary lecturer, Prof. Andrew Church in photography and videography.

The new hires were precipitated by the departure of some venerable professors. We have three major retirements this spring: Prof. Robert Darden, Prof. Curtis Calloway and Dr. Brad Owens. All have made significant contributions to the lives of our students and will certainly leave holes in our department – and our hearts. The Director of Student Media, Mr. Bruce Gietzen, is retiring in August, so the department will be interviewing to fill that position. His successor will have large shoes to fill.

We have enjoyed a semester of recognitions for students and faculty. Dr. Marlene Neill won the award for Outstanding Educator Award in 2022 from PRSA for her work in ethics, education and public relations. She also just received a book contract from Routledge. Prof. Sharon Gripp received the first-place award from the Texas Press Women for a column she wrote for the Waco Tribune-Herald. The column was automatically entered into the National Federation of Press Women competition. She was recently notified that she has won, but will not know what place she received until June.

Our students have also received awards for their work on our student publications. Nearly 60 students created award-winning content for our eight Student Media platforms (Lariat, Lariat TV News, Morning Buzz, baylorlariat.com, social media accounts, Roundup yearbook, Focus magazine and Lariat Radio). Baylor students received 42 awards from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, including Reporter of the Year (Caitlyn Meisner) and Photojournalist of the Year (Josh McSwain). Meisner also won the Rick Bradfield Award for Breaking News & Investigative Reporting this year. Also in March, seniors Drake Toll and Nathaniel Smith were honored by the Texas Headliners Foundation in Austin. Toll won the prestigious Verne Lundquist Sports Media Institute

scholarship; Smith was awarded the Darrell K. Royal scholarship. Student Media captured two Pacemaker awards from the Associated College Press (Broadcast and Online); “Focus Magazine” was a finalist. Our Roundup yearbook was a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Finalist.

The department handed out our own awards on April 21 for outstanding work in each of our five concentrations at our annual Student Awards Ceremony. Ann Harder gave the address and received an award as Outstanding Alumna. We are added a second event, a tea on April 26, to recognize outstanding minors in each of the department’s five concentrations. It will give us an opportunity to talk to minors about becoming majors.

We are proud of our five MA students who will graduate in a few weeks. They have successfully defended theses and presented projects. If you are in the department in the next few months, be sure to see photographs from Morgan Carter’s MA project. We will have four more graduating in August and five in December. We also hope to welcome several new graduate students in the fall. If you know of good candidates for our MA or MIJ programs, please encourage them to apply.

I am sure that the Department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media will continue to thrive, producing outstanding students who succeed in many different professions, adapt to changes and make us proud. We have a great faculty and wonderful students, and it has been my privilege and honor to serve as interim chair. The department has a long tradition of excellence, and I am convinced that a bright future awaits.

Student editors for this issue:

Anna Lea Otness

Caitlyne Nguyen

Catherine Kotchian

Faculty Advisor: Sharon Gripp

2023

Journalism, Public Relations & New Media Student Awards

The department awarded approximately $256,000 to 81 students for the 2023-2024 academic year. A few more scholarships will be awarded based on need.

Kappa Tau Alpha Inductees

Graduate Students

Victoria Bacon

KJ Bukley Jr.

Mary Kate Montgomery

Mia Shaw

Maddie Walkes

Juniors

Grace Craighead

Lilly Nussbaum

Shelby Peck Seniors

Leila Grant

Rachel Harsley

Clay Thompson

Outstanding Student

Outstanding Senior in News/ Editorial

Rachel Royster

Outstanding Senior in Public Relations

Rachel Harsley

Outstanding Senior in Advertising

Makayla Smith

Cayli Clack

Outstanding Senior in Broadcast News

Drake Toll

Outstanding Senior in Photography

Courtney Lefebvre

Outstanding Graduate Students

KJ Burkley

Maddie Walkes

Outstanding Graduate Student in American Studies

Monica Fied

Student Media

Lariat Editor-In-Chief

Rachel Royster

Roundup Editor in Chief

Josh McSwain

LTVN Executive Producer

George Schroeder

Focus Editors

Rachael Chiang

Mallory Harris

Skylla Mumana

Lariateer of the Year

Michael Haag

Broadcaster of the Year

Nathaniel Smith

Lariat Photojournalist of the Year

Kenneth Prabhakar

Honor Students

Outstanding Editor

Jenna Fitzgerald

Outstanding Student in NABJ

KJ Burkley

Outstanding Student in PRSSA

Mary Watson Vergnolle

Outstanding Student in American Studies

Shea Berthelot

Best Undergraduate Researcher

Makayla Smith

Best Designer

Elijah Pittman

Best Media Communications

Maggie Alexander

Most Creative in Public Relations

Katherine Boulais

with Kim Patterson

QA &

By Rachel Harsley

Rachel: What sparked your passion for PR?

Kim: It’s funny you ask that because as a kid, I was very quiet and bookish in school. It just wasn’t my thing to be out in front. I did love to write, and my mother was an English teacher. I had a friend at Baylor who said, ‘Hey, I’m taking this journalism and introduction to public relations class. You should take it with me. It’s a great elective,’ and so, I took it.

I was just fascinated because the teacher talked about all the things he had done in his career. By being able to tell a story well, it had taken him across the world. He was an Associated Press journalist who covered wars and major political things that had happened in the world, and I thought, “OK, here’s the place that I can apply my ability to write well and speak well. And tell a story and help people understand the complicated issues.” So, it was like a perfect fit of my natural abilities.

I went into it wanting to be in the background. As I matured, in my first job that I got out of Baylor, I was like, “Oh, I’m actually kind of good at speaking to people.” As you get a little more confident in yourself, the front facing part of the job starts to emerge. I was like, “Well, I’m actually pretty good at this, too.” I think that’s a good lesson for people: you don’t have to be a super extrovert. In fact, I think in my career, most excellent communicators are probably more of an

introvert. They’re very detailed, and they feel and speak from an internal voice as opposed to strictly what sounds great. That’s nothing against extroverts. It just means that you can be a great public relations person even if you’re not the life of the party.

Rachel: Walk me through your PR journey. Kim: When I graduated from Baylor, I was dating a boy that was a year behind me and, of course, I didn’t want to leave because who knew what was going to happen with that? So, I decided to look for a job in Waco. At the time, there weren’t a lot of public relations positions in Waco. Most people left as soon as they graduated, and I thought I was going to Dallas or Austin to work at an agency. That was my dream. When I applied for the one Waco job that was open at the time, I found out about the job through PRSSA. One of my professors said, “You really should go to a PRSSA meeting with me.” I went and I met this gentleman who was hiring at a local electric utility company called Brazos Electric. I was like, “Huh, not exactly what I imagined I’d be doing.” But I figured, I’ll take this job for a year and we’ll see what happens with the boyfriend. Right? Well, that turned into an eight-year career at Brazos Electric. That’s kind of where I found my voice and grew into myself. I had opportunities to do some great projects that really stretched my abilities. The boyfriend, you know, exited stage left.

I ended up marrying and having my first child. When my second child came along, I decided I was not going to work full-time anymore. I stayed home for a couple of years with both of them. And then, I was ready to get back into the field, but I didn’t want to do it full-time because I was still focusing on my kids. MCC had a part-time position in the public information office doing newsletters, taking pictures, writing press releases — just very basic entry level type stuff. It got me back into using my skills. It was a perfect position for the time.

I didn’t know anything about community college. Where I came from, we didn’t have community college. I was at MCC for about two weeks, and all of a sudden, I was like, “Oh my goodness. I so get this mission.” I love the mission. I love that we are an open door admissions office. Anyone who wants to pursue higher education

Following almost 30 years working tirelessly in higher education public relations, Kim Patterson will be joining Baylor’s Journalism, Public Relations & New Media department as a lecturer this upcoming fall.

can do so through a community college. It just grabbed my heart. And so, as with everything else in my life, I started out part-time and then about four years later, the president asked me to be the director of community relations and marketing because the college didn’t really have that role. He realized that I had a good skill set, and that the college at the time really needed to step up its public relations game. I took that role and I was in that position for many years. I then moved over to the MCC Foundation for about eight years and did the same sort of work there. I learned about foundation work, fundraising and telling a similar story with a slightly different end result in mind. Public relations is still basically telling your story well, and instead of resulting in enrollment, it results in gifts and support for the organization.

I moved over to our University Center for three years because that program needed a boost. We actually had some double-digit enrollment increases in that program, and we were doing some really cool marketing for them. And then, I became the executive director. I jokingly say my husband worries that I have commitment issues because I’ve changed jobs several times. It wasn’t that I was unhappy or disinterested in what I was doing. It was always like there was another great opportunity out there. I think that’s another great lesson that I’ve learned in life is that change can be scary, but God has a plan and you just have to open your eyes and your heart and your ears and say, this is God showing me this path and I should give it a shot. And it’s always worked out.

Rachel: What’s your favorite campaign you’ve worked on?

Kim: The marketing campaign that we launched for the University Center was really a textbook case of how to rebrand yourself, launch a new communications campaign and actually see results. We literally started the campaign and within the next semester or two, we were seeing huge enrollment increases. Nobody knows about the University Center. It’s our “best kept secret,” and it shouldn’t be. The University Center, at the time, had been around for close to 20 years. The new message was, “You can get a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University right here in Waco for under $25,000. And so, if you are not seeking the full campus experience, if you’re not wanting to go away for school and if you’re OK living at home, you can get a really excellent bachelor’s degree and not have to take out loans.” If you look at the population in McLennan County, we are not in a rich community. There are so many families that are overextending themselves on higher education. We went from about 200 students up to 600 or 700. It was awesome. That’s one I’m especially proud of.

Rachel: You were named “Outstanding Fundraising Professional” by the Central Texas Chapter of Fundraising Professionals. What advice would you give to fellow PR professionals in being successful at it?

Kim: I never, ever thought I would be in fundraising. I was never the kid that sold the most Girl Scout cookies. I just didn’t really like approaching people. What I learned is, again, it’s just telling the story well and letting the donors understand what you’re doing. It’s also matching what they’re interested in with what you have and figuring out how you can tie those two things together. Public relations skills are paramount for fundraising, and we’re not just talking about the slick, “Give us some money and we’ll put up a plaque for you.” It’s not like that. That’s going to be one of the things I miss the most about this work that I’m in now when I transition to teaching this fall. These donors are my friends, you know, and I’m not being Pollyanna about that. I really care about them as people, and they care about me. They ask me about my family, my husband and our trip to Hawaii. My biggest message on this is to not be afraid of fundraising. Even if you don’t think you would ever do fundraising, you’ll be surprised how often some semblance of that is going to come into the work that you do. If you work for a nonprofit, your role may be communications, but you’re communicating about the need for support. It’s not as scary as people think. People don’t run from the room when you walk in. This is what gives me the edge: I believe so strongly in this mission that I want to just tell people about it. I always say if you’re not passionate about something, you might need the job, but try to find something that you really are passionate about and support it wholeheartedly.

Rachel: How did Baylor help you in your career journey?

Kim: I found my voice at Baylor. I grew into myself there. The gift of Baylor is that it gave me a safe place to do that. I got around people that were from very different backgrounds compared to mine, but we were all rooted in that Christian conscience. It gave me a place to grow up and make some mistakes. It’s kind of like when you’re at the bowling alley. There are those bumpers when you don’t know how to bowl well, and you put the bumpers up to keep you from going in the gutter. Baylor was like those bumpers for me in that I could do something stupid and then bounce back from it and say, “OK, well, I learned that wasn’t a good way to go.” It helped guide me through rocky times where I was going from a smart kid that was very quiet and introverted to being able to get up and you know, go to a leadership seminar, present to a class, talk to adults, find my voice and get my footing under me as an adult.

QA &

In addition to research, Dr. Rosalynn Vasquez is passionate about giving back through teaching and mentorship to the next generation of public relations practitioners.

with Dr. Rosalynn Vasquez

By Giana Speranza

Giana: What inspired you to pursue a career in the field of journalism and public relations?

Dr.Vasquez: “I always excelled in writing and reading as a child, so it was a natural fit for me when I was in high school and college. I always wrote for the student newspaper, student magazine and yearbook. I discovered public relations during college by getting involved with PRSSA and meeting other professionals. After I graduated, I accepted a job with the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (now called Prospanica) in Dallas. This provided important training for me since I had majored in journalism. I had a great boss who guided me in my transition to public relations and this gave me the confidence to stay and excel in this field.”

Giana: You went to Texas A&M, The University of Dallas and Texas Tech for your degrees, how did your experiences influence your career journey?

Dr. Vasquez: “At TAMU, I learned about journalism and then worked in the PR field for a decade or so before returning to school to pursue my MBA at UD. I had so much exposure to company leaders, different stakeholders, and organizational culture, so I wanted to gain more knowledge in business acumen to be a stronger PR professional. After graduating, I worked at EarthX, an environmental advocacy organization. During our Earth Day conference, I met a professor from TTU and enjoyed

her talk on climate change and environmental advocacy, and was intrigued to learn more about her research and see if there are any connections to public relations. This led me to pursue my Ph.D. at TTU. I got to work with her at the TTU Climate Change Center and I did my dissertation on the sustainability topic of Corporate Climate Change Communications.”

Giana: What made you want to pursue a career in academics?

Dr.Vasquez: “I was intrigued by the idea of pursuing research in a field that I’m passionate about and also having the opportunity to give back and teach and mentor the next generation of PR practitioners. I think it’s a gift to be able to share knowledge and practical experiences accumulated over the years and bring it to the classroom to help inspire students. As a woman of color (and former immigrant), I resonate with students of color and their experiences. It’s important for them to be seen, heard and understood, so I’m looking forward to connecting with them and being a resource as they pursue their careers in PR.”

Giana: Can you tell me more about what it was like being born in Peru and growing up in Texas? How did this influence your upbringing and passions?

Dr.Vasquez: “I was born in Lima and raised in Texas. I feel like I grew up with the best of both worlds because even though I lived in Texas, my home was filled with Peruvian culture and I’m proud to be bilingual and bicultural. Every time I visit Peru, I feel joy because it’s such a beautiful country—rich with Inca traditions and history and amazing landscapes such as Machu Picchu. I think my passion for social impact/justice issues came from my upbringing and influenced my decision to dive deeper into sustainability and DEI research topics.”

Giana: Can you tell me more about your experience studying abroad? Why you decided to and what new perspectives did you gain?

Dr.Vasquez: “I studied abroad with a professor who was studying media and tourism. He invited me to be his research assistant and work with him on this project.

I learned more about qualitative research, immersed myself in different cultures (Scotland & Northern Ireland), and we published a paper out of this project.”

Giana: What sparked your interest in certain areas of research?

Rosalynn: “I had worked in public relations for 15 years, so I wanted to study in the PR field and specifically look at the integration of sustainability and DEIB as these two areas are increasingly growing in companies and need more attention from a PR leadership and stakeholder management perspective. For example, one of my current projects is examining the challenges and coping strategies of Latinas working in public relations, which I hope contributes to the DEIB field.”

Giana: How does your research improve the field?

Rosalynn: “DEIB is still young and a growing field… and there’s a need for greater emphasis on understanding the experiences of marginalized and underrepresented groups, so I hope my research sheds more light on challenges, strategies and recommendations for DEIB in public relations leadership.”

Giana: What advice would you give to students currently pursuing a degree in public relations?

Rosalynn: “Make time to hone your skill sets, especially in writing and strategic thinking. I would also highly encourage students to develop their business acumen and emotional intelligence.”

Giana: Why did you decide to come to Baylor? What are you most looking forward to?

Rosalynn: “I’m a Texan and I’m excited to return to my home state! Baylor is a top university that brings together research, teaching and Christian faith. It’s the perfect place for me and I’m thrilled to be joining this community!”

Story continued from page 5:

Rachel: What’s your favorite Baylor memory?

Kim: I have to say, I loved living in Collins dormitory. Back then, it was a big deal to get in Collins if you were an incoming freshman girl. I ended up with a roommate who was so different from me. The girls across the hall were from Highland Park, and I wasn’t by any stretch, but then I found some friends down the hall. We’re still friends to this day. We just ended up with the greatest little group of friends, and it just gave me comfort. I was able to navigate the next several years with them, so that was a great time. Another one of my best memories was truly being in the journalism program and realizing, “Oh, I found my path. This is clicking for me.” Before, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t necessarily want to go into medicine or law. My dad was a lawyer, and my brother ended up at law school, but I was like, “Oh, that seems boring to me.” But when I got into the journalism and public relations program and I met these faculty members, it

clicked for me and learning became fun. I remember interviewing Dr. Tom Hanks, who I think is retired now. He was a very beloved English professor at the time and for years. I remember interviewing him for the Lariat and writing a feature on him. He sent me the sweetest note complimenting the story. He probably did that for anybody that ever wrote anything about him, but I thought about what a kind person he was to take the time to send this lowly reporter a handwritten note telling me how much he appreciated my work and how good it was. It just gave me such a boost of confidence and I thought, “I can do this for a career, and I want to do this for a career. This is so fulfilling to help people get to know him through words.” What’s interesting about that is that just in the last six months, I worked with Dr. Hanks on setting up a scholarship for his wife at MCC. Talk about the circle of life. I said, “You don’t remember me, but I interviewed you when I was a junior at Baylor for the Lariat.” I told him how much I appreciated his note, and he and I set up a scholarship in honor of his wife who was in failing health. It was just a really sweet moment. One of the beautiful things about staying in Waco is that I’ve gotten to know some of my professors as people as opposed to just a student and professor relationship.

Rachel: What inspired the transition to teaching at this point in your career?

Kim: The beautiful thing about having been at MCC for half my life is we have a great retirement system. I’m able to retire comfortably. I wasn’t planning on it because we still have some pretty big projects going on that I plan to see through. However, those projects are also at a point where that could be an easy handoff to the next person. One thing was I didn’t want to leave the next person who has this job in the lurch. I’ve got way too much sweat equity in the foundation as well as the college to do that. That’s just not how I roll. When this opportunity came up, they contacted me and said I might want to look at this and I thought, “OK, that’s a long shot. It’s a serious long shot.” I haven’t done a lot of adjunct teaching at Baylor. But again, I thought, “God’s throwing this door open for me, so I would be foolish not to go to walk through it and see what happens.” I started thinking about how I could share the things that I’ve learned with the next generation of communicators, and I thought back to those teachers that encouraged me. I thought back to the folks like the AP reporter guy and Dr. Adrian Vaughn, and how much they changed my life. That’s what I would like to do with the last chapter of my career as opposed to riding off into the sunset doing what’s comfortable. Change is uncomfortable, and this is very comfortable here because I know what I’m doing. But then, I thought that last chapter of my life could be spectacular doing something different. So, when the opportunity came to fruition, I was like, “OK, God has this in mind for me.”

Kim Patterson

Bruce Gietzen leaves legacy starting department’s 1st broadcast concentration

Director of Student Media, Bruce Gietzen, will retire in August after mentoring hundreds of students in broadcast.

By Caitlyne Nguyen

Bruce Gietzen, the six-year director of Student Media, five-year adjunct professor and broadcaster for over three decades, has made the decision to retire in August 2023. Gietzen has touched the lives of hundreds of students and staff, leaving behind an incredible legacy and very large shoes to fill.

When hired in 2017, the Baylor University administration team wanted Gietzen to build up the small broadcasting program it had at the time. Now, he’s implemented an entirely student-run weekly newscast, Lariat TV News, which aids in the creation of a new generation of broadcasters and reporters. Gietzen has also worked closely with and helped advance the Baylor Lariat, Roundup Yearbook and “Focus Magazine,” pushing their email and digital platforms to keep up with the industry’s rapid change.

“I felt very honored that Baylor trusted me to come in and work here and get a chance to work with the students, so it’s been a blessing for a long time,” Gietzen said.

As Gietzen has helped the student-run media departments become something that is successful and widely respected, he said he’s proud of how much the department has grown as a whole. Gietzen loved being able to work closely with young students and help

them to navigate the professional world that they were entering.

“Our entire goal is to give students a lot of opportunities to find out what their passion is and what they enjoy the best,” Gietzen said. “Then help them, train them and provide them skills that will help them get jobs when they graduate.”

The love that Gietzen has for his students was not one-sided, as many students have found their strengths, passions and connections through him.

“I’m going to miss his leadership. He always leads by example and it’s been such a blessing to have a sports connection through him as my advisor,” Michael Haag, sophomore Baylor Lariat Sports Editor, said. “I can’t thank him enough for all that he’s done for me.”

Gietzen’s not only proud of how far the department has grown but being able to see students put in hard work to achieve greatness is something he finds the greatest pride in.

“Seeing the commitment, passion and energy of the students as they dig into something they found that they want to keep doing, is very satisfying; [I’m] proud of that,” Gietzen said.

While the native of Fort Worth does enjoy his time with the students, the decision to retire was not an easy one. In addition to working as a faculty member at Baylor, Gietzen was also a co-chair of the Waco ISD Education Foundation’s H-E-B celebrity cook off and raised over $1.5 million for classroom grants. He is also part of the Board of Directors Executive Committee for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame which he plans on continuing after his official retirement. After evaluating the many accomplishments in his career, he didn’t want to “wait too long” and wanted to enjoy the rest of his time. Gietzen said he wants to spend time with his friends and family but will continue to do what he loves to do.

“I’m just going to be able to work when I want to work, and not when somebody else wants me to work,” Gietzen said. “I’ll never stop doing something.”

Gietzen has spent time building and cultivating relationships with students and faculty at Baylor, which he believes is something he will miss the most. While he will no longer be just down the hall or a couple of steps away, he wants to continue fostering those relationships with his students and staff and hopes they will continue it as well.

“I’m a phone call away. I’m not going to disappear from their lives,” Gietzen said. “I want to stay in touch with them. I want to hear about their successes and help them if they need help.”

Senior Nathaniel Smith and LTVN Executive Producer George Schroeder after their final LTVN broadcast with mentor, Bruce Gietzen.

Darden Retires as Most Awarded Professor in Baylor’s History

Darden’s impact on the journalism department and the goals he accomplished not only as a professor, but as an author and journalist, will always be remembered.

By Catherine Kotchian

One of Baylor’s most accomplished professors, Robert F. Darden, is retiring this year after 35 years of being a part of the Baylor family.

Professor Darden is a Master Teacher and Emeritus Professor of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media. He is an award-winning teacher, researcher, and author, widely cited, quoted and interviewed on a variety of topics in the international and national media. Darden has taught a variety of classes during his time at Baylor including Intro to Mass Communication, Magazine and Feature Writing, Screenwriting, Film Writing/Criticism/Review, Reporting and Writing for Media, Writing for Media Markets, and Research Methods/Special Topics (graduate level).

He is the most awarded professor in Baylor University history, having received virtually all of the university’s teaching and research awards, including Outstanding Teacher, College of Arts & Sciences, Diversity Award (with the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program and on his own), Cornelia Marschall Smith Award for Outstanding Professor at Baylor University, and Outstanding Researcher, College of Arts & Sciences.

Nevertheless, Darden will greatly miss the connections he made with his students and the Baylor community. “What separates Baylor from everywhere else is the emphasis on individual teaching and interactions,” he said. He built strong relationships with his students and helped widen their eyes to the field of journalism. Darden enthusiastically spoke about “seeing those kids’ eyes get wide when they realize this is what they always wanted

to do. They want to tell stories and there is a way to do that, and there’s a way to make a living at it.” Most of all, he will miss “being there to welcome each new generation of journalism majors… and to watch their careers go on.”

During his time as a professor, one of his favorite classes to teach was Screenwriting. This course involved analyzing movies and writing feature screenplays. Darden states that “the only way to get better at it is to watch a lot of movies and write a lot of movies. And that was a ball.” After teaching this course for 15 years, some of his students have had wonderful success in the industry and have gone on to make movies and TV series.

Aside from being an accomplished professor, he is the author of more than two-dozen books, most recently: “People Get Ready: A New History of Black Gospel Music” (Continuum/Bloomsbury, 2005), “Nothing But Love in God’s Water: Black Sacred Music from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, Vol. I” (2014, Penn State University Press), “Nothing But Love in God’s Water, Volume II: Black Sacred Music from Sit-Ins to Resurrection City” (2016, Penn State University Press), and “Soon and Very Soon: The Transformative Music and Ministry of Andrae Crouch” (Oxford University Press, 2023 upcoming).

In recent years, this former newspaper journalist has been interviewed and featured by the BBC, several NPR programs (including “Fresh Air with Terri Gross”), the PBS series “The Black Church: This is My Story, This is My Song” with Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., and in numerous national magazines, newspapers, podcasts and webpages. His essays, features, editorials and columns have appeared in The New York Times, “The Oxford American,” “Christianity Today,” The Dallas Morning News, “Huffington Post,” and hundreds of others.

In addition to writing, Darden has a wide array of interests and hobbies including traveling, fiction, foreign films, ethnic cuisine and Black gospel music. He is also the co-founder of the Black Gospel Music Preservation Program at Baylor (BGMRP). It is the world’s largest initiative to identify, acquire, scan, digitize, catalog and make accessible America’s fast-vanishing legacy of vinyl from gospel music’s “Golden Age.” The BGMRP provides the gospel music for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington D.C. Another way he is involved on campus is in the band, “After Midnight,” comprising of Baylor professors for 23 years. This is a fun passion for Darden, and he hopes to continue playing music after retirement. “We play music that we love, and I want to do even more than what we’ve been doing,” he said.

Having many plans for retirement, Darden looks forward to traveling, spending time with his family and continuing his passion for writing. “I want to return to what got me interested in this whole thing 60 years ago. Creative writing and fiction novels. I’ve had a few novels published. They’re out of print many years ago, and it’s time to go back to my first love,” Darden said.

Graduate Update Program

Marlene Neill, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Graduate Program Director

The spring semester was a busy one for our graduate students and faculty as four journalism students and one American Studies student successfully defended their master’s theses or projects. All five students will be graduating on Friday, May 12.

Master’s Program:

“Automotive Photography as a Branding Tool” (Podcast series), Kaitlyn Clink; https://spotify.link/wRBPG5ckmyb –Committee Chair Dr. Clark Baker, Committee Members Dr. Alec Tefertiller and Dr. Chris Pullig.

“Fisheye Farms: fighting for a regenerative community in Detroit,” (feature reporting), Anna Timmis – Committee Chair Professor Bob Darden, Committee Members Dr. Brad Owens and Dr. Jon Singletary.

“Promise that You will See about Me: For Seeds not in the Sun, ” (Photo exhibit), Morgan Carter – Committee Chair Dr. Clark Baker, Committee Members Professor Bob Darden and Daniel Beard.

Master’s Theses:

“Examining effectiveness of Image Repair Theory through social media responses: A case study of the Dan Snyder and the Washington Commanders,” Kerry (KJ) Burkley – Committee Chair Dr. Alec Tefertiller, Committee Members Dr. Elizabeth Bates and Dr. Daniel Shafer

“At the Crossroads of the American Dream and Mass Media in a Global Pandemic as Seen Through The Lens of Small Business in Franchising,” Monica Feid – Committee Chair Marlene Neill, Committee Members Dr. Cassy Burleson and Dr. Chris Pullig.

Faculty Research:

In addition, we had several students and faculty present research at spring academic conferences:

Dr. Alec Tefertiller presented two papers at the AEJMC Midwinter Conference in Oklahoma on Feb. 24-25. “I Just Want to Watch Something I Can Ignore: GratificationSeeking and Mood Management in Motivations for Ambient Television,” which was a collaboration with our graduate students, Kaitlyn Clink and Devan Sutton; and “#NintendoYearInReview: Video Games, Media Dependency and the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which was a collaboration with Anthony Palomba from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Marlene Neill and Madison Walkes, graduate student, presented research at the International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC) in Orlando on March 2. The study was titled “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pursuit of Professional Development Opportunities in Public Relations.” Their coauthor was Dr. Sharee Broussard, director of Public Affairs & Community Services at Mobile County, Alabama.

Dr. Marlene Neill will be presenting grant funded research at the International Communication Association Annual Conference in Toronto on May 28. The study is titled “The State of Ethics Competencies, Training & Moral Efficacy in Public Relations,” and was funded by the Arthur W. Page Center.

A Devotion to Students & Journalism

Senior Lecturer, Dr. Brad Owens’ career in journalism has taken him from Bryan, Texas, as city editor at the Bryan-College Station Eagle to working with media professionals in Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, Russia, and Central Asia as a writer and consultant. Now, after 25 years teaching in the Journalism, Public Relations and New Media department, he is retiring.

Through the years Owens has taught a combination of journalism courses including: Reporting & Writing, Advanced Reporting & Writing, Editing, Law & Ethics, Public Affairs Reporting, Global Community, International Community and other courses for nonmajor students.

Owens said he utilized his field experience prior to teaching in structuring his courses at Baylor using the “Socratic Method.” This method uses a form of dialogue by asking students intensive questions to produce engaging discussions.

“I took pride in drawing people in and teaching journalism to nonmajors,” Owens said. “It was all about translating a world to those outside of it, and with so many varying backgrounds present in the classroom, we would get into a hell of a discussion.”

Dr. Brad Owens recounts his time in the department and details his plans for retirement. By Anna

Lea Otness

These discussions, Owens explained, serve the journalism community by demonstrating the courage and stubbornness of the student media. Both of which Owens notes are a good thing.

“It’s student journalism, but it’s the best journalism we have at Baylor, and quite frankly, the Lariat has become the best student paper in the state. Our students are hungry for aggressive, true and neutral journalism, and Baylor Alumni should appreciate that’s what they are producing.”

He explained that while the department is in a season of transition, the basic journalism values the students hold will aid in the transition and will serve as a grounding piece while new leadership finds their way.

“These students are impeccable and brave,” Owens said. “They take the heat and do unpopular things when needed. Having relationships with these students after they finish my classes is the best part of the job. Those relationships won’t leave when I retire, they will continue to endure.”

With those relationships in hand, Owens looks toward retirement eager to spend time developing his land with his wife and continuing to play in his church’s band.

“I’m looking forward to building our land and expanding the ranch—I’ll have my hands full for the next 20 years or so,” Owens said. “While the pace of ranch work is the opposite of journalism, both of them require a moral compass and it’s a place I’m ready to build up with my family.”

Faculty Recognition

Professor Kevin Tankersly was awarded the Light Your World award from Phi Kappa Chi.

All students at Baylor, not just members of that fraternity, are encouraged to nominate a faculty member who has made a positive impact in the lives of their students. His nomination by Lauren Holcomb, a sophomore JOU major, mentioned his “above and beyond approach to teaching.”

Professor Sharon Gripp has received an award from the National Federation of Press Women for a column that appeared in the Waco Tribune-Herald “Why we should care about the Jan. 6 hearings.”

The column won first place in the Texas Press Women’s competition and was advanced to the national level. She will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, in June to receive the award.

NPR features broadcast stories on KWBU from Iazzetti’s class

Professors seek out opportunities for students to gain real-world experience.

By Sharon Gripp

Iazzetti said. They are education, government/politics, healthcare, culture and the arts, and business and the economy. Iazzetti said students were given those five pillars and pitched stories based on that framework.

“Part of the class content is to pitch stories and come up with story ideas,” she said. Each student is doing two stories over the course of the semester.

Iazzetti approached Brodie Bashaw, the station manager and Joe Riley, president and CEO of KWBU, about her students producing audio stories and was there a possibility of them being aired on KWBU.

Seeing your byline in print, having your broadcast story aired or hearing your audio story/podcast for the first time is a feeling most of us have never forgotten. Faculty understand this and look for opportunities that not only give students a boost of confidence, but also give them published content to put in their portfolios.

Students in the Broadcast Reporting & Writing class had the opportunity during the spring semester to have their stories broadcast on KWBU, the local NPR affiliate.

“I was over the moon about the idea,” Bashaw said. For the most part, the stories have fit with what KWBU is looking for, she said. “Most are about a minute and a half with entry level reporting. They are airing during ‘Morning Edition’ or ‘All Things Considered,’ ” Bashaw said. The stories also get posted on the website.

Media Programming Class Creates PR plans for NHRA Drivers

Baylor and KWBU have had a long-standing relationship. KWBU is not a college station, they are a community station, but Baylor supports KWBU by providing them with office space and business services.

Professor Matthew Brammer’s Media Programming class had the unique opportunity to develop and present public relations’ plans for National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drivers. Students were divided into four groups and each group met with their driver to discuss their public relations’ needs.

“Sydney Shaw is completely new to the drag racing world and has zero sponsors,” said Rachel Harsley, a student in the class. “My group’s goal was to put her on the map and jumpstart her media presence in order to gain sponsorship.” For other groups, their drivers were more established in the NHRA world and had different communications goals.

“It was a really cool real-world experience,” Harsley said. “Going from knowing nothing about drag racing or the NHRA to creating a comprehensive public relations plan that a client will actually use was so awesome. I truly felt like I was applying all my knowledge that the department had granted me in order to help create this project,” she said.

Instructor for the course, Professor Emily Iazzetti, knew her students were doing some excellent work, but she wanted their stories to be more than a class assignment. “I am an advocate for public radio, and I knew that our local station wanted to broadcast local content,” Iazzetti said.

KWBU has five pillars that they like to focus on,

KWBU has also had interns from the department, but this takes the relationship to a different level. “I think this is the first time we have worked with them on a bigger scale,” Iazzetti said. And students are reaping the rewards of this expanded relationship. “I think this helps them see the true effect it has,” Iazzetti said. “It is not just a project for class. They are really thinking about who the audience is, who actually needs this information. I think it helps make the importance of journalism more front of mind.”

Bashaw agreed that it was a great experience for the students and good for KWBU. “We had an email from a long-time listener and donor of KWBU who commented on how great it was to hear the pieces from the students,” she said.

Bashaw and Iazzetti said the plans are to continue this partnered project with KWBU.

Get Involved & Help Students Get Experience

If you have an opportunity for a class or students to gain realworld experience in the following areas, please let us know:

• public relations

• news or feature writing

• broadcasting/producing

• advertising

• photography or videography

Share Your Expertise

If you would like to get involved with the Baylor Alumni Journalism Group, email us what you are interested in helping with from the list below.

• Serve as a guest speaker (in person or virtually)

• Review student portfolios

• Review student projects

• Mentor students

• Hire an intern for the summer

• Hire an intern for fall or spring semester

• Other ideas—let us know

Contact Us:

Public Relations: Marlene_Neill@baylor.edu

Advertising: Alec_Tefertiller@baylor.edu

Photo: Clark_Baker@baylor.edu

Broadcasting: Elizabeth_Bates@baylor.edu

News: Sharon_K_Johnson@baylor.edu

Callaway Seeks NewAdventures

Media photography and videography Senior Lecturer Curtis Callaway is retiring this spring after 14 years in the department.

Callaway has mentored many students through the years with many becoming professional photographers. He plans to continue teaching, but in a different format.

“With 34 years of photography experience, teaching, and international travel to over 27 countries, it only makes sense to combine all the above and create Glyph LLC (www.glyphlearning.com), a travel company that offers all-inclusive, immersive cultural and nature photography workshops in locations around the world,” Callaway said.

Callaway has been a documentary, commercial, editorial, and underwater photographer and cinematographer for clients including NOAA-Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research and the National Marine Sanctuaries, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Jean-Michel Cousteau Productions and Smithsonian Institute.

JOU Welcomes Andrew Church

Andrew Church will be joining the department in the fall as a temporary lecturer teaching photography, videography and editing.

Church earned his M.A. in Journalism at Baylor University in 2018, and his B.A. in photography and journalism at the University of Missouri in 2009.

Church is a U.S. Navy veteran. While in the Navy he was promoted to media director, developing largescale, cross- platform multimedia products for global dissemination aboard USS Bonhomme Richard, USS Germantown, and USS New York. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his coverage of joint naval operations in the South China Sea. He helped shape official Navy training of media personnel and reset the bar in multimedia design. After his honorable discharge in 2014, Church continued his work in multimedia journalism by freelancing in photography, videography, graphic design, layout and design, digital animation and multimedia production.

Church is interested in promoting the identity of small-town America, rebuilding local journalism, and producing mixed-media micro-documentaries to advance social cohesion and democratic action.