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