FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

HighLights

NANCY DUPONT

By Samantha Mitchell

Nancy Dupont grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi, as a sixth generation Mississippian. She spent much of her childhood in front of the television after her parents bought their first television six months after she was born in 1952. During that time, television shows covered events such as the United Nations and Congressional hearings in their entirety.

“They didn’t chop things up as much back then,” Dupont said, “and they ran political conventions all day and all night, so you got a sense of what actually was happening.”

Dupont was inspired by what she saw. She received a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Loyola University New Orleans in 1974. Her career path started in Biloxi, Mississippi, and took her to South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Arizona and, eventually, back to New Orleans.

“I went where the opportunities were,” Dupont said. “I do think there’s a bit of a misperception of Mississippi throughout the world, that it is a completely backward place — and I hope I’ve been able to dispel a little of that with the places I’ve gone.”

Towards the end of her 17-year career as a journalist, Dupont decided to pursue a master’s degree at Loyola. She received the opportunity to teach a course while taking classes. She became a faculty member at the university in 1993 and received her master’s in 1994. She then began commuting back and forth to get her Ph.D. at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

Hurricane Katrina would change the course of fate for many in New Orleans. Her childhood home in Gulfport was destroyed in the storm, and Loyola ended its broadcast courses in 2006. Dupont then received an email from then Student Media Director Ralph Braseth telling her about an opening in broadcast journalism at Ole Miss. At first she thought it was a joke, but she was hired to teach in the fall of that year. She would bring along her parents, who had lost everything during the hurricane, and her husband who had recently retired. Today she is living out her passion, teaching at the university that her father once attended.

“Ole Miss is the best employer I could ever dream about,” Dupont said.

Dupont has taught print and broadcast journalism classes in her nine years at the university. The one that stands out the most for her is JOUR 480, Advanced Television Reporting,

which starts with an editorial meeting every day and requires students to complete a broadcast-quality story in five hours.

“[The students] are thrown into something they think they can’t do — but there are very few ‘can’ts’ in the world,” Dupont said. “Even though you’re working under deadline pressure, you have to be accurate, fair and you can’t hurt others while getting the news. It’s about telling others the story.”

Outside of teaching, Dupont spends much of her time in her second office as the adviser of NewsWatch in the Student Media Center. It keeps her interactive in students’ lives. She assists them with meeting deadlines and putting together broadcast-quality stories and productions.

“To me there is no greater gift than learning from someone who is so passionate about the field,” said Emily Mowers, a former student of Dupont’s who now works for the WTVA/ WLOV station in Tupelo. “Dr. Dupont has been a huge asset to my professional life, and I have full confidence she is grooming the very best in the next generation of broadcasters.”

When she is not teaching at the university or advising at NewsWatch, Dupont enjoys traveling and doing research. She has traveled twice to Togo, Africa, with students in the journalism program, to create a documentary with the Engineers Without Borders program that assists in building schools in the area.

“My most rewarding experience was going to Africa,” Dupont said. “We saw poverty that I couldn’t have even imagined. Those people get into your soul, and you want to do more stories on them, you want people to know there’s a need out there.” Sudu Upadhyay received the opportunity to go to Africa with Dupont. “She chose me to go with her because she knew of my interest in videography and long-form story telling,” Upadhyay said. “That was one of the best learning experiences I have had, and Dr. Dupont was behind all of that. Whether it’s her constructive comments for the on-air talent or better ways to produce the show, Dr. Dupont has helped so many students prepare for a job in broadcast journalism.” Dupont also attributes the success of the Meek School of Journalism program to the leadership of Dean Norton. “Dean Norton was born in Africa as a child of missionaries, and I think he understands the importance of our students seeing the world and traveling when they’re young,” Dupont said. “Because it absolutely changes your misconceptions of the world. It changes your mind completely.” Dupont’s research is in 19th century southern newspapers and historical publications. She has co-authored her first book, Journalism of the Fallen Confederacy, recounting experiences of the newspapers of the South after being occupied by the Union Army. The book examines the different experiences a consumer of the news has when under occupation. Dupont is in the research phase of a co-authored book on the history of New Orleans’ African-American newspapers. She and colleague Dr. Mark Dolan plan to have their book written by December 2015. Although her research is important, her students are a priority for her besides her family. She still keeps in touch with some of the very first students she taught. “My students are really the only thing that I think of as my legacy, or my real reward,” Dupont said. The author is an integrated marketing communications graduate student from Tampa, Florida.

HighLights

BRAD SCHULTZ

By Jared Boyd

During a visit from Campus Crusade for Christ, Brad Schultz, a journalism major at the University of Missouri, held on to an index card. The leader from the evangelical outreach organization instructed Brad and his peers to “write down any question you want.”

“I was somewhat young and immature and had never been away from home before,” Schultz said of his disposition and demeanor. “Here I am plopped down 500 miles away. I didn’t know a soul. I didn’t have a car.”

Although he found no trouble adjusting to the competitive atmosphere of Mizzou journalism in the classroom, most of his world outside the program lacked zest and enthusiasm.

“I would say church, more than anything, saved me — no pun intended,” Schultz said.

Holding onto that file card, Schultz decided to write “I really don’t know if I have a personal relationship with God,” and turned it in at the end of the meeting.

“It’s a question that I think had always been there,” he said. “It’s just nobody had ever bothered to ask it before. Nobody had ever cared that I expressed it.”

Looking back, the encounter served as a pivotal moment in the life of a man devoted to using his knack for storytelling to reach others interested in deepening their faith.

Schultz was born in Tyler, Texas, to a stay-at-home mother and a father who traveled as an advertising account executive. Dr. Don E. Schultz, his father, now is a professor emeritus at Northwestern University, where he has lectured for more than 40 years. He is known internationally as the “Father of Integrated Marketing.” He developed the initial concepts for what is now known and taught as IMC.

As a child, Brad Schultz took early interests in two areas: sports and journalism. Growing up, baseball and football were his favorite recreational activities — even playing in middle school and high school. However, Schultz truly found his voice off the field, when he asked for a tape recorder one year for his birthday.

“I would just sit and practice,” he said.

At a young age, Schultz visited a local cable station and learned to run master control while other kids in the neighborhood would work at fast food restaurants.

After realizing that a future in sports would not happen, Schultz decided to pursue sports broadcasting. He chose the University of Missouri for its reputable journalism program, one that he admittedly says would be even more difficult for him to qualify for if given a chance to apply today. During his four years in the school of journalism’s pressure-cooker of talent, Schultz studied alongside the likes of current industry leaders such as CBS’s Major Garrett, Janet Shamlian of NBC News, and 20/20’s Elizabeth Vargas.

While in college, Schultz’s devotion to his studies left little time for social pleasures. His experience in Columbia, Missouri, is colored by his inability to truly plug himself into campus life. However, during spring break his senior year, he was able to lock down a job, beginning his career two days after graduation as a television sports reporter at KAUZ-TV, Wichita Falls, Texas.

Two years into his stint on-air in his home state, new ownership decided to change directions in the station, and Schultz was fired.

“I purposely didn’t save any material from then because I would look back and wince at it,” he chuckled, remembering his tooth-cutting experience.

Looking for a job became his job. He sent resumés and reels where there were openings. He spent the next decade at stations in Terre Haute, Indiana, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Lima, Ohio, while settling down with his wife and two children. Working in Ohio and hardly able to see his young family, Schultz decided to make a change. From what he believes to be God’s providence, he was able to find an opening as an anchor and reporter in Carterville, Illinois, at WSIL-TV. When he was not working, he took classes at Southern Illinois University to earn a graduate degree at night. Similarly, after receiving his M.A. in Radio and Television in 1999, Schultz began teaching while working toward his Ph.D. at Texas Tech University.

Schultz’s transition into the classroom came easily.

“A lot of teaching is performance,” he said, comparing his lecturing style to his former gigs behind an anchor’s desk. “The thing that held me back in TV is the thing that held so many people back: I didn’t have the ‘it factor.’ We (as teachers) can’t coach that. We can’t teach it. You either have it, or you don’t.”

Leaving Texas Tech in 2002, Schultz accepted a job at Ole Miss where he says Oxford simply felt “like the place to be.”

While at the University of Mississippi, Schultz gave birth to the Journal of Sports Media, and has written eight books and produced a handful of documentaries. His most recent projects are films about the gaming industry in Mississippi and the 1983 Egg Bowl.

“God has blessed me with an ability to be very productive,” he said.

The Oklahoma Associated Press and Cleveland Press Club have both honored Schultz for his writing. His most cherished rewards, however, come outside the realm of academia.

Schultz serves the Oxford community as a lay minister at a local Lutheran church, a volunteer hospital chaplain, a regular visitor at the Veterans Affairs home, a Bible study teacher and a mission trip guide. He opens the doors of his home every spring break to house dozens of traveling students.

Pastor John Cantele of Peace Lutheran Church in Oxford hands over the reigns to Schultz, whenever he is unable to attend services.

“As much as he’s a professional, he’s generous,” Cantele said.

Regina Tutor, activities director at the Mississippi State Veterans Home in Oxford, works alongside Schultz when he volunteers his time for events such as bingo and dominoes. The veterans home also invited Schultz to speak at their recent Flag Day ceremony.

“He comes at least once or twice a week and does devotions, leading songs and simple exercises like ‘Reach for your Blessings’ and ‘Kick the Devil Out’ for the residents,” Tutor said. “The residents really enjoy spending time with Mr. Brad.”

Furthermore, he maintains an open-door policy for Ole Miss students who come looking for guidance in their personal walk with God.

“And they do come,” he remarked. “That’s a joy. I’ve cried with students in my office.”

“If I can reach one student like that, and help them, that’s worth all of this — all the books, all the (films). It’s more than that,” he said. “I have an incredible desire to help young people as they go through the same walk I went through.”

As of now, he says those heart-to-heart experiences with students do not come very often.

In his future, he is open to following a life of evangelism full-time, if he feels God calls him to explore that option.

Luckily Schultz feels his superior grasp of broadcast communications and leadership can be considered a form of ministry, although it is important to him to be clear that he seeks to meet students who represent all skill levels and all religious perspectives.

“I’m not Bible-thumping here,” he said.

“I think that God has called each of us in our vocations to live a life that is in obedience to His will and that gives Him glory.”

The author is a 2015 Meek School graduate from Memphis, Tennessee.

HighLights

KATHLEEN WICKHAM

By Samantha Mitchell

Many University of Mississippi students know her as a hardworking professor and a diligent mentor. What many do not realize is some of the hard work she has put forth in her research and teaching, as well as the legacy that will follow her.

Wickham has been teaching at the University of Mississippi since 1999.

Since her arrival, the program has undergone many changes, including the name change to the Meek School of Journalism and New Media, more course offerings and a larger and more diverse faculty. The school has a lot of energy.

Wickham is known for her research on the 1962 integration riots and the memorialization of French journalist Paul Guihard.

“[Paul Guihard] was a French reporter who was murdered on campus during the 1962 integration riots — and when I say murdered, he was shot in the back from a foot away,” Wickham said.

She recounted her fascination with the history behind the shooting during the 40th anniversary of the integration riots and how she had been astonished that when it came time to talk about Guihard in any historical reference, he received only a short paragraph.

“Through further research, I discovered that he is the only known reporter to have been killed during the civil rights era,” Wickham said. “That led me on a quest to find out more about Paul and his life.”

Wickham’s research led her to locate Guihard’s brother in France in order to attain family photographs and more information on Guihard’s life. Her research was published in Journalism History.

Based on Wickham’s work, the Society of Professional Journalists has named the campus a historical site in journalism, in honor of the 300-plus reporters who were on campus covering the enrollment of James Meredith in the fall of 1962. Her work also led to a dedication of the Paul Guihard bench on the Sorority Row side of Farley Hall.

“The memorial of Paul Guihard — that’s what I would like to be remembered for,” Wickham said. “He had been forgotten.”

Wickham has published four books, including Math Tools for Journalists, which was written to help journalists conquer their fear of math and write more accurate stories.

Her book, Miracle in Mississippi: The Role of the Clarion-Ledger in the Adoption of the 1982 Education Reform Act, explored the relationship between the Jackson newspaper and the legislature in the adoption of groundbreaking education reform.

Originally from New Jersey, Wickham moved to Memphis for family reasons and was offered an opportunity to teach at The University of Memphis while working on her master’s degree. She subsequently was hired as an instructor. She also earned her doctorate at the university. After teaching in Memphis for more than 15 years, she joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi.

“I like challenges,” Wickham said. “Keeping up with the technology, it’s part of the job. Being aware of the trends in journalism, that’s not a challenge. It’s what I love to do. I have a passion for journalism, and I like to share it with my students.”

Wickham was drawn to journalism in college during the Vietnam War protests.

“I was always conflicted between what I was reading in the newspaper about what the government officials were saying, and what my professors were telling us,” Wickham said. “What I wanted to know was the truth, and I discovered that the only way you could do that was to cover the stories yourself.”

After college, Wickham worked for several small newspapers and honed her skills as an investigative reporter. She eventually was hired by The Newark Star-Ledger, a statewide newspaper. Her assignment was to cover Atlantic City as it became the first venue

outside of Las Vegas to allow casino gambling.

She relates the nature of her work as a reporter to her assignments during her college years covering the Vietnam protests.

“Journalism is the keystone on which the country operates,” Wickham said. “This starts with the Founding Fathers calling for a free and independent press to monitor the acts of the government.”

That kind of passion for the art of journalism, as well as investigative reporting, has continued in her teaching of advanced reporting, media ethics and other news writing classes. These classes call for students to add data to their stories, collecting relevant information for sidebars, and creating webpages based on student research.

“I always said to myself, where do I want to be in 10 years,” Wickham recounted. “I wanted to be the news editor. Well, in advanced reporting, I am the news editor. I’m working with the students on their stories. I’m coming up with ideas and sources. It’s just a different venue.”

Brad Schultz, professor in the Meek School of Journalism and New Media, said, “[Dr. Wickham] is extremely passionate in what she does, and that comes across to her students.

“She demands high quality and cares about her work, and she has done some extremely impressive work — especially the work she’s done with SPJ and bringing recognition to the campus.”

In 2008, Wickham received the Outstanding Campus Advisor Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for her work and dedication. She says that is her most highly regarded award.

“It was generated by the students, and it was really a recognition of their work,” she said. SPJ on the Ole Miss campus was the Outstanding Student Chapter in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

When asked about Wickham’s work, fellow journalism colleague Joe Atkins said that, “Dr. Wickham has devoted an amazing amount of energy to SPJ activities and student membership over the years to the point she is practically synonymous with SPJ on this campus.”

The author is an integrated marketing communications graduate student from Tampa, Florida.

HighLights

Assistant Professor Vanessa Gregory was an invited speaker on the topics of narrative nonfiction and multimedia journalism in June at the conference of the American Horse Publications, a magazine industry group. One of her essays was reprinted this year, alongside the work of such authors as Curtis Wilkie and P.J. O’Rourke, in the collection “Good Dog: True Stories of Love, Loss, and Loyalty,” published by HarperWave. Her latest essay about Horn Island, a federally designated wilderness off the Mississippi coast, appeared in the February/March issue of Garden & Gun.

Darren Sanefski created the entire visual brand for two new magazines, Doctors Life (now renamed Physicians Life) and New York Horse, for which he since has been hired as the art director and has completed an award-winning first year of publications. Sanefski redesigned, developed and launched the website efrental.com for Express Furniture Rental headquartered in Southern California. In the fall, he brought the Society for News Design’s “Digital Boot Camp” to the Meek School. He and students in the Meek School’s first Digital Publishing class designed and published an interactive version of Land of Plenty, available for download to the iPad on iTunes. In February 2015, he continued as the “Lead Facilitator” for the most coveted category, “World’s Best,” during SND’s 36th Annual Creative Competition in Syracuse, New York.

James Lumpp was a member of an Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications site visit team to San Diego State University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies February 8-11, 2015.

Senior Lecturer Robin Street, APR, was presented the Professional Achievement Award, the highest award given, by the Southern Public Relations Federation in September. Street, who had previously been named Mississippi’s winner, competed with winners from other SPRF-member states. Educators rarely receive the professional award. However, the judges, who remain anonymous, commented, “Ms. Street’s achievements are stellar. She is innovative in her field. She is continually engaged in professional development. Her awards and accomplishments are well above what would be outstanding.” In a separate SPRF competition for public relations works, Street also won three awards for communication programs and feature writing.

“Blood In My Eye,” a new production by Mykki Newton , video editor for the Meek School of Journalism and New Media, and Louis Bourgeois of Vox Press of Oxford, premiered at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics. The documentary intersperses scenes from the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s with the provocative language of Eldridge Cleaver, the Black Panther leader who wrote “Soul On Ice;” novelist and essayist James Baldwin, the author

of “The Fire Next Time;” and other black writers.

Dr. Kristen Alley Swain represented Ole Miss at the Planet Forward “Feeding the Planet” summit in Washington, D.C. Using a grant, she developed an explanatory writing module for three core journalism courses, taught a new health communication seminar, and was tenured and promoted to associate professor. Swain published her work in Health Security, Health Communication, Journal of Risk Analysis and Crisis Response, Handbook of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, and Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies. She also presented her work at the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences, Society for Risk Analysis, and University Transportation Center conferences.

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