ALL IN A YEAR
ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2019-2020
In 2019-2020, C&IS made great progress toward our strategic priorities, and I am proud to share the highlights of our success with you.
The College of Communication & Information Sciences (C&IS) is approaching the final year of our 5-year strategic plan developed in 2016 and the progress we have made toward our five strategic priorities is significant. Our faculty and staff have approached the plan with focus, creativity, collaboration and lots of hard work. Each year, we develop strategic action items that align with these priorities and we continue to exceed our goals. Despite the challenges this past semester related to COVID-19 and a transition to remote learning and working, C&IS faculty and staff persisted and I am proud of the College’s accomplishments during the 2019-2020 academic year. This publication, All in a Year, highlights some of the achievements related to each of our strategic priorities in the last two semesters. Additionally, you will read about the awards and rankings this year that contribute to our continued success in recruiting outstanding students, faculty and staff into the College community. Above all, our focus remains on the people who make C&IS such a special place. We have been reminded, during this trying time, that the C&IS family is a special one, and our accomplishments are only worth celebrating because of the individuals behind the achievements and the constituents who benefit from them. Thank you for supporting and contributing to this success and we look forward another great year in C&IS!
Mark D. Nelson, Ph.D. Dean and Professor
Enhance the Research Culture
$325,000 RENOVATION ENHANCES C&IS RESEARCH This year, significant improvements to the C&IS Grant Writing Institute enhanced meeting and laboratory space for both the Institute for Communication and Information Research (ICIR) and the Office for Graduate Studies. “We are in a place within C&IS where there is a lot of excitement and energy as it relates to research and creative activity,” said Dr. Kim Bissell, Director of the ICIR. “These renovations transform Reese Phifer into a space that fosters and facilitates collaborative, interdisciplinary research among our graduate students and faculty as well as with faculty across campus.” The improved functionality and aesthetics of spaces include: the Human Communication Undergraduate Research Lab, Child and Family Media Lab, Health and Biometrics Lab, Patient Simulation Lab, an Observation Room, an Interview Room, and a Focus Group Room. Additionally, C&IS added a collaboration room for faculty and graduate students, new shared office space for doctoral research and teaching assistants, a computer lab for graduate students, and a recruitment conference room for graduate studies. As C&IS continues to increase its research and creative activity each year, renovations like these can help propel faculty productivity and send a very clear message about the importance of C&IS research campus-wide.
UNDERGRADUATES GET RESEARCH EXPERIENCE Undergraduate student research is increasing at C&IS thanks to an abundance of collaborative opportunities and the investment of C&IS faculty members. Last spring, C&IS had one of the highest acceptance and participation rates in College history at UA’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference (URCA). For associate professor Dr. Darrin Griffin (communication studies), including undergraduate students in research is about exposing them to the complete research process from start to finish. “The whole point of undergraduate research is to dive on in,” said Griffin. “I tell my students, ‘You are never too young to learn something that I might have learned when I was a Ph.D. student. Why wait until grad school? Start early.’” New opportunities included a research-based study abroad course where students learned case study design and researched the culture of England and participation in the College’s Human Communication Laboratory. Beginning with curiosity and ending with a well-developed report, the undergraduate research experience at C&IS opens students’ eyes to the research world, eases their intimidation of the research process and equips them with a toolbox for additional research at the graduate level. RESEARCH GRANT SUBMISSIONS REACH NEARLY $6 MILLION The 2020 fiscal year is on pace to be an excellent year for C&IS external research funding. In fact, by May, research submissions at C&IS had increased by more than $4 million from the entire previous fiscal year to nearly $6 million in submissions. “As a college, we have made significant progress as it relates to a college-wide focus on the University’s external funding strategic priority,” said Dr. Kim Bissell, Director of the ICIR. “I am incredibly excited about all that we have going on in the College specific to external submissions, and I am thrilled when I see junior faculty actively pursuing external funding.” Several of the submissions were completed by members of the C&IS Grant Writing Institute, founded in 2019. Additionally, many faculty members submitted and continue to submit for external funding related to COVID-19. The overwhelming increase means C&IS’ passion for research is trending upwards.
Improve Internal and External Communities DIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM ALUMNI SPEAKERS CHART COURSE FOR C&IS STUDENTS The Discerning Diverse Voices Symposium on Diversity has a legacy at C&IS for intentionally creating space for diverse voices and conversations surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion. At the 11th annual symposium, a group of C&IS alumni joined the conversation to enrich the discussion for current C&IS students. The symposium committee created two panels, “Diversity in the Workplace: Mapping a Path to Success” and “Profiles in Courage: Strategies for Personal and Professional Resilience,” where eight C&IS alumni recruited by Debra Nelson (’80) and Eunice Elliot (’97) shared their experiences and their expertise with students. “We need more conversations like this. We need more time to speak to students to help them in their future careers,” said Kristina Hendrix, C&IS alumna. “They need to see alumni as a resource of people who were just in their shoes not too long ago.” These panels added an exciting new element to the annual symposium, and starstruck students gained the benefit of networking with diverse alumni who have blazed the trails ahead of them in a variety of fields. C&IS ALUMNI REVIEW PORTFOLIOS, GIVE MINERVA STUDENTS CRITICAL FEEDBACK For creative advertising students, the portfolio is their golden ticket into their industry. It’s the single most important factor in determining their potential of opportunities. Getting solid, critical feedback from industry professionals shows them what’s working and what’s not; it gives them clear direction and helps them find their voice. This year, C&IS hosted the first-ever public portfolio review for students in the creative advertising specialization, Minerva. C&IS alumnae Katie Greco and Vanessa Suarez from Luckie in Atlanta were present alongside several other professionals.
“I appreciate the leadership and support of C&IS in making this pipedream of mine a reality,” said Mark Barry, director of Minerva. “Minerva’s first public portfolio review was a huge success and I expect it to only get bigger and better as we continue to build on this momentum.” Feedback from alumni is especially significant for Minerva students because they understand exactly what the students are going through at any given point in the program. Barry said that this year was just the beginning and dreams for this event include it becoming an annual feature for local agencies who want to meet C&IS’ best and brightest in advertising and public relations. INDUSTRY IMMERSION GOES VIRTUAL The spring 2020 semester brought many industries around the world to a halt with challenges related to COVID-19. As a result, C&IS students, faculty and staff adapted the curriculum and student programs to the changing landscape. Industry Immersion, a program designed to mobilize students into big-city markets for alumni and professional interactions, was forced to rethink the logistics of the program in order to uphold the integrity of student experiences without the travel component. The program successfully went virtual in a matter of days. Virtual meetings were organized with a diverse group of companies from around the country, including New York Life, Ogilvy, CNN and the Golden State Warriors. Across eight sessions, 75 students met with professionals across the wide media spectrum. “Industry Immersion’s goal has always been to connect students with the people and companies they hope to transition to after college,” said Shannon Dunne, president of Industry Immersion. “Even through these unprecedented times, Industry Immersion has continued to do all we can to form those connections. Virtual meetings show students just how adaptive our industry can be, while still helping them form genuine connections with professionals across the nation.” With the transition to a virtual program, C&IS connected with new alumni, and students could “travel” by Zoom videoconferencing from San Francisco to New York immediately. The virtual sessions also made room for alumni in cities the program had not reached before and allowed more students to participate because there were no space restrictions in conference rooms. While the students didn’t get to experience the city like they do in the typical travel program, the students and the alumni were excited about connecting virtually. C&IS will continue to offer a version of this experience moving forward.
Promote Diversity, Equity, Leadership & Service
C&IS LAUNCHES INAUGURAL STUDENT LEAD RETREAT Last October, a group of C&IS leaders traveled to Panama City Beach, Florida for leadership development and experiential learning at the inaugural C&IS Student Lead Retreat. Four C&IS faculty and staff members led students through an interactive curriculum of leadership programming that encompassed communication, diversity and collaboration. “This retreat lit a fire in me, and I took away so much from the workshops and activities,” said Dominique Satterwhite (senior, telecommunication and film). “The trip facilitators were so willing to help us learn and taught us how to embrace the things that may divide us, to help us reach a common goal.” Throughout the weekend, 46 students connected their leadership experiences in C&IS and developed a network of peers who understand their individual and group impact. Group workshops, team building exercises, breakout sessions and personal reflection united the students, and challenged them to share their experiences upon returning to campus. The goal of the program is to develop leadership skills in students across the college who can go back to other student organizations and programs and contribute in new and different ways, mentoring their peers along the way.
UAPRSSA WINS BIG AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Last fall, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter at The University of Alabama was honored with multiple chapter and individual awards at the PRSSA International Conference in San Diego. In addition to being named a PRSSA Star Chapter, UA’s PRSSA chapter also received the Teahan National Chapter Awards for Chapter Diversity and C&IS instructor, Tracy Sims, was named Outstanding Faculty Adviser. “UA’s executive board has actively worked to seamlessly integrate diversity and inclusion into our organization’s mission and activities since adding a vice president of diversity and inclusion officer position in 2017 and forming a diversity and inclusion committee in 2018,” Sims said. “It’s wonderful to have those efforts recognized with the Chapter Diversity Award.” These awards speak to the continued excellence of the student programs within C&IS, as well as the College’s commitment to promoting an environment that emphasizes diversity and inclusion, and encourages student leaders to effect change in their respective organizations. SLIS BOOK BONANZA REACHES NEARLY $175,000 IN BOOK DONATIONS TO ALABAMA SCHOOLS Founded in 2009 by School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) faculty member Dr. Jamie Naidoo, the Book Bonanza for the Black Belt and Beyond book drive has donated nearly $175,000 in free, new books to local schools since its inception. The Book Bonanza programs addresses literacy needs in disadvantaged schools and areas across the state with special attention on the Black Belt Region of Alabama. The Black Belt is one of the poorest regions in the country and the schools often lack resources. This book drive has served the area for 12 years now. This year alone, SLIS donated more than $23,000 in new, free books to schools around Alabama. The five schools selected in 2020 received an average of $3,300 in books for their school libraries. SLIS also selected two winners for the Book Bonanza Beyond program, which serves a low-income private school in the Black Belt Region of the state, or a public school demonstrating significant economic need in an area of the state outside of the Black Belt.
Strengthen the National and International Profiles
C&IS RECEIVES LARGEST GIFT IN COLLEGE HISTORY This year, the College received a $10 million gift from the Holle Family Foundation, the largest in the College’s history. The generous gift pays tribute to Brigadier General Everett Holle’s dedication to his alma mater and his profound impact on the field of communication. In addition to funding the annual Holle Awards for Excellence in Creativity and Communication in perpetuity, the donation will establish the Holle Center for Communication Arts. The interdisciplinary center will support collaboration among departmental units in C&IS and promote creativity in communication and information. “The Holle name is synonymous with leaders in creativity and communication at the Capstone,” said Dr. Mark Nelson, dean of C&IS. “As the cornerstone of the Holle legacy, the Holle Center will distinguish itself nationally as a highly visible interdisciplinary platform that builds capacity for critical thinking, engenders empathy and prepares students to be active and engaged citizens capable of succeeding in any career path in the context of the digital age.” As a member of the C&IS Board of Visitors, Holle passionately invested in the success of C&IS students. In 2015, he established the Holle Awards for Excellence in Creativity and Communication to celebrate and reward student achievement in the areas of book arts, filmmaking, media writing, public speaking and screenwriting for students around the country. This competition will continue to expand to be a national competition in every category with the winners earning a $10,000 prize.
WHITE LIES PODCAST SOLVES COLD CASE, NAMED PULITZER FINALIST JCM instructors Chip Brantley and Andy Grace’s NPR podcast, White Lies, has received more than 11,000 listener reviews and holds an average rating of 4.5/5.0 on the Apple podcasting platform. Among a host of other podcasting awards, White Lies was named a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting bringing national and international recognition to the team of instructors. In 1965, a Boston minister named Jim Reeb was killed in Selma, Alabama for taking part in a protest organized by Martin Luther King Jr. After the men responsible were unjustly acquitted, the case surrounding his death was left unsolved, and many White people in Selma began to believe the lie that his death was at the hands of civil rights activists desperate for a White martyr. Grace and Brantley investigated Reeb’s death, and what they found changed the story forever. In their 7-part NPR podcast series, Brantley and Grace exposed the truth of Reeb’s death after more than a year of investigation. C&IS STUDENTS CREATE CONTENT, GAIN NATIONAL EXPOSURE AT ADOBE SALES CONFERENCE The 2019 Adobe Worldwide Southwest Sales Conference in Las Vegas offered two C&IS students and one faculty member an experience unlike any other. Adobe invited Dylan Lanas (senior, public relations), Dominique Satterwhite (senior, telecommunication and film), and Janet Walker, an instructor in advertising and public relations, to work alongside students and faculty from all around the country. “Each day, I brushed past and networked with professionals not just from across the US but from places like Barcelona, Melbourne and Taipei,” said Lanas. “I received multiple ‘Roll Tides’ in Vegas, but most importantly we were recognized for creating content that exceeded expectations and energized the crowd.” The team provided Adobe’s internal conference community with content that showcased their talents. Their time in Vegas proved to establish a reputation for C&IS in the national academic community through the partnerships formed with fellow student creatives. Satterwhite filmed interviews and sessions, Walker photographed events, and Lanas created social media posts.
Cultivate High-Quality Academic Programs
PH.D. STUDENT APPLICATIONS GROWING AT RECORD PACE This year, Graduate Studies saw record growth after implementing new strategic recruiting tactics and emphasizing the expedited Ph.D. option. Student applications to the doctoral program increased 49% from the previous year, with approximately 15% of applicants taking advantage of the expedited program, a dual enrollment program where students earn a master’s degree and doctoral degree. As C&IS works to cultivate high-quality academic programs and increase research and creative activity, doctoral students are critical to the research and teaching of the College. As application numbers rise, the C&IS doctoral program becomes more competitive and the legacy of excellence will grow even stronger. “Our doctoral program enrollment is rising along with the number of graduate faculty who support it,” said Dr. William Evans, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in C&IS. “The program is positioned to thrive for years to come. It is testament to the strengths of our students and faculty that our program continues to attract students nationally and internationally.”
SLIS PRESERVES MEDIA HISTORY This year, the School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) played a critical role in an ambitious nationwide preservation effort to digitize media content. In partnership with the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB), SLIS hosted and funded all four of the preservation fellows from around the nation on-campus during the fall semester. Fellows worked at one of three public broadcasting stations to digitize and preserve at-risk media, including the Center for Public Television (CPT) at The University of Alabama, WSRE in Pensacola, Florida and WCVE in Richmond, Virginia. “By tapping into the expertise of professional archivists, we are preparing our fellows for the critical work of protecting local media and ensuring that these records of our past are accessible in the future,” said Dr. Jim Elmborg, Director of SLIS. According to AAPB, each of the four interns digitized over 60 hours of content during their fellowship that will help preserve valuable knowledge for years to come. JCM EXPANDS LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN MASTER’S PROGRAM A new collaborative effort between the Department of Journalism and Creative Media (JCM) and the Digital Media Center (DMC) gives master’s students new experiential learning opportunities. This past year, in a revision to the internship component of the master’s program in journalism, JCM made a transition to give students more experience in multimedia journalism. By moving the internship portion of the program to the Digital Media Center from the Anniston Star, students now gain more multimedia journalism experience, including digital, broadcast and audio journalism. The transition of the internship program also helps the program stay updated with the trends of an ever-changing industry. “The Digital Media Center gives our journalism students opportunities to work in radio with one of America’s best local public radio news operations, to work in television news in a Top 45 market, and to work as reporters and writers with our online platforms,” said Dr. Chris Roberts, an associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Creative Media. “They will come away with important and varied skills that are vital across all news delivery platforms.”
Completed full renovation of the first-floor production studio, allowing students and faculty to have a more productive creative experience CPT earned 6 Southeast Emmy nominations for work produced by students, faculty and staff Alabama Forensic Council won 6 individual national championships in speech and debate Senior Journalism student James Olgetree earned a second-place finish in the annual William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program, the highest finish ever for a C&IS student Minerva students won a Bronze Pencil award from the One Show’s Young Ones student competition for the “Free Speech Whopper,” the second in the past four years for Minerva students SLIS donated more than $23,000
worth of books to public school libraries in Alabama
Capstone Agency generated $51,000 in pro-bono client work through CreateAThon, a 24-hour pro-bono marketing marathon
ALL IN A YEAR Erica Howie and Gabrielle Waller were named in the 2020 class of the
AAF’s Most Promising Multicultural Students Program VIDA Magazine won a Pacemaker
Award from the American College Press
Two APR students were finalists for the PR Week Most Outstanding Student Award, the fourth year in a row to have at least one finalist from C&IS The Communicator magazine earned a gold
medal from CASE District 3
Awarded $278,619 in departmental and college-wide scholarships Granted 692 undergraduate degrees and 191 graduate degrees Faculty produced 230+ scholarly publications Alumni and Donors gave $11
million+ to support C&IS
Awarded 883 degrees at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels Logged thousands Awarded $5.7
of hours in community service through various courses
million in research grant funding submissions through May 2020
Served students with 17,000+ hours of experience in the digital media center Educated 1200 students in the art of public speaking and led 55 on-campus workshops
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