The first doctoral student in the College of Media & Communication recently became another “first” this past spring. He became the first former doctoral student from the college to earn tenure.

Sufyan Mohammed recently earned tenure and a promotion from assistant professor to associate professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. Mohammed was the first student to earn a doctorate in Mass Communications from the CoMC in 2008, after also completing his master’s studies at Texas Tech.

Mohammed said he decided to apply to the University of Scranton due to its location. He said he enjoyed his time in Texas but he wanted to get back to the East Coast.

“I came from India to America in 2000,” Mohammed said. “I lived in New York and really liked the East Coast. I always wanted to come back to live near New York City and Washington, D.C. I wanted to be in a small city but near a large city for business and things. I really like the people here and I really like the college.”

Howard Fisher, assistant professor at the University of Scranton, said he has known Mohammed for close to a decade after the two first met while master’s students at Texas Tech. Fisher said Mohammed helped him get his current position at the University of Scranton. He has enjoyed the opportunity to get reacquainted with Mohammed.

“Sufyan was hired at the University of Scranton the year before I was,” Fisher said. “Sufyan saw my name come through on the list of applicants and recommended that the communication department bring me in for an interview. This was the first time I had seen Sufyan since I had graduated from Texas Tech. It was fun to reunite with him.”

Fisher said Mohammed’s situation is unique. He said it proves how dedicated Mohammed is to teaching and how valuable Mohammed is to the university.

“The unique thing about Sufyan going up for promotion at the same time as tenure is that the standards for tenure are usually lower than the standards for promotion,” Fisher said. “It is usually easier to receive tenure than promotion so it shows how Sufyan went above and beyond the requirements. It is very commendable.”

Fisher said Mohammed is one of the more popular professors at the University of Scranton. Fisher said he has noticed how much students enjoy Mohammed’s classes while observing Mohammed teach.

“We have had the opportunity to be special speakers in each other’s classes,” Fisher said. “It would not be misrepresentative to say that Sufyan’s students adore him. He has a very laid back manner with his students. He starts every class by walking in and yelling ‘What’s up, slackers!’ The students just eat that up and they love that he jokes with them.”

Fisher said Mohammed brings some of the lessons Mohammed learned during graduate school into the undergraduate classroom at Scranton. He said Mohammed uses these lessons to better educate students at Scranton.

“Sufyan teaches many of the same statistics that were taught to us during graduate school,” Fisher said. “Sufyan even requires his students do statistics by hand at the beginning of the semester, like Dr. Callison taught us during graduate school. However, Sufyan can bring this material to a level so that undergraduate students can grasp it so quickly.”

Mohammed said having the right mentor was a large part in helping him on his academic journey. He said having someone to turn to for advice can make things easier during and even after college.

“You have to find the right professors in your university,” Mohammed said. “For me, it was Dr. Callison. Dr. Callison has helped me big time. He is an expert in data analysis and has continued to help and give me advice long after I graduated. A good mentor can help you, guide you, and be there for you.”

Mohammed said students also need to be serious about their studies. And having goals and being organized along the way can help students succeed.

“You also need to understand that earning a doctorate is not easy,” Mohammed said. “It is going to be a lot of hard work. You need to set small goals for yourself. It can be easy to divide and conquer when you set these small goals."

Coy Callison, associate dean for graduate studies in the CoMC, said he originally met Mohammed while the later was a student at Texas Tech. He said he initially got to know Mohammed through mutual interests.

“I met Sufyan when he was a master’s student here,” Callison said. “He was interested in some of the same things that interested me in terms of corporate public relations at the time.”

Mohammed said he has continued to stay in touch with friends and faculty at Texas Tech. One member of the CoMC faculty even received a special phone call from Mohammed after the promotion.

“The first phone call I made after getting my letter of promotion was to Dr. Callison,” Mohammed said. “I am still in touch with quite a few of my former professors from Texas Tech.”

Callison said he has continued a relationship with Mohammed after Mohammed left Lubbock. He said he has stayed in touch with Mohammed on both an educational and friendship level.

“I run into Sufyan at conferences,” Callison said. “We have kept up a relationship as research partners throughout the years. We also call each other once every couple of months to check in with each other.”

Even after his promotion, Mohammed said he does not plan to slow down in the classroom or in his research. Mohammed plans to continue working and hopefully become a full professor in the future.

“Since my promotion, I cannot be promoted again for a few years,” Mohammed said. “My immediate plans are to complete a bunch of research, a bunch of service, and a lot of good teaching. These are the promotion requirements at Scranton. Then I will hopefully apply to become a full professor in six years.”

Callison said that he could see a busy career ahead for Mohammed. He can possibly see Mohammed becoming the head of a department and eventually becoming a full professor.

“I like seeing good people succeed,” Callison said. “Sufyan has a good sense of humor and a great personality. I have enjoyed working with him in the past, and it is great to see him be so successful after leaving Texas Tech.” mc

(Preston Redden graduated in 2015 with a Master of Arts degree in Mass Communications and in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.)