Another school year has begun with our usual vigor and excitement! To continue providing
an unparalleled quality of teaching in (and out of) the classroom and to advance our
research mission, CoMC has hired an additional 19 full-time faculty, bringing our
faculty population up to 76 this fall, the largest group in the history of the college.
See our new family picture below!
The expansion includes six replacement hires, six new hires, and seven faculty members
who transferred from the Rawls College of Business as part of an agreement for us
to teach the written communication course required for business majors.
Total CoMC faculty numbers for this fall now include 41 tenure-line faculty, 18 professors
of practice, 16 instructors, and one visiting professor. Over the last five years,
the number of college full-time faculty has more than doubled, from 36 in July 2013.
In addition, we are proud to report that Mr. Curt Langford, a 1990 CoMC alumnus, has
been selected as the incoming CEO of the Texas Tech Alumni Association to succeed Bill Dean, Ph.D.,
the current president and CEO. Dr. Dean will be retiring from the TTAA in December
after 40 years of service. We are delighted to report that he will return to CoMC
full time to continue to teach; we are grateful to be retaining access to his almost
50 years of knowledge and expertise.
David D. Perlmutter, Ph.D. Professor and Dean
CoMC faculty at the September 2018 retreat.
CoMC enjoys record student enrollment
The College of Media & Communication has increased enrollment this fall to 2,352,
a 13 percent rise from the same time last year, according to the Office of Institutional
Research.
"CoMC has seen amazing growth over the past five years," said Todd Chambers, Ph.D.,
associate dean of undergraduate affairs. "Although we've seen this tremendous increase,
we are still providing the best media and communication opportunities in the state
of Texas. It's exciting to be a part of CoMC right now!"
The escalating enrollment is repeated with the CoMC's graduate student population
– this segment grew 27 percent to 249 graduate students, making the college's expanding
graduate student population the largest it has been in the history of the college.
"Our staff and faculty are excited to help students build their futures, and I think
our whole college treats students with the personal touch as if they are in a much
smaller university," said Julia Heard Witt, senior director of advising and recruiting
for the college. "I'm proud to work here."
A summer with the Harris Institute
Héctor Rendón, Ph.D., has been hired as an assistant professor and the assistant
director of CoMC's Harris Institute for Hispanic & International Communication.
This summer, Héctor Rendón, Ph.D., began his position as an assistant professor for
the Department of Journalism & Creative Media Industries along with the position of
assistant director of the CoMC's Harris Institute for Hispanic & International Communication.
Since Texas Tech has recently become a Hispanic Serving Institution, Rendón hopes to combine his experiences and research of Hispanic and international
media to make a difference in the College of Media & Communication.
"I believe that currently one of the most important things we need to do as a society
is to promote cultural understanding between different communities," said Rendón.
"My research and teaching efforts are always in that direction."
Rendón plans to act as a resource and source of support for students who plan to tackle
projects involving Hispanic studies or research on international communications.
Additionally, Rendón hopes to use his seven years of experience as a journalist.
"I lived in three different countries and worked as a journalist for more than seven
years in several international outlets," he said. "This experience allows me to bring
a multicultural and pluralist perspective to the classroom."
Finally, Rendón is excited about the research opportunities that Texas Tech will present
to him.
"Texas Tech is one of the major research universities that promotes studies about
Hispanic media and international communication. At Tech, it is possible to conduct
relevant research that has a real impact to improve the quality of life of different
ethnic groups by creating mutual understanding," said Rendón. "In this sense, Texas
Tech and the Harris Institute represent one of the best places to conduct research
about Hispanic media and international communication."
Based on Rendón's success over the past summer, Kent Wilkinson, Ph.D., professor and
director of the Harris Institute for Hispanic & International Communication, is reassured
that the newest addition to the institute is prepared to back the internationalization
efforts of both the CoMC and the university as a whole.
"Dr. Rendón is a talented teacher and researcher who has the flexibility and experience
to approach courses and research topics from a variety of perspectives," said Wilkinson.
"He has studied and worked professionally in his native Mexico, Germany and the United
States."
While Rendón has made a splash within the college, the Harris Institute has had a
noteworthy summer of its own. To start the summer, Dr. Wilkinson co-taught a class
at the Universidad Panamericana in Guadalajara, Mexico with Ph.D. student Rosalynn
Vasquez. There, the institute hosted a Fourth of July picnic at the Universidad during
Wilkinson's course.
Back in the United States, the Harris Institute co-sponsored a Hispanic Media Breakfast
during the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass
Communication in Washington, D.C., in August.
This fall, the institute looks forward to Hispanic Heritage Month, occurring between
Sept. 15-Oct. 15 and is also preparing for a professional conference early next year.
"We are working on arranging the Harris Distinguished Lecture and planning for the
seventh Hispanic/Latino Media & Marketing Conference which we will co-host with the
University of Texas at Arlington, Feb. 21-23, 2019 in Arlington," reported Wilkinson.
CoMC Advising Team recognized for excellence
The CoMC Advising Team who were honored earlier this year.
The CoMC advising team was recognized for their quality service with the President's
Excellence in Academic Advising Award by the Division of Undergraduate Education and
Student Affairs at Texas Tech University.
As almost every undergraduate who's ever struggled with their class schedule knows,
advisers play an important role in their academic journey on campus, and CoMC students
are fortunate to have a stellar advising team ready to help them.
Academic advisers on campus are dedicated to providing students with the answers necessary
for successful completion of their college degree plan. Advisers are also dedicated
to providing support to any students who may be struggling under the stresses of undergraduate
life.
"Advisers are the ones who get the students into the college, and we're here to support
them from the beginning until the end," said Julia Heard Witt, M.Ed., senior director
of advising and recruiting at CoMC. "I really believe that we have the best advising
center on campus. We pride ourselves on not turning any student away from our office."
The CoMC advising team is comprised of seven professional staff: Julia Heard Witt,
senior director, Donald Ellis, assistant director, and advisers Kim Bergan, Rose Cruz,
Stacey Elliott, Lori Jones and Kathleen McGaughey. This team covers each of the CoMC‘s
seven different majors including advertising, communication studies, journalism and
others, and handles the inquiries of any of the 2,352 students in the college each
semester.
"We are certainly one of the busiest corners in the building," Witt said with a smile.
"The advising team handles an average of 30-40 students, which works out to about
five appointments a day for each adviser."
Despite such demand, the advising team continues to provide a high level of student
support, and they were recognized for providing "outstanding academic advising" through
an on-campus nomination process and the award committee's approval.
Only two awards are awarded each year.
CoMC students spend summer in Hollywood with alumnus
CoMC senior Sam Malone, one of two students to complete an internship in Hollywood.
This past summer, two students from the College of Media & Communication had the opportunity
to intern with Oops Doughnuts Productions, a successful entertainment production company
located in the heart of the movie-making district in Los Angeles. It's also a company
that was started by CoMC alum Andy Fickman and his producing partner Betsey Sullenger.
Senior Sam Malone, from Oklahoma City, Okla., is majoring in Creative Media Industries
with a minor in Dramatic Writing. Tierney Leonard is a junior from Mansfield, Texas,
and is also majoring in Creative Media Industries. Both of these students got to spend
three months in Hollywood learning about film production from a fellow Red Raider.
CoMC students Malone and Leonard found out about the internship through an email from
their adviser, and the students sent in their resumes and cover letters to be considered
for the position. After they were selected from the initial applicant pool and had
successfully completed their phone interviews, they received offers to join Fickman
for the summer internship program.
"My duties included reading film, television, and theater scripts and completing coverage
on them, while also doing pre-production research on certain projects like casting
lists, finding other films for influence, and organizing DVDs and props for inspiration
for Mr. Fickman," said Malone.
CoMC Junior Tierney Leonard, one of two students to complete an internship in Hollywood.
Malone entered the internship with the intent of gaining experience to advance himself
as a student and future job applicant.
"My goal was to learn as much as possible about Hollywood and the screenwriting process
while working as hard as possible to better my skills and knowledge of all things
film and writing," said Malone.
Leonard felt that her goal was for the experience to either confirm her passion for
this line of work or to encourage her to go in another direction.
"I knew before moving to Los Angeles that I wanted to work in the film industry; I
just wasn't sure what I wanted to do," she said. "I took this opportunity to learn
about several different career paths that I was interested in, in order to find out
what was the best fit for me."
In addition to gaining direction for her future career, Leonard believes that she
was able to acquire insight into the process of production and the way Hollywood functions.
"I learned a lot about the pre-production aspects of film and television. There is
a lot of work that goes into films and television shows before they are even made,"
said Leonard. "I also gained some clarity for my post-graduation goals."
After Malone graduates, he plans to find more opportunities to gain experience in
the film industry and eventually become a writer.
Leonard plans on moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the film industry as
well, and she hopes to find a position at a company similar to Oops Doughnuts Productions.
CoMC offers new Department of Professional Communication
CoMC's Kelli Cargile Cook, professor and chair of the new Department of Professional
Communication.
Although Kelli Cargile Cook, Ph.D., received her doctorate at Texas Tech in 2000 and
has been a Texas Tech professor of technical communication and rhetoric since 2009,
she is a new addition to the College of Media & Communication.
This fall, Cargile Cook will begin her role as professor and chair of the Department
of Professional Communication within the CoMC, which is both a new department and
a new major.
As Cargile Cook settles into her new position, she plans to brand the new department
as one that imparts knowledge from across all majors, rather than providing an in-depth
education in just one major.
“Graduates from our program will be trained to work as corporate and business communication
entrepreneurs, specialists and managers,” Cargile Cook stated. “They'll be able to
run their own communication businesses or manage an organization's communication needs.”
In addition to branding, Cargile Cook also plans to recruit students into the major
as she builds a curriculum that includes the internships and capstone courses that
will prepare students to enter the job market.
"The B.A. in Digital Media & Professional Communication is an interdisciplinary degree
program designed for students to understand the processes of communication, analyze
audiences and apply knowledge to solve problems facing media and communication industries,
companies and audiences," said Todd Chambers, Ph.D., associate dean for undergraduate
affairs.
While there are similar programs in the state, none mirror Texas Tech's program, Chambers
said.
"Industry demands and rapid growth in the College of Media & Communication were two
factors in thinking about creating the Department of Professional Communication,"
said Chambers. "Employers and industries report strong demand for students with digital
media and professional communication expertise. This new department will provide support
for students enrolled in the new B.A., Digital Media & Professional Communication
and affiliated faculty."
"Beginning in fall 2018, 13 different faculty will be teaching courses related to
professional communication, including faculty who teach the BCOM 3373 course for business
majors," Chambers added.
Cargile Cook looks forward to working with CoMC students and faculty alike as she
continues to empower and educate students to enter the job market as professional
communicators.
"Through my leadership and experience in academic program development, I hope to build
a department that can create successful professional communicators," said Cargile
Cook. "I want students to graduate from our program, find immediate success as professional
communicators, and then spread the word about how great TTU and CoMC are."
Contributors:
Liz Inskip-Paulk: Inskip-Paulk is editor-in-chief for the College of Media & Communication. She is also
an instructor within the college.
Taylor Plate: Plate is a junior public relations major from Allen, Texas.
Alexa Rosas: Rosas is a senior public relations major from San Antonio, Texas.
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