12/16/15

• The Hub@TTU was named a finalist in the College Digital News category of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2016 Crown Awards.

  Sarah Self-Walbrick, the Hub's graduate managing director, said this is the organization's first time competing in the Crown Awards, and she is excited that the site has been named a finalist in a category that judges overall content.

  "The Crown Awards recognize overall excellence, not just for one particular story, so it is nice to essentially be told that we are doing an excellent job," Self-Walbrick said. "It is very competitive, and we are just honored to be finalists. But, of course, we hope to win it all!"

  Miglena Sternadori, Ph.D., the faculty adviser for the Hub, described the Columbia Scholastic Press Association as an international organization affiliated with Columbia University in New York City, which is an Ivy-League university with one of the top journalism schools in the country.

  "I think it means that The Hub@TTU stands out as an online-only student publication in comparison to dozens or even hundreds of other such digital publications in the country," Sternadori said. "And this recognition is well-deserved because the Hub's content meets both high journalistic standards and the multimedia potential offered by its digital platform."

  In addition to being nominated for the award, one of the highlights of Fall 2015 was the Hub's partnership with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Sternadori said. The AJ agreed to print certain stories that were previously published on the Hub's website.

  "For students who see their stories published by a professional media organization, it is an enormous recognition of their work and a valuable addition to their portfolio," Sternadori said. "Most recently, the AJ ran Maddy McCarty's investigative piece, 'Changing a culture of assault.'"

  Self-Walbrick said she has watched the Hub grow and change immensely during the two years she has been involved, and she looks forward to watching it continue to develop in the coming semesters.

  "I hope the Hub continues to grow and produce astounding content," Self-Walbrick said. "I think the fact that we have been so successful with such a small staff says a lot, but I would love to see our staff and production numbers increase. But, for now I think we're headed in the right direction."

  Sternadori said the Hub is also working on a new investigative and features microsite looking at diversity on campus and in Lubbock that will be launched in Spring 2016.

8/19/14

• Former doctoral student Dane Kiambi, Ph.D., and Autumn Shafer, Ph.D., received the Ecquid Novi African Journalism Studies Best Paper Award for Journalism Research at the 2014 AEJMC conference in Montreal for their paper titled, "Country Reputation Management: Developing a Scale for Measuring the Reputation of Four African Countries in the United States." The paper was selected for the award from the submissions to the AEJMC International Communication Division's Open Paper Competition.

4/2/14

• Dr. Robert Peaslee, Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and Electronic Media, along with Dr. John Barkdull (Political Science), Dr. Kanika Batra (English), and Dr. Rich Rice (English) have been awarded a grant as part of the Transdisciplinary Research Academy to study the impact of international and intercultural programming among Texas Tech University students.
  
  They will be investigating outcomes of on-campus programming related to intercultural and global issues as well as issues around study abroad.

3/31/14

• Lily Luo, Ph.D. had her article, "The Internet and Agenda Setting in China: The Influence of Online Public Opinion on Media Coverage and Government Policy," accepted for publication in the International Journal of Communication.

2/13/14

• Tune in to the Univision Television Network on Feb. 16 to watch Alumna Virginia Stille (JOUR 2012) compete in the Final Round of Nuestra Belleza Latina.

2/6/14

• Kelly Kaufhold, Ph.D.,, has been invited to join a panel at the Broadcast Education Association Conference on April 6 in Las Vegas. The panel is, "Top Teaching Tips, How to Incorporate Mobile Journalism Techniques in Basic TV and Radio Reporting Courses."

12/19/16

• The panel of judges for the 2017 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards will include Robert Peaslee, chair of the Department of Journalism & Electronic Media in the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication.

  Peaslee is one of six judges chosen for the event, which is hosted by Comic-Con International. He described the news as "an unexpected but welcome honor."

  "To be considered alongside my fellow judges, some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry, is truly humbling," Peaslee said. "I plan to work very hard with them to compile the best possible list of nominees. The best part of being asked to judge the Eisner's is that you must read a ton of great sequential art—that's my kind of homework!"

  In addition to working as a professor and leading the JEM department at Texas Tech, Peaslee is the co-editor of works such as "Marvel Comics into Film: Essays on Adaptations Since the 1940s" and "The Joker: A Serious Study of the Clown Prince of Crime."

  The 2017 Eisner Awards will be held on July 21 at Comic-Con in San Diego.

10/27/16

• Texas Tech Student Part of Delegation Visiting White House Today -

  WASHINGTON D.C. - A Texas Tech student has been invited as part of a college radio delegation visiting the White House today.

  Amy Olivarez, a senior electronic media and communications major from Lubbock, is representing Texas Tech University and its college radio station KTXT-FM as part of an 18-member delegation of students from across the country to meet with White House officials to discuss college radio.

  The college radio delegation will have the unique opportunity to be credentialed members of the White House press corps and to interview with President Obama's top domestic policy advisers about college affordability as well as other issues of interest to students. The students may also have the opportunity to interview with other high-ranking officials in discussing the importance of college radio.

  The visit comes in anticipation of the upcoming College Radio Day on Nov. 4, where college radio stations across the country will unite and use the day to promote the benefits, opportunities and importance of college radio in the 21st Century.

  Olivarez works at KTXT-FM as the station’s social media director. She was also invited by Rob Quicke, College Radio Day founder, to serve on the national board to help promote College Radio Day via its social media platforms.

  More information on College Radio Day: http://www.collegeradio.org/college-radio-day/

  More information on KTXT-FM: www.ktxtfm.org

5/31/16

• Dr. John Velez will present his paper - "Examining educational and interactive elements in simulation interventions for reducing stigma toward Autism Spectrum Disorder" – at a pre-conference for the annual International Communication Association conference in Fukuoka, Japan this June. The pre-conference is entitled "Just Games"?

5/25/16

• Dr. Eko will present two papers at ICA: "Charlie Hebdo, the French and English language Media in Canada," and "Teletex and Videotext as early social media in France." He will also present as part of an AEJMC panel exploring how media law and policy are being shaped by global communication patterns and the extent to which media laws and policies are flowing across borders.
• Kaitlyn Kravik will soon be starting a full time production position with ESPN in Bristol, CT after working with the Texas Rangers and Dallas Mavericks for the past couple of years.
• May 2016 EMC graduate Daisy Brown was accepted into the creative MA program at National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taipei, Taiwan.