From the Desk of the Head
Maybe you just got back from ICA in Australia. Perhaps you’re planning for AEJMC in Philadelphia. Maybe you’re among the scholars with both conferences on their summer calendars! Even if you didn’t have travel plans, this summer probably hasn’t been as restful as you thought it might be.
I talk about rest and vacations a lot because we often don’t give ourselves the break – physically, emotionally – that we deserve. Even when we’re not actively working on research, we’re thinking about it. Even if we’re not teaching, we’re planning our classes. That’s why we do what we do; that’s how we got to where we are.
Know that the Commission on the Status of Minorities seeks ways to make your professional life a little easier – whether it’s providing fellowship and community, adding research papers to our portfolio or designing a Workplace Task Force that documents our standing as faculty, graduate students and other ranks.
That’s why I’m asking you to put one work-related Zoom on your summer calendar. Join us for our annual meeting on Thursday morning, July 25, 10:30 ET, 9:30 Central, 8:30 Mountain and 7:30 a.m. Pacific. We have a healthy roster, but we need more voices in the decisionmaking process. We need more people in our leadership pipeline. We want to ensure that we are representing your values and concerns.
It’s one Zoom that I hope you’ll find worth your time this summer. Here’s the Zoom link. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZAtdumuqz4jHNNYXzaBSxmOAZhbW5-Cs82x
I also hope to see all MAC members at our annual meeting on Tuesday, July 23, at 5 p.m. ET/4 CT/3 MT/2 PT. Here’s that link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZAtdumuqz4jHNNYXzaBSxmOAZhbW5-Cs82x
Stay cool and/or dry!
Carolyn Walcott, Ph.D. Editor Assistant Professor Clayton State University
Student-Faculty Mentorship Relationships: Tips on Mentoring Students from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds
By Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D., Baylor Vice Head, Commission on the Status of Minorities
Fostering diversity and equity is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and commitment. Cross-cultural mentoring programs advocate for appreciating and respecting other cultures and their perspectives. This may occur when programs foster an environment that encourages individuals to shift from perceiving other cultures as “different” or “wrong” to recognizing alternative ways to practice tolerance and acceptance.
In cross-cultural mentoring programs, this manifests in an atmosphere that supports and empowers students. Common goals include helping students from diverse backgrounds develop their academic skills, improving retention rates, and cultivating a support network to increase inclusivity and a feeling of belonging.
In addressing cross-cultural teaching and mentoring challenges, consider university deficits to develop a program that offers a supportive environment for diverse populations and sensitivity throughout when fostering cross-cultural mentoring. However, avoid top-down models by seeking diverse perspectives. Allow
students to participate in the program development process by ensuring each voice is heard and respected.
Another step in developing awareness of diversity and inclusion is educating ourselves about distinct cultures, backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives. Recognizing our unconscious biases and working to eliminate them helps make the learning environment more inclusive.
For example, pulling mentors and mentees from the same diversity group can encourage empathy between the matched pairs. However, crossgroup relationships can foster greater understanding between diverse cultures, which may suit the university’s goals. Programs maximize diversity by creating and increasing racial, social, cultural, and gender awareness mentoring approaches that embrace cultural diversity.
Other tips include:
Recognize and educate yourself on stereotypes, micro aggressions, and cultural biases.
We all have them. Be a lifelong learner. We can all learn and grow. Education is essential as you mentor students. They will be more aware in some areas than faculty.
We are addressing challenges encountered in cross-cultural teaching and mentoring. Listen and ask questions. Don’t assume
that all members have the same issues. Cultivate a caring environment.
Seek Student Feedback:
Regularly talk to students about their learning experiences and any barriers they may face. Attend panels and workshops about mentoring and effectively connecting with students from various cultural backgrounds. Be open to making changes based on this feedback to continually enhance the inclusivity of your classroom.
Seek Opportunities to Connect:
Look for opportunities to connect with a mentee, whether through informal or formal means. Informal mentoring can involve activities such as having lunch together, attending cultural events, or
having discussions after class. More formal methods could include serving as an advisor for diverse organizations. This can help students see you as an ally. Additionally, it’s important to listen to their concerns and make use of campus resources.
Collaborate with other faculty and staff. Work with individuals who have experience working with diverse populations.
Not all mentors and mentees make a connection; some matches are only for a season or a task— such as a thesis project. By taking these steps, educators can create learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and conducive to the success of all students.
Milestones to Celebrate
The CSMW echoes the celebratory symphony and extend congratulations to all its members who have achieved significant milestones recently. Below are three of our honorees.
Moody-Ramirez is AEJMC’s New VP
The Commission is delighted to celebrate with Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez as she prepares to take on the mantle of Vice President of the AEJMC beginning Oct. 1, 2024. The newly elected VP presented a platform based on diversity, inclusion and visibility of minority voices, while embracing a participatory culture based on the organization’s current work and trajectory. She ascends to the presidency for the 2025-2026 term. Dr. MoodyRamirez, department chair and professor at Baylor, is a champion of student-centered pedagogy as articulated in this edition’s featured article.
“I am excited to serve as the vice president of AEJMC, an organization that has had a significant impact on my academic career,” Dr. Moody-Ramirez said after being elected. “I am looking forward to working on the goals outlined in my platform.”
Milestones to Celebrate
Bland Named 2024 Lionel C. Barrow Award Recipient
By Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D., Baylor Vice Head, Commission on the Status of Minorities
Heartfelt kudos to Dorothy Bland, Ph.D., whom AEJMC has announced as the 2024 Lionel C. Barrow Award recipient.
Bland, a professor at the University of North Texas Mayborn School of Journalism, has devoted more than 15 years to helping students in higher education. Bland joined the UNT faculty in 2013 and brings over 25 years of media experience to the school, including being a reporter, editor, media/marketing consultant and publisher.
The Lionel C. Barrow Jr. Award for Distinguished Achievement in Diversity Research and Education is given annually by the Minorities and Communication (MAC) Division and the Commission on the Status of Minorities (CSMN)
“Dr. Bland embodies the qualities Dr. Lionel C. Barrow has long championed,” said Commission on the Status of Minorities Head Kathleen McElroy. “Her AEJMC colleagues frequently seek her advice on diversity-related issues, such as how to structure their course syllabi. She incorporates creative content into her teaching, inviting multiple speakers, discussing current events, and covering crises and trauma.”
In a recommendation letter for Bland, George Daniels, Ph.D., said that outside of her research, Dr. Bland emulates Dr. Barrow’s approach to teaching in developing courses that showcase the contributions of African Americans to the media.
“Dr. Bland has taken a global approach to much of her teaching. As part of her service, she has been among the founding members of the National Association of Black Journalists Academic Task Force in its second year. In her work, she reflects the legacy of Dr. Lionel C. Barrow in a big way,” Daniels wrote.
Bland takes Barrow’s legacy seriously. She met him when she was working in the news industry.
“I will never forget the day when Dr. Barrow walked into my office at USA Today and encouraged me to do more,” she said. “As a result, I got involved in the National Association of Black Journalists urban journalism workshop at Howard University.”
Bland has collaborated on dozens of research articles and conference presentations. Most recently, she coauthored the book Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategies: Learning from Journalism and Mass Communication Programs with Professional Impact, Strategies with Mas Biswas, Ph.D. It has been selected for the NABJ Authors Showcase for 2024.
“As a researcher, Dr. Bland has a high
expectation for data integrity, quality of writing, and depth of research,” Biswas said. “Her research goes beyond the issues of race, ethnicity, and media. She writes and does research on cutting-edge practices and technologies, such as AI in journalism and AI in journalism and communication education. She has been a prolific researcher with multiple peer-reviewed publications and conference papers each year.”
Maria De Moya, head of the AEJMC Minorities and Communication Division, also touts Dr. Bland’s commitment to promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.
“Her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our field extends across her teaching, research, and service,” she said. “Her unique and significant contributions to AEJMC are evident in her various roles, including her recent election to the Accrediting Council on Education in
Sharon Bramlett-Solomon, Ph.D., who nominated Bland (along with several other AEJMC colleagues) noted her sustained body of work dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion standards. “She is the ideal candidate for this award because of her outstanding scholarship, stellar teaching, and AEJMC leadership in journalism education,” she said. “Her 25 years of professional practice further underscore her qualifications for this prestigious award.”
As mentioned by her colleagues, Bland notes inclusion, diversity, equity, and access are carefully interwoven into her teaching, research and service. “It is an honor to win this award,” Bland said. “It openly recognizes the work that I have done throughout my professional and academic career. I am grateful.”
Daniels Selected to be Alabama Faculty Fellow
George Daniels, Ph.D.
The Commission extends congratulations to George L. Daniels, Associate Professor of Journalism and creative media at the University of Alabama, who has been selected as part of the inaugural cohort of UA Faculty Fellows Program. The two-year program gives up 10 UA educators the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of teaching and learning and do an in-depth update of one of their own courses.
“We are excited to introduce our inaugural class of Faculty Fellows,” said Dr. Claire Major, faculty director of the UA Teaching Academy. “These faculty members have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in teaching, and we look forward to supporting them in their professional development and contributions to the university’s teaching community and student learning.”
Over the next two years, Daniels will participate in networking, scholarship, mentoring and professional development opportunities while playing a pivotal role in providing instructional support for the UA Faculty community.
alliances
H.O.W.L Initiative enhances minority graduate student success
The Holt Official Watch List, or H.O.W.L. Program founded in 2016 to help women, students of color, and often first-generation students gain admission into post-graduate programs, has achieved major feats recently through its focused mentorship and student success initiative. According to H.O.W.L’s founder, Dr. Lanier Frush Holt, an Associate Professor at Ohio State University, he has witnessed significant accomplishments among his mentees who are part of the graduate school preparation program which he administers singlehandedly. These include full-time positions at Lincoln Financial Group, the NFL’s Detroit Lions as social media coordinator, and a federal judicial clerkship for the U.S. Southern District of Ohio.
In spring 2024, former HOWL mentees also graduated from law schools at UCLA, SMU, and the Masters of Public Affairs program at the University of Southern California (USC).
Previous mentees have attended or graduated from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, Columbia University, Virginia Commonwealth, Emory University, Georgia
Institute of Technology, the Medill School at Northwestern, the University of Chicago Law School, law school at Notre Dame, and several programs at The Ohio State University.
H.O.W.L has an undergraduate graduation rate of higher than 98%, and every student HOWL mentee who has attended a post-graduate program of any kind, has graduated. In spring 2016, HOWL had its 40th student admitted into graduate, MBA, or law school program.
In recent years, the foundation has broadened its scope of student mentees, but remains largely comprised of women and students of color.
This year, students were admitted into graduate programs at Wake Forest University, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, the Department of Communication at the University of California-Santa Barbara, and law school at the University of Minnesota
The Commission applauds Dr. Holt for leading this important mentorship initiative, and congratulates H.O.W.L. alumni and current mentees.
DePaul Creates Industry-Academy Link With New Fellowship Initiative
by Sydney Dillard, Ph.D., DePaul
I am delighted to announce the successful launch of the Visiting Industry Professionals Fellowship (VIP Fellowship) at DePaul University, a groundbreaking initiative that bridges the gap between academia and industry by bringing C-suite caliber professionals to our Public Relations and Advertising program. Made possible through a generous Quality of Instruction departmental initiative grant, the VIP Fellowship has already made a significant impact on student learning and networking opportunities.
This innovative program not only enriches classroom experiences but also extends learning beyond the lecture hall. Specifically designed to engage with industry leaders with a strong history of benevolent endeavors and sense of purpose grounded in shaping tomorrow’s trailblazers, VIPs not only share their wealth of knowledge but also provide real-world insights, mentorship, and curated experiences for students.
The fellowship infuses curriculum with current and new communication insights that meet the fastpaced challenges associated with industry trends by addressing three areas:
Career Advancement: Providing a unique opportunity for students to interact with and learn from seasoned professionals, the VIP Fellowship aims to catalyze career advancement by exposing students to real-world challenges and innovative solutions.
Industry Engagement: By bringing industry leaders into the academic environment, the fellowship fosters meaningful connections between academia and the professional realm. This engagement not only benefits students but also contributes to the ongoing evolution of industry practices.
Curriculum Enhancement: To ensure the program remains at the forefront of industry trends, the VIP Fellowship actively contributes to curriculum development. The infusion of up-to-date insights ensures graduates are well-equipped to navigate the fast-paced landscape of public relations and advertising.
Meet our Inaugural VIP Fellows:
Scott Farrell: Retired President of Global Communication at Golin - Bringing 45 years of public relations experience, including leadership at Golin, Farrell is an expert in crisis communications and international campaigns. His role at DePaul follows a distinguished career, and he continues to contribute to the academic community.
Lewis Williams: Executive Vice President, Head of Brand Impact at Weber Shandwick - With over three decades of Total Market and Multicultural consumer marketing experience, Williams has an extensive track record working with global brands. Recognized as an advocate for diversity and mentorship, he is committed to shaping the future of the communications industry.
Skylar Harris, May 2024 graduate, UCLA Law
Lailah Elliott, May 2024 graduate, SMU’s Dedman School of Law
Tonise Paul: Retired Chairman and CEO of Energy BBDO - A driving force behind 24 years of brand growth, Paul is not only a distinguished industry leader but also an advocate for female leadership.
This initiative underscores DePaul University’s commitment to providing students with a dynamic and industry-relevant education. The VIP Fellowship sets the stage for ongoing collaboration between academia and industry, creating a pathway for students to become the next generation of leaders in public relations and advertising.
I invite anyone in our CSM community to reach at sdillar2@depaul.edu if interested in learning more about the VIP Fellowship, replicating a similar program, or getting involved in shaping the future of student-industry collaborations. Together, we can continue to foster an environment where academic excellence meets real-world success!
Sydney Dillard is Associate Professor, Public Relations and Advertising & Academic Graduate Director of the Graduate Program in the College of Communication at DePaul University.
Conference Corner
CSMN Members to Present During 2024 NABJ Convention in Chicago
If you’re planning to attend the National Association of Black Journalists Convention this summer in Chicago, please make plans to attend two panels featuring members of the Commission on the Status of Minorities. Also, a book featuring two CSMN members will be part of the 2024 NABJ Author’s Showcase.
Former CSM Head Dr. Marquita Smith of the University of Mississippi is leading a panel titled “Next Generation Impact on the Media and Local News Scene” on Thursday, Aug. 1 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Also on Thursday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Dr. Smith joins Dr. George L. Daniels of Alabama and Professor Ryan Dearborne from Western Kentucky University for a panel titled “Assault on DEI: How Academic Arena is Engaging in the Fight.” This afternoon session will be moderated by the chair of the NABJ Academic Task Force, Dr. Libby Lewis of California State-Los Angeles.
During the conference, Mas Biswas, Loyola University of Maryland, and Dorothy Bland, University of North Texas, will have their book Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategies: Learning from Journalism and Mass Communication Programs with Professional Impact featured in the NABJ Author’s Showcase.
The 2024 NABJ Annual Convention and Career Fair takes place July 31-Aug. 4 and will culminate with a kickoff to the association’s 50th-year celebration that continues through the 2025 convention in Cleveland.
Commission’s AEJMC Panels
In an addition to its now-standard AEJMC conference programming, the Commission on the Status of Minorities has sponsored its research call for faculty- and student-led abstracts. The abstracts will be discussed in a high-density refereed session on Thursday, August 8, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Topic I is “Empowering the Silent: Effective Communication in the 21st Century,” with Cathy Jackson and Mia MoodyRamirez are discussant and moderator. Topic II, “Documenting the Challenges Marginalized Communities Face Using Various Platforms” focuses on the top submissions by faculty and students, with Kathleen McElroy and Carolyn Walcott as moderator and discussant.
Here are other panels involving the Commission on the Status of Minorities and a few related divisions:
Thursday, August 8
At 2:30 p.m., CSMN is the main sponsor, with the Commission on the Status of Women as co-sponsor, of the teaching panel titled “Experiential and Inclusive Pedagogy through Teaching Practice: Why Hackademics Matter.” Carolyn Walcott will moderate, with scheduled panelists and former journalists Dorothy Bland, Uche Onyebadi and Maha Bashri discussing
an industry-academy blend of teaching and learning to enable immersive experiences for students.
CSMN joins the Public Relations Division at 4:30 p.m. in presenting a PFR panel titled “Mentoring Across Differences: Best Practices in Mentoring a Diverse Pool of Future Professionals and Academics,” which explores “how mentoring can help bridge differences to champion students as young professionals.” Vanessa Bravo will be moderating, with the scheduled panelists Maria De Moya, Natalie Asorey, Mia Moody-Ramirez, Elishia Cohen and Natalie Tindall.
That panel coincides with one that might be of special interest to CSMN members: “Authors, Editors and Reviewers: Looking Forward” in which the AEJMC Publications Committee will discuss the research publication review process with authors, editors and reviewers.
Another interesting panel starts at 2:30 p.m., “Teaching Experts Are In: Preparing Educators for Teaching the Next Generation,” which includes Shearon Roberts, the 2023-24 Chair ESC Teaching, as well as Gabriel Tait, and Mia MoodyRamirez, both on the Standing Committee on Teaching.
Friday, August 9
Grab some coffee and attend MAC Awards meeting at 7 a.m., and honor the recipients of the awards honoring Félix F. Gutiérrez and Clint C. Wilson II, Lionel C. Barrow Jr. and the Barrow Minority Doctoral Student Scholarships.
Starting at 10:30 a.m., MAC and CSMN will host the teaching panel “Spanish-English Bilingual Journalism Practices: From College to the Newsroom.” Federico Subervi-Vélez will be moderating, and the scheduled panelists are Lourdes Cueva-Chacón, Jessica Retis, Ana Lourdes Cárdenas, Elio Leturia and Alejandro Alvarado Bremer. The panel will discuss “how new generations of Latino/a/x/e journalists are being trained in higher education institutions” and also “seeks to survey the most recent bilingual journalism news products to assess if higher ed is meeting industry standards and demands.”
Starting at 2:30 p.m., the Scholastic Journalism Division and CSMN will host a PFR Panel titled “Implementing Diversity in the J-School Newsroom: Part II,” which builds on the successful panel that Jesús Ayala moderated last year. The scheduled panelists are Keonte Coleman, Celeste Gonzalez de Bustamante, Rachel Grant and Nathian Rodriguez. As the panel blurb puts it, “Come learn from fellow educators and newsroom advisers who have successfully taught how to build cultural competency to diversify news coverage.”
At 4:30 p.m., CSMN joins the History Division in presenting the teaching panel “Lest We Forget: History and Inclusivity Are Fundamental.” Moderated by Lillie M. Fears, the scheduled panelists Earnest L. Perry, Cathy M. Jackson, Janice Hume, Sharon Bramlett-Solomon and Yvonne Cantrell-Bickley will discuss why
teaching media history and diversity are especially crucial in today’s political landscape, where such “courses are consistently facing adversarial forces from within and without academia.”
Saturday, August 10
At 8:30 a.m., CSMN joins the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Interest Group for the PFR panel “Building Bridges and Sharing the Spotlight: How Media Outlets Gain Trust and Share Stories of Historically Marginalized Communities.” With Harrison Hove moderating, the scheduled panelists Kalisha Whitman, Sharon Bramlett-Solomon and Gheni Platenburg will share “examples of initiatives or strategies to connect with marginalized communities and spotlight untold stories.”
At 2:30 p.m., Visual Communication and MAC present a PFR panel titled “The Role and Status of Minority Professionals in Visual Communication Field.” Yung Soo Kim will moderate, Gabriel B. Tate, Lisa Krantz, Deborah S. Chung will be panelists, and George L. Daniels and Sydney Dillard are scheduled to be discussants in a session that presents “a space for discussion and sharing of personal experiences from former minority (i.e., female and African American) photojournalists. They also will discuss “the theoretical foundations on the significance of diversity and inclusion in photojournalism and society.”
At 4:30 p.m., CSMN and the Commission on the Status of Women present a PFR panel titled “Defending Democracy with Ethical Leadership in Media.” Mary Bock will moderate and the scheduled panelists Lourdes Cueva Chacon, Kathleen McElroy, Thomas Durkin and Jingyao Yu will discuss that to promote
freedom and uphold democracy, news organizations must begin by addressing issues within their industry. The panel will offer examples and solutions.
Sunday, August 11
Starting at 9:30, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Interest Group and CSMN present “Teaching with Intersectional Inclusivity in an AI Age.” With Kay Colley moderating, the scheduled panelists Chelsea Reynolds, Shearon Roberts, Lyric Mandell, Celeste Gonzalez de Bustamante and Silvia DalBen Furtado will discuss the ways “stereotypes, implicit bias and microaggressions can negatively impact teaching and learning while offering “tools instructors can use the classroom to combat these and other inclusivity threats,” including their own implicit biases.
More on Our Research Panels
Session One: High-Density Refereed Research Papers (extended abstracts)
“Empowering the Silent: Effective Communication in the 21st Century”
Diverse foundations in mass communication: A critical pedagogical intervention
Presenters: Loren Saxton Coleman, Howard; Jayne Cubbage, Southern Mississippi; Cheryl Jenkins, Southern Mississippi
Mental health perceptions of underrepresented college students in U.S. higher education
Presenters: Tugce Ertem-Eray, North Carolina State; Eyun-Jung Ki, Alabama; Yezi He; Katelin Mueller, Alabama
Newsroom diversity’s evolution: a textual analysis of metajournalistic discourse
Presenter: Kayli Plotner Colorado, Boulder
Producing telenovelas to engage Latinos about Alzheimer’s Disease
Presenters: Jennifer Vardeman, Houston; Jeremy Cajina-Clarke, Houston; Luis Medina, Houston
Moderating/Presiding: Cathy Jackson, Norfolk State
Discussant: Mia Moody-Ramirez, Baylor
Session Two, Top Papers (extended abstracts): Documenting the challenges marginalized communities face using various platforms
Faculty top paper: Giving “Voice” To Inequity: Documenting the Professional Challenges and Adaptations of Journalistic Podcasters from Marginalized Background
Presenters: Kelsey Whipple and Catherine Hurley, Massachusetts
Faculty second-place: Will Using Live-Streamed Intangible Cultural Heritage Content Enhance Cross-Cultural Competencies And Reduce Anti-Semitism?
Presenters: Kenneth C. C. Yang, Texas at El Paso; Yowei Kang, National Chung Hsing University; Ge Lan, Filippo Gilardi, and Thomas William Whyke, University of Nottingham Ningbo China
Student top paper: Representation in Florida’s State Book Award Winners in an Era of Erasure
Via Lipman, Stanford (unable to attend)
Student second place: Focusing On Minority Groups: A Quantitative Study on The Attitudes of Diverse Minority Groups Toward ChatGPT
Presenters: Wenchang Wang, Yuqing Liu, Zhiyi Lin, and Wenxin Ouyang, Peking University
Discussant Carolyn Walcott, Clayton State
