School of Journalism and Media Studies, School of Communication, and School of Public Affairs
Fiscal Year 2023-2024
Dear Donor,
The School of Journalism and Media Studies, the School of Communication, and the School of Public Afairs faculty and students are deeply grateful for the philanthropic support provided over the past year.
Your support has enabled us to send both undergraduate and graduate students to the annual conventions of the National Communication Association and the Western States Communication Association. These professional development and networking opportunities are critical for students making classroom-to-career connections, regardless of their career path.
Our faculty and students were also quite creative in making connections between coursework and larger research issues. For example, The Center for Communication, Health, and the Public Good worked with the Health Communication Student Organization to host the inaugural Health Narratives Showcase in the spring semester, generating stimulating health communication research and practice conversations across student cohorts, faculty, and alumni.
Thank you for your generous gifts that are life-changing for our students.
Heather Canary, Ph.D. School of Communication Director Professor
Changing Lives through Program Support
John L. Baldwin and Shawn A. Baldwin Scholarship for Journalism Excellence
The John L. Baldwin and Shawn A. Baldwin Scholarship for Journalism Excellence will provide students with fnancial support to allow them to focus on their studies.
Group of students visiting set
Living the Aztec Experience
Isabel Annalia Villegas-Glang, Class of 2024
Class Level: Undergraduate Student
College: College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts
Major: Communication
My educational journey would not have been so successful without the help of scholarships.
Through receiving generous support from scholarship donors, I was able to work at the most part-time, allowing me to spend more time engaging with school work.
When I became an undergraduate research assistant in my fnal year, I found my passion for communication research. Following through with this opportunity would not have been possible if I had not been a scholarship recipient, as the additional funds allowed me to maintain most of my focus on school and my college experience rather than work.
I chose to come to SDSU from out-of-state because of my interest in the School of Communication undergraduate program, and without the support of scholarships, my education would not have been possible; my family and I are incredibly grateful for the opportunities presented to me.
“ ...without the support of scholarships, my education would not have been possible. ”
Crystal Nguyen, Class of 2024
Class Level: Graduate Student
College: College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts
Major: Communication
As a child of immigrants and a frst-generation college student, every decision I made was made with intention, aiming to honor the sacrifces of my family, and set myself up for future success. Thus, my decision to attend SDSU for my graduate education was purposeful. However, I could not have anticipated how rewarding, fruitful, and transformative my time at SDSU would truly be.
I’ve had the opportunity to learn from and alongside some of the top academics in their feld, establish lasting friendships and professional relationships, and expand my experience and knowledge as an emerging scholar.
I would not have been able to accomplish what I did without the generous support of scholarship donors, who invested in my potential and believed in my ability to succeed. Their generosity has alleviated my fnancial burden and provided me with the confdence and resources needed to excel in my studies and research. For this, I am deeply grateful to the school and the donors who have played a pivotal role in shaping my future. Their support has made a profound impact on my life, and I am committed to using the opportunities they’ve provided to make a diference in the world.
I am deeply grateful to the school and the donors who have played a pivotal role in shaping my future.
Celebrating Shared Success
Recent Rankings
SDSU Ranked #105 in National Universities Ofering a Communications Major, US News & World Report
Ranked 10th Best Communication and Media College in California for 2024 by Universities.com
Ranked 6th Best College for Communications for 2024 in California by Niche.com
Statistics of Interest
JMS Students have a 70% graduation rate in 4 years compared to SDSU's overall rate of 57.9%
School of Communication: Over 950 undergraduate and graduate majors
Over 4,200 frst-year SDSU students take COMM 103, Oral Communication, each year
The graduation rate for frst-year students is 75%, and equity gaps for underrepresented minority students have been completely eliminated over the past four years
Recent Highlights
JMS has launched courses to help train the next generation of investigative journalists, including courses in both investigative and solutions journalism.
The School of Communication has over $1M in external research funding for School of Communication Principal Investigators
The SDSU Global Campus BA in Communication degree completion program has grown from 13 students when it launched in January 2021 to 185 students in Fall 2023
Helping to Build a Brighter Future
Rati Kumar, Ph.D.
Title: Assistant Professor, School of Communication College: College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts
Achievement: Dr. Kumar’s recent scholarship focuses on refugees and migrant-workers, and in communities and families afected by mass incarceration.
Drawing on her ethos as a former student-athlete and law school graduate, she is enthusiastic about action-oriented, community-based, and policy-focused research. She currently serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Applied Communication Research and is the lead editor for a Frontiers in Health Communication Research Collection.
Under the guidance of Dr. Rati Kumar, graduate students from our Politics of Health Communication seminar embarked on a transformative research project.
Their focus is on brownfelds, the underutilized lands negatively afected by perceptions of contamination and pollution. They embraced a culture-centered perspective, immersing themselves in the National City community to conduct a needs assessment.
Through interviews, they gauged the community’s understanding of brownfelds. The insights gained from these interactions will serve as the foundation for a comprehensive media campaign. By using a health communication lens to examine the data, students highlight the critical link between health and environmental justice. This project serves as a pivotal moment for our students, ofering them a unique opportunity to understand community work that transcends the confnes of class readings while at the same time demonstrating solidarity with the National City community members' lived experiences.
Aztec Forensics
During the 23-24 academic year, the SDSU Forensics team attended many tournaments in several regions.
In the fall, the team hosted the frst-ever Forensics Showcase in the new Bernstein Theatre, Home of the SDSU Speech & Debate Team. We hosted the annual Gaske Memorial Tournament during the weekend of Feb 3-4, with awards ceremonies held in the Bernstein Theatre. The Bernstein Theatre served as an amazing central hub of the tournament , hosting programs from seven states. This was the largest and most regionally diverse tournament we have hosted since COVID, and we are excited to see what next year holds for us when we host again.
Senior Hunter McKelvey took sixth place in Dramatic Interpretation and received the prestigious PSCFA Scholar Award at the Pacifc Southern California Forensics Association's Spring Championship Tournament. Hunter has maintained a GPA over 3.85 while competing in forensics, which is a huge accomplishment.
Our debaters were also stars, with the team of Ryan Bartl and Spencer Simon coming in 11th in the nation at the NPDA National Championship Tournament in March.
On a fnal note, the donations of our amazing alumni helped multiple students who would have otherwise been unable to stay on the team. Through the new Bernstein Forensics Endowment, the Gaske Endowment, and the many Forensics donations and scholarships, our competitors and coaches have access to the fnancial support they need to compete on the national stage.
Thank you to those who have contributed to one or more of our Forensics funds!
