A new chapter in ������Ƶ’s global sport education programming officially began Sept. 7 in Pistoia, Italy.

Five ������Ƶ students arrived in the Tuscan city as the inaugural cohort participating in the university’s partnership with Lumos Pistoia Basket 2000, a professional basketball organization, and the Accademia Europea di Firenze (AEF). Their arrival was marked by a from the club as the students prepare to begin a semester combining study abroad with hands-on experience in the professional sport industry.

As part of their initial visit, the students explored Pistoia’s historic center before making their way to LumoSquare, the 3,835-seat home of Pistoia Basket and a growing community hub. Accompanied by Professor Marco Bracci and Elisabetta Santanni, academic director of AEF/������Ƶ in Florence, the group toured the facility, met members of the club staff, and received a personal welcome from Pistoia Basket President Joseph Mark David.

The visit offered the students their first look at the organization, where they will soon become part of the day-to-day operations. Beginning in mid-September, they will work alongside Pistoia Basket staff on projects involving sport management, marketing and social media.

“This experience is over a year in the making and couldn’t have come together without the amazing work of our partners at AEF, especially Elisabetta Santanni and Marco Bracci,” said David Bockino, professor of sport management. “As we launch the partnership this semester, we’re already discussing how to make it accessible to more students moving forward. The reception on campus has been great – we have students lining up to participate in the future.”

A global professional experience

Announced last fall, ������Ƶ’s partnership with AEF and Pistoia Basket was developed in collaboration with the Department of Sport Management to expand experiential learning opportunities for students studying in Florence. It combines two hallmarks of an ������Ƶ education – global engagement and professional experience – placing students inside a European professional sport organization while they study abroad.

“This experience was the logical next step as ������Ƶ grows its sport-related experiences,” Bockino said. “As a university, we’re great at study abroad and at helping our students get internships. Why not put those two together? When these students eventually hit the job market, they’ll arrive with a true resume differentiator: an internship with a professional Italian basketball club that allows them to better understand sport from a global perspective.”

As part of a mentored, two-credit internship with Pistoia Basket, students will spend approximately 10 hours each week gaining practical experience in event operations, fan engagement, marketing, communications and social media. Their responsibilities will be tailored to their academic backgrounds and professional interests.

For example, students interested in media analytics may evaluate the club’s social media performance, while students studying sport management or strategic communications will work to increase Pistoia Basket’s visibility among college students studying abroad in Florence. Participants will also meet regularly with accompanying professors and complete applied and reflection-based assignments.

The cohort will also contribute to a video storytelling project designed to introduce Pistoia Basket to new audiences in the United States. Funded by the ������Ƶ Innovation Council and coordinated through ������Ƶ’s Sports Media Lab and ������Ƶ Sports Vision, the project will use footage captured by the students to tell the story of Pistoia’s 2026-27 season. According to Bockino, the resulting videos are expected to appear on ������Ƶ social media channels and during ������Ƶ Athletics broadcasts.

This fall’s inaugural cohort includes Robbie Pataky ’28, a strategic communications major; Amelia Weaver ’28, a sport management and media analytics double major; Riley Greenwald ’28, a sport management major; Olivia Tichnor ’28, a marketing major; and Max Edelstein ’28, a sport management major.

Qian Xu, professor of strategic communications and A.J. Fletcher Professor, collaborated with Cheng Chen, assistant professor at Oregon State University, on a study examining how AI conversational styles interact with users’ expectations of the roles AI should play.

Their article, “” was recently published in Behaviour & Information Technology, a peer-reviewed academic journal that focuses on human-centered information technology.

The experiment randomly assigned 137 college students to one of three Microsoft Copilot conversational styles of Copilot  – creative, balanced or precise – and measured which role they expected the tool to fulfill: co-author, creator, curator or converser. Participants then completed at least three rounds of interaction with Copilot to develop a strategic plan addressing a public health issue in their home county.

Key findings include:

• Copilot’s conversational style affected the readability and linguistic features of its responses, including the use of words associated with analytical thinking and authenticity.
• Users adapted their writing based on Copilot’s conversational style, particularly in the readability of their prompts.
• Users and Copilot showed linguistic alignment in emotional tone and clout across all three conversational styles but diverged in analytical thinking.
• Mismatches between Copilot’s conversational style and users’ expectations of its role reduced perceived credibility and relevance of its responses.

“AI conversational style is more than a matter of preference. What matters is how well the style fits the roles users expect AI to play,” Xu said. The findings point to opportunities for more adaptive AI interfaces that adjust conversational style based on users’ expectations and tasks.

Behaviour & Information Technology is an international peer-reviewed Taylor & Francis journal covering the human aspects of information technology, including usability, user experience, human-computer interaction and human-centered design.

School of Communications faculty members earned research and teaching honors and shared their expertise on topics ranging from artificial intelligence and internships to mentorship and First Amendment issues at the .

Held Aug. 5-8 in New Orleans, the conference brought together journalism and mass communication educators and scholars from around the world to present research, exchange ideas and explore emerging issues across the communications field.

Several ������Ƶ faculty members were recognized for their work during the conference.

Shanetta Pendleton and Michele Lashley, assistant professors of strategic communications, earned second place in the Teaching Paper Competition for their research, “Exploring the Perceived Efficacy of Custom AI Chatbots in Public Relations Education.” Their study explored how course-specific AI chatbots can serve as instructional supports in undergraduate communications courses, providing students with additional opportunities for formative feedback and iterative learning. The findings highlight the potential for thoughtfully designed AI tools to complement classroom instruction by helping students refine their work and deepen their learning while encouraging responsible and ethical AI use.

Qian Xu, professor of strategic communications and A.J. Fletcher Professor, and Jenny Jiang, associate professor of visual communication, were recognized during the Internships and Careers Interest Group’s Top Refereed Research Paper Session. They presented “AI in Media Analytics Job Postings: A Computational Analysis of AI Mentions, Expectations, and Semantic Networks,” a study analyzing more than 5,400 media analytics job postings to examine how AI is mentioned, framed and structurally embedded in job descriptions.

Presentations and panels

������Ƶ faculty also contributed to research and teaching sessions examining mentorship, internships, emerging technologies, workplace experiences and First Amendment concerns.

• Israel Balderas, assistant professor of journalism, served as a panelist for “Compelling Faith: The Growing Tensions between the Free Speech, Free Exercise, and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment.” The panel examined how recent Supreme Court rulings are reshaping debates over religious expression, compelled speech and civil rights in schools and universities. Balderas also moderated “Disrespected and Derailed: Women of Color Journalists Covering the Trump Administration,” a research panel examining the experiences of women of color journalists covering the administration.

• 

  Vanessa Bravo, professor of strategic communications, served as a panelist for the teaching session “Mentoring Minoritized Students and Fostering Resilient Young Professionals,” which examined how faculty can mentor and support students from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Bravo also served as a discussant for “Media, Vulnerability, and Empowerment: How Mediated Spaces Both Endanger and Support Marginalized Groups” and moderated the International Communication Division teaching panel “Global Inclusivity in Comparative Research: Experiences and Reflections.”

• Hal Vincent, associate teaching professor of strategic communications, moderated a research panel session, “Spotlight: Research Scholars Exchange,” and served as a discussant for multiple refereed research paper sessions. He also moderated the members’ meeting for the Internships and Careers Interest Group.
• Qian Xu and former ������Ƶ Comm faculty member Chris Chen presented “Customizing Communication Styles in Claude: Control Benefits, Cognitive Cost, and Task-Dependent Effects” during a scholar-to-scholar refereed research paper session on AI and relationships. Their research examined how different levels of customization and task type influence psychological responses in human-AI interaction and perceptions of AI-generated output.

As digital editor at WUSA-TV, a CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., Rosenthal handles a wide range of responsibilities, from writing for the station’s website and producing social media content to gathering sources and reporting in the field. The journalism major said she fell in love with news reporting when she was in high school, which led her to apply to ������Ƶ.

“I joined my high school newspaper club in ninth grade, and it was the 2016 election season,” Rosenthal recalled. “There was a ton of news, and I got the ‘news bug,’ and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

At ������Ƶ, Rosenthal found opportunities through student media to develop her reporting skills outside the classroom.

“I feel like the hands-on experience that I got working with my peers and friends, and actually going out and doing reporting, and putting together a paper every week showed me more of the skills that I use on a day-to-day,” Rosenthal said.

She also credits The Pendulum’s critique sessions with teaching her how to receive feedback and use it to improve her work.

“You don’t need to qualify a mistake or qualify a reason why you did this or that,” Rosenthal said. “What I learned so much from critique was how to take feedback and move forward and use that in the next piece. Now I’m somebody who asks for feedback all the time because, I think, in part, because of those critiques.”

Those lessons have followed Rosenthal into her professional career. Earlier this year, she spent three weeks covering a murder trial in Fairfax, Virginia, an assignment she described as a significant learning experience.

“My station sent me to a murder trial in January, and I spent three weeks covering a very high-profile case every day in court, and that has been a huge learning and teaching moment for me,” Rosenthal said. “I feel like I learned so much from covering this trial, especially as somebody who has covered many court hearings and smaller things.”

For current ������Ƶ students interested in journalism, Rosenthal recommends getting involved in student media early and pursuing the subjects that interest them.

“My biggest advice is to be involved in student journalism,” she said. “Just start doing stories and meeting people and doing things that are out of your comfort zone. When I was at ������Ƶ, I was interested in courts. I would go to the courthouse in Graham to pick up court documents for stories, and go to the police station, and pick up crime numbers, and things like that. If there’s something that you’re interested in, just start doing it.”

Like Rosenthal, Phengsitthy discovered her love of writing through her high school newspaper, where she served as editor-in-chief. She brought that interest to ������Ƶ, double majoring in Communication Design (now Visual Communication) and Media Analytics while becoming heavily involved with ������Ƶ News Network.

“I’ve always been a writer,” Phengsitthy said. “I know that people don’t really like talking about high school when they talk about their experience, but high school is when I really started.”

Phengsitthy served as design chief of The Pendulum during her sophomore year and managing editor as a junior. She credits those experiences with providing the foundation for her professional journalism career.

Everything I did in ������Ƶ News Network is what set me up for my journalism experience today. I joke with my friends that ENN was like my third degree in college because I got so much done and learned so much there. From just writing every single day, that’s what helped me get better.

— Nyah Phengsitthy ’23

While at ������Ƶ, Phengsitthy interned with Bloomberg Law on its environment desk. Following graduation, she returned to the organization through a rotational program and now works as a health reporter. In that role, she has covered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, drug pricing and other complex issues affecting the pharmaceutical and health care industries.

Her work at Bloomberg Law requires reporting on complex subjects, but Phengsitthy said young journalists shouldn’t feel pressure to become experts on every topic they cover. Instead, they should focus on developing the skills necessary to find knowledgeable sources, understand complicated information and explain it clearly to readers.

“Be an expert in being a reporter and writing and learning how to break down information for your readers,” Phengsitthy said.

Phengsitthy also encourages ������Ƶ students to complement their campus journalism experience with internships that allow them to apply their skills in professional settings.

“You can have all the skills, and you can have all the clips that you have from ENN, but it’s more powerful if you go and get to apply them somewhere else,” she said, noting the value of internships. “The more experience you have, the better.

“The job market is really hard right now, but I feel like if you’re able to show that you can get your foot in the door somewhere, that’s good.”

The strategic communications major is serving as a strategy and account intern, where he rotates between McKinney’s strategy and account teams. With a few weeks of the internship behind him, Arrasmith said the transition has been seamless thanks to the strong sense of community at the agency.

“Everyone here is so welcoming,” Arrasmith said. “Even though I’m the youngest person both in the agency and in my internship class, I don’t feel out of place.”

Arrasmith said McKinney has been on his radar for years. After his early exposure to the agency, he regularly checked the company’s internship page in hopes of one day earning a spot in the program.

As an account management and strategy intern, Arrasmith helps bridge communication between the agency and its clients. While the role has introduced new challenges, he arrived with a foundation built through classroom experiences and leadership roles at ������Ƶ.

For the past two years, Arrasmith has been involved with ������Ƶ’s student-run communications agency.

Arrasmith has served as an account supervisor with Live Oak and credits the organization for preparing him for the fast-paced agency environment.

“I feel I have a good grasp of what’s going on and what people are talking about,” he said.

While familiar with agency work, Arrasmith said the internship has broadened his understanding of how different departments collaborate to serve clients.

He’s also gained exposure to an industry he knew little about before arriving at McKinney. Working with the agency’s health division has required him to learn healthcare terminology, pharmaceutical companies and industry-specific concepts.

“I didn’t know anything about health or pharma, so it’s been a lot of just taking the time afterward to educate myself,” he said.

Despite the learning curve, Arrasmith said the experience has reinforced the value of curiosity and continuous learning.

“I found great success in just always asking questions, always wanting to learn the most I can about a subject, because that shows people that you are interested, you’re engaged, and you actually care about what you’re doing,” he said.

As he enters his third year at ������Ƶ, Arrasmith hopes to leave the internship with meaningful relationships across the agency, developing a network he can lean on for guidance. To make that happen, he has set a personal goal of taking at least 10 colleagues out to lunch before the summer ends.

Some lessons start with a lecture. Others begin with a camera in hand, a deadline looming, and a story waiting to be told.

That’s how Blake Pierre-Louis described his experience in ������Ƶ’s Emerging Journalists Program, where the rising senior from Rochester, New York, joined 17 other high school students for a 12-day immersive journalism experience.

“It was like a two-week crash course in everything you might need to know if you’re getting into journalism,” Pierre-Louis said. “It’s a great opportunity to get hands-on experience and actually learn by doing instead of sitting in a classroom. You get to actually go out, apply concepts and use what you’ve learned.”

During the residential program, which ran June 15-26, the students worked as members of a functioning newsroom while reporting on stories on and off campus. Their assignments took them to the North Carolina State Capitol, the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro and the Winston-Salem Dash, while media tours introduced them to journalists at WUNC News and ABC11 WTVD-TV. They also produced professional web stories, a newspaper and a television news broadcast.

.

“We had an incredibly cohesive and collaborative group of students join us on campus this summer,” said Colin Donohue, assistant professor of journalism and EJP program director. “They were diligent and enterprising and intrepid. As important, they were generous and kind. They possess tremendous potential, and I look forward to seeing them apply their skills in their hometowns and in their schools.”

Led by Donohue and Kelly Furnas, EJP curriculum coordinator and associate teaching professor of journalism, students quickly moved from classroom instruction to real-world reporting.

For Thailik McCormick, a rising senior at Central Carolina Academy in Sanford, North Carolina, the experience built on the foundation he established as a founding member of his school’s broadcasting program.

“EJP does a really good job of throwing a lot at you, but then also making sure that you can apply these things really quickly, so you can retain them,” McCormick said. “I was presented with the information, and then immediately told to go apply it.”

The experience also expanded his vision for what his future might hold.

“Two weeks ago, I might have told you I’d study entrepreneurship or accounting, but now I’m really looking into public relations or marketing – and use the hard skills that I’ve worked on here and translate them into a field of my choice,” McCormick said.

Aly McFadden, a rising senior from Clark, New Jersey, said one of the most memorable experiences came while producing a full-fledged television newscast, where students were trusted with everything from anchoring and audio work to directing and producing.

“Everybody in that room made us feel like we were professionals,” McFadden said. “Even if I made a mistake, everybody made me feel like it was OK. It was such an interesting collaboration of people that you’ve known for two weeks who are all using their skills together to create one big production.”

McFadden said working alongside classmates from across the country became one of the most rewarding aspects of her time at ������Ƶ.

“It’s really eye-opening to see so many people have so many different life experiences,” she said. “Being in a room with people who are just as passionate about journalism as you are is incredibly motivating. I can’t wait to see them on the news or read their articles.”

Established in 2021, the Emerging Journalists Program introduces high school students interested in journalism and media careers through immersive, experiential learning. Students earn four hours of college credit and are paired with ������Ƶ student mentors who continue to provide guidance after the program concludes.

This year, a record 52 students from across the country applied to the program, with all applicants invited to participate in the virtual Exposure experience before 18 students were selected for the on-campus Immersion cohort.

Donohue also credited School of Communications students Charlie Crum ’28, Blair Mitchell ’29 and Emma Perman ’29 for serving as strong counselors and mentors throughout the experience.

“EJP is one of the most professionally fulfilling experiences I’ve participated in,” Donohue said. “I hope a year from now we can celebrate a sixth cohort.”

Several of this semester’s studies center on TikTok and the platform’s growing influence on media consumption, identity and audience behavior. “The emphasis on TikTok underscores its increasing prominence in today’s media landscape,” journal editor Harlen Makemson wrote in his introduction to the issue.

Among the featured studies, strategic communications major Kyra Briggs examines how TikTok users responded to the Idaho college student murders, analyzing emotional expression, narrative construction, misinformation and collective sensemaking on the platform. Fellow strategic communications major Avery Ferguson explores how women ages 18 to 25 perceive the “clean girl aesthetic” on TikTok and how it influences their well-being, self-esteem and lifestyle choices. Elizabeth Walker, another strategic communications major, analyzes 100 TikTok videos to examine how Gen Z users expressed nostalgia, emotional memory and generational identity through references to 2016.

Several students investigated the relationship between television, fandom and audience participation. Delaney Guidi, a communication design major, studies how popular film franchises borrow principles from sports merchandising to create team identification, while also examining how fan-made merchandise attempts to establish authenticity. Sport management major Shelby Keel looks into how institutional framing and participatory fan discourse elevated the reality television phenomenon “Scandoval” into a culturally and commercially significant media event.

Additional research focuses on representation and identity in television storytelling. Jenna Moylan, a cinema and television arts major, analyzes four contemporary animated television programs to study trans characters’ narrative roles, the centrality of transness and the visual legibility of character design. Strategic communications major Evelyn Ealey compares portrayals of the Strong Black Woman archetype in television series before and after 2000, finding that more contemporary programs tend to offer greater complexity and depth to those characters.

The issue also includes Halli Harwood’s examination of how three cruise lines frame port communities through excursion descriptions. The strategic communications major found that cruise lines often present selective portrayals of destinations that result in limited diversity, equity and inclusion representation.

“These articles, produced in collaboration with faculty mentors, each represent exceptional achievements in undergraduate research,” Makemson said.

To assemble the spring 2026 edition, Makemson worked with an editorial board of 21 School of Communications faculty who participated in a blind-review process to select the strongest submissions. Since launching in 2010, the ������Ƶ Journal has published 33 issues, with each research article on its own dedicated webpage.

Among more than 200 undergraduate research journals cataloged by the Council on Undergraduate Research, the ������Ƶ Journal remains one of the few focused exclusively on student work in journalism, media and communications.

Emily Beauvais, Graduate Student, Northeastern University (Boston)

Nia Bedard, Graduate Student, ������Ƶ (������Ƶ, North Carolina)

Kiersten Bergman, Graduate Student, Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)

Max Berkson, Media Intern, Carmichael Lynch (Philadelphia)

Aidan Blake, Digital Content Creator, Kaulig Racing (Kernersville, North Carolina)

Anna Brett Blinston, Media and Content Analyst, Big Valley Marketing

Merrie Byers, Graduate Student, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Coco Cameron, PR & Social Media Associate, Devaney & Associates (Owings Mills, Maryland)

Luke Carey, Head Coach, Seacoast United MA North (Andover, Massachusetts)

Aaron Chan, Production Specialist, Amazing Studios (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Alexa Citrin, Graduate Student, University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Delaney Dickinson, Social Media Manager, Works Design Group (Haddon Heights, New Jersey)

Ava D’Innocenzio, Graduate Student, Boston University (Boston)

Philip Doherty, Freelance Technical Director (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Julien Dupas, Video Director, Discover Blind Spots (Burlington, North Carolina)

Liam Dupas, Video Director Co-Lead, Discover Blind Spots (Burlington, North Carolina)

Kaelyn Elien, Fellow, Bully Pulpit International (Washington, D.C.)

Anjolina Fantaroni, Reporter, WAFF 48 (Huntsville, Alabama)

Elliet Faust, Marketing & Operations Intern, Rise Social Partners

Avery Ferguson, Intern, Golin (New York)

Lila Goldberg, Project Manager, Mediaplanet (New York)

Jesse Gordon, Reporter, Sports Business Journal (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Sever Gregory, Graduate Student, University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas)

Rachel Holley, Reporter, WECT6 (Wilmington, North Carolina)

Daniel Jaeger, Agent Training Program, United Talent Agency (Los Angeles)

Shelby Keel, Golden Gopher Fund Intern, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Mira Maccarone, Graduate Student, Boston College (Boston)

Lucy McAfee, Graduate Student, Boston College (Boston)

Fiona McAllister, Media Rotation Program Fellow, Fox News (New York)

Morgan Minoff, Associate, ASC Advisors LLC (Stamford, Connecticut)

Maxine Motley, PR Intern, Jennifer Bett Communications (New York)

Tristin Oberg, Graduate Student, Montana State University (Bozeman, Montana)

Abraham Paley, Graduate Student, Saint Mary’s College of California (Moraga, California)

Max Quatroche, Graduate Student, John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television, University of Southern California (Los Angeles)

Hannah Riggs, Team Lead, HeadCount (New York)

Lexi Rogers, Graduate Student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

Hudson Sabiston, Graphic Designer, Cone Health Drawbridge Parkway (Greensboro, North Carolina)

Anabella Shpak, Graduate Student, Columbia University (New York)

Ben Solis, Sales, Grainger (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Benji Stern, Springboard Fellow, Brandeis Hillel (Waltham, Massachusetts)

Grace Stetler, PGA WORKS Fellow, PGA REACH Foundation (Philadelphia)

Evelyn Stuart, Recruiter, ALKU (Washington, D.C.)

Bernardo Vargas-Lopez, Co-Founder/Co-CEO, YAPA Global (Austin, Texas)

Erik Winikur, Management Accelerator Program, Concessions Manager, Aramark Sports & Entertainment (Washington, D.C.)

Legalization has reshaped markets across North Carolina, and the sports betting landscape continues to evolve. Bockino, Squadron and Tobias impressed upon the audience that this wasn’t just a sports story, but it’s actually a business, data, and policy story, too. The panelists explored the industry’s economic impact, regulatory environment, and the growing role of data and analytics. They spoke about consumer trends and fan engagement and answered questions from the audience about the NCAA’s role in sports betting and how taxes on sports betting could be used to support community areas like K-12 public education.

“It’s always fun to talk about sports betting with people from a variety of industries,” Bockino said. “This is a growing industry that affects not only amateur and professional sports but education, finance, and tourism, and I appreciate the opportunity to connect with Charlotte’s leaders across all these sectors.”

“Sports betting is having a major impact and has a lot of elements that people don’t always see,” Squadron said. “������Ƶ’s bringing together the Charlotte community to discuss it was a great opportunity to explore all the different pieces of this growing area.”

������Ƶ University Charlotte will hold future  with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. Interested in learning more about sports betting? Bockino will release a book on the topic on Tuesday, June 2.

As part of its annual awards ceremony, the School of Communications recognized several faculty and staff members for their outstanding contributions during the 2025-26 academic year. Held May 7 in Turner Theatre, the celebration honored individuals whose leadership, teaching, scholarship and service have helped shape the student experience and strengthen the school community.

“Today, we recognize our faculty and staff members – who are all outstanding. But each year some rise a bit above,” said Kenn Gaither, dean of the School of Communications.

The ceremony, which kicked off with a few dozen student awards, also included a special retirement recognition for Professor of Journalism Anthony Hatcher, who will conclude more than two decades of service to ������Ƶ at the end of the spring semester.

The following summaries highlight the honored faculty and staff members, listed in presentation order. Ceremony photos are available on the school’s .

Outstanding Staff Member Award

Maggie Mullikin, Manager of Experiential Programs

The award recognizes a staff member of the School of Communications who contributes to the betterment and reputation of the school and its initiatives.

During his introduction of the staff award, Gaither praised Mullikin for the steady guidance and energy she brings to experiential learning across the School of Communications.

“Maggie plays a central role in helping our students make the most of their time at ������Ƶ,” Gaither said. “She helps students navigate ELRs, study-away opportunities, internships and career pathways, all while ensuring those experiences are meaningful, connected and, ultimately, transformative.”

Gaither highlighted Mullikin’s ability to bring people together, noting her close collaborations with faculty, departments, Career Services and campus partners to ensure experiential learning remains a defining part of the student experience.

One school staff member described Mullikin as someone who “lights up a room,” adding that “people gravitate toward her” because of the welcoming and genuine presence she brings to every interaction.

Gaither also emphasized Mullikin’s commitment to helping students pursue opportunities beyond campus — whether refining a resume, preparing for an interview, or connecting students with alumni and industry professionals.

“If experiential learning is the engine that drives the School of Communications, Maggie is one of the people making sure it runs smoothly,” Gaither said.

Excellence in Scholarship Award

Sydney Nicolla, Assistant Professor of Strategic Communications

This award recognizes a faculty member whose scholarly and creative work is of high quality and brings distinction to ������Ƶ.

In just a short time at ������Ƶ, Nicolla has built a research portfolio defined by both academic rigor and real-world relevance. For her growing body of work exploring how digital and social media can improve adolescent and women’s health, Nicolla was recognized with the school’s 2026 Excellence in Scholarship Award. Much of her research focuses on gender-based violence, using communication research to better understand how prevention efforts can connect with young audiences in meaningful and effective ways.

“Her work tackles complex, sensitive issues with both rigor and purpose — seeking not just to understand communication, but to use it as a tool for prevention and change,” said Gaither during his award presentation.

Since joining ������Ƶ in fall 2023, Nicolla has quickly established herself as a rising scholar with publications in leading journals, including the Journal of Health Communication, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, and the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Gaither highlighted Nicolla’s recent publication in Communication Research Reports, which examined how young people describe unwanted sexual experiences using responses from nearly 800 participants. By studying the language young adults use to discuss those experiences, the research offers insight into how prevention messaging can better resonate with its intended audiences.

Gaither commended Nicolla for scholarship that reflects ������Ƶ’s mission as a student-centered institution, noting the intentionality she brings to both her teaching and research.

“Sydney’s scholarship does exactly what we hope all great communication does,” Gaither said. “It listens carefully, speaks thoughtfully and works to make the world a little better.”

Inclusive Excellence Award

Lorraine Ahearn, Assistant Professor of Journalism

The award recognizes a faculty member who provides exceptional leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion and enhances DEI initiatives across the school through action-oriented outcomes.

In presenting the Inclusive Excellence Award, Gaither emphasized the School of Communications’ continued commitment to fostering a culture where all individuals feel welcomed, supported and heard.

“That commitment does not happen by accident,” Gaither said. “It requires leadership, intention and a willingness to engage in meaningful — and sometimes challenging — conversations.”

An assistant professor of journalism, Ahearn was recognized for both her scholarship and leadership surrounding issues of representation, access and belonging. Drawing from a professional background as a reporter, columnist and commentator, her work has consistently focused on voice, accountability and the stories that often go untold.

Gaither noted that Ahearn’s scholarship, which explores the media history of marginalized communities, reflects a deep commitment to understanding who is represented in media narratives — and who is not.

But it is Ahearn’s leadership within the School of Communications that has made her impact especially visible. For the past two years, she has chaired the school’s Inclusive Excellence Committee, helping shape its vision and lead its signature event, the annual Spotlight on Inclusive Excellence.

Under her guidance, the event has evolved into a meaningful opportunity for students, faculty and staff to engage in conversations surrounding equity, representation and storytelling in the communications and sport industries.

“As Lorraine has noted, these conversations reflect a rapidly evolving communications landscape,” Gaither said. “Questions of access, voice and representation are not peripheral, but central to the work we do.”

Gaither added that Ahearn’s work serves as a reminder that inclusive excellence is an ongoing process rooted in curiosity, care and thoughtful listening.

Excellence in Leadership Award

Ben Hannam, Associate Professor of Communication Design

The award recognizes a member of the School of Communications who richly contributes to the betterment and reputation of the school and the discipline.

In presenting the Excellence in Leadership Award, Gaither praised Hannam for guiding the Department of Communication Design through a period of growth, innovation and forward-thinking change.

“Good leadership moves things forward,” Gaither said. “Great leadership brings people with it. Professor Ben Hannam has done both.”

Since becoming department chair in 2021, Hannam has helped lead the program through several significant developments, including the rollout of a revised curriculum and the recent approval to rename and rebrand the program as Visual Communication — changes designed to better align the program with the evolving creative industry.

Gaither also highlighted Hannam’s leadership surrounding artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, noting his involvement in campus-wide AI initiatives, interdisciplinary working groups and workshops focused on the thoughtful integration of AI into teaching and creative practice.

Hannam also played a key role in launching the inaugural Make Your Mark: AI Poster Competition, a hands-on event that challenged students to critically examine how AI can support — rather than replace — creative work.

“It’s a fitting example of Ben’s approach,” Gaither said. “Practical, collaborative and just a little bit experimental — in the best sense of the word.”

Beyond his work within the department, Hannam was commended for building partnerships across campus, including collaborations with the Art Department, the AI Sandbox, Game Design initiatives, and the development of the Digital Content Management major.

One colleague praised Hannam for his “initiative, inclusivity, desire for innovation, significant hard work behind the scenes and steady leadership.”

Gaither added that Hannam’s leadership has strengthened the department while expanding opportunities for students and faculty alike.

Excellence in Teaching Award

Jessalynn Strauss, Associate Professor of Strategic Communications

The award recognizes a faculty member who is outstanding in the classroom, current in the discipline, a quality academic adviser, and committed to student learning at the highest level.

During his presentation of the Excellence in Teaching Award, Gaither praised Strauss for the thoughtful, student-centered approach she brings to every classroom experience.

“At a university recognized as the nation’s leader in undergraduate teaching, excellence in the classroom is not just an expectation — it’s a defining part of who we are,” Gaither said. “Jessalynn Strauss represents that distinction in every sense.”

An associate professor and chair of the Department of Strategic Communications, Strauss teaches courses including Strategic Writing, Public Relations and Civic Responsibility, Strategic Research Methods and Great Ideas. Across each course, Gaither noted that Strauss consistently challenges students while ensuring they feel supported throughout the learning process.

Much of Strauss’ impact was reflected in the words shared by her students, who described her as “incredibly encouraging,” “deeply engaged,” and someone who “genuinely cares” about student success.

“One student noted that she ‘will try and help you with literally anything,’” Gaither said. “Another shared that they left her class feeling like their work would ‘actually serve them in the professional world.’”

Gaither emphasized Strauss’ ability to meet students where they are and help them grow with confidence through detailed feedback, carefully structured assignments and a classroom environment that balances independence with guidance.

“One student described her teaching style as being ‘just hands-off enough’ to encourage independence, while always being there to guide and redirect,” Gaither said.

A colleague also praised Strauss for creating a classroom atmosphere where students feel both energized and valued.

“Her enthusiasm in the classroom helps students learn and makes them happy at the same time,” one colleague shared. “They feel valued.”

Gaither added that Strauss embodies the qualities that define outstanding teaching at ������Ƶ — rigorous, relevant and deeply personal.

Retirement recognition: Anthony Hatcher

After more than two decades of service to ������Ƶ, Professor of Journalism Anthony Hatcher will retire at the conclusion of the spring semester, leaving behind a legacy defined by mentorship, integrity and an unwavering commitment to students.

Since joining the School of Communications in 2002, Hatcher has shaped generations of journalists through his thoughtful teaching, steady guidance and deep belief in the power and responsibility of journalism. Whether leading discussions on difficult global issues, mentoring aspiring reporters, or directing study abroad experiences across the world, Hatcher has approached every interaction with empathy, fairness and academic rigor.

“For Anthony, students always come first. Always,” Dean Gaither said during a retirement recognition at the school’s annual awards ceremony. “Students see him as a knowledgeable, caring instructor. Colleagues see him as a calming influence who engenders respect for who he is — no airs, no fronts, no ego.”

Over the years, Hatcher led global engagement experiences to countries including South Africa and Poland, while also helping students navigate conversations surrounding religion, media, politics and culture with openness and respect. One student described him as “one of the most thoughtful professors I’ve ever had,” praising his ability to create space for honest dialogue without fear of judgment.

Gaither also noted Hatcher’s lasting influence on the journalism profession, with former students now working in newsrooms across the country.

“He is, and always will be, one of the purest guardians of truth and information through journalism,” Gaither said.

As he begins retirement, colleagues and alumni alike will remember Hatcher not only as an outstanding educator, but as a kind, humble and deeply respected member of the ������Ƶ community.