Congratulations to four faculty members at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications who received promotions and were awarded tenure by UF President Bernie Machen and the University of Florida Board of Trustees at their board meeting on June 7. The promotions are effective July 1, 2013.
They include Amy Jo Coffey, Sora Kim, Norman Lewis and Tim Sorel.
“This is a tremendous honor for our faculty members and speaks very highly of our College to have all four of our candidates gain approval,” said Dean Diane McFarlin.
Amy Jo Coffey
Sora Kim
Amy Jo Coffey was promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Telecommunication. Coffey, who earned her doctorate degree from the University of Georgia where she focused on media management, economics and audience issues, joined the UF faculty in 2006. Her research focuses on audience economics and language, with an emphasis on foreign language programming in the United States.
Sora Kim was promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Public Relations. She earned her doctorate degree in public relations and advertising from the University of Tennessee and joined the UF faculty in 2010. Her research primarily examines the aspects of corporate social responsibility and crisis communication management.
Norman Lewis
Tim Sorel
Norman Lewis was promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Journalism. He earned his doctorate degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and joined the UF faculty in 2007. His research focuses on newsroom culture and ethics, especially plagiarism.
Tim Sorel was promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Telecommunication. Sorel joined the College in 2007 after 22 years of experience in television and film productions. He earned an MBA in 2002 from St. Leo University. His documentaries and research interests lie in human rights issues, stories of the human spirit and historical documentaries.
Cameron Taylor
Congratulations to Cameron Taylor, TEL 2013, and the news staff of WUFT-FM. For the second year in a row, a UF student has won a National Edward R. Murrow Award.
The Radio Television Digital News Association announced today that Cameron has won the 2013 National Murrow in the Radio Small Market Reporting: Hard News category for his story “Cedar Key Oyster Industry On the Brink.” The RTDNA Murrow Awards honors achievements in electronic journalism; the awards ceremony will be held this October in New York City. Cameron was competing against professional journalists from across the country.
Last year Steven Gallo, TEL 2013, was honored in the Murrow Radio Small Market Audio News category for his piece on the execution of Manuel Valle for killing Coral Gable’s police officer Louis Penna.
Cameron’s piece on the Cedar Key industry also won first place in the Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence Awards, Region 3, Radio News Reporting category, and was also named a national finalist.
In addition, the piece won first place in the Florida Associated Press Broadcasters Award, Small Market, Radio’s Hard News Feature category; and the grand prize in the National Broadcasting Society’s Audio News Segment.
Cameron is currently a reporter at WJHG-TV in Panama City.
Sylvia Chan-Olmsted
Telecommunications Professor Sylvia Chan-Olmsted is the recipient University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship award for the second time in her career.
“I really appreciate the university’s recognition on the importance of research and knowledge generation in higher education. I am just grateful for all the research resources and support available at the University of Florida. I believe that a curious researcher makes a better teacher,” said Chan-Olmsted.
She also recently published papers in Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly’s Spring 2013 issue. Chan-Olmsted is the first author on a paper with College doctoral student Hyejoon Rim and former UF journalism faculty member Amy Zerba, entitled, “Mobile news adoption among young adults: Examining the roles of perceptions, news consumption and media usage.”
Since her arrival at the University of Florida, Chan-Olmsted has developed an impressive record of distinction in research that is rivaled by few of her peers in the academic community nationally and internationally.
Over the course of her career, her scholarship has produced 57 refereed publications, 12 book chapters, one written book, two edited books, and 104 refereed conference papers. Focusing on her scholarship since 2008, she has produced 15 refereed journal publications and 27 refereed conference papers. In addition, her work has appeared in several prominent journals, including Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Mass Communication and Society, and the International Journal of Media Management.
The term of her professorship is from 2013-2015 and comes with a $5,000 salary supplement, as well as an allocation of $3,000 to support her research program.
WCJB TV-20 reporter Trent Kelly (TEL 2012) interviewed Brechner Eminent Scholar in Mass Communication Clay Calvert regarding the National Security Agency collecting and storing phone records in the June 8 story, “Free Speech Advocates Fear “Chilling Effect” After NSA Phone Records Revelation”.
Steven Gallo
Congratulations to University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications graduates Steven Gallo, TEL 2013, and Alex Orlando, JM 2012, for competing in the finals of the 2012-13 Hearst National Journalism Awards Championship this week. The awards were announced last night in San Francisco.
Alex Orlando
Gallo was a finalist in the television broadcast news division; Orlando was a finalist in the writing competition and also won the Reporting Technique award.
“Going up against the best of the best was an amazing experience,” said Orlando, who is a reporter at The Tampa Bay Times. “I was happy to come out here and represent the College and the University of Florida.”
“It’s been an incredible honor. I never could have dreamed of being here once, let alone twice,” said Gallo, who won the Hearst radio broadcast news division last year and will start a master’s at the College this fall. “This has been a huge part of my collegiate journalism career. It has shaped my journey in college and will shape my journalism career that’s ahead of me.”
The College again had a strong year in the Hearst competition, finishing ninth overall and taking fourth in writing, ninth in photojournalism and sixth in broadcast news.
“We are very proud of our students,” said Dean Diane McFarlin. “The Hearst championship is the premier competition for journalism and telecommunication students. These top finishes are a testament to the outstanding work being done by our students, faculty and staff and the unparalleled educational opportunities provided by our multimedia properties.”
The College’s students also won the following individual awards:
- 2013 – Hearst writing competition, sports writing, second place: Tyler Jett
- 2013 – Hearst writing competition, feature writing, second place: Alex Orlando
- 2013 – Hearst writing competition, feature writing, seventh place: Tyler Jett
- 2013 – Hearst writing competition, breaking news, fifth place: Alex Orlando
- 2013 – Hearst writing competition, breaking news, 11th place: Chris Alcantara
The 53rd annual program offered up to $500,000 in awards, consisted of five monthly writing competitions, two photojournalism competitions, three broadcast news competitions (one in radio and two in television), and four multimedia competitions – with championship finals in all divisions.
There are 110 universities with accredited undergraduate journalism schools eligible to participate in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program. The Journalism Awards Program is funded and administered by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Beisel, 3TEL! She was named the 2013 Capital One Women’s Academic All-America of the Year for the At-Large division as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Along with being named Academic All-America of the Year, Beisel was also selected to the first-team for the second straight season. She joins Tracy Caulkins, TEL 1985 as the only two in women’s swimming and diving history to be named to the first team in consecutive seasons.
Elizabeth, who has carries a 3.63 GPA, led the Gators to a sixth place finish at the 2013 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. There she secured her second individual NCAA Championship of her career after touching the wall first with a 4:00.49 swim in the 400 IM. Beisel collected five All-America honors, all first team at the NCAA meet to give her 14 for her career. She finished in the top-five in all three individual events, taking first in the 400 IM, third in the 200 back and fifth in the 200 IM.
Beisel also won two SEC titles this season as she became the three-time defending champion in both the 400 IM and 200 back at the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships. She was awarded the SEC Commissioner’s Trophy for high point winner for the second straight year. She joined Gemma Spofforth as the only female Gator to win the trophy twice. Beisel led Florida with 21 individual victories as she gathered wins in eight different events during the 2012-13 season.
The at-large team for the Capital One Academic All-America® program includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo for both men and women; bowling, crew and field hockey for women; and volleyball and wrestling for men.
Sarab Kochhar
Sarab Kochhar, a Ph.D. student at the University of Florida, started working this month as the 2013 Ketchum Excellence in Public Relations Research Award winner. Kochhar said her 10-week internship with Ketchum’s Global Research and Analytics office in New York City has already provided her with new insights into her field of research.
“We are very pleased to have Sarab join our research and analytics team for the summer,” states David Rockland, PhD, Partner and Managing Director, Ketchum Global Research and Analytics. “Sarab’s analytics expertise coupled with her real world understanding of the PR industry is a tremendous asset to our team as we work to provide powerful insights to our clients.”
As the winner of 2013 KEPRRA award, Kochhar will receive a $7,500 stipend and will submit a research paper to be published by IPR. Her research emphasis interests are international public relations, business strategy and business diplomacy. She will also be recognized at IPR’s Annual Distinguished Lecture and Awards Dinner in New York City on November 21.
“Working with Ketchum will be a great experience. I am thankful to IPR and to Ketchum for such a wonderful opportunity. I am glad to be working with the best in the academia at the University of Florida and the best in the industry at Ketchum’s Global Research and Analytics team,” said Kochhar.
Kochhar’s recent accolades include receiving the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Chester Burger Scholarship for Excellence in Public Relations. She was also co-author of “An Intertwined Future: Exploring the Relationship between the levels of Professionalism and Social Roles of Public Relations Practitioners” with Professor Juan-Carlos Molleda of the University of Florida and Angeles Moreno of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Spain. This quantitative study received the Top Research Paper Award at the PRSA International Conference in San Francisco.
“Sarab has been a diligent doctoral student and co-author. We have worked in several research projects and publications with success,” Molleda stated. “Sarab brings an ideal balance between professional and scholarship training and expertise to the academic and business sectors.”
Ketchum Global Research and Analytics (KGRA) is an award-winning, global team and the largest research group in the PR industry. KGRA is committed to using innovative quantitative and qualitative research in all phases of brand marketing, corporate reputation and employee engagement.
The Institute for Public Relations, based at the UF College of Journalism and Communications, is an independent foundation dedicated to the science beneath the art of public relations™ and focused on research that is applicable in communications practice. Its research is available free at www.instituteforpr.org and provides the basis for the organization’s professional conferences and events.
University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Dean Diane H. McFarlin has been selected as one of 17 participants in the sixth Scripps Howard Academic Leadership Academy, sponsored by the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University and the Scripps Howard Foundation.
The 2013 Academy will be held June 2-6 in Baton Rouge.
“This opportunity will be especially valuable to me as a new dean,” said McFarlin. “I look forward to learning more about leadership in the context of higher education.”
The Academy brings together academics and professionals within the mass communications and journalism fields to provide the opportunity to learn about the challenges and rewards of leading an academic program.
The participants represent a diverse combination of institutions of higher education and the professional mass communication sector. During their time in the Academy, mid-career academics and professionals will meet with seasoned administrators to learn about management, discuss the future of media education and consider issues critical to those interested in or new to leadership roles.
WCJB TV-20 anchor David Snyder interviewed Brechner Eminent Scholar in Mass Communication Clay Calvert regarding the Justice Department’s seizure of the phone records of Associated Press reporters in the May 20 story, “Clay Calvert Talks Freedom of the Press”.
Sarab Kochhar and Harold Burson, founding Chairman of Burson-Marsteller.
Congratulations to UF public relations doctoral student Sarabdeep Kochhar for being named the recipient of the 2013 Public Relations Society of America Chester Burger Scholarship for Excellence in Public Relations. She received the award at the PRSA Foundation dinner in New York City in April.
The scholarship was created to encourage graduate public relations students to pursue careers in corporate public relations, with the goal of making the public relations function more essential to the successful achievement of corporate goals consistent with the public interest, the precepts of sound business and the needs of key stakeholders.
“Sarab has been my teaching assistant, research assistant, and co-author in conference papers and publications,” said Interim Public Relations Department Chair Juan-Carlos Molleda. “She has been very successful and productive as a doctoral student and I am confident she will be a very attractive candidate for opportunities in the communications and higher education fields.”
The scholarship is named in honor of Chester Burger, one of the pre-eminent leaders in the public relations profession who helped shape the discipline of public relations counseling. He died in 2011.
Kochhar’s research focuses on international public relations, business strategy, and business diplomacy.
“I have presented my work at leading communication and public relations conferences nationally and internationally, written book chapters, and am now co-authoring a book with Public Relations Interim Chair Juan-Carlos Molleda,” said Kohhar. “After I graduate in Spring 2014, I would like to conduct research in the academia and industry.”