Penn State College of Communications

2014-2015

Annual Report

This Annual Report provides a snapshot of the College. In this brief recap, you get a sense of our global reach, world-class faculty, alumni engagement, and abundance of student resources. We are an unquestioned educational destination for mass communications students.

Faculty Renea Nichols holding a DSLR camera

Faculty Shyam Sundar sits with an iPad, robot, and other technology

1 “Centre County Report in Cuba” named Outstanding Magazine Show at 36th College Television Awards

Two students posing with College Television Award Statues

2 Public relations students selected (most in the nation) to American Advertising Federation’s Most Promising Multicultural Students Program

2 Ranked second among Top Journalism Schools by CollegeMagazine.com

3 Separate live webcasts (Homecoming parade, THON, “Julius Caesar”) produced by students

A student reporting crew films above the crowd at THON

3 Alumni earn University-wide awards: Marty Aronoff, Alumni Fellow; Sharifa Anozie, Alumni Achievement Award; Kim Kingsley, Alumni Achievement Award

5 Students honored with annual Davis Awards for ethics, integrity and service

5 Alumni honored with annual awards from College of Communications Alumni Society Board: Blake Berson, Emerging Professional; Joanne Calabria, Outstanding Alumni; Bill Jaffe, Alumni Achievement; Fran Fisher, Douglas A. Anderson Communications Contributor; and Michel Haigh, Excellence in Teaching

Blake Berson sits at a table before being honored with the Emerging Professional award from the College's Alumni Society Board

7 Consecutive years ComRadio students have covered every round of the NFL Draft

8 Overall finish in final standings of Hearst Journalism Awards Program, often referred to as “Pulitzers of college journalism”

10 Faculty members, staff and graduate students who earned Deans’ Excellence Awards

12 Students (from 116 applicants) selected for inaugural Hollywood Program, which will facilitate semester-long internships in Los Angeles beginning in 2016

12 Students who presented at inaugural Undergraduate Symposium, coordinated by the College of Communications

14 Student films screened at annual Blue and White Film Festival

A group of students discuss their film on stage at the Blue and White Film Festival

20 Years in existence for Penn State Washington Program, which facilitates internships in the nation’s capital

21% Increase in World Campus enrollments

22 Communications clubs, organizations for students

23 Countries visited by students completing an international experience

25 Two staff members celebrated 25 years of service

25 Students selected for the MLB.com internship program since 2008

34 Attendees at “Informing the Public,” a two-day conference about communications strategies for law enforcement personnel

Three conference attendees discussing law enforcement communications

36 Faculty, staff and graduate students who participated or presented at the annual Association for Journalism and Mass Communication Conference

40 External grants received by faculty members for research

50 Years of programming for WPSU, a longtime partner with communications faculty and students

Archival photo of a WPSX television production

68 Full-time faculty members

73 Articles in peer-reviewed journals by our faculty members

91 Age of Penn State legend and College of Communications champion Fran Fisher when he died on May 14, 2015. He was honored with the Doug Anderson Communications Contributor Award seven months earlier.