Faculty members from the Advertising & Public Relations (A+PR) and Journalism & Creative Media (JCM) departments, along with doctoral students, traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to participate in the 107th Annual Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference.
The AEJMC Conference is one of the largest and most prestigious academic conferences in journalism and mass communication. Top-accredited colleges and universities from around the world send their brightest researchers to present on growing issues in the industry.
“The awards, presentations and discussions at AEJMC highlight the amazing work being done by our college’s faculty and students in journalism, public relations and other mass communication specialties,” said Brian Butler, Ph.D., dean of the College of Communication & Information Sciences (C&IS). “Whether presenting new research, sharing teaching innovations, reconnecting with alumni and colleagues, or serving as community leaders, AEJMC is a place where C&IS shines.”
During the conference, George Daniels, Ph.D., and Chris Roberts, Ph.D., were recognized for their commitments to teaching and service. Daniels received the 2024 Felix F. Gutierrez and Clint C. Wilson II Mac Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation, and Roberts received the Dorothy Bowles Award for Outstanding Public Service.
“Receiving the Gutierrez-Wilson award was definitely a highlight of the conference for me,” said Daniels. “A standing-room only crowd for the Minorities and Communication Awards Breakfast at 7 A.M. demonstrates how important this particular topic — diversity, innovation and excellence in teaching — is to the AEJMC as an organization.”
He continued, “I am only the second winner of the award, which was established in 2021. This is a testament to the innovative ways we’re doing excellent teaching at The University of Alabama”
Alongside presenting and leading panels, several C&IS faculty members sit on AEJMC leadership committees. Daniels serves on the Professional Freedom and Responsibility committee, while Roberts serves on the Teaching committee and A+PR professor and Plank Center director Karla Gower, Ph.D., serves on the 2023-2024 AEJMC Board of Directors as the Council of Affiliates Chair.
AEJMC is a nonprofit, educational association of journalism and mass communication educators, students and media professionals. The association’s mission is to promote the highest possible standards for journalism and mass communication education, cultivate the widest possible range of communication research, encourage the implementation of a multicultural society in the classroom and curriculum and defend and maintain freedom of communication to achieve better professional practice and a better-informed public.
Here is a complete list of attendees from The University of Alabama:
Dean’s Office
Brian Butler, Ph.D.
Journalism & Creative Media
A.J. Bauer, Ph.D.
Andrew Billings, Ph.D.
Michael Bruce, Ph.D.
George Daniels, Ph.D
Chris Roberts, Ph.D
Sean Sadri, Ph.D.
Advertising & Public Relations
Courtney Boman, Ph.D.
Josh Bramlett, Ph.D
Kenon Brown, Ph.D.
Karla Gower, Ph.D.
Jameson Hayes, Ph.D.
J. Suzanne Horsley, Ph.D.
Eyun-Jung Ki, Ph.D.
Jihoon Kim, Ph.D.
Laura Lemon, Ph.D.
Brooke McKeever, Ph.D.
Robert McKeever, Ph.D.
Matthew VanDyke, Ph.D.
Doctoral Students
Wilson Cowrey
Fredrick Daoyenikye
Drew Daws
Feiyun Deng
Yezi He
Maiohong Huang
Kaitlyn Johns
Katelin Mueller
Jessica Payne
Amy Ritchart
LaTonya Taylor
Anna Grace Usery
Yang Zhou