Inspiring creative difference-makers in journalism

and mass communication for more than 100 years,

the Gaylord College is the college that connects creative minds to meaningful careers.

April 2015

Dean Foote to step down as dean, return to teaching

Joe Foote, Dean of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, will rejoin the faculty in August, resigning his administrative post as dean after a decade as the college's leader. Foote's leadership tenure spans two-thirds of the lifetime of the young college which was elevated from school status in 2000 after a $22-million gift from the Edward L. Gaylord family.

Tsetsura named director of graduate studies

Dr. Katerina Tsetsura

The Gaylord College is pleased to announce that Dr. Katerina Tsetsura has been named the new Director of Graduate Studies

"Dr. Tsetsura is one of the most active members of our graduate faculty in the Gaylord College," said David Craig, Gaylord College's associate dean. "She brings creative ideas and a strong commitment to making our graduate programs better for our current and future students."

There may never have been a period where our graduate program was more important to the future of our college. A special faculty task force, led by Dr. Meta Carstarphen and Professor Kathy Johnson, has been exploring options over the past year. The group has produced several alternatives which the graduate committee will be able to refine in ways that are attractive to students and enhance the quality of the graduate program. Under the leadership of Katerina Tsetsura the college is poised to move forward in innovative ways.

J. Madison Davis retires after 23 years

After 23 years, Dr. Jim Davis retired at the beginning of this semester, punctuating an exceptionally positive run for the Professional Writing program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. We will be working to find another outstanding person to replace a PW legend.

RTDNA names Gaylord College one of the top j-schools in the nation

The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication was named one of the top 10 journalism programs in the nation by TVWeek.com and the Radio Television Digital News Association.

Gaylord College is proud to be included on this prestigious list for the first time and prouder still to enter with a tie at fifth place with Arizona State's Cronkite School, thanks to your votes last fall. This is the third year that RTDNA and TV Week have teamed for this survey of members and readers.

Across the board the primary criteria for being included in this list of excellent programs was the quality of hands-on programs available for students.

Students and faculty claim most awards at BEA

Only two months into the semester and Gaylord College has already won or moved into the finals of some prestigious competitions.

Gaylord's student-run advertising agency, Lindsey + Asp, has taken home three professional ADDY awards. Two OU rugby promotional videos, as well as their "No Shave November" campaign, won professional-level advertising honors at the awards event. The rugby campaign also received an Uppercase award in October from the OKC PRSA.

Faculty and students earned 19 awards at the recent Broadcast Education Association's Festival of Media Arts, the most of any school in the nation. In the video competition Gaylord College students won both Best of Festival awards, the competition's highest honor. Katie Wingfield and Lindsay Webster won Best of Festival in the Animated/Experimental category for their production, "Why I Love Teenage Girls," and Jason Gwynn won Best of Festival in the Sports category with "Unilever."

It's the Music
Scott Hodgson and Janelle Barrick
Best of Competition Faculty Division
2015 Festival of Media Arts

Professor Scott Hodgson and graduate student Janelle Barrick won Best of Competition for their Mixed Video entry "It's the Music."

The awards will be presented at a live event in Las Vegas on April 13.

For the first time, Gaylord College has students receiving National College Television Awards has announced that Gaylord students Erik and Karl Macias have received an award for "Routes TV-Hell in the Heartland" and that OU Nightly will receive an award for its Nov. 25 newscast. The awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles this April.

Other Awards
Print journalism continues to do well. Sooner yearbook's most recent edition, Impact, chronicling the 2013-14 academic year, has won 14 Gold Circle honors from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Racey Burden edited the book with advising support from Heather Howard.

The Oklahoma Daily is a 2015 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Collegiate Crown Award finalist in the hybrid category.

The Daily also just announced they had five winning entries in the Region 8 SPJ Mark of Excellence contest, including three editorials, and two staff awards. The work will be recognized at the Region 8 Spring Conference Saturday, March 28, at Gaylord College.

Gaylord Prize recipient Tom Brokaw speaks to largest luncheon in OU history

Gaylord Prize recipient Tom Brokaw speaks
at the luncheon held in his honor.

Legendary anchorman and renowned author Tom Brokaw filled both the Molly Shi Boren Ballroom and the Boyd Lounge in the Oklahoma Memorial Union for the Feb. 26 luncheon award
ing him the Gaylord Prize for Excellence in Journalism and Mass Communication.

The complete luncheon program can be watched for free online at iTunesU.

Brokaw speaks with students
at his table during the luncheon.

In addition to speaking about his past experience as a newsman, Brokaw also talked about how the journalism landscape is changing and encouraged everyone, as consumers of news, to be mindful of which sources we trust.

After the luncheon, Brokaw met with Gaylord students for a question and answer session in the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation auditorium.