The School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s faculty have a long history of professional service, most notably for serving important roles in the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), the national education association for journalism and mass communication educators, students, and media professionals. Continuing this commitment to service, several JMC faculty members were named to AEJMC leadership positions at the organization’s Annual Conference in San Francisco from August 6-9, 2015. These positions are for the 2015-2016 academic year and the new leaders will take office on October 1, 2015.
Jan Leach
Jan Leach, director of the Media Law Center for Ethics and Access and an associate professor in the School of JMC, recently took over the role as head chair of the AEJMC Media Ethics Division (MED) for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Leach’s role includes leading the division, fostering cooperation with other AEJMC divisions, evaluating ethics programming the division might want to sponsor or co-sponsor, communicating ethics issues with members and promoting programming for the 2016 convention in Minneapolis.
Leach has been an active member of the AEJMC MED since joining in 2007. In the past, she also served as the MED’s standards chair from 2010-2013, the research chair for 2013-2014 and the programming/vice chair for 2014-2015.
Mitch McKenney
Mitch McKenney, an associate professor in the School of JMC, was named as head chair of the AEJMC Newspaper and Online News Division, the largest in AEJMC, for the 2015-2016 academic year. The division is responsible for looking at concerns in journalism education and the journalism industry itself. It also publishes the Newspaper Research Journal and other news-related writings. As head chair, McKenney will make sure responsibilities are fulfilled and he will also oversee the division’s budget.
McKenney previously served as the programming/vice chair for the 2014-2015 academic year and as a research co-chair for 2013-2014, where he was responsible for the division’s paper competition.
Danielle Coombs
Danielle Coombs, an associate professor and graduate coordinator for the School of JMC, took over the role of head chair for the AEJMC Sports Communication Interest Group for the 2015-2016 academic year. As head chair, she will oversee the division’s budget and ensure all tasks are performed.
Coombs served as the interest group’s vice head chair for 2014-2015 and as research chair for 2013-2014. As research chair, Coombs was responsible for the group’s paper competition.
Susan Zake
Susan Zake, an assistant professor in the School of JMC, assumed the role of teaching chair for the AEJMC Communication Technology Division (CTEC) for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Zake’s responsibilities include reviewing papers submitted for the AEJMC Midwinter conference and annual convention, helping coordinate the annual Great Ideas for Teachers competition and writing articles for the division’s newsletter. She will also help identify and coordinate sessions for the convention related to teaching best practices that incorporate technology.
Michele Ewing
Michele Ewing, an associate professor of public relations in the School of JMC, will serve as co-chair of the PRSA Liaison Committee of the AEJMC Public Relations Division for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Ewing will work with the PRSA Educator Academy and other PRSA interests groups to collaborate on communications and programming to enhance research, teaching and professional development.