TMU 7(15) -- December 14, 2010

PRSA Nebraska Best of Show

Best of show.  UNO public relations students claimed four statewide awards, including Best of Show at the 2010 PRSA Nebraska Gala Dec. 9.  The Omaha 10-10-10 campaign was recognized with an Award of Excellence for the Outstanding Media Outreach Campaign, which also received the top overall award.  "The judging committee found the clarity of the objectives and the understanding of the target audience as a solid foundation to the Omaha 10-10-10 campaign," PRSA Nebraska noted. "The event and promotion were well executed and incredibly thorough (and strategic)."  Lecturer Karen Weber advises UNO's PR firm.  She and Director Jeremy Lipschultz collaborated on bringing the Omaha 10-10-10 conference to campus.

Maverick Solutions also claimed an Award of Excellence for the National Organ Donor Awareness Competition, which earlier received a national first place.  UNO also received an Award of Merit for the Run 'N Much campaign.  "The team shows huge promise as future PR professionals," PRSA added.  "Congrats to all involved and add me to the list of those who have great pride in the students commitment to excellence and accomplishments!" UNO Chancellor John Christensen said.

COMM 8020 graduate students

Table Talk 2010.  Professor Shereen Bingham's graduate qualitative research seminar students partnered with Omaha Table Talk in a service-learning project.  Students used qualitative inquiry to study dinner participant experiences Oct. 21.  Students later presented findings at a Dec. 6 OTT Board of Directors meeting held at the UNMC/UNO Collaborating Center for Public Health and Community Service.  A'Jamal Byndon, Executive Director of OTT, had high praise for the students' phenomenal work. He stated that he hopes to "implement many of the students' findings in the next two or three months."  OTT is a nonprofit organization that promotes informal gatherings of people of different races and cultures; participants in OTT events come together to share a meal and talk about race.  The students' research was focused in four main areas:  Experiences of Anxiety and Comfort, Interracial Communication Experiences and Stereotyping, Political Ideology and Racial Deliberation, and Marketing in Nonprofit Organizations.  Student PowerPoint slides were "outstanding," Bingham said. 

Report from Kabul.  Associate Professor Chris Allen accompanied a UNO group to Kabul University to perform a needs assessment prior to curriculum development for journalism professors. The School of Communication has entered a partnership with UNO's International Studies and Kabul University. Allen posted his first impressions of Kabul on a blog site.  Dr. Allen also was interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald prior to going on the trip.  “If we can help Kabul University establish their journalism program to the point where their graduates are making a serious contribution to a free press, well, that’s something we (at UNO) can be very, very proud of,” Allen said.  Ten journalism faculty members from Kabul are expected to be on the UNO campus this spring.  This will be the first of three groups to visit UNO by the end of 2013.

Angel Martin and Lynnette Leonard

NOMA celebration.  Assistant Professor Lynnette Leonard and her students had  another successful semester for the North Omaha Media Alliance (NOMA).  As the fifth semester of the project concluded Dec. 9, students from Benson High and Girls Inc. made presentations in the UNO Chancellor's Room.  Graduate students Angel Martin and Teresa Larson have provided support this year.  Alumna Bettia Williamson (Girls Inc. Program Specialist)  and Elisabeth Haskell (Benson Magnet Research Seminar Teacher) have encouraged the students.  NOMA continues to emerge as a model stay-in-school and college preparatory project.  Leonard recognized the support and encouragement of Paul Sather and the Service Learning Academy on the innovative  project.

Albers intern scholar.  Kelley Anne Alt has been selected as the Fall 2010 Albers Intern Scholar.  Her superior work as an an intern in the KPTM Fox 42's newsroom, UNO broadcast journalism reports and outstanding academic record all contributed to the award.  Alt's work has appeared on The Omaha News.


 
A luncheon at the Omaha Press Club is planned the spring semester, with Alt, the Spring 2011 recipient and donor Tom Albers.  This is the third year for the scholarship. 

Maverick PR recognizes seniors.   School of Communication public relations leaders gathered Dec. 11 at the Omaha Press Club to recognize graduating seniors and induct new members into PRSSA.

Excellence in action.  Part-time Instructor Kevin Warneke's 16 news writing students developed stories for a special section about Mammel Hall, which was recently published in the Gateway.  Ten of the 16 stories made it into publication.  *** Graduate student Andrea Iaccheri had her paper, "Anger in Conflict: Identifying the Newlywed Experience of the Chilling Effect and the Demand/Withdraw Pattern," accepted for Central States Communication Association meeting in Milwaukee this spring.  This is her first conference paper, and Assistant Professor Paige Toller said  her paper respondent is Sandra Metts, a leading interpersonal communication scholar.   *** Assistant Professor Chin-Chung Chao has two recent publications: Chao, C., and Tian, D. (2010, December). Culturally universal or culturally specific: A comparative study of the anticipated female leadership styles in Taiwan and the US. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 18(1);  and Tang, Q. and Chao, C. C. (2010, December). Foreigners’ archives: Contemporary China in blogs of American expatriates. Chinese Journal of Communication, 3(4), 384-401. ***  Four of Chao's graduate students in the quantitative research seminar will participate in the Central States Communication Association meeting: Samantha Brunken,  Stefanie Zahourek, Jennifer Goodell and  Anna Beaty have an accepted panel for the spring meeting in Milwaukee. ***  KVNO News Director Robyn Wisch has posted School of Communication broadcasting majors' stories.  *** Assistant Professor and Director of Media Bob Franklin's radio students have launched a website.

Did you know? One of Assistant Professor Paige Toller's small group communication students from last summer was rescued off of Mt. Whitney several weeks ago.  Steven Filips is a retired U.S. Air Force staff sergeant. ***  Toller's small group students recently raised funds for the Siena Francis House. They held a cookout and pie toss, which included $1 tosses at their teacher.  *** Alumnus Larry Allan  Boersma, a distinguished wildlife photographer,  had 12  photographs published in Cats USA annual magazine on the wild cats of North America--bobcats, lynx and cougars.  His wife authored the article. 

Photo gallery.

PR/Advertising students work on a service project

Alumni Jon Brooks and Bridget Weide Brooks promoted the Aksarben Cinema opening

Events.

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Santa Paws 2010

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December

17  -  UNO Commencement, Civic Auditorium, 2 p.m.

January
13 - High School Media Advisers' Dinner, MBSC, 6 p.m.
14  -  Jeff Pulver speaks to Media Regulation & Freedom students, Mammel Hall, 2 p.m.

February
15  - Career Fair, MBSC Dodge A & B, 12-4 p.m.
22 - UNO Forensics Fundraiser, Royal View Hall, TBA
25 - UNO Communication Hockey Night, Qwest Center, 7 p.m.

March

April
2 - Dart Center Panel, Creighton University, 8 a.m.

9 - Regional PRSSA, Mammel Hall, TBA
14 - High School Media Conference, MBSC 10-3
25 - Communication Week
28 - Alumni Panel, 1 p.m.; 56th Annual Communication Awards Banquet, Thomson Alumni Center, 6 p.m.

May - UNO Commencement, TBA