The new school year is off to a busy start with several recent and upcoming events in SJMC. We hosted a new majors event and fall picnic, our first professional-in-resident of the year, and a pre-homecoming parade tailgate to celebrate 10 years of the Event Management Program.

Professor David Dowling shares observations and other insights from his 2024 novel News Inc.: Brand and Advocacy Journalism Across Media, an examination of how news companies have branded their narrative pieces through different mediums to reach a wider audience. 

Two SJMC seniors, Liz Schultz and Kayla Smith, recently returned to Iowa City after completing a three-month summer internship with Iowa's News Leader, KCCI 8 News. They reflect on the work they completed, discuss the skills they gained and provide advice for other SJMC students looking to get further involved with internships as well as the J-School.

SJMC students and faculty continued to excel in their professional, creative, and research endeavors this summer.

Stephen Bloom and David Dowling received awards for their recent books at the 2025 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual conference.

Six SJMC faculty were promoted last year. Brian Ekdale and Tom Oates were promoted to full professor. Joanna Krajewski, Lillian Martell, Charles Munro and Kevin Ripka were promoted to associate professor of instruction.

AJ Reisetter, fourth year student who is studying journalism and mass communications and minoring in sports and recreation management, created a profile video of Jaecee Hall and the story behind Unbreakable Female Athlete.

Rachel McLaren and Rachel Young hosted a workshop to help local parents enhance communication skills with their teenagers during the digital age.

Stephen G. Bloom, professor emeritus recently won the Knudson Latin America Prize from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication for his memoir The Brazil Chronicles

Melissa Tully, director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, received the Mental Health Champion Award for her commitment to creating a safe space for her faculty and students.