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By Ken Thomas
Instructor and Senior Broadcast Engineer

Darya Mironova and Carter Mudgett celebrate at the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists awards ceremony.

It was another good year for School of Communication alumni as several graduates were recognized for their work during their time at ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ. Multimedia journalism spring 2024 graduate Carter Mudgett was selected as College Journalist of the Year by the Society for Professional Journalism for his work with Inside Jacksonville and his overall . Inside Jacksonville is a 30-minute news magazine that is produced by JOU 4348-Advanced Multimedia Storytelling and airs on the local CW affiliate, WCWJ-TV. Additionally, SPJ selected his story from Inside Jacksonville on for Best Coverage of LBGT Issues. He was also recognized by the Hearst Journalism Awards for his investigative work with . Mudgett also took home third place in the Green Eyeshade Awards for his video reporting with  and won an honorable mention from the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists. Mudgett, who began his professional career as a reporter at the , has recently moved on to be the education, healthcare and technology reporter for the .

, a summer 2024 multimedia journalism graduate, joined Mudgett at the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists awards in Orlando as she picked up an Honorable Mention in the Sportscaster division for her work with Inside Swoop in 90.

Summer 2024 digital video production graduate was selected as a finalist for College Journalist of the Year for her work with the School of Communication’s Inside Swoop and CommConnectTV. and CommConnectTV were finalists for Best Student Broadcast Outlet for the third consecutive year at the SPJ awards.

By Frank Goodin
Associate Instructor, Digital Video Production

 Cole Echevarria says his Emmy win is a testament to the power of teamwork and dedication to impactful journalism.

Cole Echevarria, class of 2023, achieved a remarkable feat: winning his first Emmy just two years into his professional career.

He collaborated with First Coast News anchor Heather Crawford and chief photojournalist Nick Marone on the investigative series “Waiting For Rebuild,” which exposed the mismanagement of the Florida Rebuild program, a state-funded initiative designed to help residents rebuild their homes after hurricanes Matthew and Irma. The four-part series brought to light the struggles of individuals whose homes remained in disrepair years after the devastating hurricanes.

Echevarria shot interviews, captured footage of damaged homes, and helped edit in the series. “We won the Emmy because of the work of the entire team,” he says. “It was really cool and I was proud of the work everybody put into it.”

He added that kindness, a positive attitude, and a genuine interest in the well-being of colleagues are invaluable assets in a collaborative work environment. “Learning how to collaborate is huge, just huge, and knowing how to be a good teammate will get you far in this business,” Echevarria said.

Fouad Zabaneh, class of 2020, shows an unwavering dedication to impactful storytelling and cinematic artistry.

Fouad Zabaneh, who was featured in the spring 2024 issue of the alumni newsletter for his first Emmy, continues to distinguish himself in the news industry at WJXT News4Jax. He recently won a second Emmy for the series “Too Dark To Be Latino,” which delves into the culture and experiences of Afro-Latinos, highlighting their underrepresentation in media, Hollywood, and the community at large.

Zabaneh's journey to this second Emmy was driven by a passion to shed light on underrepresented communities. He collaborated closely with reporter Brianna Andrews, who, being Afro-Latina herself, brought a personal connection to the project.

For “Too Dark To Be Latino,” Zabaneh and Andrews meticulously planned the series, with Zabaneh pre-planning, outlining, and scheduling interviews to ensure a cohesive and compelling story.

“Winning such an award as an immigrant is just a huge honor,” Zabaneh said. “I’m considered the first Egyptian journalist to win an Emmy in the news business, and it’s such a great honor for which I'm so thankful.”

Yet, while winning a second Emmy is a remarkable achievement, Zabaneh said the true reward lies in the impact the series has had on viewers. “The fact that people reached out to her [Andrews] and told her that a lot of us just learned a lot of things about the Afro-Latino culture – that’s the real award.”

By Dr. Rachel Riggs Achorn
Assistant Professor, Public Relations

April Hartwich, an advertising graduate, is marketing director for SJC Cultural Events.

Every September, music lovers from Northeast Florida and beyond gather in Saint Augustine for a month-long celebration of music called Sing Out Loud, which culminates with a two-day festival in the historic Francis Field. Top acts in 2024 included Noah Kahan and Eric Church.

How does one put on a festival like this? It takes a group of people with the right skill set to manage such an event, and School of Communication alumna April Hartwich, class of 2011, is part of that team.

Hartwich serves as the director of marketing for SJC Cultural Events, Inc., a nonprofit organization managing The St. Augustine Amphitheatre, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Sing Out Loud Festival, and Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series.

If you were to shadow Hartwich for a day, you might find her developing strategic marketing plans for upcoming events, working with media organizations to secure advertising campaigns, overseeing the company’s social media channels, brainstorming ideas for connecting with the community, updating website content, and working with artist management teams for upcoming concerts.

“It is all worth it when I see people at the events happy and having a good time,” Hartwich said.

Hartwich’s career in the communication industry is focused on providing quality entertainment to people in their community. In previous roles, she worked the annual Florida-Georgia game, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, and the Sea and Sky Airshow.

She credits her advertising classes, especially ADV 4800-Advertising Campaigns, with helping prepare her for her career. “I actually just found the booklet we had made during the advertising campaigns class,” Hartwich said. “I still do ad plans like I did back in college, but now I do them on a much bigger scale. It was a great introduction to what I could expect.”

For students who wish to have a career like hers, Hartwich recommends getting out there: “Go to events, get your foot in the door, start up a conversation, and then see what opportunities might be out there.”

By Dr. Sydney E. Brammer
Assistant Professor, Mass Communication

Ansley Buck, a junior majoring in communication with a concentration in public relations, is the recipient of the Liz Slobodian Public Relations Scholarship. Buck, from Trenton, Florida, is involved in the School of Communication’s PRSSA chapter and is an active member of the Hicks Honors College.

“I just want to be able to learn as much as I can and be the best that I can be in my field,” Buck said in regard to how the scholarship has equipped her to be a successful student. She also remarked on the support of her professors, saying, “You can tell that they truly love teaching and want to help you and see you succeed in school and in your career.”

Two of her favorite courses are MMC 1004-Media Literacy and PUR 4801-Public Relations Cases. “They really helped build my understanding of public relations,” Buck said.

Buck’s communication coursework will continue to push her to explore new horizons this semester. She is eager to begin the internship process and looks forward to getting some more “hands-on experience” in various niches of the public relations discipline.

Lez Correia, a senior majoring in communication with a concentration in digital video production and a minor in social media, is the recipient of the Garrison Family Communication Scholarship. Correia, from Orlando, is the treasurer of the Multimedia Club, one of the School of Communication’s most active student organizations. “I have been a member of the Multimedia Club for over a year, and it’s been such a privilege watching it grow and gain new members,” Correia said.

Correia also serves as a board member for ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ’s Spooky Ospreys Club. “I am the historian,” said Correia, “so I get to combine my knowledge of social media, video editing, and filming with my love for all things spooky.”

Some of Correia’s goals for senior year are to make a documentary, make a movie, and work on Adobe After Effects skills.

Correia’s favorite communication courses include MMC 3105-Advanced Writing for the Media with professor Angela Spears and RTV 3228-Multi Camera Production with Dr. David Deeley. “Since I was younger, I have always loved writing. Taking Advanced Writing for the Media was so fun because it was a new style of writing. I enjoyed getting to interview people and analyze what I was told with an objective view. Multi Camera Production was fun. I really enjoyed creating different ideas for projects. I also loved getting the opportunity to direct my own show.”

Kai Edu, who graduated in December 2024 with a B.S. in Communication in the public relations concentration, received the Jennifer Bittner Memorial Communication Scholarship and COAS Communication Scholarship.

Edu, a Jacksonville native, served as a student ambassador for the School of Communication and was an active member of the ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ chapter of PRSSA. His favorite courses were Dr. Siho Nam’s MMC 4420-Mass Communications Research, professor Bobbi Doggett’s PUR 4400-Crisis Communication, and Dr. Rachel Riggs Achorn’s PUR 3100-Public Relations Writing.

Outside of the School of Communication, Edu served as the head of PR for the Honors Transfer Student Alliance in the Hicks Honors College and participated in undergraduate research opportunities. “I’m incredibly grateful to the School of Communication faculty for pushing me to conduct and present research at ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ’s symposia,” he said.

Edu hopes to work in the non-profit communication sector or become a professor. “I’ve had professors who have profoundly impacted my education, and I hope to be that sort of educator for students in the future,” Edu said.

Kaylee Gumz, a 2024 alumna who double-majored in communication studies and criminal justice, is the most recent recipient of the Oscar Patterson Scholarship. Gumz, who is originally from California but grew up in St. John’s County, fondly remembers the School of Communication as a thriving community. “My favorite thing about the SOC was the wonderful people I met while studying communication, including the teachers,” she said.

Now a proud graduate of the ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ, Kaylee continues to put her skills to good use as a professional. “I use my degree every day in my job to communicate with my team and build strong professional relationships,” she said.

Lena Perkins, a senior majoring in communication with a concentration in advertising, is the recipient of the Steve J. Borowiec Memorial Scholarship. Perkins, from Melbourne, Florida, has been a student ambassador for the School of Communication since January 2024.

During the fall, Perkins interned with ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ’s Spinnaker Media as a staff writer. This year, she will continue her service as the vice president of the School of Communication’s Ad Club.

Perkins especially enjoyed MMC 3105-Advanced Writing for the Media with professor Tricia Booker. “It is such an essential course,” she said. “Even though journalism is not my concentration, the course was interesting and helped me realize how important keeping up with news is and how to find well-written and high-quality news articles.”

Another favorite course of Perkins’ was ADV 3101-Advertising Creative Strategy with professor Dee Colvin. “We completed fun group exercises in each class, which helped me understand and apply advertising concepts while getting to collaborate with everyone on my team,” she said. Perkins is eager to reunite with Colvin for a study abroad tip to France this summer.

By Dr. Margaret Stewart
Associate Professor, Communication Studies

The School of Communication conference features a keynote address, facilitated networking activities, and a series of 20-minute micro-learning sessions for the Jacksonville community.

This year’s Social Media Expo JAX conference theme, “Social Media + Emerging Technologies: AI + More,” drew more than 150 participants to hear presentations on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and leadership, using AI tools for social media management, strategic efficiency, brand identity, digital content creation, and how to use data insights to inform and enhance a successful social strategy.

The flash-style and interactive model of the day keeps the tone and tempo of the presentation information concise and purposeful. The goal is for conference attendees to leave with new ideas, strategies, and skills to readily implement, and perhaps a few new connections both online and off.

A highlight of this year’s Expo was the number of the presenters being ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ alumni. Having former Ospreys swoop in to share their skills and industry knowledge is a hallmark of their dedication and loyalty to ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ. Our keynote address was delivered by School of Communication alumna Nicole Scarborough, social media analyst for Dun & Bradstreet. Scarborough spoke about how using data and analytics are vital to getting it right on social media by learning on what works best, when, and why for your social presence and digital communities. The event’s co-organizer, Erin Gordon, CEO of Fisher Agency, is also a School of Communication alumna.

Several alumni presenters have launched their own brands and organizations, using the skills and knowledge acquired during their time as ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ students to get started in professional roles, which were springboards to becoming business leaders themselves. Micro-sessions on how AI tools can optimize efficiency, drive leads, reduce overhead and increase revenue for social media strategy were facilitated by ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ alumni Luis D. Camejo, founder of BIZBROs and owner of Studio Podcast Suites; Angelica Pompy, founder of Pompy Portraits; and Sharmy Pompy, founder of Twenty19 Films. Scharmy is also the recent recipient of the 2024 Alumni Achievement Award in the field of entrepreneurship by the ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ Black Alumni Association.

Another unique trait of Social Media Expo JAX 2024 was the enthusiasm displayed by the presenters towards AI and new and emerging technologies. Whereas there is still a fair amount of skepticism surrounding a collective social embrace of AI, social media and digital professionals appear to be leaning into the benefits of AI tools to enhance the work they are already doing on social media. They seem to be willing to try new tools and processes, learning lessons along the way about how AI can best serve them, their social communities, and their clients.

Jay Owen, CEO of Business Builders, talked about his journey adapting to AI and other new technologies in an ever-evolving industry.

Social Media Expo JAX 2025 is scheduled to be held on Friday, October 24th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We are currently welcoming speaker nominations, sponsorship opportunities, and other interests related to the event (e-mail to m.c.stewart@unf.edu). We hope that you will swoop in and join us for Social Media Expo JAX 2025. 

By Tricia Booker
Instructor, Multimedia Journalism

Growing up in the Deep South, Rachel Riggs and Sydney Brammer were acutely aware of the societal pressures women faced regarding body image and self-acceptance. As young women, both became interested in the ways media can affect how women see themselves.

Fast forward a decade or so: Dr. Rachel Riggs Achorn and Dr. Sydney Brammer are now assistant professors in ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ’s School of Communication, Achorn specializing in public relations and Brammer in mass communication. And while their interest in feminist theory and research continues, they suspect that men, too, can suffer from body image distortion.

With funding from ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ’s College of Arts and Science, they have embarked on a study examining the pressures that can lead to men having body image challenges.

The study is based on the tripartite model of influence: family, peers, and media can all inflict potentially damaging messaging on both men and women. Some people are subjected to damaging messages originating from one type of influence; some are subjected to damaging messages from all three.

Achorn says she was drawn to the issue because she hasn’t seen much work done on it. For years, researchers have focused on the media pressures affecting women – and though men have traditionally not been the target of injurious advertising, that’s increasingly changing.

“It’s important for women, of course,” said Brammer. “But it’s also important for men and nonbinary persons. How people feel about themselves affects how they treat each other. Learning about the pressures we face as humans to distort ourselves into unrealistic ideals. It’s crucial, I think, to the future of communication.”

On a more lyrical note, the two have also partnered on a study about how students in collegiate music programs are impacted by sexual harassment and assault. They’re collaborating with Dr. Erin Bodnar in the ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ School of Music.

“We don’t have funding for this project,” Achorn said. “But we’re fascinated by the lack of research in this area, and see so much potential for the enhancement of the safety of music students everywhere. It’s worth doing.”

Dr. Sydney Brammer published “Extending the communication during sexual activity model: What role does sexual communication self-efficacy play?” in Communication Research Reports and “Face off: Exploring college students’ perceptions regarding face filters on TikTok” in Media Watch. She also presented several research papers at the National Communication Association conference, including “Reeling in pseudoscience: Analyzing the persuasive characteristics of messages used to promote errant health claims in Instagram Reels.”

Dr. Chunsik Lee published "Deciphering human intelligence for better machine intelligence: A thousand minds" in Health & New Media Research. 

Dr. Chunsik Lee and Dr. Junga Kim had two research papers, “Adapting to hallucination risks and privacy concerns: The role of information verification and privacy protection in continuance intentions of Generative AI,” and “Putting human agency at the center of technology adoption: Weighing psychological empowerment and risk appraisals,” accepted to the International Communication Association convention.

Dr. Siho Nam published “Who gets paid (for) what? The cultural political economy of news content in generative AI” in Emerging Media: Technology, Industry and Society.

Dr. John Parmelee published “Harris missed an opportunity to sway swing voters by not morally reframing her message” in U.S. Election Analysis 2024: Media, Voters and the Campaign (Centre for Politics & Media Research: Bournemouth University).

Dr. Nataliya Roman and Dr. John Parmelee had a research paper, “Synthetic images of war: A corpus study of AI images across three visual generative media platforms,” accepted to the International Communication Association convention.

Dr. Rachel Riggs Achorn published “The relationships between exposure to sexual assault narratives in media and women’s sexual assault disclosure efficacy: Proposed models and mechanisms” in Feminist Media Studies. She also published “Just listen…Really listen”: Expectations of youth when disclosing mental health concerns with parents,” in Health Communication.

There are eight great ways to stay connected with the School of Communication:

1. Join the School's Professional Advisory Board.

   The board helps us make sure we are getting students prepared for the current media environment. If you have risen to a position of leadership at a news organization, PR firm, advertising agency or other media outlet, please contact the school's director, John Parmelee. Even if you don't want to be on the board, feel free to email the director with any advice on making the curriculum better.

2. Join the School's Alumni Association.

   This is a great chance to interact with fellow communication alumni and current students. To join, please contact the School's Alumni Association, mention your interest in joining, and please include your name, contact information, year of graduation and track. Also, all communication alumni are invited to be a part of the conversation on Facebook. This is the "go to" spot for ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ communication alumni. The Facebook group includes information about alumni social events, recently posted communication jobs, tech tips, departmental news, and pictures/video from school events such as Media Week. In addition, communication faculty members have joined the group, so you can connect with your old professors. Here's how to join the alumni Facebook group: Search for ³ÉÈËAVÊÓƵ communication alumni and ask to join.

3. Let faculty know how you're doing.

   Below is a link that lists faculty and their email addresses. Faculty love to hear what their former students are up to and are always happy to offer advice.

4. Participate in the Internship + Job Fair.

   Every spring, representatives from companies such as WJXT, The Florida Times-Union, United Way and Mayo Clinic meet with communication students to discuss upcoming internships and jobs. If you are a leader at a company that is looking for interns to do advertising, public relations, journalism or production, please contact professor Bobbi Doggett to participate.

5. Be a guest speaker or mentor to our students.

   Your expertise in advertising, public relations, journalism or production could be a real benefit to current students. We are always looking for guest speakers to come to communication classes. A good time to do this is during the fall semester when the school hosts Media Week, an opportunity for media professionals to speak with students and faculty about the media landscape. Contact John Parmelee for more information. If you want to mentor our students, please fill out a profile on our .

6. Contribute to Alumni Notes.

   This is your chance to let faculty and fellow alumni know of any big career or personal changes in your life. Also, consider contributing a 300- to 500-word piece on which professors made the biggest impact on your career. Submissions will be published in the alumni newsletter. Contact John Parmelee to submit.

7. Donate to the School.

   Even a small gift can help us enhance our facilities, academics and recruiting of top-quality students and faculty. To contribute, please go to .

8. Join us on , ,  and .