VCU PRSSA Chapter hosts April 18 conference

Public relations plays a vital and diverse role in business, government and other professional organizations in today’s world.

The conference is designed to give students and professionals alike an opportunity to network and learn more about the many areas touched by the profession. Practitioners from the Richmond area and beyond will discuss topics featuring media relations, event planning, crisis communications and non-profit public relations--and how all of these are impacted by the new strategies and tactics of today's digital world of social media and networking.

Students majoring in marketing, communications and business will benefit as they learn more about these careers—and become more aware of where their own interests lie.

Plan now to attend. Go to the VCU PRSSA conference web site to find out more and to register.

Be a part of the Society of Professional Journalists' The Working Press

Each year, the Society of Professional Journalists sponsors internships for 12 bright, motivated and hard working SPJ student journalists to staff The Working Press, a daily tabloid newspaper that covers the SPJ National Convention. Student writers, photographers and designers are invited to apply for these select positions.

This year's convention is set for August 27-29 in Indianapolis. Interns will need to arrive in Indianapolis by noon Wednesday, August 26 and the internship ends Sunday, August 30.

To apply, send 2 sets of the following (submissions will not be returned)

• Cover letter


• Résumé (include summer contact information)


• Three clips, layouts or published photos (relevant to your area of expertise). Please send copies of clips on letter or legal-size paper.

Postmark deadline: April 17, 2009

You provide:

• Energy, talent, great ideas and a good attitude


• Your transportation to and from Indianapolis


• Photographers: bring your own gear (digital)

The Society provides:

• Complimentary convention registration


• Complimentary accommodations at convention hotel


• Mentoring by professional journalists


• Networking venues


• A place to showcase your talents in front of many professionals

Mail applications to:
Society of Professional Journalists
Attn: The Working Press
3909 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46208
Or e-mail your application to Heather Porter.

Questions about The Working Press?
Contact Heather Porter, Professional Development Coordinator, @ 317/927-8000 ext. 204 or via e-mail.

Note: As a Working Press intern, the Society retains all rights to the work you produce during the convention as part of your internship.

National Mass Communications Honor Society Welcomes VCU Students

This spring, 39 students from the VCU School of Mass Communication were inducted into the George T. Crutchfield Chapter of Kappa Tau Alpha, a journalism and mass communications honor society. Kappa Tau Alpha fosters high quality scholarship in journalism and mass communications by acknowledging students who excel in these areas.

Membership was extended by invitation only to juniors and seniors with overall grade point averages in the top 10 percent of their class in the School of Mass Communications. Graduate students of superior achievement also may be selected.

Dr. Judy Turk, the chapter advisor, led the ceremony on March 18.

VCU’s chapter was chartered in 1978 and initiates new inductees each year. Kappa Tau Alpha was founded at the University of Missouri in 1910 and is the seventh oldest national honor society in the country. It is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and is the only member dedicated to journalism and mass communications.
Congratulations to the following students:

Undergraduate
Adam Aceino
Yvonne Allen
Kimberly Barnes
Maddison Bradley
Melissa Calabro
Erin Catharine
Jelise Chung
Frances M. Correa
Stephanie DuVal
Rachel Erwin
Steven Flick
Sarah E. Griffith
Clarissa Hillen
Bridget Renee Jones
Douglas Kleeman
Catherine MacDonald
Jalyce Mangum
Colleen McMackin
Seth Powers
Lauren Stewart
Xanthe Waters

Graduate
James Adams
Christopher Brent Baldwin
Patrice Baltimore
Binta D. Cisse
Jordan Childs
Amanda M. Christopher
Marmie Edwards
Asriel Eford
Leslie P. Green
Kimberly Hodge
Amanda Hodges
Tiffany F. Murray
Mary Ellin Scarberry
John Vermeire
Anjali C. Wadhwa
Alyssa Walden
Nicole Whealen
Cassie Williams

Additional Awards and Scholarships
Congratulations to the following students who received additional awards and scholarships by upholding superior academic and leadership standing in and out of the classroom:

Black History in the Making Award
Cecily Lewis, Imani Green-Carr, Terrell Brown, Loren Pritchett, Jalyce Mangum, Patrice Baltimore and Asriel Eford.

Scholarships
Misha Adams (Gene B. Creasy Scholarship)
Frances Correa (Crutchfield Journalism Scholarship)
Jalyce Mangum (Lincoln Financial Media and Martin Agency Scholarship)
Julie Wyatt (Joseph F. Mason Scholarship)
Sara Griffith (Robert Beverly Orndorff Scholarship)
Iva Radman (Scott Stevens Scholarship)
Richard Griset (T. Edward and Polly D. Temple Writing Award)
Benjamin Cohen (Virginia Communications Hall of Fame)

CreateAthon onCampus

CreateAthon on Campus reocgnized in Richmond Times Dispatch. Read the story here.

School of Mass Comm will award more than 100 degrees in May 2009

The School of Mass Communications will hold its May 2009 commencement ceremony for BS and MS degree candidates Saturday, May 16 at River Road Church, Baptist. This year, the School will break a record by awarding more than 100 BS degrees. And with the record number of graduates comes a record number of guests.

The new location, although off campus, is larger than the university’s Commonwealth Ballroom, where the School’s December ceremony was held and should accommodate everyone.

“The ballroom’s maximum capacity is about 550. With more than 125 degree candidates and guests, we would easily fill the space, said Carol Mawyer, Assistant Director of Student Services and Scholastic Journalism. “By taking our ceremony off campus we won’t have to limit the number of guests each graduate can bring. Some of our students have spent four, five, six years in school; they shouldn’t have to choose only four guests to witness this important event.

River Road Church, Baptist, located at 8000 River Road, [Richmond, VA 23229], is 6 miles from the Monroe Park campus. (Visitors should allow 15-20 minutes travel time.) The church’s sanctuary seats 900 people.

Parking is limited to 275 vehicles. School officials are encouraging graduates to ride to the ceremony with their guests. All graduation candidates need to arrive at River Road Church, Baptist no later than 1:15 p.m. Doors will open at 1 p.m. for family and friends. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Due to the limited about of parking, carpooling is strongly encouraged.

Students planning to participate in the May 16th ceremony, should sign the Intent to Participate list and indicate the number of guests who will attend. This list is located in the Mass Comm front administrative offices, Temple 2216.

Featured at the graduation ceremony will be guest speaker Donna M. Reed, Vice President of News and Multimedia Strategy, Media General, Publishing Division. Reed leads efforts to improve the quality of Media General’s newspaper journalism and focuses on growing the company’s multimedia initiatives.

School earns accolades from PR agency founder

When the co-founder of Richmond’s eminent public relations agency, The Hodges Partnership, spoke at the School’s public relations capstone course, he discovered one of the many secrets to the School’s success. Read Jon Newman’s review at http://jonnewman.typepad.com/jons_bridge/2009/02/what-vcus-mass-comm-students-taught-me-today.html.