Tarleton professors well-represented at mass communication conference

STEPHENVILLE (November 8, 2016) — Tarleton State University faculty members Drs. Cessna Winslow and Sarah Maben, both in the Department of Communication Studies, presented papers and pedagogy posters at the Southwest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication Nov. 4-5 in West Memphis, Ark.

Maben’s paper, written with Texas Wesleyan University professor Dr. Kay Colley, received top honors. The two wrote #NotAllBaptismbyFire: The State of Social Media Training at Student-run Communication Organizations—one of the first studies in this research area.

Winslow’s research presentation was titled An Exploration of the Characteristics of Public Relations in Regards to Face-to-Face Versus Distance Learning in Two Private Liberal Arts Higher Education Settings. Her pedagogy poster presentation, “Strikeout or Homerun?” was a best practices illustration. Both showcase her research interests in public relations and curriculum design.

From left, Dr. Sarah Maben and Dr. Cessna Winslow, faculty members in Tarleton's Department of Communication Studies, recently attended the conference of the Southwest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication. Maben's scholarly article, published with a colleague from Texas Wesleyan University, received top honors at the symposium. — From left, Dr. Sarah Maben and Dr. Cessna Winslow, faculty members in Tarleton’s Department of Communication Studies, recently attended the conference of the Southwest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication. Maben’s scholarly article, published with a colleague from Texas Wesleyan University, received top honors at the symposium.

Maben was honored for her service as president of the Southwest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication for the past year, and Winslow served as a program moderator for the recent symposium. Drs. Liza Benedict and Chris Gearhart, also with Tarleton’s communication studies program, were reviewers.

An affiliate of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the council promotes the recognition, welfare and progress of journalism and mass communication education in the southwest United States. Each year, it hosts an annual symposium to recognize significant research by faculty and students in journalism and mass communication programs.