Spring Fever, Itches and Things in Bloom
I walk through campus as much as I can this time of year. Everything
is in lustrous and exaggerated bloom. The azaleas, the dogwoods,
a vibrant red Japanese maple at Osborne. The university has again
been designated a Tree Campus USA. The walk brings a smile to
my face and, alas, an itch to my eyes.
It’s a great time to entice incoming students from Cleveland
and Philadelphia. What’s a little pollen in contrast to the
lingering gray of winter? It’s prime time for hiring faculty
from Syracuse and Milwaukee, as we’ve just done. Also from
Connecticut and Oklahoma. We’ll introduce them in a later
issue. I don’t want to say that the Horseshoe is our primary
recruiting tool, but it’s icing.
 A walk across campus shows progress being made on the Moore School
construction site adjacent to the Coliseum. It takes me past construction
on the science building along Main Street. It leads me to Davis
College where we’ll finish installation on the new HVAC system
this summer. By the way, we’ll close Davis for the construction,
but the School of Library and Information Science will be in operation
without interruption from scattered sites across campus and in
the virtual world.
Nearly every walk takes me purposefully past the Health Sciences
building that is to be the next home of our School of Journalism
and Mass Communications. I can always envision what will blossom
there in the nearing time when we will start renovation and expansion
of the building. We are working with the architects this spring
to flesh out the design with the details of the building’s
technical needs and its interior finishes. We should get to construction
sometime late next year.
Provost Michael Amiridis told me this week, “the day that
Public Health moves out, you be ready to begin construction that
day.” I’m mindful of those rare exotic plants that
only bloom once in a lifetime. We’ve been nurturing the plans
for the journalism school for so long. We’ll be ready to
bring the project to full flower. It almost makes my eyes start
to itch.
Charles Bierbauer
Alumni News
Public Relations Alumna Promoted by South Carolina Ports Authority
Allison Skipper, public relations ‘04, has been promoted
to manager of public relations by the South Carolina Ports Authority.
In her new role, Skipper is responsible for all external communications,
media and community relations for the agency.
Skipper joined the Ports Authority in 2004 after graduating magna
cum laude from USC. She has earned the Accreditation in Public
Relations designation and a professional certificate from the College
of Charleston’s intermodal transportation and global logistics
program.
Cote joins Jackson Memorial Library as Associate Director
SLIS alumna Samantha Cote, ’11, has been named associate
director for Youth and Technical Services at the Jackson Memorial
Library in Tenants Harbor, Maine. Cote, originally from Saco, Maine,
was most recently the children's room assistant at the McArthur
Public Library in Biddeford, Maine, and is currently on the planning
committee for the state’s Reading Roundup Conference.
J-school Alums Named among Columbia Business Monthly’s "Women
who Lead"
Darci Strickland, broadcast '97, and Amy Love, MMC '00, are both
listed among Columbia Business Monthly’s “Women who
Lead”. The annual showcase recognizes Midlands-area women
who “are strong, creative, passionate leaders committed to
making a real and lasting difference in their communities.”
Love, who currently serves as the marketing and communications
director for the South Carolina Department of Commerce, is involved
in the community through organizations such as the Liberty Fellowship
Class of 2012, TEDxColumbiaSC, Leadership South Carolina and City
Year Columbia.
Strickland, an anchor at WLTX News 19, is a popular speaker and
presenter, a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused
and neglected children, and the founder of Camp Darci, a program
for high school girls who plan to attend college.
Lohmann joins Internet Archive’s Satellite Center in Anderson
SLIS alumna Sarah Lohmann, ’11, has accepted a position
with the Internet Archive as a book scanner in the organization’s
satellite scanning center in Anderson, S.C. The IA is a non-profit
digital library with the stated mission of "universal access
to all knowledge." Using the experience she gained while using
the IA’s Wayback Machine during her studies at USC, Lohmann
is currently working to digitize national park service materials
contributed by Clemson University.
Venuto Joins Greenville Marketing and Public Relations Firm
Katherine Helen Venuto, public relations ’11, has joined
Greenville, S.C., marketing and public relations firm Crawford
Strategy as a media relations strategist. Venuto, a native of Myrtle
Beach, moves to Crawford after interning at Erwin Penland Advertising,
where she worked with clients such as Bi-Lo and Denny’s.
Student News
J-school Students Earn ADDY Awards
Two J-school students were recently honored by the American Advertising
Federation of the Midlands, earning the organization’s ADDY
award for their creative works.
Visual communications senior Brock Henderson won three ADDYs for
work he completed in Professor Bonnie Drewniany’s Advanced
Creative Strategy class during the fall semester. Henderson of
Lexington, S.C., earned gold ADDYs for his “I Think In Type” poster
and his “Where's the Paint?” television ad. He also
earned a silver ADDY for “Stuffed with Fluff” in the
non-traditional advertising category.
Advertising junior Maddie McDowell won a gold ADDY for her “Angry
With Exams” ad she designed for USC’s Student Media.
McDowell, originally from Houston, Texas, was also recently selected
to participate in the second stage of the 2012 Media Plan Case
Competition as part of the Washington Media Scholars Foundation’s
Media Scholars Program. McDowell partnered with sport and entertainment
management senior Chris Beauregard in the national competition
that gives undergraduates valuable learning, career and scholarship
opportunities. Finalists earn an all-expense paid trip to Washington,
D.C., for Media Scholars Week.
SLIS Students Reach Finals of Syracuse’s New Librarianship
Contest
SLIS students Jessica Short and Bella Wenum have been chosen as
finalists for the New Librarianship contest conducted by Syracuse
University’s School of Information Studies. The national
contest asked participants to define how they view the future of
librarianship using the virtual pinboard website Pinterest.
The winning entry will be chosen by online voting. Click here to
view the Pinterest boards of the eight finalists and vote.
Upcoming Events
Alumni Baseball Gathering
Friday, April 27
Tailgate, Carolina Coliseum, 5 p.m.
Game, Carolina Stadium, 7 p.m.
 Plan to join the College of Mass Communications and Information
Studies Alumni Society for our annual baseball gathering on Friday,
April 27. We’ll tailgate prior to the 7 p.m. baseball game
vs. Alabama. Tailgate will start at 5 p.m.
Meet us outside the Carolina Coliseum (by the Blossom Street entrance
to the School of Journalism and Mass Communications) to tailgate.
We’ll walk to Lot B to take the game day shuttle around 6:30
p.m. Bring your own food and drink and enjoy mingling with other
alumni, faculty and staff of the college.
Visit www.sc.edu/vmps/gameday.html for information on the
game day shuttle.
We have pre-purchased a limited number of group tickets for $5
each. Please contact Elaine Taylor by phone (803-777-7118) or email
(taylorem@mailbox.sc.edu) if you would like a ticket.
May Carolina Alumni Weekend
May 10-12
University of South Carolina campus
May Carolina Alumni Weekend is a Carolina springtime tradition
that offers innovative and relevant exhibits, lectures, tours and
receptions. Make plans to join us and let the natural beauty of
the University of South Carolina campus inspire you this spring!
For more information, contact Jane Lavender at janel@carolinaalumni.org or 803-777-4112
Spotlight
Galardi named USC Outstanding Woman of the Year
By Joshua Joiner, SJMC Graduate Student
Alumni of the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies
may recognize Christina Galardi as a member of the college’s
Street Team of student volunteers who often serve as student ambassadors
at college functions and alumni events. However, Galardi’s
leadership activities and campus involvement go well beyond her
Street Team membership.
 Galardi, a senior public relations major from Lexington, S.C.,
and the 2011 USC Homecoming Queen, was recently named the University
of South Carolina 2012 Outstanding Woman of the Year in recognition
of both her excellence in the classroom and her dedication to service
and leadership. Galardi, along with four other finalists for the
prestigious honor, was recognized by University officials during
a ceremony Tuesday, March 27.
As president of the Carolina Service Council, Galardi has been
instrumental in leading service activities including directing
volunteers for the Martin Luther King Days of Service. She has
also organized service events such as February’s Beautiful
Lengths ceremony in which 43 USC students, faculty and staff members
cut their hair and donated it to an organization that provides
free wigs for cancer patients.
In the classroom, Galardi is a Carolina Scholar who has been on
the President’s List each semester at USC. She is a member
of the South Carolina Honors College while also a National Merit
Scholar, Lieber Scholar, Palmetto Fellow and a Robert C. Byrd Scholarship
winner.
The College of Mass Communications and Information Studies was
also represented among the finalists by junior broadcast major
Lauren Stitzlein of Olney, Md. |
