Comm Blurbs
By: Olivia Hart
The Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts and Humanities opened for the Fall 2018 semester — a major change for the Communications Department. As the college closes in on its second academic year, here are five significant events from the last two semesters.
Mentors-in-Residence program (all year)
The Ifill College Mentor-in-Residence program, now in its second year, invites talented professionals in a variety of fields to visit Simmons to share career advice and knowledge with students. Their visits to campus help foster the next generation’s potential to lead lives of purpose and raise new voices. In the fall, the Ifill College welcomed two mentors: Alex Kittle, an independent graphic artist known for her film illustrations; and Simmons grad Carmen Baez, founder of PRxPR, an organization of business professionals supporting humanitarian aid in Puerto Rico. In the spring mentor Tricia Sitemere, a career coach, visited campus. Mentors make presentations, visit classes and work one-on-one with students — all to continue to foster Gwen Ifill’s legacy of mentoring and learning.
New faculty, September
This year, the Gwen Ifill College Communications Department welcomed two new faculty members: Kristina Markos, Associate Professor of Practice in Communications, and Joshua Duttweiler, Lecturer in Graphic Design. Markos, with over a decade of experience in the PR/Marketing field, has previously taught communications courses at Indiana University Northwest and Lasell College, and now teaches four courses at Simmons. Duttweiler comes to Simmons after a decade of education and experience in graphic design and photography.
Ifill Forum, October
The Ifill College presented the first annual Ifill Forum on Oct. 19. Honoring Gwen Ifill’s legacy, the event included a Race, Media and Democracy panel discussion, the Gwen Ifill Next Generation Award ceremony, and a reception following the event. The panel featured PBS White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, NPR Political Correspondent Asma Khalid, U.S. House of Representatives Press Assistant Maya Valentine ‘19, and PBS NewsHour Anchor and Managing Editor Judy Woodruff. Moderated by Prof. Rachel Gans-Boriskin, the panel delved into truthful media, diverse representation in newsrooms and thinking deeply about who is chosen to tell stories.
Annual Communications Student-Alumnae Dinner, November
The 5th annual Simmons Communications Student-Alumnae dinner was held Nov. 4. Almost 20 alumnae met with more than 35 students in an informal networking event that has become a tradition in the department. Grads sit with students to chat about careers and school, dishing out excellent advice. Many grads attending this year participated as students in the past.
Ifill stamp release, February
The U.S. Postal Service unveiled a set of Black Heritage Forever Stamps dedicated to the trailblazing political journalist and Simmons University alumna, Gwen Ifill (1955-2016), on Feb. 4. The Gwen Ifill College celebrated the stamp release with a postcard writing session open to the public, in which attendees could fill postcards with “Reasons to Write.” A Communications major in the class of 1977, Ifill was the first African-American woman to host a nationwide public affairs television program, Washington Week in Review on PBS; co-hosted Washington Week with Judy Woodruff, and moderated the 2004 and 2008 vice-presidential debates.
Made by the 2020 senior communication students at Simmons University