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By Dr. Rachel E. Riggs
Assistant Professor, Public Relations 

Public relations alumni Tyler Holder (2015), Carissa Marques (2021) and Aimee Tober (2023) share their experiences working at three premier marketing and communication firms in Jacksonville.

Tyler Holder, a recent Jacksonville Business Journal Top 40 under 40 nominee, is a proud ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ School of Communication alumnus and an influential figure in the Jacksonville marketing and communication field. 

Holder currently holds the title of vice president of strategic communication for High Reason, a marketing and communication firm serving international, national, and local clients. His team recently worked with Clark County, home of Las Vegas, Nevada, as they hosted the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix and the NFL Super Bowl in 2024. 

"¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ was so important in getting me to where I am now,” Holder said. “I strategically sought out ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ because I wanted to be in a bigger market with more career opportunities after I graduated. I absolutely loved my time in classes and serving in leadership roles within Greek life.”  

Holder, a spring 2015 graduate, used the flexibility provided by ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ to begin interning (and eventually working) at a boutique public relations firm in Jacksonville. Holder was then able to leverage his experiences to join the Dalton Agency, where he excelled. Now, at High Reason, Holder works with clients to assist them with their public relations, social media and content creation needs.  

“Communication skills are so important for those working in agencies,” Holder said. “This includes knowing how to communicate with executives and decision makers, explain your reasoning for your decisions and resonate with them. You can be the best at media relations, but if you don’t have these communication skills, it will only take you so far.”  

Holder credits professor Bobbi Doggett’s PUR 4800-PR Campaigns class and his experiences in ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Greek Life with helping him learn life skills that he uses daily in the corporate world.  

“My campaigns class taught me how to address and resolve conflict directly,” Holder said. “There was disagreement among our team on the best way to build our campaign for our client, and my co-account director and I had to make the decision and explain our reasoning.”  

Holder shared this advice for students and early-career alumni: “There is no substitute for hard work. You must have a passion for this career and a work ethic to make it happen. For example, I used to think I was the only one who struggled with networking, but the more I talk to people the more I realize that networking is not a skill that comes naturally to everyone. It is a skill that may we all have to practice and work hard to master, just like anything else.”   

Carissa Marques, assistant public relations and communication manager at Wingard, knows a thing or two about perseverance.  

While a B.S. in Communication student, Marques worked as the creative services director and oversaw creative strategy, social media and magazine content for Spinnaker Media. Despite the hardships of graduating during a global pandemic, Marques landed a job at Wingard, a full-service agency offering marketing, advertising and public relations solutions to clients in Northeast Florida. She now assists her clients with media relations, media training, and media analytics. 

She says her experiences at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ helped her get ready for agency work. “Working at an agency is difficult to prepare for because it changes every day,” Marques said. “My time at Spinnaker helped me learn how to collaborate with others, as I would often reach out to departments on campus to make sure we were telling the right stories. Now I collaborate with journalists and my clients daily in the same way. It’s an important part of our job.”  

Now, Marques is interested in mentoring college students and the new generation of public relations practitioners. “I love being able to tell stories that deserve an audience and deserve to be heard,” she said.   

Aimee Tober had already landed her dream job at Connect Agency by the time she graduated from ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ in May 2023, and just a few months after she began interning at the agency. 

At Connect, Tober’s responsibilities include monitoring social media and comments sections, building newsletters and brand templates, and problem-solving for clients. Tober said she thinks all students should start off working at an agency if they can so that they can best learn the type of clients they prefer to work with and the type of public relations they enjoy doing the best. 

“I got to design a mock campaign in Dr. Riggs’ PR Writing class where a tampon company was partnering with Planned Parenthood to raise money and awareness for women’s health needs, and now that I am at Connect, I get to do a very similar initiative with the Period Pantry here in Jacksonville,” Tober said. “We recently helped the Period Pantry open their newest location where anyone can take free period products.”  

Tober credits professor Dee Colvin’s study abroad trip to France with helping prepare her for agency life: “We moved so quickly on that trip and met so many people and agencies,” Tober said. “The way professor Colvin designed that course was so rewarding to me as I went into agency work.”  

The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) voted unanimously on May 3 to reaccredit the School of Communication’s B.S. in Communication degree. The Council concurred with the previous unanimous site team and Committee recommendations for reaccreditation. The School of Communication is one of just five communication programs in Florida to have ACEJMC accreditation. During the accreditation vote, which was held in Washington, D.C., the School was praised for the quality of its faculty, leadership, and connections with the professional community.

ACEJMC, which was established in 1945, accredits 119 communication programs around the world. Achieving accreditation requires communication programs to meet eight standards, which deal with issues such as assessment of student learning, research productivity, resources and student services.

Accreditation occurs every six years. The ACEJMC has more information about the accreditation process.

By Dr. John Parmelee
Director, School of Communication

Dr. Shirley Carter is currently a professor and associate dean for access and engagement in the College of Information and Communications at the University of South Carolina.

In August 1988, Dr. Shirley Carter arrived at what was then the Department of Communications and Visual Arts to lead the program. During her six years at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, Carter led university initiatives examining critical issues in journalism and mass communication education and fostered community and professional linkages in the communications industry.

I recently had a chance to ask her about what ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ was like in those days and what she’s been up to since then. 

Where did your career take you after ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ?
I am grateful for my experience at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ as chair of a newly merged department of communication and visual arts, which helped shape my career trajectory as a JMC administrator. I left ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ to chair a newly merged department of journalism and mass communications at Norfolk State University, an HBCU in Virginia; yes, you read that correctly they were previously two separate departments. I led that program to its initial ACEJMC accreditation in 1999 and was elected President of the Association for Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication, the first Black in that leadership role. During my tenure as president, I collaborated with the AEJMC President to establish the Journalism Leadership Institute for Diversity, the forerunner to the current AEJMC leadership program. Four years later became the first woman and Black to serve as the director of the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University. My children have yet to forgive me for moving from Virginia Beach to Wichita. It was a great career move, but they kept reminding me of the distinct difference between waves of wheat grain and the beach. I was later appointed the director of the school of journalism and mass communications in a newly merged College of Information and Communications comprising the former College of Journalism and Mass Communications and College of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina. During my 20-year tenure here, I was named the 2006 Scripps Howard Foundation Journalism Administrator of the year, yes-the first Black to receive the award. I’ve also served two terms on the ACEJMC council and as a chair and member of numerous site visits.

What’s your funniest memory regarding the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ communication program?
I have many great memories, but one of the funniest that stands out is when my daughter Christin, then six, met one of the artists, Charles Charles, at his exhibit. He introduced himself by name as Charles Charles. She shook his hand, and proudly replied, “Hi, I am Christin Christin.”

What are some things about how the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ communication program was run in the late 1980s/early 1990s that would seem alien or funny to today’s college students? I think just the idea that the department was composed of journalists and sculptors, painters, art historians, photographers and graphic designers. But there was synergy, especially between the photographers, graphic designers, and our communication faculty, proving that we are innovative, creative and collaborative. The technology and instruction modality were quite different from curricula and facilities today.

What’s the most important lesson you learned as chair here that helped you in your later administrative roles?
How to be an effective change agent; the importance of collegiality, faculty governance, navigating cultural differences, and relationship building and management. A valuable lesson I learned and that I continue to model is the importance of giving back to the university. At the time, ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ donors at a certain level received gift acknowledgment of paintings, four of which still adorn the walls of my home, as they have throughout my career.

Is there anything else you want to share?
The ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ community was very welcoming and supportive.

By Frank Goodin
Associate Instructor, Digital Video Production

Grace Velez, class of 2023, celebrates her Gracie Award in New York.

Upon graduating, Grace Velez decided to travel before pursuing her career, visiting 44 cities in six months. The day she won her Gracie Award, she had just checked into a hostel in Bogota, Colombia, only to find that her bed had been double-booked. “I was super tired from traveling,” Grace recalled. The mix-up led to a frustrating encounter with the hostel staff and another guest, leaving her drained and irritable. Amid this chaos, Grace's phone buzzed with a notification that would change her mood entirely.  

“I got the notification all of a sudden, and I’m like, what? And then I’m in the best mood ever! I almost started crying,” she said. The Gracie Award, named after Hollywood actress Gracie Allen, is given by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and recognizes students who are making positive impacts and furthering careers in media for women. 

This unexpected recognition prompted memories about some of the challenging times producing stories for Inside Swoop, a student broadcast production within the School of Communication. “I loved doing Inside Swoop,” she explained; however, she was extremely busy with her full-time job, other classes, and other overwhelming responsibilities. “There were so many days where I was just so tired and running off of no sleep.” Winning the award was a profound validation of her hard work and dedication. 

To attend the Gracie Awards ceremony, Grace flew from Slovenia to New York. Even checking in was exciting. “Everyone had the same reaction. They’re like, ‘Your name is Grace, and you’re getting a Gracie, that's funny!’” The ceremony itself was an unforgettable experience. Grace describes the evening as surreal, filled with moments that made her feel both proud and humbled while meeting other accomplished women in the media and hearing their inspiring stories. 

Accepting the award for the on-air talent category, Grace’s sense of validation and accomplishment was deeply moving. “I definitely left with a sense of motivation like I’ve never felt before. At that point I wanted to win five more of those - not in a greedy way - but after hearing everyone else's stories, especially the lifetime achievement winner, just being in a room with that many women who've paved their own ways in an industry where there previously may not have been a place for them, I was incredibly empowered and motivated.”

Professionally, Grace has recently accepted a position as Reporter/MMJ for WMBB 13 (FOX/ABC affiliate) in Panama City Beach, Florida. She's also working to complete her first screenplay for an independent comedy film based on her life experiences. 

By Tricia Booker
Instructor, Multimedia Journalism

 Lianna Norman covers everything from political conventions to reality TV.

Lianna Norman has always been curious. It’s a trait that serves her well in her current position: She’s a journalist with the USA Today Florida Network, and her job is literally to figure out what people are Googling and write stories about those topics. 

“We wake up every morning and see what’s trending,” she says. Sometimes those trends vary day to day, and sometimes it’s minute to minute. While some topics are serious, others are more related to pop culture. Every Monday, for example, The Bachelorette is trending, so she writes stories about the latest developments in the reality series - the star of the show is from Florida - including what to expect on the next episode and who viewers predict will get kicked off next.

Recently, she woke up to find Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, trending, so she quickly dropped some stories about the girl - where she goes to school in Florida, for example, and the content of her speech at the Republican National Convention. 

Norman, who graduated in 2020 with a B.S. in Communication and major concentration in multimedia journalism, was chosen by USA Today to be part of an experimental journalism program in which reporters exclusively research and write stories about what’s trending, often referred to as service journalism. The topics are determined by what users are Googling the most. 

The program has since become permanent, and has been replicated throughout USA Today’s national network. In Florida, the stories produced are used to fill in the gaps at local news outlets owned by USA Today, including The Florida Times-Union.  

Norman grew up in Jacksonville Beach and attended Fletcher High School before enrolling at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ. As an Osprey, she was quickly drawn to the field of communication, and dove into journalism. By her second year, she had a regular byline in The Spinnaker, and by her senior year, she was the paper’s editor. From the first story she wrote, she knew she had found her place. “¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ was the only college where I could be paid to do the job I wanted to do,” she says. “I’ve been a working journalist since my junior year. The Spinnaker laid the foundation for that.”  

She graduated the year COVID hit - so she couldn’t walk across the stage. But she was accepted into the prestigious Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and earned a master’s degree there, which included an internship at Business Insider. 

She was hired by the Palm Beach Post as a beat reporter, but was soon scooped up by the Post’s parent company for the trending news program. She’s now one of five reporters on the statewide “trending-focused team.” Recent topics have included the chances of winning the lottery, when to evacuate for a hurricane, who’s eligible for the Cash App settlement, and when ocean temperatures in Florida are too hot for swimming.

Her most viral story, though, has been about “jiffy feet” - a phrase referring to the layer of dirt and grime that accumulates on the bottom of one’s feet after gallivanting around town shoeless.  

Norman, 25, credits ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ with giving her the support she needed to pursue a career in media. “The community that exists at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ is so unique,” she says. “If you tap into what it offers, it will give back to you in spades.”  

Recognized at our graduation reception were our 2023-24 outstanding student award winners and our graduating student ambassadors.

The School of Communication’s graduation reception on May 3 honored all graduates and recognized the faculty-selected winners from the M.S. in Communication Management, B.A. in Communication Studies, and B.S. in Communication. The name of each winner is placed on a plaque in the School’s lobby. The faculty also gave a special tribute to D’Lynn Phelps, the School’s office manager, who received her B.A. in Communication Studies.

This year’s Outstanding Student Award winners are grateful for many things. Amelie Niemann, the Outstanding Graduate Student in Communication Management, called her time here “a transformative journey, enriching my understanding of effective communication strategies and equipping me with the skills needed to thrive in various professional settings.”

Richelle Carey, the Outstanding Student in Digital Video Production, praised the “creative freedom” of the program and said the faculty “were nothing but supportive of my academic goals and always helped me think outside the box.” She especially liked doing multi-camera live productions and video editing.

Raygen Bearden, the Outstanding Student in Advertising, said he will “fondly remember my capstone course where my classmates and I created an ad campaign for Duolingo. I will be forever grateful for the instruction from our professor, Dee Colvin.” Jenna Gibson, Outstanding Student in Public Relations, thanked her professors for giving her “encouragement and grace when I needed it.” 

This is part of an ongoing series exploring what School of Communication alumni are up to and what advice they have for current students. These short videos are the brainchild of Dr. Nataliya Roman and her MMC 3342-Content Creation Tools students.

Dr. Lauren Furey is an associate professor of communication at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She graduated in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in communication with a concentration in journalism, and for several years afterward was an adjunct instructor with us ().  

Emma Giusti, a 2022 public relations graduate, works as a marketing coordinator at XPG Recruit & Podium X, a company that helps find jobs for former athletes. Grace Schore met with Emma in Jacksonville ().

Liliana Kendall works on Forcura’s marketing team and focuses on branding and communication. Both of her degrees are from the School of Communication: a master's degree in communication management in 2020 and a bachelor's in communication with a concentration in multimedia journalism and production in 2018. Alexis Moorefield interviewed Lili, who explains what a day in her role looks like ().

Derrick Richardson, a 2014 public relations alum, is a marketing freelancer and a realtor at United Real Estate Gallery. In his interview, Derrick shares how communication skills learned at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ helped him to succeed in real estate. Emily Smith interviewed Derrick in Jacksonville ().

Mellisa Soehono, a 2020 public relations graduate, is a public relations account manager at Dalton Agency. Mellisa is proud to be an Osprey and encourages students to use all ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ resources and opportunities while at school. Gabriella Fasciani interviewed Mellisa in Jacksonville ().

Trevor Walsh is an owner of Cantwell Creative Media, a video production company based in Jacksonville. He is also a 2016 multimedia journalism and production alum. Michael Keough met with Trevor to discuss what it is like to own a video production company and how the skills learned at ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ help him run a successful business ().

By Dr. Sydney E. Brammer
Assistant Professor, Public Relations

Zines created by students in MMC 1004-Media Literacy.

Last semester, I gave my Media Literacy students an assignment called the Zine Project, which required them to individually craft an 8-page mini-zine. Students were instructed to present a persuasive argument about a class-appropriate topic, issue, or initiative of their choosing. Topics included deforestation, cosmetic surgery, cyberbullying, and food insecurity.

In their persuasive arguments, they had to make connections back to ideas and principles of media literacy covered throughout the semester. For some, the latter task was easy (e.g., the role of media literacy in news reporting), while others struggled to connect the dots (e.g., the role of media literacy in water conservation).

Regardless of how obvious the connection between their chosen topic and media literacy was, many students remarked on how difficult it was to do the project by hand, even though I explicitly stated that I was not grading them on “artistic ability.” I distinctly remember one saying that they could not recall the last time they had seen—much less used—a glue stick. Asking them to do this project was not a devious choice on my part but a purposeful one.

Last year, Turnitin—a software used to detect plagiarism—introduced a new feature meant to serve as an AI-detector. After , they found that 11% contained some AI-produced content (<20%), and only 3% of papers contained 80% or more AI-produced content. This boils down to assignments containing some AI-generated content.

In truth, these numbers are small. However, according to a , over half of Americans believe that AI-generators (e.g., Chat GPT, Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, DALL-E) should have to include citations for the information they draw from in their output, but most do not. Further, certain types of AI output, such as information about the upcoming presidential election, garner among the general public.

Regardless of their intended career paths, students must be aware that AI is not yet prepared to generate content that is (1) always accurate and (2) appropriately attributed to its sources. Accordingly, class activities and assignments that eliminate opportunities to lean on or abuse access to AI reinforce essential foci of our discipline: accuracy and transparency.

Much like learning to do math by hand before using a calculator, learning to center quality, ethically sourced and/or original information without depending on AI is critical for future media and communication professionals. Even though they make a mess with glue and magazine scraps en route to the final product, students are presented with new challenges and opportunities when asked to unplug and craft a zine. Similarly, I require discussion boards in video format rather than text format since it is more difficult to emulate a personal video with AI (for now); it also doubles as great public speaking practice—another valuable challenge to their comfort zones that presents them with an opportunity to subvert the undertow of AI.

They will have plenty of opportunities to explore AI in the classroom in the future. For now, it seems pertinent to take them back to the foundations of media and communication practice in a time before ChatGPT could say “how can I assist you today?”

Dr. Christa Arnold and Dr. Margaret Stewart were awarded grants from the Florida Blue Center for Ethics and the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Foundation Board to detect and combat online misinformation. They also published “Mediated statement analysis (MSA): How to detect deception and suspicious content when listening to messages online” in Journal of Listening and Education Training.

Dr. Sydney Brammer published a book chapter, “Social media and romantic relationships: Oversharing, sexting, and relational maintenance” in Social Media & Close Relationships. She also presented “Face off: Exploring college students’ perceptions regarding face filters on TikTok” to the Southern States Communication Association convention.

Dr. Roy Christopher published two books, The Medium Picture (University of Georgia Press) and The Grand Allusion: A New Understanding of Pop Culture (Palgrave Macmillan). He also wrote “Mining affordances: How skateboarding changes the world, the media, and the mind” for The Henry Ford Magazine.

Dr. Chunsik Lee and Dr. Junga Kim published “Analyzing social media reactions to the FTX crisis: Unraveling the spillover effect on crypto markets” in Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management. They also presented “How do Covid-19 vaccine misinformation beliefs moderate the third-person effect?” to the Korean Health Communication Association convention.

Dr. Carolynn McMahan published “Long-term implication of a pandemic on strategic brand marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR)” in Quarterly Review of Business Disciplines. She and Dr. Jae Park also presented “Analysis of strategic brand marketing, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and brand activism on Generation Z and Millennials” to the International Association of Applied Business Research.

Dr. Jae Park presented “Generation Z’s evaluation of super bowl advertisements” to the International Academy of Business Disciplines.

Dr. John Parmelee, Dr. Nataliya Roman, and Dr. Berrin Beasley published “Moral framing in Ukraine war coverage” in Media, War & Conflict. Parmelee also published “Moral reframing in contemporary U.S. presidential debates” in Atlantic Journal of Communication.

Dr. Nataliya Roman and Dr. Berrin Beasley published two journal articles, “‘Too much stress’ for ‘too little reward’: COVID-19 effects on reporter’s workloads and work/life balance” in Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, and “Innovation and determination: How local American TV journalists told the COVID-19 ‘story of a lifetime’” in Electronic News. They also presented “‘Unwanted guests’ or welcomed neighbors? Portrayals of Ukrainian refugees in Russian, Polish, and UK news coverage” to the International Communication Association convention.

Dr. Rachel Riggs and Dr. Sydney Brammer published a book chapter, “Adolescent girls’ sense-making about sexual assault victimization after exposure to a sexual assault narrative in media” in Teens, Sex & Media: Understanding Media Impact on Adolescent Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Advocacy.

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 ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ 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 ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ 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 our .

8. Join us on , ,  and .