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West Virginia University Reed College of Media Magazine

Faculty News 2020

Harker and Mezera receive faculty awards

Jennifer Harker, was recognized with the College of Media’s Faculty Research Award, and Catherine Mezera received the Outstanding Teaching Award for the 2019-2020 academic year. Harker was honored for her research and work rooted in sport communication, public relations, journalism and rhetoric, examining the way social dramas play out in sports and the ways in which stakeholders perceive, discuss and react to them. She was published in five journals this year, received a book contract and received the top research paper award in the Sports Communication Interest Group from the Associate for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Mezera is the only VoiceThread Certified Educator at WVU and was instrumental in developing the new IMC online undergraduate curriculum. She also teaches general education foundation courses in Advertising, helping students realize their desire to be a part of the College of Media’s program.

Harman receives national adjunct teaching award

Chuck Harman (BSJ, 1981; MSJ, 1984) was recognized at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s international conference in Toronto with the top adjunct teaching award. Harman has been an adjunct faculty member at the College since 1999. For the past 15 years, he has taught the public relations and strategic communications capstone course, incorporating and leading study abroad trips to Ireland, Italy, Brazil, Spain, France and the United Kingdom.

Nice Work

Promotions

MaryKay_McFarland          

Mary Kay McFarland has been promoted to teaching associate professor. McFarland is currently co-leading Women Beyond Bars, an investigative journalism and advocacy communications project between the Reed College of Media and the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. She is also the coordinator of the West Virginia Uncovered project. She joined the College in the summer of 2009 and teaches visual and multimedia journalism. Previously, she worked at The Charleston Gazette as a staff photographer and multimedia editor. McFarland earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Bethany College and her master’s in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Catherine Mezera               

Catherine Mezera was promoted to teaching associate professor. She joined the College in 2013, teaching courses in the Advertising and Public Relations program. Since, 2019, Mezera has been an academic advisor for the EcoCAR Challenge, a cross-disciplinary collegiate automotive engineering competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, Mathworks and managed by Argonne National Laboratory. She is also the faculty advisor for Ad Club, a local collegiate chapter of the American Advertising Federation. Prior to joining the faculty full-time, Mezera was a project manager for West Virginia University Research Corporation. She is a graduate of the College of Media, earning her undergraduate degree in advertising and her master’s degree in journalism.  



Hello

Welcome New Faculty Members

Scatterday

Chuck Scatterday (MSJ, 1992) has joined the College of Media as the Shott Teaching Assistant Professor in the Sports and Adventure Media program, bringing more than 30 years of television production experience to the role. Previously, he served as an executive producer and operations manager for WV Illustrated, who manages all third-tier media assets for WVU Athletics. Scatterday spent more than 25 years with ESPN as a broadcast manager and then as a coordinating producer.

Chuck Borghese

Chuck Borghese has joined the College of Media as the Harrison Omnicom Visiting Professor in Advertising. Previously, he was the New York City group creative director at Merkley + Partners, as well as a lecturer at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. He has worked with numerous brands including Mercedes Benz, Coca-Cola, Lipton, Popsicle and Arby’s. Borghese earned his bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University.

jesse_wright

Jesse Wright (BSJ, 2000) is a Mellon Foundation funded full-time practitioner-in- residence for the College. He is working to develop a trans-disciplinary minor in community documentary storytelling and to better integrate 100 Days in Appalachia into the College’s curriculum. Wright also teaches beat reporting and serves as a contributing editor with 100 Days, focusing on visual and audio content. Previously, Wright was the news director for West Virginia Public Broadcasting where he served as executive producer of Inside Appalachia and the Legislature Today.