Butler CCOM: Where Great Stories…Live

Butler CCOM: Where Great Stories…Live

From left, Lawrence Taylor, IJHF executive director; Stephanie Salter, IJHF board president; Joe Valenzano, Butler University College of Communications dean; and Steve Key, IJHF board member, announced the partnership between IJHF and Butler University Sept. 12.

I raced against my father and four brothers to claim the sports section of the The Bergen Record every morning while growing up. Lifting it in the air, on successful days, like I had just captured the opposing team’s flag on the playground. The runner-up would happily settle for the feature stories, recaps, and scores from the New York Daily News, as the rest waited for the remaining second-hand scraps of knowledge. 

Whether it was those journalistic institutions, or as I grew older, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, one thing remained consistent. A connection between me and the men and women crafting the words and collecting the quotes and facts as they documented and explained day-to-day history. These storytellers became my earliest heroes and made a moment from earlier this summer that much more impactful. The College of Communication at Butler University was presented the opportunity to partner with the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame (IJHF), and I couldn’t be more honored for CCOM.

This hot scoop came from Steve Key ’77, the retired Executive Director of the Hoosier Press Association and a member of the CCOM Dean’s Advisory Board. He shared that the IJHF was looking for a new home and asked if Butler and CCOM would have interest in hosting their mission-driven operation to honor women and men whose lives and careers make them standouts among Hoosier journalists. I didn’t skip a beat in saying “we sure would!” and our meetings commenced.  

IJHF leaders Stephanie Salter, president, and Larry Taylor, executive director, met me on campus two weeks later at Chatham Tap. We discussed Butler’s history of producing quality journalists, and CCOM’s mission to educate the next era of journalists for more than an hour. As a recently transplanted Indiana resident I wasn’t previously aware of the long and storied history of journalists from the Hoosier state. The IJHF celebrates more than 250 inducted members and maintains an archive of their work. As Stephanie and Larry shared more details and anecdotes it was apparent that Butler, CCOM and the IJHF were a tremendous fit. 

Eventually we did the final dance of “i” dotting and “t” crossing, reaching a late-summer agreement signing. CCOM is excited to welcome the IJHF to their new home in Fairbanks at Butler. It is a powerful step having the archives of the Hall available to faculty and students but there are more inherent benefits. 

Their annual IJHF induction ceremony will have connections to student work, which may also include video interviews and productions for the members. We will also partner internally with students, faculty, and staff to develop more meaningful ways to help celebrate, study and promote the work of Indiana’s finest journalists and media innovators—those already inducted and the active media members who make up incoming classes. To me, this is one of the best aspects of the IJHF. Of course they celebrate journalists from the past, but the process of inducting active, working journalists into their annals brings a special energy while recognizing the leaders of this critical profession.  

From left are new Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame 2023 inductees Steve Inskeep, Dorothy Leavell, Jim Shella, Linda Graham Caleca and Mike Lopresti. Not pictured is the sixth inductee, the late Ida Husted Harper. (Photo by IJHF board member Gena Asher)

As the IJHF settles into its new address in Fairbanks, we will continue to explore ways to connect our students with its members and its resources, further cementing the strength of the Pulliam School of Journalism and Creative Media and what it offers to the journalists of tomorrow.

Our CCOM student-focused tagline is “great stories begin here.” Now we can also say great storytellers are recognized and their work lives here, thanks to this partnership with the IJHF. And it’s downstairs from my office so I don’t need to race family members down there to get the information that I’m eager to read.

For more information on IJHF moving to Butler please visit Butler Stories and the official website of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. 

A Wealth of Experience

A Wealth of Experience

Writer William Arthur Ward once observed, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”  

I have experienced inspirational guides at every level of my learning. Mr. Frank DeVito, whose encouragement and care in high school showed me education was more than just books and lectures. My undergraduate and graduate school professors included Dr. Sandra Berkowitz, Dr. Lyombe Eko, Dr. George Raymond, Dr. Michael Speigler, and Dr. Joe Cammarano. They taught different disciplines, but each inspired and mentored me in ways I’m still realizing. These higher ed heroes taught me information—but the most important lessons they shared with me were the experiences that helped shape their lives as critical thinkers and contributors to our overall society.

Every educational institution I have attended or worked at has those special individuals. I’m certain most of you have also connected with incredible professors and administrators who remain guides for life as much as they are teachers. In my time at Butler University, I’ve recognized there are so many individuals who fit these criteria across a variety of fields and colleges on our campus. Call me biased, but I think our current team of instructors in CCOM, from various levels of education, professional accomplishment, and life experience, are as good as you’ll find anywhere. And it only gets better as I get to introduce (alphabetically) the four newest full-time faculty members, who join the Class of 2027 in embarking on a new adventure in the Fairbanks Center of Communications.

Mr. Ryan Gautreaux (Communication and Critical Media): Ryan will teach a variety of courses, including Media Literacy, and Sports and Culture. It’s important to note that while Ryan is teaching here at Butler, he also is working to finish his doctoral dissertation at Georgia State University.  Ryan loves teaching and knows without it he would have trouble finishing his dissertation. He is excited to be here at Butler to work with our tremendous students and setting a great example as he finishes his own program via a long distance approach.

Mr. Matthew Herbertz (Eugene S. Pulliam School of Journalism and Creative Media): Matthew is a filmmaker originally from Indianapolis but spent several years teaching in Florida before coming to Butler. In addition to teaching in the Creative Media and Entertainment major, Matt also will be the new advisor for Indy Blue Video*, and he has started enacting new ideas for that student organization (the * is there because Matt and his students will spearhead a new name and brand for the organization this semester). He is passionate about teaching, but also about showing students how to operate in a creative environment.  

Mr. Bob Schultz (Strategic Communication): Bob joins the Department of Strategic Communication after a long and illustrious career at Downtown Indy, Inc., and serving as a tremendous adjunct and resource for Butler students for almost thirty years.  I learned very quickly that there is no one in Indianapolis who either does not know and love Bob, or whom Bob does not know.  Given he is not new to campus, he hasn’t missed a beat with his classes, bringing in guest speakers galore, mentoring students 1:1, and even arranging for one class to do a bike tour of, wait for it…….Downtown Indy!  I joined them (in a golf cart) and it was quite the experience.

Ms. Mandy Thurston (Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences): Mandy is as professional, energetic and passionate as they come. She has taught part-time for Butler in the past so she knows and loves our CCOM Bulldogs. Mandy is a speech pathologist by trade, a teacher by heart, and a fun and enjoyable person (and sports fan) all the time. I am excited about the expertise she brings, but more so her experiences which will teach our SLHS students even more.

Butler faculty have always been engaged teachers, who remember their students and whose students remember them long after graduation. I see evidence no matter where I am on campus and with every alum I meet. I know that Matt, Mandy, Ryan, and Bob will add to that community and reputation because they fit the mold of Butler and our CCOM teachers—selfless stewards of our future generational leaders.

We have welcomed great new teachers to join our current amazing faculty and we know they’ll all inspire our students.

Doghouse Treasures

Doghouse Treasures

Relocating is a way of life in some professions. My higher ed path has taken me from New Jersey to Chicago; Providence, R.I.; Orono, Maine; Atlanta; Las Vegas; Dayton, Ohio; and now Indianapolis. The process of moving can be stressful but there is an element of excitement and adventure for us lifelong learners. When packing and unpacking boxes there are time-capsule moments of nostalgia as certain board games, comic books, pictures, and personal keepsakes sweep us back to different points in time. I like to think this is the case with most people, and that finding these seemingly lost memories fills their hearts with joy as they reminisce.

Butler’s College of Communication (CCOM)—well before being named the College of Communication—was quilted together with a fabric of groundbreaking ideas, experiences, and individuals who have nurtured our college evolution.

I’ve learned that CCOM, as a young college of only 13-years-old, has a rich history from when its departments resided in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Lacy School of Business, and the Jordan College of the Arts. Sifting through these stories has underscored why I made the correct decision to become a Bulldog.

Multiple university leaders and proud alums have shared stories with me of the tremendous impact of three former faculty members: Jim Phillippe, Art Levin and Ann Harper.  Each, whether through their advising, encouragement or even tough love, left an indelible mark on students and, in many cases, changed the course of student lives for the better.  As amazing as these institutions of Butler’s history are—it is the details and story extensions I discovered later that feel most like the lost treasures found during a move.

Two months ago, I received a package in the mail from Norm Wilkens ‘57 (headshot in image below). He had worked at the university’s former radio station, WAJC. Norm sent me a box filled with photocopies of news clippings and stories from his time working at the former campus radio station.  

He also included a self-published book, appropriately titled Treasures, that told various stories from his life, including a detailed accounting of his time at Butler and WAJC.  Norm told the stories of Robert L. Montgomery, the faculty member who, in the middle of the 1950’s, worked to keep the station on air; John Krom, the station’s chief engineer who worked with local businesses to find a way to fix an issue that would have taken WAJC off air; and, of the board they used at the station which reportedly came from a World War II destroyer.

Norm and I were scheduled to meet in person a few weeks ago when he visited Indianapolis for a Butler Alumni Association meeting. He was unable to attend but made it a point to keep the get-together going through trusted friends and family. His daughter and Barry Hohlfelder ’66, a friend of Norm’s and fellow WAJC alum, met with me. It was unfortunate not to spend time with Norm but it’s safe to say that some of the initial treasures I’ve found during this move are Barry, Norm and his daughter, and the memories shared of WAJC and Butler.

I look forward to finding more opportunities to honor the past while supporting the present and planning for the future, and creatively showcasing the treasures that have paved the way for Butler CCOM.

Bulldogs: Barking From Atlanta to LA

Bulldogs: Barking From Atlanta to LA

Butler University is home. I felt it even before accepting my role as the Dean of the College of Communication (CCOM) seven months ago. The campus is beautiful, and Indianapolis is the perfect backdrop for educational experiences and entertainment. But it is the authentic consistency of the hard-working people that makes this university, and specifically our college, so special.

It is energizing to work with our innovators, educators, researchers, advocates, analysts, citizens, and creators—all making impactful, positive contributions to the communities in which they reside. But even as I consider Indianapolis home base now, I have come to learn that the Bulldogs of Butler roam and succeed across the country.

After a brief trip to Los Angeles, it’s easy for me to recognize alumni star power, starting with former Trustee, Rick Cummings ’73. As president of radio programming since 2009, he is still impacting the global media landscape after more than 40 years at Emmis Communications. But he is far from the only CCOM leader making a mark in the City of Angels that I was fortunate to spend time with.

I met with Patricia Mays ’93 (Image above), now the Executive Editor of The Hollywood Reporter, whose dedication to her alma mater is evident in her work on the CCOM Dean’s Advisory Board.  I had dinner with fellow DAB member, Sharon Everitt ’98, an accomplished director who wants nothing more than to provide a unique experiential opportunity to CCOM students interested in film.  I felt the passion of Brendon Holl ’15, Meredith Burns ’15, and Amy Ulrich ’98 who followed their hearts into the entertainment industry with the confidence only a CCOM Butler degree can provide.  And I watched each of them take five current undergraduate CCOM students under their wing.

Ava Turner ’24, Logan Leve ’25, Elizabeth Dixon ’25, Maddy Campbell ’26, and Katerina Anderson ’25 are spending this summer in LA and putting their foundational education into practice—taking classes and working on an internship in the Entertainment Capital of the world.  They spend nine invaluable weeks working and learning at Preach Records, Bang Zoom Studios, Studio City Sound, East West Studios, and Maison Privee PR.  And thanks to the generosity of Grammy Museum president, Michael Sticka, they also experienced the Shakira exhibit at the Grammy Museum!  It’s a trip they will remember long after they collect their degree in Clowes Memorial Hall.

Immersive trips like this also require planning and passion above the norm. The dedication of Cutler Armstrong ’99, MS ’03, CCOM Senior Lecturer in Music Industry Studies, needs to be recognized—even if we know he does it for the good of others.  Cutler works hard to make this summer experience both educational and special for each of the students.  He is a testament to the quality of faculty I have only just come to recognize at Butler.  As I flew back from The Golden State, I felt that thanks to Butler, “Indy Rocked it in LA.” And I intend to make it possible for more students to participate in special experiences like those this summer surrounded by the Hollywood Hills.