Honors and Awards

National Recognition

  • Charles E. Scripps Journalism and Mass Communication Teacher of the Year, AEJMC and Scripps Howard Foundation, 2013
  • John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford, 2013-2014; first academic to be accepted to program; development of platform to teach coding to journalists
  • AEJMC/Scripps Howard Foundation, Journalism Teacher of the Year Finalist, 2012
  • AEJMC/Scripps Howard Foundation, Journalism Teacher of the Year Finalist, 2011
  • AEJMC Promising Professor Competition, Faculty 2nd Place, 2008

Texas State University Awards

University Level

  • Texas State Alumni Association Teaching Award of Honor, 2022
  • Texas State Presidential Award for Excellence in Service, Senior Faculty, 2020
  • Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award Nominee, Texas State University, 2019
  • Everette Swinney Faculty Senate Excellence in Teaching Award, Texas State, 2019
  • Everette Swinney Faculty Senate Excellence in Teaching Award, Texas State, 2018
  • Texas State Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, Senior Faculty, 2013
  • Texas State Quarterly Team Award, for participation on 2012-2013 Common Experience Team

College of Fine Arts and Communication Level

  • Presidential Distinction Award, Service, Senior Faculty, 2019
  • Presidential Distinction Award, Service, Senior Faculty, 2018
  • Presidential Distinction Award, Service, Senior Faculty, 2017
  • Presidential Distinction Award, Service, Senior Faculty, 2016
  • Presidential Distinction Award, Scholarly/Creative Activities Award, Senior Faculty, 2015
  • Presidential Distinction Award, Teaching, Senior Faculty, 2012
  • Presidential Distinction Award, Scholarly/Creative Activities, Junior Faculty, 2010
  • Presidential Distinction Award, Teaching, Dean's Nominee, Junior Faculty, 2010

School of Journalism and Mass Communication Level

  • SJMC Nominee, Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activity, Senior Faculty, 2014
  • SJMC Nominee, Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, Senior Faculty, 2011
  • SJMC Nominee, Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, Junior Faculty, 2009
  • SJMC Nominee, Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, Junior Faculty, 2009
  • SJMC Nominee, Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, Junior Faculty, 2008
  • SJMC Nominee, Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching, Junior Faculty, 2008

Community

  • Gene Barnwell Waugh Mentor Award, Women Communications of Austin, April 2021
  • Texas Social Media Award, Austin American-Statesman, 2010

Grants and Funding

  • The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Grant to host PhDigital Bootcamp, $75,000, 2017; continued with additional $150,000, 2018-2020
  • Texas State Service Learning Mini Grant, SXTXState, $500, March 2019
  • Teaching and Learning with Technology Grant, TXST Information Technology, $5000 for equipment associated with Innovation Club, Co-PI with Jon Zmikly, May 2019
  • Teaching and Learning with Technology Grant, TXST Information Technology, $5000 for equipment associated with digital storytelling about the outdoors, May 2017
  • Online News Association Challenge Fund Grant, Building a Maker Culture in JSchool, $35,000 for curriculum projects, 2015
  • Online News Association Challenge Fund Grant, TexasMusicViz, $35,000 for curriculum projects, 2014
  • AEJMC/Knight Foundation Bridge Grant, 2012 - $8,000 for course development in conjunction with Knight News Challenge Winner Ushahidi
  • AEJMC/Knight Foundation Bridge Grant, 2011 - $8,000 for course development in conjunction with Knight News Challenge Winner, Jefferson Institute
  • Texas State University Research Enhancement Grant, A Nation of Friends: Diffusion of Online Social Networking, Summer 2008
  • Texas State University Research Enhancement Grant, User-Created Content: How Social Networking Translates to Social Capital, Summer 2007

Student Awards

  • Student Project, Loud Austin (loudaustin.beckslarson.com) by Becky Larson, finalist in Online Journalism Awards, 2015.
  • SPJ Region 8 Mark of Excellence, placed in Online, In-Depth Reporting for Large Schools, 2013, TXStateOfChange.com
  • AEJMC Best of the Web, 2nd Place (SXTXState.com) in Journalism category for student project, 2009
  • AEJMC Best of the Web 1st (San Marcos Online) and 3rd place (Thread Austin) winners in Journalism category for student projects, 2008

Other Recognition

The University of Texas at Austin

  • AEJMC Promising Professor Competition, Graduate Student 2nd Place, 2004
  • Bruton Fellowship, 2004-2005
  • The University of Texas Continuing Fellowship, 2003-2004
  • AEJMC, Best of the Web Design Competition, Honorable Mention for Teaching Sites, 2002
  • Nettie Doscher More Fellowship, 2002
  • Ada Francis Miller Fellowship, 2000 and 2002
  • Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award- School of Journalism, 2001
  • The University of Texas Preemptive Fellowship, 1999-2000
  • The University of Texas Continuing Tuition Fellowship, 2001-2002
  • Kappa Tau Alpha Inductee, national honor society in Journalism and Mass Communication, Spring 2006

Invited Talks and Other Activities

  • Panel moderator, Journalism Research That Matters, Nov. 5, 2021.
  • Lecture, Product Management in Journalism, Asian College of Journalism, Oct. 8, 2021.
  • Presented research, From Boundary to Bridge and Beyond: The Path to Professionalization of Product Roles in Journalism, News Product Alliance, Sept. 24, 2021.
  • Panel, Teaching Product, News Product Alliance, Sept. 15, 2021.
  • Panel, Teaching Product as an Adjunct, News Product Alliance Summit, March 31, 2021.
  • Lecture, Product Management in Journalism, Asian College of Journalism, Oct. 14, 2020.
  • Moderator, Valuing Journalism in a World of Near-infinite Content, with Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Online News Association, ONA Everywhere, October 2020.
  • Panel, Career Potential and Growth Opportunities within the Newsroom for those with Innovative Skills, AEJMC, August 2020
  • Panel, Product Management: How News Organizations Can Become More Audience-Oriented, Data-Driven and Product Focused, International Symposium on Online Journalism, July 2020
  • Founder and Editor, MILab Journal: Adventures in Media Innovation, April 2020-Present
  • Interview Series, SJMC Alumni Discuss Work-From-Home Strategies – interviews with 11 School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumni on their organizations’ shift to work-from-home strategies and other effects of the pandemic, April 2020
  • Dean's Seminar, Adventures in Media Innovation: Communication, Curriculum and Culture, February 25, 2020
  • Panel, Preparing Future Faculty to Lead Innovative Curriculum, BEA On Location, Boulder, CO, October 2019
  • Panel, PhDigital Bootcamp: Preparing Future Faculty to Lead Innovative Curriculum, AEJMC, Toronto, August 2019
  • Panel, Blowing Up The Silos: Integrating Multimedia Techniques Into Print Journalism Curricula, AEJMC, Toronto, August 2019
  • Panel, The Pedagogy of Coding for Media Production, AEJMC, Toronto, August 2019
  • Redefining Doctoral Education: Preparing Future Faculty To Lead Emerging Media Curriculum, World Journalism Education Council, Paris, July 2019.
  • Co-instructor, Online Course, Product Thinking for Newsroom Leaders, UT Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, April 2019
  • Bending, Breaking and Blending the Academy: Innovations in Teaching and Research, Graduate Research Conference Keynote, Texas State University, November 2018.
  • Taking Control of Social Media For Your Career, ShopTalk, Graduate College, October 2018.
  • Product Management Discussion and Exercise, Online News Association University student conference, Austin, September 2018.
  • Product Management Workshop, Online News Association, Austin, September 2018.
  • PhDigital Bootcamp: Training Future Faculty to Lead Innovative Curriculum - panel with participants to discuss outcomes of program, AEJMC, Washington, D.C., August 2018
  • Careers in Digital Media, RTX Austin, August 2018
  • Lead Instructor, Online Course, Product Management for Journalists, UT Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, November 2017
  • Does Your Newsroom Need a Product Manager?, Global Investigative Journalism Network, article on Product Management Course, October 2017.
  • Bringing Digital Into the Curriculum, AEJMC Pre-Conference, co-organizer, August 2017.
  • Managing Digital Products in a Newsroom Context, International Symposium on Online Journalism, April 2017
  • Engaging Audiences Through Social Media, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Conference for Institutionally-Related Foundations, March 2017
  • Panel, Disrupting J-School with Digital Culture, SXSW Interactive, March 2017
  • So You Want To Be a Product Manager, SXSWEdu, March 2017
  • Founding Director, Media Innovation Lab, 2016
  • Program lead, Digital Media Innovation program, 2014-2020.
  • AEJMC Strategic Planning Committee, 2016
  • Panel, Cracking the Code: Tips for Teaching Coding to Journalism Students, AEJMC 2016
  • Panel, Teaching Sensor Journalism: Opportunities, Challenges, What’s Next, AEJMC 2016
  • Panel, Inclusivity and Teaching Tech, AEJMC 2016
  • Panel, Big Data in the Media Industries, AEJMC 2016
  • Panel, Insights on Tap: Education’s Role in Today’s Digital World, sponsored by Social Distillery, Aug. 16, 2015
  • Panel, Open Data at the City of Austin, Aug. 17, 2015
  • Invited Talk, News As User Experience, Health and Human Services, Austin, Aug. 17, 2015
  • Panel, Innovative Methods for Student Engagement, AEJMC 2015
  • Panel, Top Ten Tips for Preparing Students for Jobs That Don't Exist Yet, AEJMC 2015
  • Developed new Digital Media Innovation undergraduate major, 2014. Expected start 2016
  • Co-Founder, Hacks/Hackers Austin chapter, 2010-present.
  • Coding for Journalists, Journalism and Women Symposium, Palm Springs, CA, Oct. 2014.
  • Using Agile Methodologies in Education, Online News Association, Chicago, Sept. 2014.
  • Introduction to Spreadsheets, Data Visualization Workshop, Institute for Justice and Journalism, Feb. 2014
  • Coding for Journalists Training, JS Knight Fellowship, Stanford, Feb. 2014
  • Guest lecture, Web Design, University of California – Santa Cruz, Nov. 2013
  • Digital Media Careers, presentation to high school students at Texas State, June 2015
  • Taking Control of Social Media for Your Career, Texas State Brown Bag, April 2015
  • Impact Factor: Alternatives to Traditional Scholarly Publication, March 2015
  • For Media, It’s Platform or Perish, SXSW Interactive, March 2015
  • Coding Across the Curriculum, SXSWEDU, March 2015
  • Panel, I'm Into Jobs That Don't Exist Yet, SXSW 2013. With Aron Pilhofer of The New York Times.
  • Presentation, I'm Into Jobs That Don't Exist Yet, SXSWEDU 2013.
  • Panel, Breeding the Unicorn: The Journalist/Designer/Coder, Journalism Interactive, Gainesville, Fl, 2013.
  • Panel, Data: What Journalists and Academics Can Learn From One Another, Journalism Interactive, Gainesville, Fl, 2013.
  • Panel, Introduction to Programming, Journalism Interactive, Gainesville, Fl, 2013.
  • Introduction to Programming, Hacks/Hackers Austin, December 2012.
  • Panel, Leading Innovation: Women at the Forefront of Development in Media Organizations, AEJMC, Chicago, 2012.
  • Panel, Is Social Media Replacing Traditional Journalism?, Social Media Club, August 2012.
  • Panel, Leading Innovation: Women at the Forefront of Development in Media Organizations, AEJMC, August 2012.
  • Presentation, Innovation in Journalism Curriculum at TXST - TXStateOfChange.com, May 2012.
  • Panel, @you: Making Social Media Work for You and Your Business, Austin Women's Conference, Nov. 2011
  • Teach-a-thon, Storify It, Journalism Interactive, University of Maryland, Oct. 2011
  • Director, Mass Communication Week, Texas State University, 2011- present; Social media lead, 2007-2010, txstatemcweek.com
  • Selected speaker, If I Were In Charge panel, Seven Things Everyone Should Know, Online News Association, Boston, Sept. 2011
  • Panel, Social Media in the Classroom, AEJMC National Convention, St. Louis, Aug. 2011
  • Panel, Social Media for Magazines, AEJMC National Convention, St. Louis, Aug. 2011
  • Panel, SXSW, Rockin' the Checkin: Location Strategies for Musicians, March 2011.
  • Panel, SXSW, Influence and Innovate, Transforming Media Education, March 2010.
  • Panel, SXSW, Gaming as a Gateway Drug: Introducing Girls to Technology, March 2009.
  • Texas State Mass Comm Week blog and coverage Fall 2008 & 2009 – txstatemcweek.com
  • Guest Speaker, Social Media Techniques, Marquette University, October 2009
  • Guest Speaker, Social Media and Trends in Multimedia, Indiana University, April 2009
  • Guest Speaker, Trends in New Media, ASNE Reynolds High School Journalism Institute, 2008 & 2009
  • AEJMC Panel, Online and Offline Social Networking: Contexts and Applications in the Academy,Chicago, IL, August 6, 2008
  • AEJMC Panel, Lifting Our Lamp: Educating Minority, Immigrant and Disadvantaged Students,Chicago, IL, August 8, 2008
  • Presentation Trends in Interactive Advertising, American Advertising Federation, Jan. 25, 2008
  • Presentation Trends in Multimedia, to Society of Professional Journalists, Nov. 29, 2007
  • Presentation Creating a Photo Slideshow in Flash, Teaching and Working in a Multimedia World, AEJMC National Convention Workshop, August 8, 2007.
  • Hosted panel The YouTube Effect: User-Generated Content and Viral Marketing, AEJMC National Convention, Washington, D.C., August 10, 2007
  • Presentation at National Writer's Workshop panel, Stories Degree Zero: Enacting Journalism in a Multimedia Environment, San Antonio, TX, May 19, 2007
  • Presentation Social Media, Round Rock campus, March 6, 2007
  • Presentation to Bobcat Promotions, Introduction to Web Design, April 13, 2007.
  • Guest lecturer, Advertising Campaigns class, Interactive Media in Advertising, TXST, April 3, 2007.
  • Co-director, Best of the Web competition, AEJMC Communication Technology Division, 2006-2007
  • Texas State University, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, ad hoc Ph.D committee
  • Texas State University, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Library and Technology committees
  • VCU Interdisciplinary Ph.D in Media, Art, and Text committee
  • VCU School of Mass Communications Technology, Internship, and Curriculum committees
  • VCU Search Committee for joint appointment position in History and Media Studies to support Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program
  • Guest Lecturer, Communication Technology and Global Society, November 15, 2005
  • Webmaster, VCU School of Mass Communications, 2005-2006
  • Reviewer, Web Wizard's Guide to Photoshop, Addison-Wesley, 2004
  • Guest Lecturer, Writing and Editing for Print and Online Publishing, May 27, 2004
  • Guest Lecturer, News Media Writing and Editing, Convergence, April 29, 2004
  • Guest Lecturer, Women and News course, Women and the Web, April 20, 2004
  • Taught Going Online at Interscholastic League Press Conference, April 17, 2004
  • ASNE High School Journalism Institute, Web Design Presentation, Summer 2001-2004
  • Taught Macromedia Flash courses at National Press Photographers Association Conference, February 2001
  • Taught Macromedia Flash course at Southwest Texas State University, April 7, 2001
  • Organized Symposium in Online Journalism, Spring 2001
  • Kappa Tau Alpha Inductee, national honor society in Journalism and Mass Communication, Spring 2000

Professional Certifications

  • Google Analytics IQ Certification
  • Google Educator 1 and 2
  • Google Mobile Site Certification
  • Hootsuite Platform Certification
  • Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification
  • HubSpot Inbound Certification
  • HubSpot Content Marketing Certification
  • Facebook for Journalists Certification