Student News
Countenance WINS again!
The 2024 issue of Countenance magazine is an award-winner, including receiving the prestigious Silver Crown award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
Crown awards are selected for "overall excellence in a head-to-head comparison." Publications are judged on "their excellence as shown by their design, photography, concept, coverage and writing." (cspa)
Additionally, Alayna Boyer, received a CSPA award for her non-fiction article, "Fielding Uncertainty," as well as an award for her non-fiction interview conducted for the same article.
Demetrius Williams, received a Certificate of Merit for his interview for the article, “On the Air with Henry Hinton."
A general feature magazine, Countenance has been produced by students in the School of Communication at East Carolina University since 2017. The articles are written by students in the Fall Feature Writing class taught by Dr. Cindy Elmore and designed by students in Creative Design in Publishing, which is taught in the spring by Barbara Bullington. Funding for the magazine is provided by the School of Communication.
Please contact Dr. Cindy Elmore if you're interested in advertising in Countenance magazine. Advertising fees will be used to help fund the cost of keeping Countenance available as a training platform for students.
Donations can also be made and will go toward helping to offset the cost of printing the magazine as well as helping to promote the digital version. To donate, go to this link and select School of Communication Priorities.
New issue out soon
Will the 2025 issue of Countenance take the Crown award again? We'll keep you posted! In the meantime, an electronic copy will be available in June at countenance5.wordpress.com/
Alumni Spotlight
SOC alumnus '2014
Chris Milano, a communication alumnus, (2014), recently earned his law degree from the University of Dayton School of Law, a dream, he says, that would not have been possible without his family.
Milano is an associate attorney practicing family law at J.A. Kovach Law in Eaton, Ohio. He says he loves working for the law firm.
Before pursuing his law degree, Milano (whose concentration as an undergraduate at ECU was in journalism) worked in broadcast news, including as a morning reporter and news producer for WVLT in Knoxville, Tennessee, for six years.
Milano says, “It was always a Pirate's life for me and ECU will always be home."
Photoof Chris Milano and mother, Lisa Milano (courtesy of Chris Milano)
Your news here!
Attention alumni: Have an announcement about a job, award or other achievement? Or, do you have another idea for a story for an upcoming issue of this newsletter? Is there something you would like to see included in future issues?
Please share by emailing Barbara Bullington at bullingtonb@ecu.edu
Faculty spotlight
Kelsey Rhodes Sands received the ECU Alumni Association and Robert L. Jones Awards for Outstanding Teaching, The award is given in recognition of faculty who exemplify the characteristics of effective teaching outlined in the ECU faculty manual. Sands was selected as one of only two recipients across campus.
Dr. Drew Ashby-King received the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award from the Honors College for 2025.
Dr. Sachiyo Shearman was a recipient of the 2025 Scholar-Teacher Award.
Share Your News!
Looking for the next step in your education?
Continue your education in the School of Communication with a Master of Arts in Communication
You can balance work, life and education with our MA in Communication. The program is offered fully online, with occasional options to attend classes on campus — making it a convenient and flexible choice for working professionals. Set your own pace and earn a competitive edge in the job market with our online master’s in communication program.
Application deadlines:
- Master of Arts in Communication: June 15 for Fall
- Accelerated Master of Arts in Communication:
For more information:
For more information, visit: communication.ecu.edu/graduate-home/
Or contact Dr. Keith Richards, Graduate Program Director at richardsk@ecu.edu
Follow the SOC:
You're all caught up with some of our key highlights from this semester, but join us on social media for all kinds of additional announcements!
More SOC news worth checking out from other sources:
ECU students learn about communications industry at career fair (WNCT
Communication students gain career insights from alumni panel
Your support helps students!
Any donation, big or small, you can offer will go to help our students succeed.
To easily give to the School of Communication, you can go to give.ecu.edu
You can specify what are you would like to contribute to within the School of Communication, including scholarships, study abroad support or SOC priority needs.
Credits:
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