As is customary at the end of each academic year, Klein College of Media and Communication recognized standout members of its faculty and staff during the end-of-year collegial assembly. These awards acknowledge faculty and staff members who have exceeded expectations in the areas of teaching, research, professional engagement and service to students and the college. The 2022 winners are:
Junior Faculty Teaching Award
This award recognizes a professor with nine or fewer years of cumulative teaching experience for teaching excellence.
Saleem Ahmed, assistant professor of practice, Department of Journalism
Senior Faculty Teaching Award
This award recognizes a professor with 10 or more years of cumulative teaching experience for teaching excellence.
Ryan Eanes, assistant professor of instruction, Department of Advertising and Public Relations
Faculty Award for Research
This award recognizes a professor for a recent research project.
Wazhmah Osman, assistant professor, Department of Media Studies and Production
Faculty Award for Professional Engagement
This award recognizes a professor (or professors) for recent professional engagement.
David Brown, assistant professor of instruction; and Dana Saewitz, associate professor of instruction, Department of Advertising and Public Relations
Service to Klein College Staff Award
This award recognizes a staff person for extraordinary work in service to Klein College.
Jack McCarthy, director of operations and facilities
Service to Klein Students Staff Award
This award recognizes a staff person who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve our students.
Kisha Hence, assistant program director and academic advisor, communication studies.
The faculty and staff listed here have accomplished incredible things. For instance, Professor Ahmed teaches the High School Journalism program, which places college students in local high schools to facilitate student media programs; and designed a creative Klein GO course that bridges North Philadelphia and Puerto Rico. Director of the Media and Communication PhD Program at Klein Dr. Brian Creech said in a teaching observation, “He uses well-timed and well-structured questions to both guide the conversation and set and reinforce the established tone. … Throughout this process, he encourages students to be self-reflexive within this structure, asking them to name challenges they encountered, or to diagnose what they see as the weaker parts of their stories. His line of questioning is direct, yet gentle, and pushes students to evaluate their own work with a complexity that I rarely see in the department.”
Dr. Eanes, winner of the Senior Faculty Teaching Award, is one of the leaders in the development of the “Advertising Studies” collection of courses, a currently unofficial distinction with lots of potential. In recent semesters he has also introduced successful new programming: courses titled Consumer Neuroscience and Brand Hate.
Others have made their accomplishments with the written work. For instance, Dr. Osman’s book, Television and the Afghan Culture Wars: Brought to You by Foreigners, Warlords, and Activists, is an ethnographic study of the emergence of media in post-9/11 Afghanistan and has made a significant intellectual contribution to the fields of media studies, Middle East studies, Central and South Asian studies and Afghanistan studies. The book won the Outstanding Book Award from the Activism, Communication, and Social Justice interest group of the International Communication Association, and in their assessment, the jury lauded the text as an “outstanding and fascinating contribution to the field.”
Additionally, Professors Brown and Saewitz have served as co-editors of the past three issues of Philly Ad Club Magazine. The first two were published to help spark conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion in the Philadelphia communications industry, and the current issue is dedicated to examining the industry’s post-pandemic economic outlook. These magazines have been shared with several thousand members of the Philadelphia communications industry, including industry leaders in advertising, public relations, television, magazines, radio and much more.
A highlight of the awards portion of the assembly was when Dean David Boardman read excerpts from some of the letters of nomination. For example, the anonymous comes from a letter nominating Jack McCarthy for the Service to Klein College Award:
“It’s easy for those of us who have largely been working remotely over much of the past two years to forget that so much of what we do relies on the physical infrastructure of our buildings. Jack makes the Klein College run, but he does far more than that. He’s a thoughtful leader, a hard and reliable worker, and a seasoned diplomat. From sticky door hinges to mail delivery to the HVAC systems, Jack makes operations go smoothly year after year, decade after decade. Nothing is too small or too big for Jack.”
Other nominating letters were just as enthusiastic. The following comes from a letter nominating Kisha Hence for the Service to Klein Students Award:
“I’ve attended three universities during my academic career. Of all the staff I have encountered, none have been as dedicated to my personal success as Kisha Hence. She goes above and beyond to give any ounce of assistance she can. I cannot think of a more personable or compassionate staff member. That woman is a saint!”
Even student feedback was incorporated into these decisions. For example, one student said anonymously that “Dr. Eanes’ enthusiasm and extensive knowledge of the subject was paramount to the effectiveness of his lectures. He truly loves what he does and the attitude we would bring to class each day was wonderful to experience and the leading reason on what I learned so much in this class.”
Congratulations to the 2022 faculty and staff awardees!