2021 in Review: Faculty Honors

Editor’s Note: This is part of our  five-part series highlighting stories produced by Grady College in 2021. The features includes three stories in each of the following subjects:

• Student Successes

• Faculty Honors

• College Headlines

• Research & Grants

• Service & Partnerships

This is not intended to be a comprehensive list, but instead highlight a sample of just a few of the more than 210 stories about accomplishments by our students, faculty/staff and alumni.

We invite you to visit our Grady College News page for a full list of features posted in 2021. 

Our faculty continue to inspire students, motivate each other and impact the industries they serve.

Faculty highlights for the year include:

Keith Wilson: Keith Wilson joined the Department of Entertainment and Media studies this year and has been piling on the accolades since he arrived. In July, he was selected as a 2021 Sundance Creative Producing Fellow, and in November, he received a grant from the nonprofit Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program, for the film he is producing called, “I Didn’t See You There.”  In early December, Sundance announced that the film is one of nine that will be screened during the annual film festival in the Documentary Competition division.

Kate Fortmueller: While many people spent time during COVID watching TV, Kate Fortmueller spent her time writing about the industry. Her work paid off in 2021 with the publication of not one, but two books: “Below the Stars: How the Labor of Working Actors and Extras Shapes Media Production” and “Hollywood Shutdown: Production, Distribution, and Exhibition in the Time of COVID-19.” Fortmueller has also put her expertise of labor issues in the entertainment industry to good use, commenting frequently this year in the media about safety issues following the accidental shooting on the move set of “Rust,” and  about the strike by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees International.

Glen Nowak: Glen Nowak’s expertise focusing on communications about vaccine acceptance has been one of the hottest topics of the year. Nowak was quoted frequently in the media on the topic, including interviews with USA Today, the Washington Post, Vox, The Hill and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, just to name a few. Topping off a busy year, Nowak was named Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies of Grady College this year. He outlined his goals for the graduate department in August.  Nowak will continue to serve as co-director along with Michael Cacciatore, of the Center for Health & Risk Communication.