Karen King named a Meigs Professor
Karen King named a Meigs Professor
Karen King, a professor of advertising and the Jim Kennedy Professor of New Media at Grady College, was one of five UGA faculty named a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, the university’s highest recognition for excellence in instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
“Karen King reflects the very best of the professoriate at a research university,” said Charles Davis, dean of Grady College. “She uses research to inform her teaching, teaches undergraduates as passionately as graduate students, and does it all while serving her profession, her university and her community in countless ways. All of Grady College cheered the news of her selection, because we’re all so fond of her.”
The Meigs Professorship underscores the university’s commitment to excellence in teaching, the value placed on the learning experiences of students and the centrality of instruction to the university’s mission. The award, sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, includes a permanent salary increase of $6,000 and a one-year discretionary fund of $1,000.
“Our Meigs Professors are exemplars of the University of Georgia’s commitment to providing students with unparalleled learning experiences,” said Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “They have made enduring impacts on their students as well as on the institution as a whole.”
Grady College is fortunate to have four other Meigs professors including James Hamilton, Carolina Acosta-Alzuru, Lynne Sallot and David Hazinski.
Other UGA faculty designated as 2016 Meigs Professors are:
· Tim Foutz, a professor in the College of Engineering;
· Stephanie Jones, a professor of educational theory and practice in the College of Education;
· Rodney Mauricio, a professor of genetics in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; and
· Tim Smalley, an associate professor of horticulture in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“I am humbled by this honor,” said King. “It is my good fortune to work with an amazing group of students and colleagues from whom I learn everyday.”
King has taught at Grady College more than 30 years. Most recently, she has worked to create innovative experiential learning opportunities for students, including the development of the Grady PHD Worldwide Scholars Program; the Performics AdWords Certification program; the Moxie Social Media Strategy Bootcamp; and the Grady/Turner Broadcasting partnership. She also led the development of the advertising and public relations 4 + 1 master’s program and has been involved in the development of international and online programs for the college and portions of the LG/Grady PR certificate and social media certificate programs.
King received the Charles H. Sandage Excellence in Teaching Award from the American Academy of Advertising in 2015 and the Donald G. Hileman Award as Educator of the Year for the Seventh District of the American Advertising Federation. She is a former Lilly Teaching Fellow and an inductee into the UGA Teaching Academy.
Prior to joining Grady College, she worked at Foote, Cone and Belding Communications, Inc. in Chicago as a media buyer/planner and a research supervisor.
Meigs Professors are nominated by their school or college and chosen by a committee consisting of 12 faculty members, two undergraduate students and one graduate student.
For more information about the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professorships, see https://provost.uga.edu/index.php/resources/professorships/josiah-meigs-distinguished-teaching-professorships.