Student showcase, Carter Conversation to open Grady College Centennial Weekend

The University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication kicks off its Centennial Celebration Weekend on Thursday, April 16 with a look at Today’s Students and Tomorrow’s Opportunities.

“The first day of our Centennial Celebration is designed to put our best face forward: that of our amazing Grady students and the work they do,” said Dean Charles Davis.

The college will host an afternoon of free events, open to the public, at the UGA Richard B. Russell Special Collections Libraries. It will begin with a showcase from 1 to 3 p.m. featuring student projects from each of Grady’s academic departments, the New Media Institute and the graduate program in Health and Medical Journalism. Participants will have the opportunity to visit a dozen exhibits and talk with students about their work. Featured projects include work done in partnership with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Athens Habitat for Humanity, Clarke Central High School sports, CNN, Georgia Health News, Oconee River Land Trust, and PHD Worldwide, among others. A complete list of projects can be found at www.grady.uga.edu/showcase.

“The student showcase will be so much fun,” Davis said. “It’s been built as a series of mini-presentations from dozens of student teams working on everything from advertising campaigns to media research to drone journalism. You’ll learn something and have a lot of fun in the process.

“Then we will turn our attention to some of the biggest names in the mass media who are joining us for the inaugural Don E. Carter Conversation, a forum designed to explore the next 100 years of journalism and mass communication, even as we honor our first 100 years,” he said.


Carter Conversation speakers (l-r) Jeff Gregor of Turner, Fred Cook of Golin and Tony Maddox of CNN International

The Carter Conversation, which will begin at 3:30 p.m., will feature industry thought leaders Fred Cook of Golin, Jeff Gregor of Turner and Tony Maddox of CNN International. The conversation will be facilitated by Chuck Reece (ABJ ’94) of The Bitter Southerner.

Cook is the chief executive officer of Golin International, a public relations firm with more than 700 employees and 34 offices worldwide.

Chuck Reece
(ABJ ’94)

Gregor serves as executive vice president and chief marketing officer of TBS and TNT. He leads all entertainment marketing and on-air promotions for the two networks, as well as their brand, digital, social and lifestyle extensions.

Maddox is executive vice president and managing director of CNN International, which reaches more than 286 million households and hotel rooms worldwide.

Reece is the founder and executive editor of The Bitter Southerner.  Founded in 2013, the website delivers one long-format story on all things southern every Tuesday.

A reception honoring retired faculty and welcoming alumni back to Athens for Centennial Weekend follows.

Registration for Centennial weekend events is now closed. We do have a limited number of spots left for the events. Please contact Karen Andrews, KarenA@uga.edu for additional information.

Date: April 7, 2015
Author:   Diane Murray, murrayd@uga.edu