by Chris Harvie
The College of Mass Communications and Information Studies is attracting doctoral students from across the country — and around the world. The School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the School of Library and Information Science welcome seven new students. Although some are familiar with USC, others are from northern states, southern states and even China. Although their hometowns and backgrounds are different, they all are after the same goal…a doctoral degree from one of the College’s two schools.
Brett Borton and Caroline Foster both earned degrees from the J-school — Borton has a Master of Mass Communication, and Foster, a Master of Arts. Since graduating. Borton has been working in public relations and marketing management. Foster was a freelance writer and editor of South Carolina Wildlife magazine. They’re nearing the end of their first semester in the program and busier than ever, Foster said. “The life of a teaching assistant/doctoral student is incredibly stimulating … and overwhelming. I love everything I’m doing here, but I wish I had more time to do it.”
SLIS doctoral student Lisa Hudgins is back to earn her third degree from USC. After her undergraduate work at Duke University, she earned two master’s degrees from USC, one in Applied Art History, and the other in Library Science. Hudgins is happy with her decision to return to SLIS for her doctorate, she said. “The faculty are very supportive of each other and of the students. Dr. Hastings encourages us to be collaborative – not competitive. I like the idea that students and faculty work as a team to accomplish their professional goals.”
After a recent tragedy in Hudgins’s personal life, she said, “We may foster some illusion that we complete a doctorate through our own hard work, but it is our friends and family who give us the strength to push through difficult times.”
Matt Telleen from Minneapolis earned his juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School. Telleen fell in love with teaching, and decided to pursue his doctorate in mass communications so he could teach on the university level. His wife, originally from Georgia, convinced him to try out the south, which brought him to the J-school.
Jack Karlis received his Master of Mass Communications degree in Florida. After returning to his home state, New York, he practiced public relations and taught journalism classes at night. Realizing how much the field has changed, Karlis decided it was time to pursue a doctorate to keep up-to-date, and he decided that the best fit for him was USC.
At SLIS, Chris Cunningham, originally from Mississippi, is the first in his family to graduate from college and then earn a master’s degree; he is now the first to become a doctoral student. Before moving to Columbia, Cunningham worked at UNC Charlotte with graduate business programs. He said, “I was excited to hear of a program with the flexibility and real life application that USC’s LIS program presented. After interacting with the faculty and staff, I had no doubt this was the program for me.” At the end of his first semester in the doctorate program, Cunningham is sure that he made the right decision.
Another SLIS student, Yao (Emma) Zhang, is not only new to USC but also new to the country. Originally from China, Zhang received her bachelor’s degree in English Linguistics and Literature from Nankai University before earning her master’s in Multilingual Information Management from the University of Sheffield, U.K. last January. Zhang was involved in a study of HIV/AIDS and decided that SLIS would be the perfect place to further her study. When she learned about USC’s program, Zhang said to herself, “Ok, that is exactly the place I want to go.”
Although Columbia may not be known for diversity, the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies’ notable programs bring students to South Carolina from all over the world. These seven students, each with different backgrounds, are all pursuing their dreams of earning doctoral degrees.
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