In 2024, the College of Journalism and Mass Communications experienced transformative growth, fueled by its unwavering dedication to fostering innovation and creativity both within and beyond the classroom.
Our focus on addressing societal challenges has driven a remarkable 250% increase in publications and a 128% rise in grant applications since 2020. The average grant award grew from $8,583 to $651,166, largely due to our engagement in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Grand Challenges initiative.
The creation of the Social and Traditional Media Analytics and Research Tools (SMART) Lab marks a significant milestone. This cutting-edge facility is already supporting groundbreaking projects, including a $361,500 grant to examine landfill food and recyclable waste in Lincoln.
Faculty research and creative activity continues to push boundaries, exploring diverse topics such as AI in media literacy, foreign influence on national security, TikTok’s role in opioid harm reduction, mental health effects of microaggressions, heroism of war correspondents, news deserts in rural Nebraska, responsible gambling messaging and reducing loneliness among aging populations.
Student enrollment has also reached unprecedented heights. This fall, we welcomed our largest freshman class ever—215 students—an 18.8% increase from last year and a 47% growth since 2020. Our Experience Lab, launched in 2021 with just 20 students, will enroll over 530 students this spring, providing hands-on learning opportunities to prepare students for dynamic and evolving careers.
Experiential learning is at the heart of our programs. Our students reported live stories, produced video blogs and utilized social media tracking software in the SMART Lab on election day. Sports media students managed press conferences, podcasts and professional photoshoots during basketball media days. We celebrated 100 years of Ad Club and our advertising and public relations students collaborated with over 50 clients in labs and capstones.
We placed 19 interns in seven rural Nebraska communities, where they produced more than 200 news stories, videos and social media posts, enhancing the digital presence of news and community organizations across the state. Global Eyewitness resumed international travel, capturing stories in Vietnam’s vibrant Mekong Delta, while our depth reporting project tackled the critical issue of missing women from marginalized communities.
We introduced new programs, including the Empowered Conversations civil discourse initiative, and welcomed the first cohort of our accelerated master’s program, enabling students to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years. Additionally, we expanded academic offerings with an undergraduate certificate in esports media and communication, preparing students for careers in a $503 billion global industry with immense growth potential.
Our efforts to create dynamic learning environments included transforming the Freedom Forum into a collaborative student space, with plans to modernize 90.3 KRNU in the coming year. These upgrades will ensure our students continue to work with cutting-edge tools in an ever-evolving media landscape.
None of this progress would be possible without you. Each opportunity is supported by the time, talent and generosity of our alumni, industry partners and friends. Thank you for being an essential part of our journey. We are deeply grateful for your continued support.
Shari R. Veil, MBA, Ph.D.
Jane T. Olson Dean and Professor
