SPJ recognizes Sue Bullard for Distinguished Teaching in Journalism

Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - 7:00pm

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists has chosen Sue Burzynski Bullard, associate professor of journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching in Journalism Award. Bullard teaches editing, reporting and multimedia classes at University of Nebraska–Lincoln, since she joined the university in August 2008.

Each year, SPJ honors an outstanding journalism educator who has made an exceptional contribution to the profession and/or journalism education. Bullard won this year with impressive nominations from students and staff from University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

“Sue Bullard is the whole package: a teacher who devotes a tremendous amount of her time, effort and heart to helping her students learn to edit, to be journalists and to be responsible, contributing citizens; a scholar who is always trying to learn more and do more; and a generous colleague who shares her knowledge and skills both in her own college and with other journalists and journalism educators nationally and internationally,” wrote Charlyne Berens, professor and associate dean at University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Before she was a professor, Bullard worked at news organizations such as The Detroit News, and at newspapers in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Lansing and Port Huron, Mich.

She earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University in 1974 and a master's degree in administration from Central Michigan University in 2000. Bullard is no newcomer to being honored for her achievements in journalism. According to University of Nebraska–Lincoln, The MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences named her an outstanding alumna in 2007. In 2008, she received a lifetime achievement award from the SPJ Detroit chapter. She was inducted into the Michigan State News Hall of Fame in 2009. And in 2010, she won the Promising Professor Award from the Mass Communication and Society division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. In 2011, she and colleague Michelle Hassler won third place in the Teaching News Terrifically competition, sponsored by AEJMC’s news division.

She is also the author of “Everybody’s an Editor: Navigating Journalism’s Changing Landscape,” writes about digital media for Nieman Reports Professor’s Corner and publishes work on Digital Commons at University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Bullard will be honored at the Excellence in Journalism 2014 conference in Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 4-6. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information on SPJ, please visit www.spj.org