Jan Lauren Boyles, assistant professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, has been selected for a Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism Disruptive Journalism Educator Fellowship.
The program is designed for leadership in journalism curriculum innovation among university faculty. Fellowships were offered to “journalism educators whose approaches to teaching ensure that students succeed in the ever-evolving news space.”
As a fellow, Boyles will attend the Online News Association Conference Oct. 5-7 in Washington, D.C. While at the conference, she will also serve in a teaching session and participate in educator meetups and other events during the academic year.
“I hope to acquire best practices for Greenlee students in approaching digital media with a startup mindset. I also hope to learn more about the cutting-edge tools used in industry that our students will encounter post graduation. But most of all, I hope to showcase to industry leaders that Greenlee is a national thought leader in journalism research and education,” Boyles said.
Boyles, who has used her research in the field to stay current on the latest newsroom trends, is no stranger to opportunities that connect academy and industry. Last summer, she participated in an externship at The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., as part of the Scripps Howard Foundation Visiting Professors in Social Media grant program.
“In the skills courses that I teach, I create deadline-driven environments that mirror newsgathering organizations so that students are ready for the professional world,” Boyles said. “This experience is yet another extension of this teaching philosophy, which advocates that the classroom and newsroom must be closely linked together to advantage our students’ success.”