Media Excellence 6 | College of Media

Kissel to speak at 2018 Convocation

January 22, 2018

The College of Media is pleased to announce that Dave Kissel, a 1985 journalism graduate, will be the alumni speaker at the College of Media Convocation ceremony on Sunday, May 13, 2018. He has built a distinguished career in marketing, advertising and sports for Fortune 500 clients by leading high-impact teams at world-class agencies and media companies.

Kissel is currently a member of the senior management team of DDB, one of the largest and most awarded advertising agencies in the world, and a partner to McDonald’s Corporation in 44 countries. He is responsible for the global leadership and coordination of DDB’s worldwide McDonald’s relationships, helping each office deliver innovative strategy, content and experiences to measurably grow the McDonald’s brand and business.

He moved into DDB’s McDonald’s global role after having been a key architect and builder of Omnicom’s We Are Unlimited, called by The Wall Street Journal as the “Advertising Agency of the Future;” an agency designed specifically for McDonald’s U.S. Dave helped establish the agency, source its talent, develop its first work and, as the agency’s Chief Delivery Officer, helped create the agency’s operating system and technology tools.

In addition, Kissel is currently a Strategic Advisor to, and the former CEO of, InStadium, a national Nielsen-measured sports media network consisting of 450+ pro and college teams. Under his leadership, InStadium transformed into a multi-media video and gaming platform for major brands. Prior to InStadium, he helped create and scale the award-winning agency Zócalo Group, Omnicom’s first dedicated social media agency, a division of Critical Mass.

A frequent speaker on sports marketing, advertising and social media, Kissel has more than 25 years of accomplishments and awards in sports media and marketing, is an advisor to Block Six Analytics, a sports-analytics technology company, and to the University of Illinois’ College of Media’s Executive Board. He lives in a northern suburb of Chicago with his wife and fellow Illini alumnus, Sue, and his three daughters.

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Archives acquires Ebert materials

November 3, 2017

An important part of the legacy of the noted film critic, Urbana native, and U of I alumnus Roger Ebert has come home to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, thanks to a recent donation from the Chicago Sun-Times.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Archives has acquired the motion picture press kit files used by Ebert when he served as film critic for the newspaper. The files include 35mm slides and black and white glossy photographs, press release information promoting films from the 1980s through the early 2000s, as well as tear sheets of reviews by the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic.

Nine file drawers of color slides and approximately 57 file drawers of press kits for more than 5,200 films spanning a substantial portion of Ebert’s time as the Sun-Times film critic now reside at Illinois awaiting arrangement and description to make them accessible to students, scholars, and the public. The University Archives and the Communications Library at Illinois have already starting working together to create a complete index of all of the thousands of reviews Ebert wrote.

“This is an important story for the university to have,” said University Archivist William Maher. “What Roger learned here, how he honed his craft, got critical experience and gained confidence–all of that carried him forward. It propelled him. The university gave him that platform, at the same time that he changed the university himself.”

Other universities had approached the Sun-Times for the materials, however Chaz Ebert, Ebert’s widow and publisher of RogerEbert.com, wanted to see the materials go to the University of Illinois, Ebert’s alma mater.

“Chaz’s efforts to connect us with the Sun-Times have been an invaluable step forward to bring the Roger Ebert archival legacy home,” noted Maher.

There is little doubt that Ebert would be pleased with the decision. In Life Itself, Ebert’s 2011 memoir, he said, “I loved the University. It took me from childhood to my life.”

It was this influence and spirit that inspired an online exhibit all about Roger Ebert and his time at Illinois which made its debut at the 2017 Roger Ebert Film Festival this past April. The exhibit, created by the University Archives and containing examples of Ebert’s early writings as a student as well as his original correspondence with his faculty mentor, Dan Curley, is viewable at archives.library.illinois.edu/ebert.

Ultimately, the Sun-Times materials will reside within close proximity to the Roger Ebert Center being established within the College of Media at Illinois. The Ebert Center will offer undergraduate scholarships and mentoring, along with other programs to “inspire critical thinking and illuminate the human condition,” to those interested in filmmaking and film criticism.

“The College of Media is proud to have played a role in acquiring these materials for the University of Illinois,” said Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, interim dean of the College of Media. “Roger loved this place; he established his film festival and the Ebert Center here, visited often and introduced us to Chaz, who has become a valued member of our media family. Roger’s enduring legacy is safe in her hands and with the University of Illinois Archives.”

For more information about the Ebert Center, visit https://media.illinois.edu/ebertcenter.

See original press release.

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McCraw named 2017 convocation speaker

February 9, 2017

David E. McCraw, a 1976 journalism graduate from Monticello, Illinois, will be the 2017 College of Media convocation speaker.

McCraw is vice president and deputy general counsel for The New York Times. He has a master’s degree from Cornell and a JD from Albany Law School.

McCraw has worked as a journalist and a free-lance writer, has taught journalism and worked as a lawyer at a New York law firm. He has been with The Times since 2002 and is also an adjunct professor at NYU Law School.

His work at The Times includes Freedom of Information Act requests, overseeing commercial litigation, and advising journalists on issues in news gathering including privacy laws. He also runs crisis response when a journalist runs into issue while reporting internationally.

McCraw gained national attention in Oct. 2016 when a brief letter he wrote to Donald Trump’s attorney in defense of a free press went viral.

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Media and Business launch online master’s degree

January 5, 2017 | Phil Ciciora, University of Illinois News Bureau

New online master’s degree in strategic brand communication to prepare future brand leaders

A new interdisciplinary graduate degree from the University of Illinois seeks to arm future global brand leaders with the latest methods, techniques and strategies to market, advertise and deliver brand communications across diverse multimedia and technology channels.

The online master’s degree in strategic brand communication, a unique joint program between the Urbana campus’ College of Business and College of Media, aims to prepare the strategic leaders of tomorrow in an ever-changing global digital-media environment.

“Executives today need to learn the latest techniques and strategies to market, advertise and deliver brand communications across multiple channels in order to grow revenue effectively. This degree in strategic brand communication will help today’s professionals become the best in the field,” said Jeffrey R. Brown, the Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor of Business and the dean of the College of Business.

The degree, which will be offered as a joint program between the department of business administration in the College of Business and the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising in the College of Media, will allow students to gain deeper knowledge of how to strategically lead global brand communications across advertising, media and marketing channels to drive revenue growth.

“It is increasingly important for the world’s premier universities to enable students to earn advanced degrees while working full-time,” said Wojtek Chodko-Zajko, the dean of the Graduate College and the interim dean of the College of Media. “This initiative provides the working professional with a career-accelerating pathway to a highly respected master’s degree in just 15 months.”

The curriculum combines contemporary business management education with the latest in strategic integrated marketing, advertising and multimedia communications. Students will be prepared to:

Effectively reach and engage consumers through content and messaging.
Refine data analytics and integrative capabilities to maximize results.
Respond effectively to new technologies, emerging media and market trends.
Leverage digital, social media and mobile communications in a broader and more comprehensive business context.
Acquire senior leadership and management skills to execute strategic success across teams.

“This innovative collaboration taught by world-class faculty from business and media will prepare future brand leaders in the new digital age by offering courses in advertising focused on data analytics, interactive content and consumer insights, combined with business courses in management essentials, leadership and global consumer behavior,” said Dilip Chhajed, a professor of and the executive director of master’s programs in business administration.

Students can complete their online degree in 15 months from anywhere in the world while working full time, so they don’t have to interrupt their career momentum.

“If you are a working professional who wants to achieve excellence and advance in your current career, or if you want to earn this degree to change the direction of your career, this program can help you accelerate professionally,” said Jacqueline Hitchon, a professor and the department head of advertising.

In addition to classes, students will be able to participate in industry workshops in which leading executives cover diverse topics including emerging technology, budgeting and financial management, revenue development, programmatic advertising, multicultural marketing, virtual and augmented reality, and consumer experience.

“We are excited to welcome our first cohort of exceptionally talented students who have the potential to strategically lead brands into the future,” said Mary Lee Gilliland, the executive director of the program.

The program has begun accepting applications, with the first class of students scheduled to begin in August.

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Illinois Newsroom launches with the appointment of a new leader

October 20, 2016

Illinois Newsroom—the statewide, seven-station journalism collaborative, spearheaded by Illinois Public Media and funded through a $715,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as well as support from the public media partner newsrooms—launches with the appointment of a new leader.

Scott Cameron, former senior editor of NPR’s Talk of the Nation and current director of news and public affairs at Illinois Public Media, has accepted the Executive Editor position to lead the regional news collaborative.

Read the full story here.

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Department of Advertising announces undergraduate public relations minor

August 22, 2016

The Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising will begin offering an undergraduate minor in public relations starting in the fall 2016 semester. The minor will require a minimum of 18 credits and will consist of three foundational courses about media and public relations and three additional courses on advanced topics in PR.

“Having a public relations minor represents an important next step as we increase what we offer to students who have an interest in PR,” said Dr. Jacqueline Hitchon, professor and advertising department head. “The advantage of having a PR minor is that it will appear on a student’s official university transcript, and employers everywhere understand what a minor is.”

While the minor will be located within the Department of Advertising, it is a cooperative effort between the Departments of Advertising, Communication and Journalism.

“Because PR spans the field of communication, students will benefit from the perspective they will receive in each of the departments,” Hitchon said. “We believe this will broaden their practical and theoretical understanding of public relations.”

The public relations minor will replace the PR certificate, which will be phased out over the 2016-17 academic year. Students who have already been accepted into the PR certificate will have the option of finishing the certificate or transferring into the minor provided they can complete the minimum-credit requirement prior to graduation.

A meeting about the public relations minor and how to transition from the PR certificate to the minor will be held early in the fall semester for current undergraduate students. The time and place of the meeting will be announced shortly.

In the meantime, interested students can visit the webpage for the public relations minor.

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Provost names interim dean

June 8, 2016

Interim Provost Ed Feser announced that Professor Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko has agreed to serve as interim dean of the College of Media, assisted by Professor and Associate Provost Bill Bernhard, who will become interim executive associate dean. The appointments were effective June 6 in “designate” status, while awaiting approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

Wojtek, who is currently serving as the dean of the Graduate College, is the Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor of Applied Health Sciences. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of London and a Ph.D. in kinesiology from Purdue University. In his role as Graduate College dean, Wojtek leads campus efforts in setting policies, defining standards and enabling excellence in graduate programs, graduate research and graduate student life. He has extensive administrative and financial management experience as a former department head in Applied Health Sciences and now dean. He will continue to serve as dean of the Graduate College during the period of his appointment as interim dean of the College of Media.

Bill Bernhard, a professor of political science, is a specialist in international political economy. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in political science from Duke University. Like Wojtek, he is an experienced administrator, a skilled communicator and a careful steward of shared governance. He is a former head of the Department of Political Science and is currently associate provost for Faculty Development. He developed a good working knowledge of opportunities, issues and concerns in the College of Media through his recent service assisting the dean’s review committee. Bill will continue to serve as associate provost during the period of his appointment as executive associate dean.

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Sagers selected convocation speaker

April 4, 2016

Carol Hillsman Sagers ’79 BS Advertising, has been selected as the 2016 College of Media Convocation speaker.

Carol is the principal at CHS Marketing Consultants, a company she founded in 1996. Carol’s firm provides business development and marketing management services to clients that have included McDonald’s, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, Kraft Foods, L’Oréal, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Kellogg’s, Chicago Park District, The Federated Group and Unilever. In addition to her consultancy, Carol is an Assistant Professor at American Intercontinental University, where she teaches business and marketing courses.

Carol worked seven years as Marketing Director at McDonald’s USA. While there, she led all of the national marketing efforts for the African American Consumer Market and efforts targeted to the Asian American Consumer Market. She was responsible for the development and implementation of integrated marketing communications programs that drove year-over-year-over-year business growth. Prior to consulting and her work at McDonald’s, Carol worked for Soft Sheen Products (now a division of L’Oreal) in positions ranging from Group Marketing Manager to Vice President of Marketing with responsibility for 13 brands and more than 20 people. Carol also worked in Brand Management at Kraft Foods and at the Quaker Oats Company.

She is a past National Chairman of the Mosaic Council of the American Advertising Federation (the largest national trade organization for advertisers, advertising agencies, and media companies) and a former Executive Board Member of the Association of National Advertisers. Her client-side work in the Advertising Industry has been notable and award winning, including the prestigious Industry Career Achievement Award from the American Advertising Federation. Carol also has been recognized as Working Mother Magazine’s “Working Mother of the Year;” and the Chicago Illini of the Year from the University of Illinois Alumni Association.

Carol is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc., and Carats, Inc. She also serves on the Leadership Council for the College of Media at the University of Illinois.

In addition to her Advertising degree from Illinois, Carol has an MBA Degree from Washington University in St. Louis. She is married to her college sweetheart, Rudolph Sagers, Jr. (another Illini). They have two grown sons (Ryan and Randall) and live in Chicago’s southern suburbs.

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Klues Family Foundation makes gift to College

October 21, 2015

The College of Media is pleased to announce a $1 million gift from the Jack and Elizabeth Klues Family Foundation for scholarships in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising in the College of Media at the University of Illinois.

The gift includes current use funds and a bequest. The proceeds will provide scholarship support to underrepresented students in advertising who have significant financial need. The scholarships will be for both internships and experiential learning opportunities. Funds will also be used to provide high school students with financial need scholarships to attend a College of Media summer camp on the Urbana-Champaign campus.

Mr. Klues, a 1977 advertising graduate of the College, began his career as an account executive in the media department at Leo Burnett. In 1996, he was part of the management team that created Starcom, a distinct, dedicated media services agency. Mr. Klues became the global CEO for Starcom MediaVest Group in 2000, making it the one of the largest of its type in the world. In 2003, following the acquisition by Publicis Groupe, he served as global CEO for Publicis Groupe Media (SMG and ZenithOptimedia). From 2007 until his retirement in 2012, he served as global CEO and Directoire member with oversight of media agencies, as well as Digitas and Razorfish under Publicis’ holding company’s digital and media agency, Vivaki.

He has served in many volunteer leadership roles for the College of Media since graduating through the recruitment of employees, teaching courses, advising the college and serving on the James Webb Young board.

Klues has also served on the Board of Directors for the Off the Street Club in Chicago for over 25 years. Off the Street Club is Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club and currently serves more than 3,000 kids in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The gift to the College is a way for Klues to merge these two passions.

High school students who are involved in Off the Street Club will be one source of students considered for summer camp scholarships. “It’s important these kids know that not only is this world out there, but it’s accessible,” Klues said. “They can see it, feel it, touch it. We’ve got to give hope.”

“Providing access for underrepresented students and those with financial need is vital to the College and the University,” said Jan Slater, Dean of the College. “Access is a key element of our Land Grant mission. Improving diversity in the student population helps to improve diversity in the industries we serve – something those industries have been striving toward. Jack and Beth’s partnership and generosity is helping to make this vision a reality.”

“Jan Slater’s first and foremost concern is what is the best thing I can do to serve these students,” Klues said. “If I can play a small part, it snowballs from there.”

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