For the second time in three years, The University of Miami won first place at the highly competitive National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) in Phoenix last week, besting 17 other district-winning universities from around the country with a vibrant and interactive marketing and advertising campaign for Glidden® Paint at Walmart. The UM Team, The Miami Collective, also took home the award for best use of research for the second consecutive year. As part of the June 5-7, competition, students were challenged to create a $10 million, five-month campaign targeting do-it-yourself (DIY) women who shop at Walmart for everything —…

A group of exceptional students from the School of Communication are the recipients of a 2013 Wine Spectator Foundation Scholarship. The Wine Spectator Foundation Scholarship is an annual scholarship that awards $50,000 a year to deserving students studying communication at the University of Miami. This year’s winners are: Aaron Agrasanchez, Motion Pictures Daniela Ortega, Broadcast Journalism Kate Maier, Motion Pictures Scott McCartney, Media Management Morgan McKie, Motion Pictures Carlos Mella, Advertising Kelsey Quinn, Advertising Amilyn Soto, Advertising Students vying for the Wine Spectator Foundation Scholarship were required to submit a project about the following topics: wine, food, restaurants, travel,…

Communication Studies faculty member David L. Steinberg, the director of the University of Miami Debate Team, is the recipient of the 2013 Robert and Christine Staub Faculty Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Effective Teaching at the University of Miami School of Communication. The Staub Faculty Excellence Award, an endowed gift from UM alumnus Robert Staub, B.B.A.’56, and his wife, Christine, recognizes a School of Communication faculty member for effectiveness in teaching, advising, mentoring, and service roles in and outside the classroom. Students and alumni nominated deserving professors and a School committee selected the winner. “It is truly an…

Former University of Miami faculty member and alumnus Jack Metzger, who taught communication courses for 14 years, passed away from cancer and heart disease earlier this year. Metzger was 81. A host of children’s programs on local TV, Metzger, A.B. ‘53, taught radio production classes, including script writing and radio performance at UM, during the late 1950s’ through the 1960s’. He was a graduate of UM’s Radio Television and Film Department. In 1968, he became the first faculty adviser of WVUM 90.5 FM “The Voice,” the University’s campus radio station. “Jack was a terrific person who loved the University…

Communication Studies Associate Professor Victoria Orrego Dunleavy& Ph.D. candidate Jasmine Phillips are on a mission this summer to improve the health of people in Guatemala. The School of Communication professor and graduate student are producing a new study about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention targeting young adults (18-25 years) in the Tz'utujil Mayan community of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. The study aims to design an HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaign based on culturally-appropriate forms of communication and current knowledge of, and beliefs about, HIV/AIDS. It is the first study of its kind to assess attitudes and beliefs specifically about HIV/AIDS in…

A number of bright and talented students can be found at The School of Communication. Each year, the SoC names a group of outstanding seniors who have achieved academic excellence during their time at the University of Miami. Brooke LeMaire was named the 2013 Outstanding Senior in Public Relations, the school’s most popular major. "It's a true honor to be recognized among such a talented student body,” LeMaire said. “I'm so grateful for the wonderful opportunities UM has offered in order to provide a well-rounded and hands-on education.” LeMaire, 22, of Palmetto Bay, is a public relations and psychology…

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting has selected Nicholas Swyter, a sophomore majoring in Broadcast Journalism and International Studies, for an international reporting fellowship in Panama this summer. Swyter, 20, a Panamanian citizen, will report on the construction of a major dam in that country and how the project is affecting indigenous tribes in the region. "It is a great honor to receive this fellowship," Swyter said. "I have visited relatives in Panama since I was an infant, and it will be a very rewarding experience to get to know the country through a reporter's lens." As part of…

Thanks to the Miami Marlins Community Foundation, more talented students will be able to attend the School of Communication. The Foundation recently presented the school with a $5,000 check for the Suzanne Rayson Scholarship Fund for student scholarships during UM Family Weekend with the Miami Marlins, April 27-29, 2013. The Suzanne Rayson Scholarship Fund benefits students studying Broadcast Journalism who have shown an interest in sports broadcasting. Rayson, who served as the Marlins director of broadcasting from 2002 to 2008, died after a battle with cancer. The Miami Marlins Community Foundation also made generous donations to UM’s School of…

For the third year in a row, the University of Miami School of Communication’s National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team – the Miami Collective -- won first place at this year’s American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising District Competition. The UM team now heads to Phoenix, Ariz., June 5-8, to compete nationally against 18 other district-winning schools. This is the third consecutive year UM has defeated competitive schools such as Florida State University, the University of South Florida, and Ringling College. In 2011, UM took home the national championship after advancing from districts. Last year, the team placed 4th…

School of Communication Cinema & Interactive Media students won top awards during the 2013 LA WebFest, held March 28-31, 2013 in Los Angeles. “To Live & Die in Opa Humpka,” a web series developed and produced by SoC students and Lisa Gottlieb, an associate professor in the Department of Cinema & Interactive Media, took home the awards for Best Comedy Series and Best Writing. “To Live & Die in Opa Humpka” is a comedic web series about the fictional town of Opa Humpka, Fla., “the python and foot fungus capitol of the world.” The series takes place during the…