New Professors Bring Fresh Energy to Growing Journalism School at Texas A&M
College Station, Texas – At Texas A&M’s journalism school, the latest hires are not just rejuvenating the existing faculty but also driving growth among the student body taking up journalism as major and minor subjects. Still warm from the intense pursuit for a new journalism director that made headlines in 2021, the school has now onboarded new professors of practice – CNN journalists, Mariano Castillo and Flora Charner, and the Dallas Morning News editor, Paul O’Donnell.
Active Faculty Recruitment a Top Priority
Head of the Department of Communication & Journalism, Hart Blanton, commented that the active recruitment for the year is primarily focused on faculty level rather than directorial. He indicated the next goal is to bring in at least two more faculty members by next year to continue building the new school.
As of August 12, the university has 79 students majoring in journalism, 25 enrolled through the general studies degree, and 45 minor students, Blanton shared. Having a minor is a requirement to allow students to build additional skills, he added. Furthermore, internships for hands-on experience, like the 12th Man Productions, is also part of the course design. The department is already exploring further expansion of opportunities with additional media organization partnerships.
New Professors of Practice on Board – Nurturing the Journalism Program
Mariano Castillo, a former director of standards and practices at CNN brings experience from his role, working with journalists handling sensitive issues to ensure balance and accuracy. In this semester, he will leverage these skills while teaching political reporting.
Castillo credits Texas A&M’s journalism school for his successful career and is eager to grow the program along with the existing professors. His focus is to develop student skills in writing, editing, and discerning vital elements of a story.
Just like Castillo, Charner also transitioned from CNN to the academic setting. She brings international news coverage experience, including her tenure as an international correspondent in Brazil, and plans to use these skills to teach international communication. Additionally, reflecting her background in broadcast journalism, Charner intends to leverage her expertise in teaching a multimedia class and also exploring opportunities to expand bilingual journalism.
O’Donnell, who spent years teaching interns business reporting at The Dallas Morning News, anticipates transforming these insights into an interesting class. His focus is to garner students’ interest in business journalism by helping them understand that commerce stories can be intriguing narratives about entrepreneurial ventures, risk and success.
Building New Media Facility and Encouraging On-campus Reporting
All three professors have a common interest in getting their students out on campus, reporting, and writing. O’Donnell, in particular, aims to have students writing campus stories, following influencers, engaging with students, and sharing anecdotes from their day.
O’Donnell expressed optimism about the future of the journalism program, “I think the more we can build up the journalism program, the more you’re going to see students coming here specifically for that. I think the future is really bright.”
This sentiment was echoed by Castillo and Charner, both of whom credited the A&M support for the program, especially with recruitment. Their shared belief, energy, and commitment promise new growth and vigour to the revived journalism school at Texas A&M.
