Thank you for joining us!

Elon University and the School of Communications proudly hosted the 46th annual AEJMC Southeast Colloquium, the oldest and most successful regional journalism and mass communication meeting. The three-day virtual event, held March 18-20, 2021, had a theme focused on mentorship.

Photo credit: James Estrin, The New York Times

Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times Magazine reporter, served as the colloquium’s featured speaker, offering an encouraging address for attendees and participants. In a discussion moderated by Communications Dean Rochelle Ford, iMedia graduate student Dion Cummings G’21 and undergraduate journalism student Maeve Ashbrook ’21, Hannah-Jones spoke about the importance of mentorship and her journalistic career covering race through a variety of topics.

A domestic correspondent for The New York Times Magazine, Hannah-Jones focuses extensively on civil rights and racial injustice. In 2020, she won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary for her essay in The 1619 Project, which traces the central role black Americans have played in the nation, including its vast material success and democracy itself.

The virtual event also featured numerous Elon faculty and students who participated in roundtable discussions and research panels, and submitted authored and co-authored papers and presentations.


And the Creative Contest winners are …

To showcase faculty and student creative works, the 2021 AEJMC Southeast Colloquium hosted The Southeast Colloquium Creative Contest, a creative competition for all members of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and Broadcast Education Association (BEA). The following is a list of winners and their respective finishes.

Faculty Submissions and Winners


Student Submissions and Winners


Winners List

Faculty: Advertising Design

Gold – Leslie Haines, Middle Tennessee State
Silver – Adrienne Hooker, James Madison University
Bronze – David Wang, James Madison University

Faculty: Photography

Gold – Charles “Stretch” Ledford, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Silver – Thomas E. Franklin, Montclair State University
Bronze – Ross Taylor, University of Colorado Boulder
Bronze – Van Kornegay, University of South Carolina

Faculty: Publication & Editorial Design

Gold – Ben Hannam & Bizhan Khodabandeh, Elon University

Faculty: Visual Identity & Branding

Gold – Leslie Haines, Middle Tennessee State
Silver – Ben Hannam & Bizhan Khodabandeh, Elon University
Bronze – Ben Hannam & Bizhan Khodabandeh, Elon University

Student: Advertising Design

1st – Karsyn Laufenberg, University of Memphis
2nd – Steph Brendel, Elon University
3rd – Kaitlyn Merritt, Elon University
Honorable Mention: Direct – Steph Brendel, Elon University
Honorable Mention: Direct – Andrew Felts, Bella Utley, Sydney Clendening, & Caitlin Davis,  Middle Tennessee State University
Honorable Mention: Interactive – Claire Brodsky, Elon University
Honorable Mention: Out-of-Home – Sarah Bellinger, Elon University
Honorable Mention: Poster – Catherine Nester, Elon University
Honorable Mention: Print – Catherine Nester, Elon University
Honorable Mention: PSA – Sophia Calderon, Mississippi State University

Student: Photography

1st – Emily Kenny & Dan Lyon, Syracuse University
2nd – Gavin Liddell, Syracuse University
3rd – Christopher T. Assaf, The University of Texas at Austin
Honorable Mention: Photo Essay – Lilly Marcadis, Qhira Bonds, Haley Salvador, Devin Bradley, & others, University of South Carolina
Honorable Mention: Journalism Still – Chelsea Nicholson, Creighton University
Honorable Mention: Journalism Still – Brianna Fierro, West Virginia University

Student: Publication & Editorial Design

1st – Shannon Kirkpatrick, Syracuse University
2nd – Rachel Cifarelli, Elon University
3rd – Ali Harford & the 61% Project Staff, Syracuse University
Honorable Mention: Website/App (non-interactive) – Kevin Camelo & the High Stakes Staff, Syracuse University
Honorable Mention: Printed Annual Report, Brochure, & Catalog – Courtney Carver, Sarah Hayden, Anastasia Rentouli, Kristopher Scott, & Mariah Stevens, Mississippi State University
Honorable Mention: Magazine & Periodical Cover – The Femme Noire Staff, Syracuse University
Honorable Mention: Infographic – Sophia Chryssovergis, Indiana University
Honorable Mention: Editorial Spread or Feature Design – Kelsey Worthington, University of South Carolina
Honorable Mention: Album/CD Cover – Taylor Truitt, Elon University

Student: Visual Identity & Branding

1st – Laura Angle, Syracuse University
2nd – Catherine Nester, Elon University
3rd – Sophia Chryssovergis, Indiana University
Honorable Mention: Stationary Packaging – Shannon Kirkpatrick, Syracuse University
Honorable Mention: Special Event – Catherine Harris, University of South Carolina
Honorable Mention: Packaging – Sarah Schwab, Elon University
Honorable Mention: Motion Graphics – Katie Mulligan, Syracuse University
Honorable Mention: Logo – Sarah Sharpe, University of South Carolina
Honorable Mention: Illustration – Shannon Kirkpatrick, Syracuse University
Honorable Mention: Illustration – Catherine Nester, Elon University
Honorable Mention: Environmental –  Jessann Thompson & Hannah Williams, West Virginia University

Winners were announced and their work recognized at the awards sessions on March 20, 2021. The contest was made possible by support provided by AEJMC’s Visual Communication and Newspaper and Online News divisions and BEA.

2021 Panel of Judges

Photo of Lauren Vied Allen.

Lauren Vied Allen

Photographer, Motion Director & Stylist based in Durham, NC

laurenvallen.com

Photo of Susannah Brinkley.

Susannah Brinkley

Freelance Graphic Designer based in Charlotte, NC

susannahbrinkley.com

Photo of Justin Cook.

Justin Cook

Commercial & Editorial Photographer based in Durham, NC

justincookphoto.com

Photo of Brian Yohn.

Brian Yohn

Graphic Design, Art Director, and Illustrator at Brian Yohn Design

cargocollective.com/brianyohn

Photo of Suzanne Eismann.

Suzanne Eismann

Creative Director of Raleigh, NC based Eismann & Associates

eismannassociates.com

Photo of Caleb Holloway.

Caleb Holloway

Senior Product Design for Pendo.io and based in Raleigh, NC

Photo of Marius Valdes.

Marius Valdes

Artist & Associate Professor in design and illustration at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC

mariusvaldes.com

Photo of Mark Congiusta.

Mark Congiusta

Senior User Experience Manager at Amazon based in NC

interactivemark.me

Photo of Bonnie Campbell.

Bonnie Campbell

Graphic Designer, potter, and owner of Blue Egg Studio based in Durham, NC

bcampbelldesign.com

Photo of Erik Perel.

Erik Perel

Owner of Erik Perel Photography & Department Head of the ACC Advertising & Graphic Design Program

Special thanks to Kenn Gaither, Heather Birks, Vic Costello, Tommy Kopetskie, Ben Hannam, Juanita Wrenn, Genevieve Barnes, Matthew J. Haught, Gabriel Tait, and Shannon Zenner for their support and leadership.


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