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May 16, 2005

Trinity Communications Professor Wins Teaching Fellowship

SAN ANTONIO - Sammye Johnson, professor and Carlos Augustus de Lozano Chair in Journalism at Trinity University, has been named the 2005 recipient of the Dr. and Mrs. Z.T. Scott Faculty Fellowship in recognition of her outstanding abilities as a teacher and adviser.

The Z.T. Scott Fellowship, given annually for excellence in teaching and advising, includes a $6,000 cash award as well as $4,000 to be used for professional development and research. Trinity University Trustee Richard M. Kleberg III established the Fellowship in 1984 in honor of his grandparents, Dr. and Mrs. Z.T. Scott. The award was announced May 14 during Trinity's undergraduate commencement.

Professor Johnson came to Trinity in 1980 as an assistant professor of communication. Since then, she has published more than 300 articles as a freelance writer and editor in consumer, trade, and association magazines as well as in newspapers. In addition to serving as a graphics design and editorial consultant to a number of corporations and public relations firms, she has written three books - Magazine Publishing, The Magazine from Cover to Cover, and Achievers Make Things Happen. She also has authored numerous chapters to textbooks about magazines and writing.

Earlier in May, Trinity President John R. Brazil honored Professor Johnson with an award as an outstanding adviser to students. She is known for exceptional efforts to help students find internships and jobs, and she demonstrates a willingness to support the professional and academic development of students over the long term. Professor Johnson integrates her teaching and scholarly interests by inviting students to work with her on research projects. As a result, many students have won first or second place in national research competitions in categories with graduate students vying for recognition.

Professor Johnson was the first educator selected to participate in the Magazine Publishers of America Educator Exchange program at Fortune magazine and was named Headliner of the Year by the San Antonio Chapter of Women in Communications Inc, among other recognitions of her abilities as a teacher. She holds a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Denise Barkis Richter, a student in the first class Professor Johnson taught at Trinity, called her a "fabulous teacher" who had high expectations of her students. "She pushed us beyond where we thought we could go." Sonya Edmondson, who graduated in 1995, said she took a public relations course her senior year with Professor Johnson, despite the instructor's reputation as a challenging professor. "Although I was initially intimidated by her reputation, I quickly found out that Professor Johnson was an engaging educator - sharp, funny, and well versed in and passionate about her subject matter."

She has won numerous awards for writing and teaching as well as for the practice of public relations. She also has won fellowships to Turkey and China and served on dozens of University and departmental committees, including the Board of Campus Publications. She is a member of and has held many leadership roles in professional organizations such as the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Commission on the Status of Women, Association for Women in Communications (formerly Women in Communications Inc.,) Society of Professional Journalists, American Journalism Historians Association, and Texas Public Relations Association.

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