Incoming journalism and integrated marketing communication students at the UM School of Journalism and New Media with great potential and strong work portfolios are encouraged to apply to become Talbert Fellows, an elite cohort within the school. Submitted photo
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media is seeking future journalism and communications students in Mississippi and beyond for a unique program designed to provide exclusive opportunities.
Incoming journalism and integrated marketing communication students with great potential and strong work portfolios are encouraged to apply to become Talbert Fellows, an elite cohort within the school. The program will launch Aug. 1 and begin in the fall of 2020.
Talbert Fellows will be selected based on a portfolio of their best submitted work in print, broadcast, integrated marketing communication and photography, rather than their GPA or ACT scores. Applicants should begin submitting work this fall and follow the UM scholarship application process.
The program will offer scholarship opportunities and financial assistance in addition to other funding students might receive, special events, personalized attention and coaching from faculty, reporting trips and a possible travel budget.
“Students have a lot of choices when it comes to finding the right university, and we think the Talbert Fellows program might be just the little extra incentive some need to choose the School of Journalism and New Media,” said Debra Wenger, assistant dean and associate professor of journalism.
“From scholarship money to unique experiential learning opportunities to networking options, the students accepted to become Talbert Fellows will find themselves positioned to become future leaders in the fields of journalism and integrated marketing communications.”
Samuel S. Talbert chaired the UM Department of Journalism from 1951 until his death in 1972. Submitted photo
School officials are pleased to launch a program that offers more than just financial assistance, said Scott Fiene, assistant dean and associate professor of journalism.
“This will also create a unique cohort of students who get opportunities for faculty coaching, reporting trips, possibly special class sections and a lot more,” he said. “It’s truly a win for students and a milestone in the evolution of our school.”
R.J. Morgan, director of the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association, noted that many high school students across the country are proving they are skilled thinkers and innovators at a young age.
“Students like that need to be honored, but more than that, they need to be challenged to reach their full potential,” he said. “This program will help us better identify those students from the outset, so that once they arrive on campus, we can focus our best resources on pushing them to an elite level of success.”
The Talbert Fellows program is named after Samuel S. Talbert, who chaired the Ole Miss Department of Journalism from 1951 until his death in 1972. The versatile administrator and author wrote three academic books on journalism, several plays and a column published in more than 100 newspapers.
Selections of fellows will follow the university’s annual calendar, with new students notified in April and admitted each fall semester. New, transfer and current students are eligible to apply, and awards are renewable for up to four years.
Applicants must submit a link to their online portfolios and the information required through the university’s scholarship application portal.
For more information about the Talbert Fellows program, contact Wenger at 662-915-7912 or drwenger@olemiss.edu.