Current Exhibit at the Kooyumjian Gallery
Beginnings 2024: Juried High School Photography
Friday, Dec. 6 through Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025
Communication Careers Week 2024
During the Fall semester, the School of Communications brings in industry leaders representing a cross-section of organizations, from nonprofit journalism to full-service entertainment production companies. With a combination of presentations, workshops, networking sessions, panel discussions and an internship expo, Webster students can jump-start their own communications career.
During Communication Careers Week, guest speakers join select classes, sharing their unique career journeys in the media and communications fields. Open to all 鈥 students, faculty, staff and visitors 鈥 these sessions provide an interactive space to learn about diverse career paths, gain industry insights and ask questions. It is an ideal chance for attendees to connect with professionals and explore the real-world experiences that shaped their careers.
2024 sessions included:
- Beyond Headlines: Journalism for Social Change, Sara Bannoura, Producter, Researcher and Organizer
- Careers in Contemporary Music Production and Audio Engineering, Patrick Conway, Musician, Producer and Composer
- Careers in Digital Analytics, Pam Jordan, Director, Project Management (Data and Analytics), Nestle Purina Pet Care
- What Do I Need to Know to Make It in Film and Video Production?, James Taylor, Independent Video Producer, Web Designer and Marketing Consultant
- How the Webster Experience Can Help You Land Your First Job, Justin Bryant, Sound Designer and QA Engineer
- The State of the Screenplay: Combating AI and Keeping Writiers (Like You) Human, Scott Foster, Cofounder of ScriptHop
- 'I Get to Take Pictures for a Living:' Q&A with a Photography Entrepreneur, Jennifer Silverberg, Photographer
- What Do I Need to Know to Make It In Film and Video Production?, Macy Harrell, Executive Producer, RDLV Films
- Surprising Careers: Applying Your Game Design Skills in the Corporate World, Sean Mercer, Game Developer at FedEx
The 2024 Panel Discussion was on 鈥淗ow to Get (and Keep) Your First Job.鈥 Topics discussed included: navigating the sometimes confusing and daunting hiring process, discussing what employers look for beyond a diploma and that evaluation process. The panel allowed attendees to go inside the room where it happens with four local hiring professionals with proven track records of building strong successful teams and nurturing new talent; learn what makes one candidate stand out from the rest, what 鈥渟oft skills鈥 are most valuable in the workplace, and how you can use this information to ace the hiring process and land your first job.
Panel Members:
- Paul Aubuchon, Senior Project Coordinator, Ironman Sound Industries
- Melinda Love, Agency Matchmaker and Talent Scout, M Consulting Group
- Kate Midgett, VP and Chief Organizational Excellence Officer, Nine PBS
- Mike Spakowski, Partner and Creative Director, Atomicdust
The Internship Expo at 黑料网's School of Communications is more than an event; it's an investment in the future of our industry. This annual gathering connects leading professionals and emerging talent across journalism, digital media, marketing, UX/UI, animation, film, sound engineering, photography and game design, creating invaluable networking and growth opportunities.
Our students come prepared with skills, ideas and a drive to make an impact, and they're ready to meet the organizations shaping the industry. The Expo provides a forum for employers and students to engage, interview, and build meaningful relationships, laying the groundwork for future careers and innovations. By partnering with us, we build community, and you play a crucial role in nurturing the next generation of communicators, helping students find their path in a diverse field while identifying talent that will help your organization thrive.
Together, we're creating a pathway for internships and real-world experience that spans Spring, Summer and Fall 2025. Whether you're a longtime partner or joining us for the first time, we're excited to collaborate in this journey to bridge today's needs with tomorrow's talent.
Media Academy
Media Academy is a premier annual event of the 黑料网 School of Communications and our industry partners held in the Spring semester. Media Academy 2024 was sponsored by Absen and included two days of presentations, workshops, panel discussions and networking opportunities with senior executives from national media companies, including Epic Games, Lion Forge, Canon, K Period Media and more.
Day One
- Panel Discussion: The Social Mission and Business Operations of Public Service and Nonprofit Media
- Networking Reception, Sverdrup Hall
Day Two
- Workshops
- UEFN: The Unreal Editor For Fortnite, and Transmedia Storytelling, with Jamie Hurcomb
- IYKYK: Landing Your First Job In Marketing, Advertising, Digital, Creative or PR, with Melinda Love
- How To Be A Human-Centric Company in A Tech Explosion: Kyosei, Canon's Corporate Philosophy and Technology, with Paul T. Murphy
- The AI Transformation of Storytelling, with Andrew Finlayson
- Crafting Influence: A Blueprint For Success In Today's Digital Landscape, with Justin Michael
- Virtual Cinema Production: A Demonstration and Discussion, with School of Communications faculty and students
- Revolutionizing Animation, with Carl Reed
- The Litigation Won鈥檛 Be Artificial: Intellectual Property Risks in Use of Artificial Intelligence, with Mark Sableman
- The Art and Business of Filmmaking: An Open Q&A, with Kimberly Steward
- Student Showcase, Boylan West Atrium
- Amy Shaw, Nine PBS
- Andrew Finlayson, SmithGeiger Group
- Brant Houston, University of Illinois
- Cara Anthony, KFF Health News
- Carl Reed, Composition Media
- Cat Neville, Explore St. Louis
- Jamie Hurcomb, Epic Games
- Justin Michael, @TwoDapperDads
- Kimberly Steward, K Period Media
- Mark Sableman, Thompson Coburn, LLP
- Melinda Love, M Consulting Group
- Paul T. Murphy, Canon Solutions America
- Tina Pamintuan, St. Louis Public Radio
- School of Communications faculty and students, 黑料网
The Student Showcase features nominated students from all majors in the School of Communications displaying their most accomplished portfolios and projects including video games, photos, films, recordings and more. Communications professionals, alumni, staff and faculty are invited to attend for the opportunity to network and offer career-related feedback for students.
The 2024 Student Showcase was held from 1-3 p.m., Wednesday, March 6, in the Boylan West Atrium in the Sverdrup Building
Jamie Hurcomb
Unreal Engine Academic Advisor at Epic Games
UEFN, the Unreal Editor for Fortnite, and Transmedia Storytelling
The recently released Unreal Editor Fortnite (UEFN) not only enables game developers to create and publish their own Fortnite Islands, it also opens up a world of opportunity for cross-platform narrative storytelling. In this session, we will explore how UEFN is being used in industry to craft vibrant, immersive narratives across the media and entertainment landscape, and discover how you can begin learning UEFN today.
Presenter Bio: Jamie Hurcomb is an academic advisor on the Unreal Engine Education Team for Epic Games, working with media and entertainment programs across North America. She is passionate about helping students, faculty and practitioners realize their creative potential using real-time workflows. Hurcomb is also an instructor in the RTA School of Media at Toronto Metropolitan University and an experienced documentary filmmaker, producer and film editor.
Melinda Love
Consultant at M Consulting Group
IYKYK: Landing Your First Job in Marketing, Advertising, Digital, Creative or Public Relations
Landing an entry-level position can be trickier than it used to be 鈥 especially with the advent of AI. Agency Matchmaker and Talent Scout Melinda Love will share the three most important things to finding that first stepping stone into the market. This is not your basic workshop on resume writing, portfolios or LinkedIn. She鈥檒l share three stories on how entry-level talent have found positions in St. Louis 鈥 and how what they learned can benefit you. Attendees will receive a promo code to download an e-book (for free) and learn of a few important events to attend this Spring. This not-to-miss workshop is relevant for anyone looking to get into a marketing, advertising, digital, creative or PR agency.
Presenter Bio: With a background in visual communications, Melinda Love has spent her career on the agency side of the business. She has played key roles with creative, account and operations in three types of agencies: a start-up in DC, a large, global agency, and a highly specialized boutique. Love is now running her own consulting business, M Consulting Group, where she is known for connecting people, agencies and brands for assignments, full-time positions or large-scale contracts across the country.
Paul T. Murphy
Vice President, Major Accounts and Vertical Markets at Canon Solutions America, Inc.
How to be a Human-Centric Company in a Tech Explosion: Kyosei, Canon鈥檚 Corporate Philosophy and Technology
VP for Major Accounts and Vertical Markets, Paul Murphy will review how Canon鈥檚 corporate philosophy of Kyosei helps them engage communities for meaningful relationships and mutual benefit, while also a world-leading technology firm. He will review new developments in Canon technology in the areas of machine learning, language libraries and human factors, high speed processing, visual computing and imaging, facial recognition and artificial intelligence.
Presenter Bio: With 45 years of industry-related business experience, Paul T. Murphy has worked for Canon Solutions America since July 1987 and effective July 2016 is responsible for the development and growth in key markets health care, government, education, legal and Fortune 1000 corporations as vice president, major accounts and vertical markets. The position includes an intercompany discipline to strengthen the insight and knowledge amongst Canon companies, subsidiaries and divisions.
Andrew Finlayson
EVP of Digital and AI Strategies at Smith Geiger
The AI Transformation Of Storytelling
Could you soon create a feature-length movie or a video that looks just like a network news report 鈥 using generative AI? The speed of new AI technology is powering new ways to tell all types of stories that could lead to everyone being a movie maker or looking like a newscast from anywhere in the world. Never before seen entertainment or politically disruptive disinformation 鈥 soon all of it will be generated by just typing a few prompts into a keyboard. Attend this session and see what is being created today and what AI-generated video stories could soon appear on your TV, computer and mobile screens.
Justin Michael
Brand Owner and Content Creator at @TwoDapperDads
Crafting Influence: A Blueprint for Success in Today's Digital Landscape
Embark on a transformative journey into the realm of digital influence with this comprehensive workshop. Explore the dynamic world of influencers and learn essential strategies, from defining your niche and building a compelling personal brand to crafting engaging content and navigating the intricacies of monetization. Join us for invaluable insights and practical strategies that will empower you to thrive in today's competitive influencer landscape.
Presenter Bio: Meet Justin Michael, the visionary brand owner and content creator for @TwoDapperDads. With an unwavering commitment to authenticity, Justin and his husband, Chris, have catapulted their platform from a hobby into a multiple six-figure business, captivating audiences with the heartwarming narrative of two dads navigating the journey of raising three children born through IVF and surrogacy. Boasting a robust LGBTQ+ following, Two Dapper Dads is not just a brand; it's a movement that collaborates seamlessly with both local and global brands. Two Dapper Dads鈥 impact extends far and wide, having worked with industry giants like Walmart, Gerber, Kraft Heinz, Bayer and Netflix. Currently serving as the 2024 National Brand Ambassadors for Huggies and Pull-ups, Justin and Chris Michael and Two Dapper Dads continue to redefine the narrative, showcasing the power of connection, unity and shared experiences through their dynamic journey of parenthood.
School of Communications Faculty and Students
Faculty and students at 黑料网
Virtual Cinema Production: A Demonstration and Discussion
Join 黑料网 School of Communications faculty and students in a demonstration of the first virtual cinema system in the region and a discussion of how we are using the system in our curriculum and the opportunities it is opening for our students.
Carl Reed
CEO at Composition Media
Revolutionizing Animation
Join Carl Reed for a comprehensive session that examines the evolving landscape of animation, highlighting current practices and future innovations that stand to benefit creators, buyers, broadcasters and fans alike.
Presenter Bio: Reed is a writer, director and Academy Award-winning producer who has been in media creation for over 20 years, serving as a co-founder of Lion Forge Comics and Lion Forge Animation and as founder of Composition Media, where he currently serves as CEO.
Mark Sableman
Partner at Thompson Coburn, LLP
The Litigation Won鈥檛 be Artificial: Intellectual Property Risks in Use of Artificial Intelligence
Generative AI tools raise many intellectual property law concerns. Does the creation or use of AI tools infringe existing copyrights? Who owns the intellectual property rights to works that you create using AI? How should legal considerations inform your use of AI tools? And how can you protect your own creative work from improper exploitation?
Presenter Bio: Mark Sableman is a lawyer and former journalist. He is a partner at Thompson Coburn LLP in St. Louis, where his law practice focuses on intellectual property, media and information technology law. He has taught Media Law at Webster and serves on the School of Communications鈥 advisory board.
Kimberly Steward
Principal and Managing Member at K Period Media
The Art and Business of Filmmaking: An Open Q&A
An open Q&A with Academy Award-nominated producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Kimberly Steward. She will share her thoughts and answer questions from the audience on the business of film production, the producer鈥檚 role, her approach to identifying and developing stories and the intersection of entertainment and philanthropy. She will also discuss the launch of her Foundation and her work with the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the Sundance Institute, the Academy Museum and more.
Presenter Bio: Kimberly Steward is an Academy Award-nominated producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. In 2013, she formed the media company K Period Media (KPM), with the goal of producing quality content that would launch the careers of the next generation of talent on both sides of the camera. In 2016, Steward and KPM produced the critically acclaimed film, "Manchester By The Sea." The film was nominated for six Academy Awards making Steward the second Black woman, after Oprah Winfrey, to be nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. "Manchester By The Sea" went on to win Oscars for Best Original Screenplay (Kenneth Lonergan) and Best Actor (Casey Affleck).
Tour the School of Communications
The School of Communications loves showing off the Sverdrup Building! Contact socsuccess@webster.edu to inquire about a tour. Note: Prospective students interested in attending 黑料网 should schedule a full campus tour through the Admissions department.