MSU communication faculty member elected to leadership position of national education association
by Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, MS. — Melody T. Fisher, an associate professor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Communication, now leads the minorities and communication division (MACD) of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Fisher’s one-year term will include oversight of all initiatives, operations and policies for the 200+ member group.
AEJMC is a nonprofit, educational association of journalism and mass communication educators, students and media professionals whose mission is to advance education, foster scholarly research, cultivate better professional practice and promote the free flow of communication.
“I’m thrilled to continue the outstanding legacy of my predecessors’ work of promoting scholarship on the status of minorities in employment, education, and media representation,” Fisher said. “This year marks the 50th anniversary of MACD and my goal is to recruit undergraduate and graduate students in communication programs so that the continuum of our efforts will never cease.”
“Dr. Fisher’s leadership is evident within the department, as coordinator of the public relations concentration, and is now visible on the national level with AEJMC,” said Terry Likes, professor and head of the communication department. “She is uniquely qualified to advance the minorities and communication division.”
“We are proud to have Dr. Fisher represent the department and MSU in such a vital and important role,” said Likes.
Fisher has been a faculty member at MSU since 2014 and teaches public relations courses. Her research interests include image repair, diversity-related crises and minority portrayals in media. Fisher earned her Ph.D. in communication from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2012, her master’s degree in public relations in 2003, also from USM, and her bachelor’s degree in English from Tougaloo College in 2000.
Before joining MSU, Dr. Fisher was an assistant professor and chair of mass communication at Tougaloo College. She has presented and published research about public relations in religious communities, crisis management and the portrayals of minority groups.
MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,200 students, 325 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs, 14 master’s programs, and 27 undergraduate academic majors offered in 14 departments. It also is home to the most diverse units for research and scholarly activities, including natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and the humanities. Complete details about the College of Arts and Sciences may be found at www.cas.msstate.edu. MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.