The Southwest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication (SWECJMC) is pleased to announce the 2023 Pioneer Award Winner, Dr. Jacqueline Lambiase, professor (retired)of strategic communication and director of the Certified Public Communicator Program at Texas Christian University (TCU), and the 2023 Educator Award Winner, Dr. Tracy Everbach, professor of journalism at the University of North Texas (UNT).
The Pioneer Award
Dr. Lambiase is the recipient of the Pioneer Award for her significant contribution to journalism and mass communication teaching, research, and service as well as her exemplary role in promoting the recognition, welfare and progress of journalism and mass communication education in the Southwest.
Before joining academia, Dr. Lambiase served as a spokeswoman for Potomac Edison and worked as a wire editor, business reporter and news editor at suburban newspapers in Texas. As an associate professor at UNT (1996-2009) and professor at TCU (2009-2023), she consulted with or spoken to diverse groups about earning their share of discussion in social media and public relations opportunities.
At TCU, Dr. Lambiase taught campaigns, diversity, writing, research, ethics, case studies, and advocacy. She also co-authored and co-edited two scholarly books, as well as published or presented more than 70 refereed journal articles, refereed presentations, book chapters, and other scholarly work that focuses on public-sector communication, public relations ethics, and representations of gender and sexuality in media and advertising.
Over the course of Dr. Lambiase’s career, she received the 2023 Dean’s Award for Teaching at TCU, and in 2020, she received the UNT Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism Distinguished Professional Achievement Award. In 2017, she was named the Bob Schieffer College of Communication Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Teacher-Scholar. Other awards include the Jean Giles-Sims Wise Woman Award from TCU Women and Gender Studies, Schieffer College of Communication Faculty Member of the Year from TCU Student Government Association, and Cheryl A. Soward Communicator of Distinction Award from the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers. She also served as a treasurer and board member for SWECJMC from 2000 to 2003.
The Educator Award
Dr. Everbach has been selected for the Educator Award for her exceptional commitment to undergraduate and graduate education in journalism and mass communication through innovative teaching practices, excellent student outcomes, and classroom-focused research.
Prior to academia, Dr. Everbach worked for 14 years as a newspaper reporter for the Dallas Morning News and Boston Herald. During her career in journalism, she covered several important news events, including the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the 1993 federal raid on the Branch Davidian complex in Waco, and won many professional journalism awards, including the Carole Kneeland Award from the Texas Governor’s Commission on Women, and the PASS Award from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
At UNT, Dr. Everbach teaches hands-on classes in writing and reporting as well as gender and race in the media, and graduate classes in media studies and qualitative research. Her research mainly focuses on gender and race in media, newsroom management and sports coverage. She has published her research in top-tier journals in the field and coauthored three books: Mediating Misogyny: Gender, Technology & Harassment (2018), Testing Tolerance: Addressing Controversy in the Journalism and Mass Communication Classroom (2020), and Not Playing Around: Intersectional Identities, Media Representation, and the Power of Sport (2022).
Dr. Everbach is former faculty adviser to the North Texas Daily: UNT’s student newspaper. In 2019, she was the recipient of the UNT Presidents Council Service Award and Donna Allen Award for Feminist Advocacy from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).
SWECJMC is a nonprofit, official affiliate of AEJMC. Each year, the executive committee of SWECJMC intends to honor faculty members at SWECJMC member institutions who demonstrate outstanding contributions to journalism and mass communication education. This year, the committee members are privileged to recognize these two outstanding educators for their impact on students’ success and celebrate their accomplishment in journalism and mass communication education in the Southwest. Both awards will be presented at the 2023 Southwest Mass Communication Symposium held at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro on October 27-28.