Collins receives award

Janice Collins, assistant professor of journalism, has received the Basket Mosse Award for Faculty Development from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

The Baskett Mosse Award for Faculty Development recognizes an outstanding young or midcareer faculty member in journalism or mass communication. Its recipient is awarded a stipend to be used toward work on a development or enrichment activity in any appropriate aspect of teaching, research or public service. Young or mid-career faculty members teaching in ACEJMC-accredited journalism programs are eligible to apply.

In its letter to Collins, the organization stated, “The reviewers for the proposals found your project has the potential to enrich teaching, research and creative activities, and to serve a public good.” 

The main project Collins submitted was Hearmyvoiceonline.com, a collaborative website that focuses on de-marginalizing the marginalized and their stories. In addition to the website that crosses disciplines, campuses, countries, and nations, Hear My Voice holds inclusive events for the campus and community, a podcast called The Voice, and a platform for creative expression. Hear My Voice is an Independent Study and a Registered Organization that any student can join and works to "Create Pathways and Support Voices of Diversity and Inclusion" as their Mission. 

HearMyVoiceonline.com was also awarded second place in the "Best of Digital" competition from AEJMC. Collins and her Active Centralized Empowered Content Student Managers, Christine La and Anisa McClinton, will accept their award and present their work at this year's conference in Chicago on August 10, 2017. 

Both competitions were National Competitions. 

The foundation of Hear My Voice is a praxis and theory that Collins has been developing over the past 14 years called Active Centralized Empowerment (A.C.E.). Collins says that A.C.E. is based on her research, practice and belief that "in order to reach one's optimal potential, one must understand that being marginalized is about more than just having power in the margins. It is about Actively Centralizing yourself and engaging in Movement from the margins to Empowerment." As for the awards, she says, "I am humbled and truly grateful to receive national recognition for my efforts and my vision. I am equally proud of the students, faculty, staff, professionals, administrators and community members, across this campus, national, and global community, who helped make this all happen. They all want to be a part of a positive change." She says that she decided a long time ago, "instead of complaining about the world we live in, I think it's important to be proactive and work towards creating a world in which everyone can prosper regardless of who they are, the color of their skin, their socio-economic status, their race or ethnicity, religious background, physical abilities, sexual orientation or any other construct that can be used to oppress or suppress a person's growth or happiness. For it is through inclusion, there can be education and through education, there can be transformational changes towards creating spaces of excellence and tolerance. This is how I view America. This is how I view this campus and university and this is how I view the World. We're in this together."