Posted August 9, 2018
August marks one year since I joined the CIC. During that year, my team and I have done a lot to build upon what Dean Bierbauer started: We started laying the groundwork for a state-of-the-art social media command center, hosted our first diversity panel, and sent our first delegation to SXSW to learn what’s new and what’s next — just to name a few highlights.
But one of the best things we did was hit the road. As a CIC “newbie,” it was important to me that I connect with and learn from as many alumni and professional partners as possible. So, this summer, the alumni relations and development team joined me for a Meet the Dean tour.
Alumni Events
In May, we kicked things off in New York City. There, we gathered at the Mason Jar for our annual meet and greet with alumni and New York Maymester students. From there we hightailed it to Atlanta, where we again gathered with more alumni and Maymester students. Thanks to alumni Stephen M. Brown (SJMC, 1995) and Jennifer Hammond (SJMC, 1985) for serving as hosts for our Meet the Dean event at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant.
Washington, D.C., was next. Alumnus Robin Roberts (SJMC, 1976) graciously hosted us at his home. For those who don’t know Robin, he is the founder of the Washington Media Scholars Foundation, an organization that awards our students thousands of dollars in scholarships each year. He’s also a longtime supporter of the SJMC and the university, so we loved being able to catch up with him and other CIC alumni during our time there. See photos»
And, just last month, we met with alumni in Spartanburg for the Upstate leg of the trip. Thanks to hosts Todd Stephens (SLIS, 2000), Mary Bullard (SJMC, 1996) and Lee Bugay (SJMC, 2004), we had a wonderful turnout. See photos»
We’ll be back for two more Meet the Dean events: one in Charleston on September 18, and one in Charlotte (date to be determined).
Local Meetings
Locally, we’ve made an effort to get out and meet our graduates and industry partners as well. So far, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting a slew of South Carolina news media organizations, libraries, advertising/PR firms and professional association meetings.
The summer may be just about over, but the tour never really stops. If we missed you this time around, let us know. We’d love to come see you soon.
Go Gamecocks!
Tom Reichert