40 in Birmingham. She hopes to finish up her doctoral degree by next summer, although she realizes that one more year of student football tickets might make it worth hanging around for another semester. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with her husband, Barry, and running with her two dogs, Alex and Munchkin. Her email address is melissasmith1@mac.com.

Tracy Lauder is a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama. After working for a decade in the magazine industry, both at Southern Progress Corporation in Birmingham and as a freelance writer and consultant, she found a love of teaching through her experience as a part-time instructor of journalism at Samford University and went on to pursue her doctorate and a full-time academic career in 1997. Her teaching and research focus on print journalism, primarily magazines, although she also has experience in public relations. Tracy holds a B.A. in English from the University of West Alabama (1986) and an M.J. from Louisiana State University (1990). Although south Alabama is home, Tracy has lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Monterey, California; and Seattle. She enjoys traveling all over the country to maintain longtime friendships as well as spending time with her family, namely her husband, Tim Jackson, who is also a magazine journalist, and her wise and witty three-year-old, Anna. Her email address is laude003@bama.ua.edu.

Amelia Parker, a native of Fort Payne, Ala., is a first year masters student in the journalism department. She graduated from the University of Alabama in May 2002 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. As an undergraduate at UA, Amelia helped found Dateline Alabama, the College of Communication and Information Sciences' news website. She served as editor of the site during fall 2001. Amelia was also a member of the Computer-Based Honors Program, Kappa Tau Alpha communication honor society and the University Honors Program. She hopes to finish her master's degree by the end of next summer and to start law school next fall. Her email address is parke015@bama.ua.edu.

Rondee Gaines is a native of Flint, MI. She is currently working on her master’s in telecommunication and film. She received her bachelor’s from the University of Michigan-Flint in Communication and African-American Studies. She enjoys reading, writing, running, working out, and tutoring in her spare time. Her email address is Rondeeg21@aol.com.

Benita D. Newton graduated magna cum laude from UA with a journalism major and a communication studies minor in May 2001 and is excited to be teaching in her alma mater. She is a second year Master of Business Administration student, and she spent summer 2002 interning for Newsweek magazine in New
York. Benita has interned at the Birmingham News and served as the business writer at the Tuscaloosa News during her senior year in college. In her spare time, she does HIV prevention presentations for the West Alabama AIDS Outreach at local schools and organizations. Although she is an army brat who was often shipped around with the furniture, Benita calls SlapOut, Ala.--that beautiful metropolis--home. She enjoys most genres of music, and you'll rarely spot her on campus without her earphones. Her email address is bnewton1@bcc.cba.ua.edu.

Barry Smith has been at the University of Alabama for quite a number of years. He earned his B.A. (magna cum laude) in Telecommunication and Film, specializing in Television Broadcast Production and minoring in Marketing and History. He stayed on for an M.A. in Telecommunication and Film, concentrating on theory and effects of communication. Being a glutton for punishment, Barry is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Mass Communication and taking more Statistics classes than any one person should be allowed. His wife, Melissa, loves him anyway. Barry's email address is smith084@bama.ua.edu

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Copyright © 2002 Jim Stovall



			Graduate teaching assistants assigned to MC102 are carefully selected on the basis of their background (some academic or professional experience in the mass media -- preferably both) and their eagerness to teach. Despite the heavy workload of the MC102 assistant, many students request this assignment because of the teaching experience they gain from it. All lab assistants attend the University's training session for graduate teaching assistants. They are also trained specifically for MC102, receiving instruction in classroom demeanor, grading and other aspects of the course. While lab instructors have some leeway in the assignments they give to their students, they all follow a detailed outline of what should be covered in their lab sessions. Lab instructors meet at least once a week as a group to discuss the progress of the course. They also meet on an individual basis with the professor many times during the semester. The professor visits the lab sections on a regular basis. The lab assistants for Fall 2002 are
	Lab instructors
			Beth Bradford. Beth Bradford earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Mass Communication from James Madison University and a master’s degree in TCF from the University of Alabama. She worked almost nine years in the news business as a television photojournalist in the Baltimore/Washington market. She has covered national elections, visits from the Pope and Cal Ripken’s 2131 game. Her decision to "retire" from the TV news grind was motivated when someone shot (only BBs!) at her while driving a news van. She is a fearless skier, avid sailor and marathon runner (what is she doing in Alabama?). She plans to run her fourth marathon in October. Before she finishes her Ph.D., she is determined to convince Southerners that Yankees aren’t such a bad breed (they just do things much faster). Her e-mail address is mary.bradford@ua.edu.
		Claire Johnston is a first year masters student in the College of Communication and Information Sciences. She graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama with a degree in Public Relations in May 2001. While an undergraduate in C&IS, she served as an ASSCA ambassador, Chief Justice of the Academic Honor Council, and as a member of the Student Executive Council. Claire was employed with the Office of Orientation and Special Events for a year and a half where she assisted in coordinating summer orientation for new students and special events for prospective students. When she finishes her masters degree she plans to pursue a career in corporate PR and hopes to one day obtain her doctoral degree. Her email address is Claire219@aol.com.
		Melissa Smith earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from that vile institution known as Auburn University. Because of that, she has been forced to work hard to redeem herself in the eyes of her professors and students since coming to Alabama for her graduate studies. (She threw away all of her Auburn T-shirts, hats and other propaganda, and always cheers for 'Bama during the Iron Bowl.) She received a master's degree in Telecommunication and Film from Alabama, and is in the third year of her doctoral studies at the university. She worked in the media for several years, both as a newspaper reporter and editor, and as a news producer at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham. She hopes to finish up her doctoral degree by next summer, although she realizes that one more year of student football tickets might make it worth hanging around for another semester. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with her husband, Barry, and running with her two dogs, Alex and Munchkin. Her email address is melissasmith1@mac.com.
		Tracy Lauder is a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama. After working for a decade in the magazine industry, both at Southern Progress Corporation in Birmingham and as a freelance writer and consultant, she found a love of teaching through her experience as a part-time instructor of journalism at Samford University and went on to pursue her doctorate and a full-time academic career in 1997. Her teaching and research focus on print journalism, primarily magazines, although she also has experience in public relations. Tracy holds a B.A. in English from the University of West Alabama (1986) and an M.J. from Louisiana State University (1990). Although south Alabama is home, Tracy has lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Monterey, California; and Seattle. She enjoys traveling all over the country to maintain longtime friendships as well as spending time with her family, namely her husband, Tim Jackson, who is also a magazine journalist, and her wise and witty three-year-old, Anna. Her email address is laude003@bama.ua.edu.
		Amelia Parker, a native of Fort Payne, Ala., is a first year masters student in the journalism department. She graduated from the University of Alabama in May 2002 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. As an undergraduate at UA, Amelia helped found Dateline Alabama, the College of Communication and Information Sciences' news website. She served as editor of the site during fall 2001. Amelia was also a member of the Computer-Based Honors Program, Kappa Tau Alpha communication honor society and the University Honors Program. She hopes to finish her master's degree by the end of next summer and to start law school next fall. Her email address is parke015@bama.ua.edu.
		Rondee Gaines is a native of Flint, MI. She is currently working on her master’s in telecommunication and film. She received her bachelor’s from the University of Michigan-Flint in Communication and African-American Studies. She enjoys reading, writing, running, working out, and tutoring in her spare time. Her email address is Rondeeg21@aol.com.
			Benita D. Newton graduated magna cum laude from UA with a journalism major and a communication studies minor in May 2001 and is excited to be teaching in her alma mater. She is a second year Master of Business Administration student, and she spent summer 2002 interning for Newsweek magazine in New York. Benita has interned at the Birmingham News and served as the business writer at the Tuscaloosa News during her senior year in college. In her spare time, she does HIV prevention presentations for the West Alabama AIDS Outreach at local schools and organizations. Although she is an army brat who was often shipped around with the furniture, Benita calls SlapOut, Ala.--that beautiful metropolis--home. She enjoys most genres of music, and you'll rarely spot her on campus without her earphones. Her email address is bnewton1@bcc.cba.ua.edu.
		Barry Smith has been at the University of Alabama for quite a number of years. He earned his B.A. (magna cum laude) in Telecommunication and Film, specializing in Television Broadcast Production and minoring in Marketing and History. He stayed on for an M.A. in Telecommunication and Film, concentrating on theory and effects of communication. Being a glutton for punishment, Barry is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Mass Communication and taking more Statistics classes than any one person should be allowed. His wife, Melissa, loves him anyway. Barry's email address is smith084@bama.ua.edu
Home \|Basic course information \| Weekly lecture material All material on this web site is copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Copyright © 2002 Jim Stovall