Awards & Honors CMT students rake in broadcasting awards, propel department to Top 10 national ranking
Two Mississippi State University students in the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre have earned national placement in the Heart Journalism Awards program, one of the most prestigious competitions in collegiate journalism. The combined placements have secured a Top 10 spot for MSU in the national broadcast competition.
Awards & Honors Communication student earns top 10 national placement in Hearst awards
A student in the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre has earned national recognition in the prestigious Hearst Journalism Awards, often described as the “NCAA tournament of college journalism,” held this past fall. Aubrey Carter, a 2025 MSU graduate and current CMT graduate student, placed ninth nationally in the Hearst TV Feature Competition, one of the program’s most competitive categories.
Spotlight Wendy Zupa
Brandon, Mississippi, native, Wendy Stowe Zupa, graduated from Mississippi State University in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and a concentration in Broadcasting. Zupa worked as a news anchor and reporter across the state of Mississippi and in Nashville until a job in another area of communication presented itself.
Awards & Honors CMT major among three MSU Rhodes Scholarship finalists
Three Mississippi State students are finalists for the prestigious international Rhodes Scholarship. The finalists are advancing to the last round of interviews Nov. 12-15 in consideration for one of the world’s highest academic honors. Tafada Wright, a senior communication major concentrating in broadcast and digital journalism from Spanish Town, Jamaica, interviews in Kingston, Jamaica.
Spotlight Karley Woods
Karley Woods, a Florence native, is a senior Communication major with a concentration in Print & Digital Journalism. Woods currently serves as an intern in the College of Arts & Sciences where she works as the social media coordinator.
Interviews & Media Coverage CO Connection: Taylor Howard
Mississippi State University Department of Communication, Media & Theatre Head, Dr. Terry Likes, interviews Taylor Howard, a senior, graduating in December with an emphasis in Broadcast & Digital Journalism. Taylor has already won more than a dozen national, regional, and state awards in categories for radio, podcast, and tv. She has completed two internships in Jackson (MS) and Tulsa (OK). Taylor discusses why she chose television news as a career option, the importance of internships and networking, building her media portfolio and her job prospects.
Spotlight Aundrea Self
Starkville native Aundrea Self has worked in broadcasting her entire career. Shortly after receiving a bachelor's degree in English and Mass Communication from Stillman College, Self began working in radio. She then moved to television, working as a producer, reporter and eventually an anchor.
Awards & Honors Storytelling Excellence: B&DJ faculty members rake in national awards
Department of Communication, Media and Theatre is making waves nationally with Assistant Professors Rex Jones and Marty Lang earning two of the four Best of Show awards in the Broadcast Education Association’s 2025 Creative Media Competition.
Spotlight Jess Terrill
For Jess Terrill, the path from Mississippi State’s Department of Communication, Media & Theatre to the courtroom wasn’t one she had planned from day one—but looking back, every step prepared her for where she is now.
Awards & Honors MSU’s Take 30 News takes top honors for journalism awards
Mississippi State University’s Department of Communication student-produced newscast, Take 30 News, earned top honors this spring at the Society of Professional Journalists Region 12 Mark of Excellence Awards, winning Best All-Around Television Newscast—one of the contest’s most prestigious categories.
