Two members of the Eastern Kentucky University Department of Communication faculty were recognized with awards at the 88th annual meeting of the Kentucky Communication Association at Lake Barkley State Park Sept. 19-21.
Dr. Amy Thieme, associate professor of Communication Studies, was presented the Excellence in the Art of Teaching Award and Dr. John Fitch III, professor of Broadcasting and Electronic Media/Film Techniques and Technology, was recognized with the Excellence in the Practice of the Communication Arts Award.
Colleagues described Thieme as “a dynamic instructor who employs modern curricula with pop culture examples to relate to students.” Student praise in the nomination statement included, “Dr. Thieme is not only an amazing educator, but she also goes beyond to be a great mentor and friend.”
Thieme joined the EKU faculty in 1995 and teaches courses in Conflict Management, Mediation, Persuasion, and Advocacy and Opposition. She has an associate’s degree in business administration, a bachelor’s degree in communication studies, and a master’s and doctoral degree from Ohio University in human communication studies with an emphasis in alternative dispute resolution.
In April 2013, Thieme was elected by the faculty to serve a three-year term as a member of the Board of Regents for Eastern Kentucky. She currently in the coordinator for the Communication Studies eCampus online program and coordinator for the General Studies program.
The nomination statement for Fitch said that colleagues nominated him for the “breadth of his body of work, which includes numerous documentary films.” Mostly recently, he completed a documentary, entitled “Painted in Stone: The Kentucky Mural,” about a 1930s Work Progress Administration commissioned artwork on the walls of Memorial Hall at the University of Kentucky.
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Fitch has worked in the communication field as a scholar and a professional since 1990, specializing in film and video production, television, sound design, screenwriting, and film history. He received a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies in Higher Education from the University of Kentucky and an MFA in Film from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He’s written, directed, and produced independent films that have screened in film festivals and on television in the U.S. and Canada. Before coming to EKU, he worked in public and commercial television, and taught at Johnson C. Smith University, the Lyndon Institute and The Light Factory. His latest research is focused on depictions of college professors in American films. He has been a member of the Broadcasting and Electronic Media faculty at EKU since 2005.
The Kentucky Communication Association (KCA) was established in 1931 for the promotion of effective teaching, research, and practice in the artistic, humanistic, and scientific principles of communication. KCA is a not-for-profit organization comprised of communication faculty, students, and professionals who are committed to studying, improving, and applying the principles of communication within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. For more information see: https://www.kycommunication.com/.