MFJS Department Honors Outstanding Graduate Students
MFJS graduate students Fallyn Richmond and Brittany Porte. Courtesy photos.
Two graduating students from the University of Denver's Media, Film and Journalism Studies (MFJS) department, part of the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHSS), have been recognized by faculty with the Mendelsohn Award for their academic achievement, professional development and contributions to their respective graduate programs. The honorees reflect the department's dedication to cultivating thoughtful scholars and communicators at the graduate level.
Mendelsohn Award for Outstanding IIC Student: Brittany Porte
Brittany Porte, recipient of the Mendelsohn Award for Outstanding International and Intercultural Communication Student, said being honored by the faculty she has learned from and built relationships with over two years makes the recognition especially meaningful. The IIC program's breadth shaped her both professionally and personally, exposing her to faculty from diverse backgrounds, sharpening her research skills through a Substantial Research Paper and introducing her to podcasting through her Audio Documentaries course. Porte also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant and participant in an international exchange leadership program during her time at DU. She credits the program's flexibility for allowing her to tailor her coursework toward her goal of working in study abroad and international education.
"A degree in International and Intercultural Communication can take you in lots of different directions," Porte said.
Mendelsohn Award for Outstanding MEPC Student: Fallyn Richmond
Fallyn Richmond said she is humbled to receive the Mendelsohn Award for Outstanding Media, Ethics and Public Communication Student, an honor made more significant by her deep respect for the faculty bestowing it. The MFJS department, she said, challenged her to think with nuance, sit with complexity and understand learning as a vulnerable and compassionate endeavor. A highlight of her graduate experience was working alongside her capstone mentor, Dr. Rachael Liberman, whose support and belief in her work encouraged her to approach research with creativity and intellectual courage. Richmond will take those lessons with her as she heads to Chicago to begin a doctoral program at the University of Illinois Chicago.
"The faculty and my brilliant classmates continuously encouraged me to think with nuance and sit with complexity," Richmond said.
