Development officer, administrative
assistant join J-School team

The UM Foundation has appointed a new development officer for the J-School who will coordinate funding for the School’s new building project. Last November, Curtis Cox came to Missoula from Richmond, Va., to help find the $12 million needed.

With a background in the comparatively secretive realm of banking and finance, Cox said it is "refreshing" to be in the First Amendment world of journalism, and has turned into a self-labeled news junkie to better acquaint himself with his new fundraising field.

Curtis Cox

Cox earned his B.S. in finance from Virginia Tech in 1984 and his M.B.A. from Averette College in 1996. He has worked as a development officer for Virginia Baptist Homes and as a planned giving director for the Salvation Army.

Cox hopes to have all of the money for the journalism building in time to break ground next to Jeannette Rankin Hall in 2004. Once the building is funded he will turn his attention to scholarships and other funding issues for the school. He is also working for the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, fundraising and soliciting special collections for the library.

Moving to Montana fulfills a 20-year-old dream for Cox, a hunter and fisherman. His wife Lisa and two sons, ages 7 and 4, are happy to be here, and he says they plan to stay forever.

Photo by Lisa Hornstein

Kathleen Whetzel

Another newcomer on the J-School team is Kathleen Whetzel, who started as the administrative assistant to Journalism Dean Jerry Brown on Jan. 2.

Whetzel commutes from Arlee, where she has lived for the past 20 years, to work on the J-School’s budget and other administrative tasks.

She said she is getting used to her new job and is now doing her best to learn UM policies and procedures. It’s the usual transition phase for a new job, she said.

Whetzel worked for 13 years as a legal assistant and received a degree in business administration from UM in 1998. She worked for more than two years as assistant clerk for Arlee schools.

Hearst Awards keep coming

Four UM students reached the finals in the most recent rounds of the Hearst Journalism Awards. In November, Amber D'Hooge placed 13th in photo. In December, Kaimin editor Jessie Childress placed 15th out of 100 in the editorial/opinion category with a piece on UM’s new contract with Coca-Cola.

Also in December, Keagan Harsha placed ninth in broadcast with a radio feature on Montanans who believe in UFOs. Crystal Ligori, also in radio, placed 13th.

The Hearst program sponsors three photo, six writing and four broadcast news contests during its yearly competition. The number of points each participating school’s students accrue by the end of each cycle determine the school’s rank. Last year, the UM J-School finished in 10th place. Students from more than 100 colleges and universities compete in the program, which gives more than $400,000 in awards, matching grants and stipends yearly.

Dean Stone speaker announced

With 56 years of experience and a list of awards reminiscent of "The12 Days of Christmas," newsman Av Westin has been chosen to be this year's Dean Stone lecturer. His topic: "Broadcast News: From Murrow to MSNBC."

Over the decades, Westin has gone from being a reporter at CBS News to senior vice president at Time Warner. He developed and produced numerous news programs, including "Inside Edition," "20/20," "World News Tonight" and "Close-Up." As a Freedom Forum Fellow, he wrote a handbook on fairness and accuracy in broadcast news. Westin currently directs National Student Television.

The annual Dean Stone Lecture and awards banquet are planned for April 3 and 4.

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