The Washington Journalism and Media Conference

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Speakers

Jennifer Keohane

Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, George Mason University

Dr. Jennifer Keohane teaches courses in rhetorical criticism, business communication, and public speaking at George Mason University. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her expertise lies in social movement rhetoric, labor organizing, and gender. Her current research explores how advocates for the labor movement use gendered narratives to organize workers. Dr. Keohane is also invested in using rhetorical research for civic engagement, and at UW-Madison, she served as the vice president of the Teaching Assistants’ Association, the labor union of graduate students on campus. In this role, she worked with university administrators to ensure compliance with campus labor regulations. She has also previously served on the Board of Directors for the Rhetoric Society of America.

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Speakers

Juliette Rouge (Shedd)

JULIETTE ROUGE

Associate Dean & Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University

Dr. Juliette Rouge (Shedd) is the Associate Dean and Associate Professor at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University. She teaches research and practice methods courses and on terrorism, peacebuilding, media and conflict, extremism, global conflicts, and ideologies. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University and a BA in Political Science and Psychology from George Washington University. Her research includes work on the relationship of media to conflict, specifically focused on media coverage of terrorism and the role of women in political violence. She is an active practitioner working internationally on peacebuilding in divided communities and developing local leadership capacity with communities in Ukraine, Serbia, Myanmar, and Central Asia. Locally, she works with communities to collaboratively address contentious local issues. These projects include media literacy and dialogue training, conflict resolution in schools, police-community engagement, and supporting community engagement processes for local government on issues like confederate legacy street names and monuments. Her projects are funded by local governments, the Virginia Department of Education, USAID, the Department of State, and nonprofit organizations. She leads the Carter Schools administrative staff, budget and administrative processes, and new program and partnership development. She has shepherded the Carter School’s efforts to respond to the Covid 19 pandemic and to build upon effective distance education offerings along with overseeing a wide range of innovations in experiential and service learning.

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Junior Faculty Advisor

Amanda Gard

Junior Faculty Advisor

Amanda Gard was a national youth correspondent of WJMC15 and is currently in her second year at the University of Florida. She studies telecommunication production with an outside concentration in sport management. She is a freelance technical director for the SEC Network where she works on the broadcasts of UF sports. Amanda is also a multimedia captain for Dance Marathon and the communication’s director for the Make-A-Wish team in Chi Omega. She is extremely excited to return for her second year as a JFA to meet the correspondents of WJMC18, and hopes they are ready for the best week of their life!

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Junior Faculty Advisor

Angelica Walker

Junior Faculty Advisor

Angelica Walker is a WJMC 2014 Alum from Lynchburg, Virginia. She is currently a Junior Communications major at George Mason University. She double minors in Sports Communications and African and African American Studies. On George Mason’s campus, Angelica is heavily involved in both the Black Student Alliance and the Mason Ambassadors. One of her favorite quotes is: “It always seems impossible until it is done.”–Nelson Mandela

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Junior Faculty Advisor

Elysse Vernon

Junior Faculty Advisor

Elysse is a junior at Florida State University studying Public Relations and Political Science. She currently serves as the Director of Communications for both the FSU National Organization for Women and the FSU College Democrats. She previously interned for the Florida Clerks of Court and freelanced for Womensenews.org. Elysse couldn’t be more excited to return to WJMC for her second year as a JFA!

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Photographer

Lexie Tubell

Junior Faculty Advisor

Lexie Tubell is a rising junior in George Mason University’s honors college with a major in Communication and a concentration in Journalism. Lexie has been very involved with film and journalism for a number of years, from starting an award-winning news program at her high school and working at her local newspaper, to having a film in a New York film festival and being named Videographer in her sorority, Chi Omega. Lexie attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference in 2015 and returned as a Speaker Intern in 2016 and a Junior Faculty Advisor in 2017. She is super excited to come back again for another year as a Junior Faculty Advisor and get to work hands on with the new correspondents and make it an amazing experience.

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Faculty Advisor

Matt Rasgorshek

MATT RASGORSHEK

Faculty Advisor

Matt Rasgorshek is the journalism advisor at Creighton Prep High School in Omaha, NE. He has advised video and online publications that have received state, regional and national recognition. Rasgorshek has been recognized as a Distinguished Broadcast Advisor of the year by the Journalism Education Association as well as as one of the country’s top journalism advisors by the Dow Jones News Fund. Prior to teaching journalism, Matt worked behind the camera as a newscast director, producer, videographer and editor in local affiliates in Omaha and Phoenix. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, running and playing golf.

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Faculty Advisor

Matt Schott

MATT SCHOTT

Faculty Advisor

Matt Schott is the publications adviser at Francis Howell Central High School in St. Charles, Mo., where he just completed his 17th year.  He advises the newspaper, yearbook, website and broadcast at FHC, where students have been the recipients of numerous local, state and national awards. He’s been honored with two teaching awards by the Dow Jones News Fund, was the 2010 Journalism Teacher of the Year in Missouri and was named one of six recipients of the Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award in 2019. Prior to teaching, Matt was a designer and editor at newspapers in Missouri, Illinois and Florida. Matt also is a freelance photographer for various clients around St. Louis in his free time and loves soccer and reading.

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Faculty Advisor

Melissa Larson

MELISSA LARSON

Faculty Advisor

Melissa Larson is excited to return to WJMC for her 10th year as a Faculty Advisor for the Pink Group.  Melissa taught technology, photography, and journalism for 14 years, before leaving the classroom to chase dreams, and is now working at Edpuzzle making educational videos. She advised yearbook and online publications which received numerous state and national awards. In 2014, she received the “Rising Star” Award from the Journalism Education Association. In 2013, she was recognized as one of nine Apple Award Finalists for Secondary Educator of the Year in the Douglas County School District. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, photography, reading, hiking, and traveling.

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Faculty Advisor

Chrissy Wiedemann

CHRISSY WIEDEMANN

Faculty Advisor

As a teacher for 18 years, Chrissy enjoys working with students in English and Journalism at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Va. Chrissy received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from George Mason University. A proud Patriot, she connected to an international community there and developed her love of writing. As part of Patriot Nation, she traveled to Indianapolis in 2006 to watch the Cinderella team head to the Final Four. (Florida continues to be her least favorite team.) No English teacher has loads of free time during the school year, but when she can, Chrissy loves to see live music in DC. Summers on the beach and traveling to other countries are also favorites of hers. Chrissy is excited to return to Mason for her third WJMC and can’t wait to meet new friends this summer!