Whether he’s updating his course materials to accommodate international students or developing courses in cooperation with Google, Associate Professor Jay Newell has been an integral part in Iowa State advertising students’ success since joining the Greenlee faculty in 2003.
This year, Newell’s innovations in the classroom have earned him recognition from not one, but two national organizations. At its annual conference in Minneapolis, the Association for Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication named Newell the winner of its Advertising Division’s Distinguished Teaching Award Friday. Earlier this year, he was named the 2016 Distinguished Advertising Educator by the American Advertising Federation.
“2016 has been an astonishing and humbling year, and it’s only half over,” Newell says. “The experience has been humbling as it has reminded me that there are many better teachers out there — I know, because I’ve been a student of some of them.”
Newell says that he believes his recognition is the result of his efforts to bridge the gap between legacy and digital media in the school’s advertising curriculum.
“My teaching practice is all about innovating, and that may be why the spotlight fell on my work this year.”
Director Michael Bugeja nominated Newell for the AEJMC award based on his exemplary ability to prepare students to work in the advertising industry.
“Jay Newell continues to win teaching awards because he truly loves education and instilling and students the desire to pursue education,” says Bugeja. “He combines this desire with practical instruction that helps students attain career goals and later positions in media. We are all so proud to be his colleague.”
Though he’s already claimed two national teaching awards this year, Newell plans to continue to bring the industry’s leading practices into his courses.
“My goal this year is to come up to speed on what agencies and media firms are doing on the frontiers of digital advertising,” Newell says. “I want to spend more time at regional and national firms so we can be sure that our students are getting the latest in media education.”