2026 BEA OL: Full Schedule

2:00pm CDT

Registration and Refreshments

Thursday October 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT

Stevenson 401 Suite

Thursday October 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Stevenson 401 Suite

Special Event All Sessions

3:00pm CDT

Catching the Buzz: The Use of Social Media in Brewery Start-Up and Growth

Thursday October 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

Stevenson 401

The session will explore how breweries use social media to build their brands, connect with customers and grow their businesses.Conference attendees may choose to sample local beers at our reception at Medici immediately following the panel.Moderator: Rebecca Hayes, Illinois State UniversityPanelists:Jeremy Christy, Design & Media Manager, Destihl Beer Hall + Barrel RoomJeffrey Mroz, Keg Grove...
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Thursday October 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Stevenson 401

Special Event All Sessions

4:30pm CDT

Welcome Reception @ Medici

Thursday October 8, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm CDT

Medici (upstairs atrium)

Join us as we kick-off the 2026 On-Location Conference!

Special thanks to this year's host, Illionois State University, and to our sponsor, Ross Video.

Speakers

Joe Blaney

Professor, Illinois State University

Radio/Audio Media

Sports Communication

Image Restoration

Thom Baggerman

Professor, Point Park University

I've been involved with BEA for almost twenty years.
I'm a Professor in the Point Park University School of Communication, and currently serve as School Chair.
I teach Video Production, Media & Society, Media Literacy, Multimedia, and other random things.
My professional experienc... Read More →

Matt Peschau

Business Development Manager, Education, Ross

Thursday October 8, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm CDT
Medici (upstairs atrium)

Special Event All Sessions

9:00am CDT

Ross Video Presents...Graphics Tell the Story

Friday October 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT

Stevenson 401a

Today’s leading educators are empowering the next generation of storytellers to create engaging news, sports, entertainment, & virtual content with powerful live motion graphics solutions. Widely adopted production applications and successful instructional models adopting best practices will be reviewed.

Moderators

Matt Peschau

Business Development Manager, Education, Ross

Friday October 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Stevenson 401a

9:00am CDT

Sports Success: Best Practices in Sports Media Classes and Coverage

Friday October 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT

Stevenson 401

This session will cover best practices for students in producing sports media coverage such as play-by-play and live game broadcasts, sports storytelling, and the use of social media in sports coverage. This session will also include best practices in designing any sports media classes on those concepts for academic curriculum.

Moderators

Kyle Miller

Associate Professor, Northwest Missouri State University

I'm an associate professor at the Northwest Missouri State University School of Communication and Mass Media. I teach media writing, broadcasting/digital, sports media and media literacy courses. I also oversee our Mass Media program's Senior Seminar course and Professional Advisory... Read More →

Speakers

Joe Blaney

Professor, Illinois State University

Radio/Audio Media

Sports Communication

Image Restoration

Friday October 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Stevenson 401

Journalism & Media, Sports | All Sessions, Sports

10:15am CDT

Exploring Local Market TV and Audience Engagement Through Hyperlocal News

Friday October 9, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT

Stevenson 401

This panel explores strategies, tools, and newsroom practices that enable local television stations to deliver effective hyperlocal news coverage. It is connected to the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont, that promotes and supports campus media as a means of serving underserved audiences, but also recognizes challenges for local market commercial TV stations in maintaining...
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Moderators

Tony DeMars

Texas Wesleyan University

Speakers

Clejetter Cousins

University of North Carolina @ Pembroke

Kevin Swift

UNC-Pembroke

Friday October 9, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Stevenson 401

Journalism & Media, News | All Sessions, News

10:15am CDT

Research Session: Audio Media, Music and Performance

Friday October 9, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT

Stevenson 401a

Creating Radio’s “Farm System”: The Case for Shifting College Radio from “Student-Run” to “Student-Operated” in Instructional Settings; Len O’Kelly, Grand Valley State UniversityMe or Thee? An Examination of Lyrical Focus of 2025 CCM Songs; Casey Hart; Stephen F. Austin State UniversityEars Across America: Establishing a National Ad Hoc Audio Drama Exhibition Network;...
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Speakers

Len O'Kelly

Associate Director, School of Communications, Grand Valley State University

Dr. Len O'Kelly is in his second career.

His first one spanned 25 years in commercial radio, with all manner of on-air and programming positions in markets ranging from Chicago, Illinois to Gisborne, New Zealand. His last stop on the air was creating "Real Oldies 1480/850," believed to be the nation's first NPR affiliate... Read More →

Casey Hart

Associate Professor/Faculty Advisor SFA-TV2, Stephen F. Austin State University

William W. Anderson

Central Michigan University

Friday October 9, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Stevenson 401a

Research, Radio & Audio Media | All Sessions, Radio & Audio Media

11:30am CDT

Media Educators & State Broadcast Associations: Partnering for Student Success

Friday October 9, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT

Stevenson 401

From Sponsoring "BEA Days" to offering scholarships and internship opportunities, state broadcaster associations are invaluable partners in our work as media educators. This panel showcases best practices based on the experiences of panelists from five states. Some faculty have worked closely with local media in their markets while others have connected with other faculty state broadcast...
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Moderators

Thom Baggerman

Professor, Point Park University

Speakers

Joe Astrouski

Eastern Illinois University

George L. Daniels

Associate Professor, University of Alabama

From 2020-2023, I served as the Broadcast Education Association's Faculty Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion. I teach graduate and undergraduate students in electronic news reporting, mass media diversity and community-engaged learning courses. I worked in local television news for... Read More →

Kyle Miller

Associate Professor, Northwest Missouri State University

Frank Whittaker

Illinois Broadcasters Association

Jeff Sutker

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Friday October 9, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Stevenson 401

Professional Development, General Session | All Sessions, General Session

12:45pm CDT

Lunch Break

Friday October 9, 2026 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT

Stevenson 140

Grab a lunch and head back to the lunchtime session or sit and talk to colleagues.t

Friday October 9, 2026 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT
Stevenson 140

12:45pm CDT

Teaching TV History for Tumultuous Times

Friday October 9, 2026 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT

Stevenson 401

Join us for this lunchtime session!This panel is designed for instructors teaching broadcast history courses with a specific focus on why history is relevant and necessary to understanding current seismic shifts in the business of making, distributing and regulating broadcasting. Panelists will discuss strategies and best practices for engaging students and helping them understand the through line...
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Moderators

Eleanor Patterson

Auburn University

Speakers

Molly A. Schneider

Associate Professor, Columbia College Chicago

Lauren Bratslavsky

Illinois State University

Christine Becker

University of Notre Dame

Friday October 9, 2026 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT
Stevenson 401

Teaching & Curriculum, History | All Sessions, History

1:15pm CDT

Student Showcase Snapshot Session

Friday October 9, 2026 1:15pm - 1:45pm CDT

Stevenson 401a

Friday October 9, 2026 1:15pm - 1:45pm CDT
Stevenson 401a

Journalism & Media, News

2:00pm CDT

Blending Filmmaking and Academic Work

Friday October 9, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT

Stevenson 401a

Panelists will discuss the dual role of creating creative content while working in academic roles.

Moderators

Michael Bruce

Associate Professor & Director of Digital Media Center, University of Alabama

Speakers

Marty Lang

Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University

Marty Lang is an Assistant Professor of Communication, Media & Theatre at Mississippi State University. He attended the University of Connecticut, graduating with a B.A. in Journalism and covering entertainment for the New York Times. He holds M.F.A. degrees in Film Production from... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Stevenson 401a

Creative & Production, Documentary | All Sessions, Documentary

2:00pm CDT

Journalist's Experiences with Confrontational Sources

Friday October 9, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT

Stevenson 401

In a time when journalists are under greater scrutiny from the general public as well as those holding political power, the requirements of a journalist’s job continue to need reassessment. Several instances on the national level involving confrontational exchanges between President Donald Trump and mainstream media journalists have garnered national attention and sparked conversation regarding...
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Moderators

K. Megan Hopper

Illinois State University

Speakers

Steve Suess

Director of Radio/WZND Faculty Advisor, Illinois State University

I am the Faculty Advisor of four-time BEA Signature Station winner WZND Radio at Illinois State University. I have been in this role for eight years and am also an alumnus of the program. My professional experience in broadcasting is primarily in live sports, news/talk, public affairs... Read More →

Bob Carroll

Illinois State University

Colleen Holden

Illinois State University

Friday October 9, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Stevenson 401

Journalism & Media, News | All Sessions, News

3:15pm CDT

Research Session: Media Influence and Public Discourse

Friday October 9, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm CDT

Stevenson 401

Gate-surfing: A new gatekeeping model to observe how local newsrooms are selecting stories and navigating the tsunami of mis-and disinformation in the age of AI; Grace Provenzano; Des Moines Area Community CollegePersuasive Attack and Defense of the “Indiana Bears”: Subverting the Rustbelt from Just Across the Street; Joseph Blaney, Illinois State UniversityWhy Do Youth Listen...
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Speakers

Grace Marie Provenzano

Ph.D., Des Moines Area Community College

Joe Blaney

Professor, Illinois State University

Radio/Audio Media

Sports Communication

Image Restoration

Kuburat Ayinde

illinois State University

Friday October 9, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm CDT
Stevenson 401

Research, Journalism & Media | All Sessions, Journalism & Media

3:15pm CDT

The Film Festival as a University Course

Friday October 9, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm CDT

Normal Theater

The film festival as a course presents a unique opportunity for students to enrich their media education by helping plan and stage a centrally important media industry event while also developing transferable project-based skills. For emerging filmmakers, festivals provide valuable opportunities to engage audiences for their work while also offering professional development and networking...
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Moderators

Lauren Bratslavsky

Illinois State University

Speakers

Brendan Kredell

Associate Professor, Oakland University

I'm a film professor at Oakland University whose research focuses on media and cities.

Michelle Yates

Columbia College Chicago

Andrew Ventimiglia

Illinois State University

Friday October 9, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm CDT
Normal Theater

Teaching & Curriculum, History | All Sessions, History

4:30pm CDT

Reception

Friday October 9, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm CDT

Pub II (back patio)

Friday October 9, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm CDT
Pub II (back patio)

Special Event All Sessions

9:00am CDT

Optional Tours of ISU’s WZND and TV10

Saturday October 10, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT

Fell Hall (TV10 and WZND)

Saturday October 10, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
Fell Hall (TV10 and WZND)

Journalism & Media, Student Media Advisors | All Sessions, Student Media Advisors

10:15am CDT

Drones, Podcasts and Prison Education: The Evolution of The Nation's First HBCU J-School

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT

Stevenson 401a

When it launched in 1942 as the first journalism program at an Historically Black College, Lincoln University's School of Journalism in Jefferson City not only engaged students working at The Clarion, the student newspaper started in the 1930s, but also hosted high school journalism conferences and a national awards program. With fewer than 30 students, the school was established in the era of...
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Moderators

Kyle Miller

Associate Professor, Northwest Missouri State University

Speakers

George L. Daniels

Associate Professor, University of Alabama

Will Sites

Lincoln University of Missouri

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Stevenson 401a

Community & Emerging Issues, Multicultural Studies | All Sessions, Multicultural Studies

10:15am CDT

Beyond Campus: Working with the Off-Campus Community as Student Media

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT

Stevenson 401

While most student radio and television stations work closely with campus partners, it can be difficult to build relationships with the broader community as a student media outlet. On many campuses, students are unfamiliar with the broader community since they are far from home and their on-campus living situation in a college town is temporary. From an advisor perspective, working with community...
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Moderators

Steve Suess

Director of Radio/WZND Faculty Advisor, Illinois State University

Speakers

Collette Schnoor

Illinois State University, WZND Radio

Kavi Richmond

Elizabeth Zoerner

Illinois State University, WZND Radio

Saturday October 10, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Stevenson 401

Journalism & Media, Student Media Advisors | All Sessions, Student Media Advisors

11:30am CDT

Faculty Best of Show Creative Showcase

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT

Stevenson 401

Join our 2026 Faculty Creative Competition Best of Show winners as they showcase their work and talk about their creative processes.Audio Competition: Dyslexia Stories Podcast episode 1, Stacey Irwin – Millersville UniversityDocumentary Competition: One Day in November, Brian Plow – Ohio UniversityFilm & Video Competition: Red Rice, Wenhwa Tsao – Columbia College...
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Moderators

Michael Bruce

Associate Professor & Director of Digital Media Center, University of Alabama

Speakers

Stacey Irwin

Professor, Millersville University

Michael Lee

Ball State University

Brian Plow

Associate Professor, Ohio University

Brian Plow is on the faculty at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University, teaching documentary and narrative filmmaking, with strong emphases on storytelling, technology and community engagement. In 2020, Brian co-founded the Digital Cinema Initiative. Through the... Read More →

Wenhwa Tsao

Columbia College Chicago

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Stevenson 401

Creative & Production, Documentary | All Sessions, Documentary

11:30am CDT

Research Session: Media Education and the Academic Workplace

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT

Stevenson 401a

Assessing “Advancing a Culturally Proficient Workforce”: A First-Year Review; George Daniels, University of AlabamaThe Tipping Point: Time Allocation, “Hidden” Service and Work-Life Balance in Media-Centric Departments; Sara Magee, Loyola University Maryland and Adam Kuban, Ball State UniversityHistorical Broadcast Journalism Program as a Media Law Pedagogical Resource: A...
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Speakers

Sara Magee

Associate Professor, Loyola University Maryland

Associate Professor of Communication at Loyola University Maryland (and former Communication Department Chair) who teaches graduate and undergraduate classes and conducts research in broadcast and multimedia creation and production, media ethics, global journalism and journalism education... Read More →

George L. Daniels

Associate Professor, University of Alabama

Adam Kuban

Professor, Ball State University

Professor — reporting & writing, documentary storytelling, sports, science/sustainability, community engagement, (critical) service learning, project-based curriculum

Raja Das

Ohio University, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism

Saturday October 10, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Stevenson 401a

Research, Journalism & Media | All Sessions, Journalism & Media

12:45pm CDT

Awards Lunch and Closing Plenary: "Stop meeting students where they are": Reclaiming academic rigor in the AI & digital era

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:45pm - 2:00pm CDT

Hancock Stadium

This panel addresses a burgeoning tension in higher education: the conflict between maintaining traditional academic rigor and feeling the pressure to "meet students where they are." Inspired by Walt Hunter’s February 2026 article in The Atlantic, "Stop Meeting Students Where They Are," executive board members Thom Baggerman (Point Park University), Sara Magee (Loyola University-Maryland), Adam...
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Speakers

Sara Magee

Associate Professor, Loyola University Maryland

Thom Baggerman

Professor, Point Park University

Adam Kuban

Professor, Ball State University

Professor — reporting & writing, documentary storytelling, sports, science/sustainability, community engagement, (critical) service learning, project-based curriculum

Jennifer Meadows

Professor, Chico State University

Jennifer Meadows is a Professor of Media Arts in the Media Arts, Design, and Technology Department at California State University, Chico. She is the 2025-2026 BEA President. Her research and teaching focuses on communication technology, emerging technologies, diversity and inclusion... Read More →

Saturday October 10, 2026 12:45pm - 2:00pm CDT
Hancock Stadium 211 N Main St, Normal, IL 61761, USA

Teaching & Curriculum, Curriculum Assessment & Administration | All Sessions, Curriculum Assessment & Administration | Special Event, Curriculum Assessment & Administration

2:00pm CDT

Brewery Crawl

Saturday October 10, 2026 2:00pm - 6:00pm CDT

Join us for a casual brewery crawl at Destihl, Keg Grove and Fiala Brothers.

A bus will pick up the group outside of Hancock to start the crawl, and we'll conclude at Fiala Brothers, a short walk from the Hyatt.

Saturday October 10, 2026 2:00pm - 6:00pm CDT

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