Tamara Zellars Buck, Southeast Missouri State University

Tamara Zellars Buck wears many hats, including multimedia journalism professor and chairperson of Southeast Missouri State University’s Department of Mass Media, and faculty adviser to the award-winning Arrow student news organization. She is also the treasurer of the National Scholastic Press/Associated Collegiate Press board of directors and second vice president of the Southeast Missouri Press Association. In 2022 was named a College Media Association Distinguished Adviser. She is a 2020-21 AEJMC Institute for Diversity in Leadership Fellow, and in 2013 she was named to the inaugural class of Kopenhaver Center Fellows.

Chuck Clark, Western Kentucky University

Chuck Clark is the director of WKU Student Publications, the media group that includes four student-run areas – the College Heights Herald newsroom, Talisman life and culture magazine, Student Publications Advertising media sales team and Cherry Creative branded content studio. Chuck leads a staff of five professionals advising students and managing business operations. WKU Student Publications is a recognized leader in student media nationwide.  Our flagships along with our business units have earned 49 national Pacemaker Awards from Associated Collegiate Press. Both the Herald and the Talisman are in the ACP Hall of Fame, and are among The Pacemaker 100, the 100 most successful student-run media outlets at the college level, with the Herald coming in at No. 6. Chuck was named a College Media Association Distinguished Adviser in 2024. Before joining WKU in 2012, he spent 29 years reporting and editing in newsrooms, including at The Birmingham News as managing editor, the Orlando Sentinel, The Indianapolis Star, The Courier-Journal, The Charlotte Observer, The Tennessean and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Chuck is a graduate of Western Kentucky University.

Paige Connor, PKCXStrategy

Paige K. Connor is a designer, strategist, and founder of pkcxstrategy, a consultancy dedicated to crafting innovative and compelling visual and customer experiences across print, digital, and product platforms. With over 20 years of expertise spanning publication design, product strategy, and organizational innovation, Paige brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for breaking down silos to create collaborative, high-performing teams. Her career includes leading design and strategy initiatives for major organizations like Politico, The Washington Post, Bloomberg LP, and Gannett, as well as universities and industry associations. Paige’s work has earned countless accolades, but her true passion lies in empowering emerging designers to think strategically and work together to create impactful stories and experiences. As a former president of the Society for News Design and its charitable foundation, Paige is a champion for students and young professionals, emphasizing inclusive design and accessible storytelling. In her workshops, she blends real-world expertise with hands-on learning, guiding participants to think beyond traditional roles, explore creative problem-solving, and elevate their design work to new heights. Paige is a graduate of Ball State University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism Graphics. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigekconnor/

Amy DeVault, Wichita State University

Amy DeVault has been faculty adviser to the Wichita State University student newspaper, The Sunflower, since 2016. She has helped the publication double its staff size and develop into a nationally recognized student media outlet. In addition to her roles as a faculty member and student media adviser, DeVault is active in local and state journalism initiatives. She helped launch the Wichita Journalism Collaborative in 2020, serving as its project manager for the first year, and she also serves on the boards of the Kansas Pro Chapter of Society of Professional Journalists and the Kansas Coalition for Open Government. She is active in serving high school journalism students and teachers through the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and serves on the board of directors for the National Scholastic Press Association/Associated Collegiate Press. DeVault has been at Wichita State University since 2007, and in a past life was a designer/copy editor at The Wichita Eagle.

Chris Evans, Rice University

Chris Evans brings over 20 years of experience in journalism education and student media advising. As director of Rice University Student Media, he oversees The Rice Thresher newspaper, ktru radio, and The Campanile yearbook. He created the Illinois Student Newsroom at the University of Illinois, which embeds teams of student reporters in the professional newsroom of the area’s NPR affiliate, Illinois Public Media.

Kevin Fullerton, Springboard Creative

Kevin Fullerton is an award-winning designer and creative director. He has helped start companies, developed new brands and designed more-than-he-can-count magazines. In 2006, he made the ultimate leap when he opened Springboard Creative, a branding and editorial design firm. Kevin has designed and helped launch magazines for national brands, universities, nonprofit organizations, local interests and more. Kevin has served in top leadership positions within the American Advertising Federation at the local, district, regional and national level. He most recently served as chairman of the Northeast Johnson County Chamber. He is also an in-demand advertising and publication judge, speaker and lecturer. In 2019, Kevin was recognized as AAF-Kansas City’s Advertising Professional of the Year. In 2011, he was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from Northwest Missouri State University.

Joe Gisondi, Eastern Illinois University

Joe Gisondi is the author of “The Field Guide To Covering Sports,” which is used in classes across the country. He worked as a sports journalist in Florida for 20 years and is currently publisher/editor for ColesCountySports.com. Gisondi has also taught sports and news journalism for more than 25 years at both Eastern Illinois University and Valencia College, advising publications that have won state and national sports awards. He’s a staunch believer in the DH, the 3-point shot, that no sport is better to watch in person than professional hockey, and that no sport is more fun to play than pickleball.

Sam Oldenburg, Western Kentucky University

Sam Oldenburg is the assistant director of student publications at Western Kentucky University where he advises the Talisman magazine and Cherry Creative branded content studio. A graduate of WKU’s photojournalism program, Sam worked in journalism and marketing before becoming an adviser in 2017. In 2021, Sam was recognized as an Honor Roll Adviser by the College Media Association in the four-year magazine adviser category. Sam also graduated with a master’s degree in student affairs in higher education from Western Kentucky University in May 2022.

Gary Metzker, Long Beach State University

Gary Metzker has been a fulltime lecturer at Long Beach State since 2008 and is design adviser for Long Beach State’s Pacemaker and Pinnacle Award-winning Long Beach Current and Dig Magazine. For almost 25 years, he worked at the Los Angeles Times in positions ranging from sports news editor, metro news editor, A1 editor and Senior Editor. During that time, Metzker was a member of four Pulitzer Prize-winning staff awards for breaking and spot news. Metzker is president of the California College Media Association and a member of the Society for News Design Foundation. In 2024, he was selected as a Distinguished Adviser by the College Media Association. In 2022, he was a part of the inaugural class to receive Associate Collegiate Press’ Pioneer Award. In 2021, Metzker was selected by the Journalism Education Association as its Friend of Scholastic Journalism award winner. In 2019, he was selected as the Champion of Journalism Education Award winner by the California Journalism and Media Affiliates. In 2013, Metzker was selected Journalism Educator of the Year by the California Journalism Education Coalition.

Linda Putney, Kansas State University

Linda Puntney, an award-winning adviser and student-media consultant, is professor emeritus at Kansas State University. She is the former director of K-State student publications and adviser to the award-winning Royal Purple yearbook. Puntney is the former executive director of the national Journalism Education Association. She is passionate about the First Amendment, yearbooks and Fritz the wonder dog.

Lisa Renze Rhodes, Free Press Indiana

Lisa Renze-Rhodes is the managing editor for partnerships and projects at Free Press Indiana, a new nonprofit news organization based in Indianapolis. She spent the bulk of her career as a journalist at The Indianapolis Star, covering educational legislative issues that impacted the state’s fastest-growing school districts. She also worked at The South Bend Tribune and other newspapers and specialty magazines throughout the Midwest.

Her work has taken her on location throughout North America, Europe and Africa, and she’s earned SPJ, APME, AP, and Hoosier State Press awards. Additionally, she received an Indiana Judges Association Merit Citation for Journalism for fair and balanced reporting. Her latest project is the Emmy-nominated, Fleeing to Flyover Country, a documentary about immigrants and refugees who make their homes in middle America.

Kathy Simon, Central Michigan University

Kathy Simon has been the Assistant Director of Central Michigan University Student Media for 25 years. Prior to college media she served in marketing and sales roles at the Grand Rapids Press, San Jose Mercury News and McClatchy.

Working with clients on effective advertising and branding strategies is her life long passion, and she enjoys working with students to ignite the same love. Kathy is the proud momma-bear to the 7x national College Media Company of the Year (CMBAM 2014-2021) and Associated Collegiate Press Student Media Business Pacemaker (ACP 2024) student staff at Central Michigan Life.

Elizabeth Smith, Pepperdine University

Elizabeth Smith is the director of Pepperdine Graphic Media and a journalism professor. She is an award-winning journalist with 21 years of professional experience, including print, web and broadcast news. 

Smith is the president-elect of the ACP Board of Directors and the president of the California College Media Association.  @tweetinginla

Randy Stano, University of Miami

Randy Stano is a professor of practice in journalism and media management for the School of Communication at the University of Miami, where he was also the former Knight Foundation Chair in Visual Communication. Stano currently advises the University of Miami Ibis yearbook and Distraction magazine, which have won numerous CSPA Crown and ACP Pacemaker Awards. Stano has won the Lifetime Achievement in Scholastic Journalism, Joseph M. Murphy and Charles R. O’Malley Awards from CSPA, received the ACP Pioneer Award, was the CMA Montgomery Distinguished Service Award, Yearbook and Magazine Adviser of the Year, and won recognition as a National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year. Stano is also a Society for News Design (SND) past president and recipient of the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Prior to instructing at the University of Miami, he worked with Pulitzer Prize–winning staffs at The Miami Herald and the Kansas City Star/Times. Stano consults internationally on color, type, and content use.

Avari Stamps, Western Kentucky University

Avari Stamps is a 2019 graduate of Western Kentucky University, where she earned her degree in broadcast journalism and began her career in the media industry. She spent over three years at WNKY News 40 as an Account Executive, honing her sales skills in the fast-paced world of broadcast news, before transitioning to Flytedesk. There, Avari worked as a Publisher Development Manager, helping college media organizations increase their advertising revenue through Flytedesk’s digital platform. Now, as the Advertising Adviser and Sales Manager at WKU Student Publications, Avari is thrilled to be back on the Hill, sharing her passion for advertising sales with the next generation of students. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, playing word games, and unwinding by the pool.

Greg Vandegrift, University of St. Thomas

As a Senior Clinical Professor of Journalism at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, Greg Vandegrift teaches the reporting classes, a related technical course, and sports broadcasting. He also advises student media. Greg is in his 17th year of full-time teaching after transitioning from an award-winning TV reporting career. While teaching, Greg has continued to freelance for his last station, KARE-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul), giving him four decades of reporting experience in Joplin, Missouri; the Quad Cities (Illinois/Iowa); and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Greg’s work has won national, regional, state, and corporate awards over four decades as a storyteller, including two national Edward R. Murrows, an Iris, a sports-coverage award from The National Association of Black Journalists, Regional Emmys, Regional Murrows, four awards for writing from the Minnesota Associated Press, and while at KARE, two Best News Writing awards in the Best of Gannett contest. Beyond teaching at St. Thomas, Greg also produces videos for the university. One of his videos – a mini-documentary – was part of an exhibit at Rome’s MAXXI Museum and later in France at Pierresvives Cultural Centre of Montpellier. Greg has shared his passion for journalism and storytelling at multiple conferences and workshops, including ACP’s Mega Workshop, ACP’s National Media Convention, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual conference, the California Summer Arts Visual Storytelling Workshop at Fresno State, the Kentucky News Photographers Association Seminar, the Michigan News Photographers Association’s annual conference, the Midwest Journalism Conference; the National Press Photographers Associations’ Airborne Seminar, the National Convention, and the News Video Workshop; and the Salt Lake City Storytelling Conference. Greg has been married to Jane for 40 years, and he is quick to note that he would not be the person or professional he is without her. They have four sons, ages 25-32, including their own set of Minnesota twins. Greg is a graduate of the University of Kansas; he gets into Jayhawk basketball … just a bit.

Cody Winchester, Investigative Reporters and Editors

Cody Winchester was a newspaper reporter, data specialist and web developer before joining IRE as a training director in 2017. He became tech lead in 2022.