President’s Corner for August 2016
It’s award season! As the Television Critics Association presents their awards and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences prepares for the Emmy Awards, it’s time to also think about the BEA awards!
Distinguished Education Service Award
Every year, BEA honors an individual who has made significant and lasting contributions to broadcast education with the Distinguished Education Service Award (DESA). Nominations are received near the end of the year, the winner is announced in mid-winter, and the award is presented at the BEA Annual Convention in April. Past winners include outstanding faculty, administrators, and industry icons.
As we prepare for a new year, I’m asking you to think about someone who has made a difference in your life or career, and then to consider nominating that person for the DESA Award. The DESA is BEA’s highest award, and we want to make sure that we consider everyone who has helped advance the field and the people who serve as broadcast educators.
Lifetime Achievement in Scholarship
You also have the opportunity to nominate a scholar to be honored for their career contributions to research and scholarship involving broadcasting and electronic media. This award recognizes those who have amassed a body of books, journal articles and scholarship over 20 years or longer. Nominations for the Broadcast Education Association’s Lifetime Achievement In Scholarship Award may be submitted before January 11, and the award is presented at BEA’s Annual Convention in April.
Kenneth Harwood Dissertation Award
Many young scholars first hear of BEA when they submit their dissertations for the Kenneth Harwood Dissertation Award. This award recognizes the outstanding dissertation in electronic media defended during the year, and it comes with a $1,000 scholarship.
Library of American Broadcasting Foundation – Broadcast Historian Award
BEA’s newest award is the Broadcast Historian Award. The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) and BEA have partnered to establish this award. With the support of LABF, BEA annually awards $5,000 to an educator who has published or produced work specifically related to broadcast history.
The Urban Electronic Media Award
With support from the Urban Communication Foundation, BEA confers The Urban Electronic Media Award. This award is given to individuals, groups, organizations or institutions whose initiatives have enhanced the ability or performance of broadcast and electronic media to promote problem solving, increase civic engagement, or strengthen monitoring of the urban environment in metropolitan areas. The award, which is accompanied by a $2,500 honorarium, recognizes significant and lasting contributions in urban communication.
Other Awards
BEA also is always interesting in finding new ways to honor individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to our field. All of the awards listed above started out as idea by someone who wanted to honor a specific person or type of achievement. If you have an idea for an award, and you are willing to offer your support to BEA to establish the award, we need to know. As BEA continues to grow, we will need new opportunities to recognize worthy individuals, and the best source of ideas and resources has always been the BEA members. Send me your ideas with your commitment to work on the award, and I will put your idea into consideration by the Board of Directors.
Remember, as a membership organization, BEA exists to serve you. Your input will help BEA provide better services to all broadcast educators, and your resources have the potential to make a lasting contribution to the field.
Augie Grant
August 2016
