Faculty & Staff

  • Dr. Jim Sernoe
    Department Chair and Professor, Scholarship Coordinator, Internship Coordinator
    (940) 397-4391 ⨠ D204
    jim.sernoe@msutexas.edu
    Profile

    With the help of jumbo cups of Diet Mountain Dew, Dr. Jim Sernoe has been chair of the Mass Communication Department since 2004, despite threatening to step down on a weekly basis. Fearing that someone might figure out his age, he won't reveal how long he's taught at Midwestern State, but he's been here so long he is now one of the parade marshals at graduation (an honor reserved only for the real fossils). He grew up in Wisconsin, completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Wisconsin (Go Badgers!). His doctorate in mass communication is from the University of Iowa, although he’s still not sure how a Cheesehead was even admitted to the program (maybe he said “Go Hawkeyes!” enough times?).

    He enjoys his roles as educator (courses include Mass Communication Law, Media Ethics, Editing, and Mass Communication History, among others), academic adviser (“I see your grades in mass comm. classes are really good, but please just pass math this semester, OK?”), scholar (his research interests include popular music, the First Amendment, mass communication curriculum, crowd-funding for journalists and how journalists are navigating in a fast-changing profession), and administrator (in addition to serving as department chair, he has been interim dean of the College of Fine Arts twice...some people don't learn until they make the same mistake twice). However, he is often deterred from these roles due to the constant lines outside of his office (typically including students, faculty and the dean, very few of whom show up with Diet Mountain Dew, or any other form of caffeine). In his copious personal time, he is active with the local community theatre and the Wichita Adult Literacy Council, all while drinking as much as Diet Mountain Dew as possible.

     

  • Dr. John King
    Associate Professor
    (940) 397-4797 ⨠ D207
    john.king@msutexas.edu
    Profile

 

  • Jonathon Quam
    Associate Professor, MNG Media Adviser, and The Wichitan Adviser
    (940) 397-4849 ⨠ D105

    Jonathon is an associate professor of media arts in the Mass Communication department at Midwestern State University. He earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in documentary production and theory from the University of North Texas. Before teaching at Midwestern State, Jonathon taught television, audio, film, and media studies courses at UNT and at Stephen F. Austin State University. In the field, Jonathon has worked on documentary films, in radio stations and newsrooms, and on numerous television shows. He spent two years working for the Southwest's largest production company, AMS Pictures. While at AMS, he logged time as a director of photography, an associate producer, a research analyst, a director, and a development producer, working on established television shows and helping build new ideas.

    Much of his professional work has been focused on the human side of society's most difficult social issues, from the caring environments of LGBTQ churches in the heart of Texas to biographical looks into child abuse. His current documentary takes an observational look at the racial justice movement in Madison, Wisconsin, a city with the widest disparity gap in the country. Jonathon's creative research centers on multimedia production, and his documentaries have screened at film festivals and conferences both nationally and internationally. His recent academic research looks at the topic of ethical documentary filmmaking in an industry that is exploitative by nature.

 

 

  • Lisa Thames
    Studio Director
    (940) 397-4394 ⨠ D106
    lisa.moore@msutexas.edu
    Profile

    As a former producer for local CBS affiliate KAUZ and MSU's current studio director, Lisa is applauded for her ability to organize the chaotic, inspire the disillusioned, and her tireless pursuit of perfection. She also live-streams MSU's athletic home games for soccer, basketball, softball, and football. When she doesn't have a camera in her hand, you can probably find her making graphics for the student media in Mass Communication, keeping our equipment up to date and functioning, or teaching students how to use Avid Media Composer and/or Avid Pro Tools, since she is also certified to teach both software programs.

    When she's not busy saving students from a Homer Simpson-inspired nuclear meltdown, you can find her perusing a bookstore for a new historical fiction novel, watching obscene amounts of HGTV without an ounce of shame, or extolling the greatness of her her favorite football team, the Kansas City Chiefs, to anyone who will listen. Caffeine fuels her throughout the day, so it would be no surprise to catch her snacking on sunflower seeds and washing them down with Coca-Cola or Red Bull.
Adjuncts
  • Annette Bever
    Adjunct
    annette.bever@msutexas.edu
    Profile

    Professor Bever has been an adjunct instructor at MSU for more than 10 years. She is a full-time speech and communication instructor at Vernon College.

 

  • Kory Dorman
    Adjunct kddorman@gmail.com kory.dorman@msutexas.edu
    Profile

    Dr. Dorman has taught public speaking and Voice and Diction at MSU, where she has been an adjunct instructor for more than 20 years. She has also taught for several years in the Wichita Falls schools and served as an administrator at the high-school and elementary-school levels before taking a position at Sheppard Air Force Base.

 

  • Christy Johnson
    Adjunct
    christyjohnson79@gmail.com christy.johnson@msutexas.edu

    Professor Johnson teaches Mass Media and Society at MSU. She has taught English, journalism and communication courses at the junior high and high school levels. She is currently the instructional coaching specialist for Region 9 Educational Center.

  • Jackie McCartney
    Adjunct
    jackie.mccartney@msutexas.edu
    Profile

    Dr. McCartney teaches Mass Media and Society and Film Appreciation at MSU. He has professional experience at KAUZ-TV and the Times Record News. He is currently an assistant principal at Legacy High School in Wichita Falls.

 

  • Alexandra McClung
    Adjunct
    amcclung@wfisd.net
    Profile

    Dr. McClung teaches public speaking and interpersonal communication courses at MSU. She is a former reporter at KAUZ-TV and currently serves as a school administrator in the DFW area.

  • Crystal Tate
    Adjunct
    ctate@vernoncollege.edu

    Professor Tate teaches Mass Media and Society and public speaking courses at MSU. She is the director of distance education at Vernon College.