The Dr. Betty Jo Welch
Communication Studies Alumni
Scholarship
Providing leadership and guidance to those around her is the legacy of the late Dr. Betty Jo Welch, communication studies professor and first coordinator of the Division of Speech Communication (then a part of the Department of Creative Arts). As UNCW’s first full-time faculty member in the discipline, Dr. Welch worked at fostering the division development into the present day Department of Communication Studies.
Dr. Welch, a native of Nashville, TN, began her UNCW career in 1970. She was very involved in the university system, serving on and chairing numerous faculty committees. In 1986, Dr. Welch was the first woman elected chair of the UNC Faculty Assembly and presented greetings from the faculties of the 16 constituent campuses at the inauguration of C.D. Spangler, Jr. as system president. Welch was also active in the Wilmington community working with such organizations as the New Hanover County Heart Association, New Hanover Council of PTA, the Wilmington Civic Ballet and St. James Church. She was also a member of the American Business Communication Association, National Association of Parliamentarians, Women in Communications, as well as many other professional associations.
Established November 1996, the Communication Studies Alumni Chapter set, as its first goal, the founding of the Dr. Betty Jo Welch Scholarship Endowment to assist communication studies majors. Recipients must meet the following criteria:
- 1. A junior or senior communication studies major.
- 2. Overall scholastic achievement; minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2.
- 3. Demonstrated financial need.
- 4. Commitment to leadership - service to the campus community.
The scholarship, in the annual amount of $1,000, supports tuition and other related educational expenses.
RECIPIENTS
2000-2001 James Anthony Mendillo
2001-2002 Jerri Raquel Morehead
2002-2003 Jerri Raquel Morehead
2003-2004 Tiffany Marsh Lindemann and Kathleen Ann Myers
2004-2005 Kiara Danielle Jones
2005-2006 Laura Smith and Katherine Wilson
2006-2007 Joshua Gay and Amelia Martin
2007-2008 Alfred Oliver Inman IV
The Justin Thompson Communication Studies Scholarship
for Enacting Social Change
This endowed scholarship was created by Mark Griffis and Dave Robertson to award students who excel in the area of communication studies. The recipient must have been accepted into the Department of Communication Studies. Applicants submit a 500-word essay on "How Media Will Influence Social Change in Twenty-Five Years." The scholarship may be awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student and may be applied for multiple times. The recipient is chosen on the basis of the winning essay along with the following stipulations:
1. The recipient must be employed during the year of the award and must confirm employment with a pay stub or signed letter from a business owner or supervisor.
2. The recipient must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 with a minimum 3.0 GPA in the major.
RECIPIENTS
2006-2007 Carrie McNeice
2007-2008 Amanda H. Iosco
Brian Pearson King Scholarship
This scholarship was established in 2004 to in memory of Brian Pearson King, a rising freshmen with interest in Communication Studies. It is open to all PCOM students (must be PCOM at time of application) with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. To be considered for this scholarship, applicants should complete a one-page (single-spaced) hard copy essay that answers the following questions.
1) Why do you want to be a Communication Studies major?
2) How have you demonstrated academic ability in communication studies? (You may refer to high school accomplishments here as needed)
