PRESS RELEASE
June 10, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hannah Arwine
American Journalism Historians Association
Phone: 555-555-5555
Email: info@ajha.org
Written by Hannah Arwine
Claire Rounkles Wins Blanchard Dissertation Prize
The American Journalism Historians Association announced Claire Rounkles as the winner of the 2026 Margaret A. Blanchard Dissertation Prize. This award recognizes the best doctoral dissertation dealing with mass communication history.
Rounkles was given this award for her dissertation, “An Imperfect Source: The Midwestern Black Press and the Anti-Lynching Movement from 1890-1940.”
“We are in a time when difficult conversations about history, race, and memory are being contested in classrooms, legislatures, and public life,” Rounkles said. “My dissertation, though rooted in the past, speaks directly to that tension.”
The Blanchard Prize Committee Chair Ashley Walter recognized the amazing submissions to this year’s competition, noting how incredible the scholarship of the finalists was.
Two of the finalists, Meshari Thamer Alotaibi and John-Erik Koslosky received honorable mentions for their dissertations.
“It’s incredibly meaningful to see research focused on Gulf and Arab representation in media receive this kind of recognition,” Alotaibi said. “I’m grateful to AJHA and honored to be included among this year’s scholars.”
Founded in 1981, the American Journalism Historians Association seeks to advance education and research in mass communication history.
Members work to raise historical standards and ensure that all scholars and students recognize the vast importance of media history and apply this knowledge to the advancement of society.
For more information on AJHA, visit http://www.ajhaonline.org.
PRESS RELEASE
June 13, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hannah Arwine
Southern Miss
Phone: 555-555-5555
Email eagle.club@usm.edu
Written by Hannah Arwine
Southern Miss Announces New Senior Associate Director
Lee Applewhite has been announced as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development for Southern Miss Athletics.
Applewhite has been with Southern Miss Athletics since October 2015, beginning as a Director of Development. He had successfully grown the Circle of Champions and helped raise $8 million through donor connections.
Athletic Director Jeremy McClain said that Applewhite was a huge part of Southern Miss Athletics’ success and future.
Applewhite commented on the great team and thanked the President for the recognition.
"It has been a wonderful 10 years being a part of Southern Miss athletics and the great, hard-working individuals that we have in our department,” Applewhite said. “It certainly has been a team effort of all the successes we have enjoyed in the development area."
The University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation was established in 2001 to help develop the athletics program at the University of Southern Mississippi. Endowment funds are used for expanding the athletic programs, providing student-athlete scholarships, and constructing facilities to aid the organization.
For more information, visit Southern Miss - Official Athletics Website