Melissa Garrett, pictured on the day she received the Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of her teaching endeavors at Iowa State University. 

As an Adjunct Professor of Journalism and Digital Mass Communications at Iowa CentralCommunity College, I am currently teaching a variety of journalism and communications courses. The courses I have taught include: COM-148 (Diversity in the Media), JOU-210 (Media Law and Ethics), COM-150 (Mass Media and Society), and ENG-101 (Elements of Writing. I also serve as a Part-Time Academic Assistant for the Reading and Writing Center (Academic Resource Center) at Iowa Central, where I assist students with all stages of the writing process for various types of academic papers and career-related documents. While I am currently an adjunct professor, I would like to teach journalism and media-related courses full-time in the future.

I received my master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Iowa State University. My M.S. degree is in Journalism and Mass Communication (with an English minor), which I received in August 2017. I graduated with Cum Laude honors and was awarded for my teaching commitments with the Teaching Excellence Award, which is an award honoring the top 10% of graduate students at ISU for outstanding teaching accomplishments in the graduate program, as evaluated by their academic departments. My B.A. was in English and Journalism and Mass Communication, which I received in Summer 2015.

Melissa Garrett, pictured promoting the Maximum Ames Music Festival.

During the summer of 2015, I completed a public relations and social media-based internship with Maximum Ames in Ames, Iowa. While my position largely focused on promoting the Maximum Ames Music Festival via social media, newsletters and email campaigns, I was also in charge of running the Iowa Music Store.

Here is sample of my social media posts for my internship.

My internship taught me how to manage six different social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for Maximum Ames and the Iowa Music Store), time management skills, business management and how to promote events on different media platforms. I additionally helped run concerts at the Iowa Music Store, promoted local events and concerts, and took photos for Maximum Ames and the Iowa Music Store.

Pictured in front of the Palais Theater in Cannes, France on my first day of the 2013 Festival de Cannes.

Before realizing my desire to teach at the university level, I wanted to become an entertainment writer and reviewer, since I enjoyed writing about, reporting on and reviewing various entertainment events when I worked for theIowa State Daily. After initially covering the Theater beat for the Ames 24/7 (arts and entertainment) section at the Iowa State Daily, I was promoted to editor of Ames 24/7. As a reporter and reviewer, I maintained all coverage of shows, concerts and entertainment events at C.Y. Stephens Auditorium, with opportunities attend and review a number of shows after writing previews or features for the events. Now as editor, I oversee all things arts and entertainment, decide what we publish in the paper, and I get to work with undergraduate reporters. (For full resume, see bottom “RESUME” link). 

Fulfilling my fantasy of taking a telephone booth photo in London, near Big Ben. My ultimate dream job would be a film or book critic.

From January to June 2013, I studied abroad as an international exchange student at the University of Exeter in Devon, England. For six months, I formed a sense of community and family with my international housemates, who came from incredibly different, yet comparable, backgrounds than my own. I learned about the value of family, friendship, and what it means to work hard in order to succeed while Exeter became my home away from home.

Airborne outside Buckingham Palace courtyard, London, England.

My interest in viewing and critiquing film and theater blossomed after having the opportunity to attend and intern at the Cannes Film Festival with Morelia’s Film Festival director and team (see http://moreliafilmfest.com/en/ for Mexico’s festival information)  in May 2013. I saw eight films, in addition to two awards shows, and gained valuable insight into the film world as a critic and unofficial photographer at the events. By reading Cannes magazine reviews, exploring the film market, and attending screenings, I delved into my passion for writing, film and photography in Cannes.

Photo taken by Amy Longworth, my friend and graduated student of University of Exeter, in Exeter, England.

Returning from my international exchange, I knew life in America would never be the same.  By leaving Iowa and experiencing English culture, my personal and professional experiences in Exeter changed my life and allowed me to grow in the professional world by offering international networking experience in both England and France.

I have been interested in writing for a print-magazine or online media format, since technology is transitioning away from the hard-copy with growing smart phone usage and mobile reading options. Though I have an interest in arts and entertainment writing, I am highly interested in race/ethnicity and gender depictions in the media, and how much of the media is a reflection of white experience. I want to be a voice for people of color and for those who become marginalized and stereotyped in the media. I am also interested in teaching journalism and mass communication and related subjects at the college-level.

(*For a better insight of my credentials and additional biographical information, see the link to my RESUME.)