|
Hattiesburg – A University of Southern Mississippi faculty member is one of just 18 professors from across the country selected for a highly competitive and prestigious fellowship by the Advertising Educational Foundation.
Dr. Fei Xue, a professor of advertising in the Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism, will spend two weeks (July 16-27) in New York as part of the AEF’s Visiting Professor Program, a fellowship for professors of advertising, marketing, communications and the liberal arts. The purpose of the program is to expose professors to the day-to-day operations of an advertising agency, marketing or media company, depending on the faculty member’s area of expertise, as well as providing an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and development of relationships between academia and industry. Preference is given to professors with little or no industry experience and to those who have not already participated in the program. The professors have been assigned to several international advertising agencies in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Xue was placed with DDB Worldwide in New York, which is currently the fifth largest ad agency in the world. He will work with their CIGNA and Cotton accounts. At the end of the two weeks, each professor will make a presentation to the hosting agency. “The AAF Visiting Professor Program is very competitive, and Dr. Xue is a first-rate teacher and scholar, so I'm not surprised he was selected,” said Dr. Chris Campbell, director of the Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism. “It's a great opportunity, and I'm sure he'll make the most of it. Spending part of his summer in New York at one of the world's top ad agencies is going to benefit his students for a long time to come.” Xue says he will also spend time at DDB’s library to collect ad campaign cases and data to share with his students. As one of the podcasting pilot faculty at Southern Miss, he'll also use those materials for his podcasts.
“I started my teaching career in the early stage of my life, so I didn't have much time working in the field. I try to keep up with industry trends and news by keeping in touch with friends in ad agencies, attending conferences and reading advertising publications, but I always wish to have more personal stories to tell in class,” he said. “I love advertising and I love teaching. I want to offer my students the best education and there is no doubt this program is going to be a wonderful opportunity for me and my students, and will benefit my research.” Xue said he also embraces AEF’s goal of strengthening ties between academia and industry. “This program will give me a chance to go inside the agency and talk to people in the field about challenges and opportunities the advertising industry is facing, and how advertising researchers like me can help.”
Dr. Fei Xue
About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities. In a tradition of leadership for student development, Southern Miss is educating a 21st century work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and innovation to Mississippi and the world. Southern Miss is located in Hattiesburg, Miss, with an additional campus and teaching and research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is found at www.usm.edu .
|
