Dr. Donna Gough

Dr. Donna Gough is responsible for the day to day operations of the department, teaches the Media Business Practices and Introduction to Mass Communications courses, and serves on a wide variety of committees.

Biography

Dr. Donna Gough is a Texan by birth but made her way to South Carolina by way of Oklahoma. Gough came to Claflin University in August of 2009 to serve as the Department of Mass Communications Chair & Professor. Gough has spent her career as an educator and professional media practitioner. She has worked in theatre, film, radio and television.

Dr. Gough decided long ago that working with students was her main passion. Her teaching philosophy can best be described in one word, commitment. She is committed to the pursuit of excellence in education, to developing and maintaining ties with professionals, to learning and disseminating the latest information possible to students, to providing students with the knowledge and means to practice learned skills, to finding and implementing new ways to motivate students to produce excellent work, and to initiating ideas and programs that will give students a competitive edge. Gough is a recipient of the Outstanding New Teacher Award from the Central States Communication Association and the Outstanding Young College Teacher Award from the Oklahoma Speech Theater Communication Association.

Education

• Ph.D. in Mass Communication. Department of Communication, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, Dissertation: “The Development and Globalization of a Transnational Media Conglomerate: A Historical Case Study of Matsushita Electric Industrial Company,” Conferred July 2002.
• Master of Arts in Communication. School of Radio, Television & Film, Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Magna Cum Laude, Conferred November 1987.
• Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts. School of Communication & Theater Arts, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. Conferred May 1985. Distinguished Student Award for Academic Excellence - Spring 1982.

Research Interests

Gough has always been interested in the business side of media production. She serves as a media consultant for local small businesses and churches. Gough recently worked with the South Carolina United Methodist Conference in Columbia, South Carolina, and the Missionary Baptist Church in Florence, South Carolina. But, above all, Gough has a great love for films, film history and film production.

Experience

While a graduate student at Regent University, Gough was part of the production team that produced the film, Bird in a Cage,that went on to receive the Best Student Film Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in Los Angles, California. Gough also worked on the program,Newsight, that aired on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN).

After graduating from Regent University, Gough went to Mars Hill Productions in Houston, Texas. She served as the Production Coordinator and Casting Director for the independent film, Without Reservation. The film went on to win the Chris Award from the Columbus International Film Festival, two Crown Awards, including Best Evangelistic Film, and the Silver Award for Best Short Dramatic Film from the Houston International Film Festival. From there, she worked for VPI Communications in Bryan, Texas as a Television Commercial Writer and Producer.

Gough was invited to join the faculty at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. There, she was responsible for teaching and overseeing the student produced newscasts, ECU News, for both radio and television, ECU Tiger Footballfor KTEN Channel 10 Television, Assignment: Radio ECU for KGOU-FM, and a host of other commercials and special projects for the university, including directing three main theatre productions, Little Shop of Horrors, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and Saul and Sam and the Song and Dance Man: Improvisations on a Theme from Samuel. Gough received outstanding teaching awards from the Oklahoma Speech Theatre Communication Association and the Central States Communication Association.

Activities and Honors

In October 2014, Gough was chosen to be a Fellow with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in Los Angeles, California. Each year, the Academy selects only 20 faculty members from universities across the United States to complete a week-long, entertainment industry seminar presented by industry professionals. Gough traveled to Los Angeles, CA were she completed her week-long fellowship at the Academy. The seminar included topics related to the business side of the entertainment industry such as the script development process, budgeting, production, animation, writing, social media applications, copyrights, directing, design, and ratings. Faculty toured facilities at DreamWorks Animation, CBS Television City, and Warner Brothers Studios. Faculty met with producers, directors and crew members of the shows, How to Get Away With Murder, The Big Bang Theory, Sleepy Hollow, Dexter, Switched at Birth, Boston Legal, X-Files, Criminal Minds, Big Brother, Wipeout, and Everwood, just to name a few. Also, Faculty met with network programmers from ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and the CW, to discuss programming strategies and audience in the new digital age. Also, Gough attended the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media program entitled, Reel vs. Real Diversity in Hollywood: Influencers On-Screen and Behind-the-Scenes.

Gough is the Founder and served as the first President of the South Carolina Media Education Association (SCMEA). The purpose of the SCMEA is to promote quality media education in the State of South Carolina, to provide a venue for faculty and students to present their research and projects and to provide a means for faculty and students to receive quality feedback from media professionals. This is the third statewide education organization of which Gough has served as President. She was President of the Oklahoma Speech Theatre Communication Association (OSTACA) and served briefly as the President of the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association (OBEA). She currently serves as the SCMEA Treasurer.

In addition, Gough works to promote media education, nationally, and serves as the Vice Chair of the 2-Year/Small Colleges Interest Division and the Chair of the HBCU Membership Initiative for the Broadcast Education Association (BEA), the national professional organization for media educators.

Recent Presentations

• Presenter, Answering the Call (The Telephone Call): Helping Local Faith-Based Organizations Embrace New Media, Framing the Faith Beyond Religious Broadcast Media Panel, Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 20, 2016.
• Moderator, Storytelling Coming of Age Panel, Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 18, 2016.
  Moderator, Two Year/Small Colleges Interest Division Production Showcase, A Look at Exceptional Teaching Methods Through Quality Student Projects, Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 17, 2016.
• Moderator, South Carolina Media Education Association (SCMEA) Conference, Media Education: Making Magic with Media, South Carolina Educational Television Authority, Columbia, South Carolina, October 22, 2015.
• Presenter, Technology on a Budget: Surviving & Thriving in a Changing Environment, Broadcast Education Association/National Association of Broadcasters Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 12, 2015.
• Fellow, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Los Angeles, California, November 8 – 15, 2014.
• Presenter, Georges Méliès: From Illusionist to Film Pioneer,Claflin Literary Arts & Film Society and the English & Foreign Languages Department Lecture Series, Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina, October 28, 2014. Claflin Literary Arts and Film Society Lecture Series.
• Presenter, Advising & Beyond: Building Bridges Across Campus to Promote Student Success, National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Regional Conference, Greenville, South Carolina, May 14 – 16, 2013.
• Panelist, Impact of Convergent Media on Higher Education, Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina, November 7, 2012.
• Presenter, The Dog Ate My Computer: Uses of Blackboard Chat Rooms & Discussion Boards, Part of the Panel: Email is for Old People & Other Truths from the Teaching Trenches, Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 10, 2011.
• Coordinator & Planner, Career Organization & Management: Starting off on the Right Foot, Joint Two-Day Career Workshop with Jo O’Connor, Public Relations Professor, Boston University, Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina, February 21 – 22, 2011.
• Presenter, Convergence in the Classroom: A Look at Programs in Oklahoma & South Carolina,Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 16, 2010.
• Presenter, Service Learning in Two Regions: A Look at Programs in Oklahoma & South Carolina, Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 16, 2010.
• Coordinator & Planner, Sharpening Your Focus on Communication, Joint Two-Day Public Relations Workshop with Jo O’Connor, Public Relations Professor, Boston University, Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina, February 16 - 17, 2010.
• Guest Lecturer, Muted Voices in Media, Introduction to Mass Communications, Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina, September 29, 2009.
• Presenter, Maximizing the Value of Chat Rooms and Discussion Posts, Oklahoma Speech Theatre Communication Association Convention, Ada, Oklahoma, September 19, 2009.
• Panelist, Panel: Giving Voice to Muted Groups in the Classroom, Oklahoma Speech Theatre Communication Association Convention, Ada, Oklahoma, September 19, 2009.
• Presenter, The Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Building Project, Panel: Running with the Big Dogs II, Broadcast Education Association Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 22 – 25, 2009.
• Presenter, Meaning-Making and Critical Thinking: Using Metaphor, Narrative, Film Scripts, Video Production, Performance, And Role Playing in Non-Performance Courses, “The Conversation,”Southern States Communication Association Convention, Norfolk, Virginia, April 2 – 4, 2009.