UMass Amherst: Online Reporting Certificate Program

The Online Journalism Certificate Program

Who We Are

Instructors are University of Massachusetts professors and professionals who serve as adjunct professors in our regular semester courses.

About the Online Journalism Instructors

Art Clifford, one of the designers of the Certificate, has also served as an Air Force officer and has taught at the Defense Department's Journalism School (DINFOS or Defense Information Schoo)l. His graduate work was at the University of Oklahoma, New York University, and UMass Amherst where he earned an M.A. in Mass Communication (1977). He is currently enrolled in a Master's In Library Science program at the University of Illinois as a distance learning student.

Frank Faulkner was in the military, covered the Vietnam War for UPI from 1966-68, and was an international photographer from 1972-76. He completed a Ph.D. in communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and wrote his dissertation on the American news media coverage of Vietnam. Faulkner worked as an investigative reporter and city editor at the Springfield Daily News, and taught journalism and humanities at UMass and at Holyoke Community College. He was Executive Officer at Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts from 1986-93. He now lives in Ireland.

Alan Hall has more than 30 years experience covering science news. An early web pioneer, Hall started his own business focusing on the online delivery of news to the press and the development of publishing websites in 1994. Prior to that, he held the post of excutive editor at Scientific American. Hall held a number of positions at Business Week, including three years as senior editor in charge of science and technology coverage. He has been a regular contributor of science and technology stories to both BusinessWeek Online and Scientific American's website. He is the author of two books.

Keith Paul is an alumnus of UMass Amherst who began working in the campus Public Affairs Office in 1996 while still a student. During his time there, he helped UMass earn national recognition for its official Web site and became a founding member of the university's Web Development Group. When he left UMass in 1998, he took a position at Western New England College as their senior Web expert. He was instrumental in helping WNEC begin a highly regarded PR campaign to raise funds for the campus endowment. He returned to UMass in 2000 as principal advisor to departments creating or revising their Web sites.

Razvan Sibii holds a double B.A. degree in Journalism and Political Science from the American University in Bulgaria and is a doctoral student in Communication at UMass Amherst. He has worked as a political reporter for two publications in his native Romania. He teaches courses on newswriting, media ethics, media analysis, and public speaking.

Stephen J. Simurda is a lecturer in Journalism and a freelance magazine writer, Simurda earned a bachelor's degree from Hampshire College and a master's degree from the School of Journalism at Columbia University (1983). He has worked for newspapers in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and California. He also worked in the San Francisco bureau of the Associated Press from 1984-86. Since then he has worked as a freelance journalist for dozens of newspapers and magazines, including: The Washington Post, Boston Globe and Globe Magazine, Philadelphia Inquirer, Columbia Journalism Review, Lingua Franca, Mother Jones, Worldbusiness, and Yankee. He served as a Fulbright professor in the Slovak Republic. He has been teaching at UMass since 1993. Simurda teaches magazine article writing, media criticism, and courses on the literature of journalism.

Karen Skolfield served as a photojournalist in the Army for seven years, including a sting as a travel writer in northern Italy. She earned her MFA in writing from UMass Amherst. She currently works as the senior editor and writer in the UMass College of Engineering. She has taught seven different courses for UMass Amherst, including Travel Writing and Photojournalism.

Carl Vigeland is the author of five books on music and golf, including Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life (2001), in collaboration with trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis. Vigeland has written for many magazines, including The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine, and DoubleTake. A graduate of Harvard, Vigeland earned his masters degree from UMass Amherst, where he has taught in sports studies and journalism since 1996.

What we're working on...

• The efficacy of blogs in content delivery

• Will RSS technology
replace your paper boy?

• eBooks as viable
alternatives to texts

• Podcasting grows in popularity

News

The World is their Classroom
UMass Amherst magazine
Spring 2005

Contact

Prof. Norman Sims
108 Bartlett Hall
UMass Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003
(413) 545-5929



Program Requirements Program Blog Course Listing Who We Are Journalism Program UMassOnline Contact Us	Who We Are Instructors are University of Massachusetts professors and professionals who serve as adjunct professors in our regular semester courses. About the Online Journalism Instructors Art Clifford, one of the designers of the Certificate, has also served as an Air Force officer and has taught at the Defense Department's Journalism School (DINFOS or Defense Information Schoo)l. His graduate work was at the University of Oklahoma, New York University, and UMass Amherst where he earned an M.A. in Mass Communication (1977). He is currently enrolled in a Master's In Library Science program at the University of Illinois as a distance learning student. Frank Faulkner was in the military, covered the Vietnam War for UPI from 1966-68, and was an international photographer from 1972-76. He completed a Ph.D. in communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and wrote his dissertation on the American news media coverage of Vietnam. Faulkner worked as an investigative reporter and city editor at the Springfield Daily News, and taught journalism and humanities at UMass and at Holyoke Community College. He was Executive Officer at Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts from 1986-93. He now lives in Ireland. Alan Hall has more than 30 years experience covering science news. An early web pioneer, Hall started his own business focusing on the online delivery of news to the press and the development of publishing websites in 1994. Prior to that, he held the post of excutive editor at Scientific American. Hall held a number of positions at Business Week, including three years as senior editor in charge of science and technology coverage. He has been a regular contributor of science and technology stories to both BusinessWeek Online and Scientific American's website. He is the author of two books. Keith Paul is an alumnus of UMass Amherst who began working in the campus Public Affairs Office in 1996 while still a student. During his time there, he helped UMass earn national recognition for its official Web site and became a founding member of the university's Web Development Group. When he left UMass in 1998, he took a position at Western New England College as their senior Web expert. He was instrumental in helping WNEC begin a highly regarded PR campaign to raise funds for the campus endowment. He returned to UMass in 2000 as principal advisor to departments creating or revising their Web sites. Razvan Sibii holds a double B.A. degree in Journalism and Political Science from the American University in Bulgaria and is a doctoral student in Communication at UMass Amherst. He has worked as a political reporter for two publications in his native Romania. He teaches courses on newswriting, media ethics, media analysis, and public speaking. Stephen J. Simurda is a lecturer in Journalism and a freelance magazine writer, Simurda earned a bachelor's degree from Hampshire College and a master's degree from the School of Journalism at Columbia University (1983). He has worked for newspapers in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and California. He also worked in the San Francisco bureau of the Associated Press from 1984-86. Since then he has worked as a freelance journalist for dozens of newspapers and magazines, including: The Washington Post, Boston Globe and Globe Magazine, Philadelphia Inquirer, Columbia Journalism Review, Lingua Franca, Mother Jones, Worldbusiness, and Yankee. He served as a Fulbright professor in the Slovak Republic. He has been teaching at UMass since 1993. Simurda teaches magazine article writing, media criticism, and courses on the literature of journalism. Karen Skolfield served as a photojournalist in the Army for seven years, including a sting as a travel writer in northern Italy. She earned her MFA in writing from UMass Amherst. She currently works as the senior editor and writer in the UMass College of Engineering. She has taught seven different courses for UMass Amherst, including Travel Writing and Photojournalism. Carl Vigeland is the author of five books on music and golf, including Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life (2001), in collaboration with trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis. Vigeland has written for many magazines, including The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine, and DoubleTake. A graduate of Harvard, Vigeland earned his masters degree from UMass Amherst, where he has taught in sports studies and journalism since 1996.
		What we're working on...
		• The efficacy of blogs in content delivery • Will RSS technology replace your paper boy? • eBooks as viable alternatives to texts • Podcasting grows in popularity


		News
		The World is their Classroom UMass Amherst magazine Spring 2005

		Contact
		Prof. Norman Sims 108 Bartlett Hall UMass Amherst Amherst, MA 01003 (413) 545-5929
	©2006 University of Massachusetts Amherst. Site Policies. This page is maintained by the Journalism Program.