BEA2025: Full Schedule

BEA2025
Welcome to the BEA2025 convention program! All BEA sessions and events take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall, 3rd floor.

To create a schedule, please Log In or Sign Up on the upper right corner of the screen. Users can create their own profile and build schedules. Please use the menu on the right side of the page to search and filter for sessions by Interest Division, Session Type, Student Interest or Special Event - and then add them to your schedule.
Keep checking back for event registration, speaker announcements, and more details. Need answers ASAP? Reach out to our event planning team at help@BEAweb.org for info and more.

Keep checking back for event registration, speaker announcements, and more details. Need answers ASAP? Reach out to our event planning team at help@BEAweb.org for info and more.

10:15am PDT

Balancing Teaching and Student Media Advising: Synergies and Struggles

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am PDT

W302

This panel is designed for all student media advisers who also have teaching duties. Whether you're thriving or just surviving (barely), you'll benefit from the discussion among panelists and audience members in this panel. Rather than being framed as a traditional "best practices" panel, this panel will allow panelists to share successes and failures, and the lessons learned from both, as a part of their efforts to balance teaching and advising student media.
Moderator: Staci Saltz, Elon University
Panelists: Kai Swanson, Elon University
Hal Vincent, Elon University
Kelli Matthews, University of Oregon
Alexander Luchsinger, Elon University

Moderators

Staci Saltz

Elon University

Speakers

Kai Swanson

Assistant Professor, Elon University

Hal Vincent

Elon University

Kelli Matthews

University of Oregon

Alexander Luchsinger

Elon University

Saturday April 5, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am PDT
W302

Student Media Advisors, Skills/Practice | BEA, Skills/Practice

11:30am PDT

Let's Talk About It

Saturday April 5, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT

W301

Everyone dreads it, having challenging discussions as administrative leaders with co-workers. However, no one escapes unscathed. This panel shares communication strategies and practices for navigating conversations with difficult faculty and staff and when the answer has to be “no.” What’s on your list of what to do and not do?
Moderator: Pat F. Sanders, University North Alabama
Panelists: Kim Fox, American University in Cairo
Jennifer Bailey Woodard, Middle Tennessee State University
Pat F. Sanders, University North Alabama

Moderators

Pat Sanders

Department Chair/Professor/DEI Director, University North Alabama

Hello! I am Chair for the Department of Communication. In addition, I am the Director for Intercultural and Engagement Initiatives in the College of Arts, Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Alabama. I also serve as the District 2 Representative for BEA. I love meeting... Read More →

Speakers

Jennifer Bailey Woodard

Assistant Dean, Middle Tennessee State University

Dr. Jennifer Bailey Woodard, who was trained and educated in journalism as an undergraduate at MTSU, joined the faculty of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media after graduating from the University of Georgia with an M.A. in mass communication. She received her Ph.D. at Indiana... Read More →

Kim Fox

Professor of Practice, American University in Cairo

The first and only double BEA Best of Festival Winner in the same year; podcaster (Ehky Ya Masr Podcast) and executor of the podcasting trifecta: teaching, researching and producing podcasts.https://soundcloud.com/ehkyyamasrFounder and organizer of PodFest Cairo, Egypt and Africa's... Read More →

Saturday April 5, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
W301

Multicultural Studies, Skills/Practice | Gender & Sexuality, Skills/Practice | BEA, Skills/Practice

9:00am PDT

Growing International Presence with BEA Latin America

Sunday April 6, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am PDT

W305

Join us for an enlightening panel that unveils the secrets to improving your media program on the global stage with BEA Latin America. Since its inception in 2019, BEA Latin America has hosted transformative conferences in vibrant cities like Merida, Mexico; Bogota, Colombia; and Quito, Ecuador. This session promises to equip you with practical strategies to expand your media program's reach, ensuring international publications, presentations, and funding opportunities. Don't miss this chance to gain invaluable insights and actionable ideas that will propel your broadcast program to new heights!
Moderator: Jose Soto, DePaul University
Panelists: Tony R. DeMars, Lamar University; Jose Soto, DePaul University; Jesus Ayala, California State University - Long Beach; Teresa C. Puente, California State University - Long Beach

Moderators

Jose Soto

Speakers

Tony DeMars

Professor, Department of Communication and Media, Lamar University

BEA Past President. Previous service with BEA includes past convention program chair, elected positions in multiple interest divisions, leadership roles in the Festival of Media Arts, District 5 Board Representative, and Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Radio and Audio Media.

Jesus Ayala

Professor of Journalism and Director, Beach TV News, California State University - Long Beach

Jesús Ayala is one of the most distinguished and decorated broadcast journalism professors in the country and brings over 20 years of professional journalism experience into the classroom. As a veteran news producer, Ayala has won 5 national Emmys and 7 Edward R. Murrow awards. Prior... Read More →

Teresa Puente

Sunday April 6, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am PDT
W305

International, Skills/Practice | Multicultural Studies, Skills/Practice | BEA, Skills/Practice

3:15pm PDT

Defining the Documentary: The Use of AI in Documentaries

Sunday April 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT

W309

“Defining the Documentary” is an ongoing series exploring issues concerning the documentary. Following a brief introduction, we will break into groups each with its own moderator, and discuss this topic—allowing all attendees to participate in the ongoing conversation to explore the use of AI in documentaries. Should it be used or not?
Moderators:
Julia Largent Kuttler, McPherson College
James E. Machado, MFA, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Brent K. Simonds, Illinois State University
Tom Hallaq, Kansas State University
Ralph Beliveau, University of Oklahoma
Nick Geidner, The University of Tennessee

Moderators

Julia Largent Kuttler

Assistant Professor of Communication, McPherson College

Assistant Professor of Communication and Student Media Advisor (newspaper & podcast studio) at McPherson College in central Kansas. I study documentaries and fandom, both separately and in tandem. I like cats.

Speakers

Nick Geidner

Associate Professor, The University of Tennessee

Dr. Tom Hallaq

Associate Professor, Kansas State University

James E. Machado

Associate Professor, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

James Machado is an Associate Professor of Media Arts Production at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. After working for a series of corporate clients, including Ubisoft, Yahoo!, and Lehman Brothers, he embarked on what has been an 18-year career as a freelance editor and producer... Read More →

Brent Simonds

Professor, Illinois State University

Mass Media Program Coordinator in the School of Communication at Illinois State University

Ralph Beliveau

Professor, University of Oklahoma

Dr. Beliveau is the Area Head for Creative Media Production and Professional Writing at the University of Oklahoma and affiliate faculty in both Film and Media Studies and Women and Gender Studies. He writes and teaches about media education and literacy, race, horror media, documentary... Read More →

Sunday April 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT
W309

Documentary, Skills/Practice | BEA, Skills/Practice | AI Track, Skills/Practice

10:15am PDT

Large Multi-camera Live Events, both in and outside of the classroom

Monday April 7, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am PDT

W304

This panel offers different examples of large Multi-camera Live Productions. The Panelists will present answers to the questions: What large project did they do? How did they do it? What problems did they have? What would they do and not do again? What did students learn? How out of the ordinary was this project?
Moderator: Joe Brackman, University of Cincinnati
Panelists: Kyle West Hufford, Goshen College
Joe Brackman, University of Cincinnati
Michael Moon, Otterbein University

Moderators

Joe Brackman

Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati

Speakers

Kyle Hufford

Associate Professor of Communication, Goshen College

Love to teach and mold young film and media production students. I teach film and advanced media production classes at Goshen College in Goshen, IN. I also manage our Video Production company where we hire students to work on video for clients.

Michael Moon

Assistant Professor, Otterbein University

Monday April 7, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am PDT
W304

Production Aesthetics & Criticism, Skills/Practice | BEA, Skills/Practice

11:30am PDT

Challenges and Triumphs of Black Women in Media: Personal Journeys and Professional Insights

Monday April 7, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT

W308

This panel brings together accomplished Black women who have navigated the complex media industry to share their personal and professional experiences. From overcoming barriers to representation and inclusion, to achieving groundbreaking successes, the panelists will offer insights into what it means to be a Black woman in media today. Through storytelling, reflection, and practical advice, they will discuss their challenges, triumphs and how their identities have shaped their careers. Attendees will gain a richer understanding of the unique journeys of Black women in media, as well as inspiration and strategies for advancing in the field.
Moderator: Kim Fox, American University in Cairo
Panelists: Traci Easley Williams, University of Oklahoma; Shari Okeke, Toronto Metropolitan University; Dorothy Bland, University of North Texas; Enid Patricia Wells, Kennedy-King College; Chetachi Egwu, University of Maryland Univ. College

Moderators

Kim Fox

Professor of Practice, American University in Cairo

Speakers

Traci Williams

Senior Lecturer, University of Oklahoma

Traci Easley Williams has over 25 years of immersive experience in higher education, specializing in film/television production, scriptwriting, visual media, and Africana studies. Kent State University (KSU), is where she embarked on her teaching career and eventually rose to the... Read More →

Shari Okeke

Toronto Metropolitan University

Dorothy Bland

Professor, University of North Texas

Dorothy M. Bland, Ph.D., is a journalism professor at the University of North Texas Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism. In 2019, she was honored as one of the top 35 women in higher education by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine. During her tenure as a journalism... Read More →

Chetachi Egwu

co-founder, University of Maryland Univ. College

All things communication, academic, writing, film/media, production, fashion and journalism!

Enid Wells

Monday April 7, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
W308

Multicultural Studies, Skills/Practice | Gender & Sexuality, Skills/Practice | BEA, Skills/Practice