RALEIGH, N.C., May 23, 2014 – William Peace University (http://www.peace.edu), a private four-year university located in downtown Raleigh, is proud to announce that Associate Professor and Department Chair of Communication, Lynn C. Owens, Ph.D., has been selected for a two-week visiting professor externship at C-SPAN in Washington, D.C. by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Made possible through a grant from the E.W. Scripps Company, Owens will experience first-hand how media outlets are using social media to deliver and enhance their communications. Additionally, a C-SPAN representative will visit the WPU campus, speak with students and tour facilities. A date for that visit has yet to be determined.

Owens, who has been an Associate Professor at WPU since 2008, has received national and international recognition before having co-authored a research paper titled, “The Evolution of Journalism Skills Required by Top U.S. News Companies,” which won third place at the World Journalism Education Council Conference in 2013. Her other research primarily focuses on newsroom best practices and diversity issues in broadcast news. Before returning to academia, Owens was a reporter at WNCT-TV in Greenville, N.C., where her work won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award and two Emmy nominations.

“I am so excited to learn from the professionals at C-SPAN,” Owens said. “I know the lessons I learn in Washington I will be able to pass along to my students next semester and in the future.”

“We are so proud of Lynn and her continued accomplishments,” said Debra M. Townsley, Ph.D., president of William Peace University. “She embodies everything that we strive to do here at WPU, and we know that this experience will result in her continued education which is sure to make an impact on our students and their education.”

Owens, along with five other educators from across the nation, underwent an extensive application process, and was selected for the externship based on several characteristics, including the value and need of the program and impact of the visit on the applicant’s home campus.