Philip Merrill College of Journalism | University of Maryland

Payne Named Director of ASNE H.S. Journalistm Institute at UM

For Immediate Release Mar 8, 2001

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Philip Merrill College of Journalism has named Marchelle R. Payne director of the newly created American Society of Newspaper Editors High School Journalism Institute at College Park.

Payne will run the institute's intensive two-week summer journalism program, which is designed to increase diversity within the nation's newsrooms by teaching faculty from schools with large minority populations about journalism and how to run newspapers.

The University of Maryland was one of six journalism programs selected to run the ASNE institutes.

Diversifying the nation's newsrooms has been a long-time goal of ASNE, and high school newspapers are where many professional journalists first become interested in the field.

The 35 high school teachers will work with College of Journalism professors and guest speakers from The Washington Post, The (Baltimore) Sun and other news organizations, learning the basics of news writing, reporting, editing, layout and design, legal rights and responsibilities and ethics.

Dean Thomas Kunkel said Payne's background in education, program coordination and recruitment makes her ideally suited for the post.

Payne also will serve as a program coordinator and academic advisor at the College.

The Germantown woman joins the College from her position as academic adviser and coordinator for special populations at the University's Division of Letters and Sciences. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in family studies from theUniversity of Maryland in 1994 and 1999, respectively. In her undergraduate days she was a track star at College Park. She set the Atlantic Coast Conference indoor triple jump record in 1992 and was a four-time All America candidate.

For more information contact: Christopher Callahan (301) 405-2432