Events
The Department of Mass Communications hosts events throughout the academic year that connect students with industry professionals, showcase student work, and build community. This page lists our signature annual events and recent guest speakers.
Upcoming Events
Check back for Fall 2026 events, or follow us on social media for announcements.
Mass Comm Week
Our signature annual event, held each spring, brings media professionals to campus for panels, workshops, networking, and the First Amendment Free Food Festival. Mass Comm Week connects classroom learning with the realities of the communications industry.
Mass Comm Week 2026: “Creativity and Critical Thinking in the Age of AI” (March 23–26, 2026)
- Interdisciplinary AI panel with faculty from Business, Engineering, Library, and History
- Omar Perkins (Director of AI Strategies, Perkins Institute) — “The Cultural Mind Shift: Practicing AI Beyond the Tool”
- Nick Walden (Partner, Brand and Creative, Elasticity) — “Creative Workflows with AI: Human and Ethical Issues”
- Alumni panel — “What we wish we knew before we graduated”
- Mass Comm Impact — student and faculty research presentations
- Film screening — The Librarians (co-sponsored with Lovejoy Library and the College of Arts and Sciences)
- First Amendment Free Food Festival
Mass Comm Week 2025: “Media for a Sustainable Future” (March 24–28, 2025)
- Luke Lambert (Chief Innovation Officer, OMD USA) — “Creativity in Media: Hacking Perspective, Culture, and the System”
- Sheena Butler-Young (Senior Correspondent, Business of Fashion) — “Media, Fashion, and the Evolution of Sustainability”
- Emily Ferretti (Director, Business Marketing, AlixPartners) — “Leveraging Your Communication Degree for B2B Marketing”
- Delaney Dryfoos (Environmental Reporter, The Lens NOLA) — “Collaborating with news editors to report on the environment”
- Patrick Murphy (Associate Dean, Temple University) — “Earth Discourses in Global Mediascapes”
- Alumni panel and Alumni Night
Other Annual Events
Alumni Night — An evening event during Mass Comm Week connecting current students with department alumni for networking, career advice, and community.
Senior Portfolio Showcase — Each semester, graduating students present their professional portfolios to faculty and peers, demonstrating the skills and knowledge they’ve built across the program.
Wildey Short Film Competition — Students compete in this short film competition at the historic Wildey Theatre in downtown Edwardsville. SIUE Mass Comm students have won top honors in recent years.
First Amendment Free Food Festival — A department tradition during Mass Comm Week celebrating free expression with food and conversation on the Dunham Hall patio.
Recent Guest Speakers
| Date | Speaker | Affiliation | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | Omar Perkins | Director of AI Strategies, Perkins Institute | AI beyond the tool |
| Mar 2026 | Nick Walden | Partner, Elasticity | Creative workflows with AI |
| Mar 2025 | Luke Lambert | Chief Innovation Officer, OMD USA | Creativity in media |
| Mar 2025 | Sheena Butler-Young | Senior Correspondent, Business of Fashion | Media and sustainability |
| Mar 2025 | Emily Ferretti | Director, AlixPartners | B2B marketing careers |
| Mar 2025 | Patrick Murphy | Associate Dean, Temple University | Global media discourse |
| Mar 2025 | Delaney Dryfoos | Environmental Reporter, The Lens NOLA | Environmental reporting |
Stay Connected
Follow the department for event announcements:
