Max McCoy, assistant professor of journalism and the faculty adviser for The Bulletin, was recently named the 2013-2014 Distinguished Adviser for four-year university newspapers by the College Media Association, a national organization representing college newspaper advisors around the country.
When McCoy first heard the news on Saturday, Aug. 31, he said he was humbled to be counted among the advisers who received the award before him.
“I was taken back and quite grateful, as well,” McCoy said.
Colleague Mel Storm, professor of English and chair of the English department said an honor like this was well overdue for McCoy.
“My first thought was, ‘Well, it’s about time,’” Storm said. “His work with student publications has been invaluable.”
McCoy began advising The Bulletin in 2007. In this position, he said he has provided feedback and suggestions about students’ work. Most importantly, he said, he has been the student newspaper’s advocate.
Steve Listopad, chair of the CMA awards committee, said McCoy’s emphasis on student advocacy was evident.
“It was apparent that Max was willing to stand behind his students during difficult situations,” Listopad said. “It is the mark of a great adviser when, instead of dealing with overwhelming circumstances themselves, they lift students up and teach them how to respond.”
This isn’t the first time an advisor for The Bulletin has been recognized by the CMA. Sally Turner, who has since joined the journalism department of Eastern Illinois University, was named an Honor Roll Advisor in 1998.
Kenzie Templeton, graduate English student and former editor-in-chief of The Bulletin, nominated McCoy for the award. She said he recognizes the importance of listening to students.
“That’s a rare quality to find in an advisor, regardless of if it’s an a academic advisor or a newspaper advisor,” Templeton said.
McCoy, who obtained a Master’s in English at ESU in 1993 and worked as a graduate teaching assistant in the same department, said he developed an interest for teaching very quickly.
“I’d done a lot of writing workshops in my career, having both been a journalist and a novelist, and I found that I enjoy talking about writing and talking about journalism,” McCoy said.
Before coming to Emporia State in 2006 as journalist-in–residence, McCoy was the investigative journalist for the Joplin Globe in Joplin, Mo. At the Globe, he won first-place awards for writing long-form articles about unsolved murders, serial killers, and white supremacist groups in the Ozarks.
In addition to advising the newspaper, McCoy teaches journalism courses, such as Investigative Reporting and Photojournalism and has published more than 20 fictional novels.
This semester, McCoy is on sabbatical tracking the Arkansas River from its headwaters in Colorado down to the Kansas plains for a nonfiction book about the natural and cultural history of the river. His methods for following the Arkansas have included driving a jeep, kayaking, and even mountain biking.
Storm said it will be a good thing when McCoy returns from sabbatical in the spring semester. “We really miss having him around.”
The Distinguished Adviser Award will be presented to McCoy at the National College Media Convention in New Orleans, La. on Oct. 25.
