Two Women Join the Journalism Faculty at the University of Southern Mississippi

The School of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg has the announced the appointment of two women to its permanent faculty.

Vanessa Murphree was named associate professor. She has been serving as an associate professor at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. Dr. Murphree is the author of The Selling of Civil Rights: The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Use of Public Relations (Routledge, 2006). She is teaching courses on public relations and media history.

Dr. Murphree holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama. She earned a Ph.D. in mass communications from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Gina Chen was appointed assistant professor and is teaching courses in newspaper and online journalism. She has been a newspaper and reporter with most of her experience at the Syracuse Post-Standard.

Dr. Chen holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University.