Charles Mason

Department Chair

Digital Journalism

Bunnell 102D

Professor Charles Mason has taught photography and photojournalism at UAF since 1990. He actively and passionately pursues all kinds of photography. His work has garnered numerous awards including the Oskar Barnack Award at World Press Photo, POY awards, and others. He's also had a number of solo shows in and out of Alaska. His prints are in the collection of many individuals and museums.

Mason's photographs have been published widely, including in the New York Times, Outside Magazine, Time, LIFE and even The Weekly Reader. The cover of the bestselling book "Water for Elements" features a photograph he took here at a small circus here in Fairbanks. He's been in Pictures of the Year issues of Time, LIFE, Stern, and the Photography Annuals of PDN and Communication Arts.

Dr. Peter DeCaro

Associate Professor

Communication

Bunnell 105B

Dr. Amy May

Assistant Professor

Communication

BUNN 102

Dr. Amy May
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Dr. May's current scholarship focuses on understanding gender and power disparities in the #MeToo movement along with how power may be used in digital media to silence marginalized and disenfranchised populations, excluding them from conversations regarding climate change and environmental science. Dr. May’s research has been published in Journal of Communication Pedagogy, Teaching in Higher Education, and Qualitative Research Reports in Communication. Dr. May also presents at regional, national, and international conferences, including the National Communication Association (NCA) and International Communication Association (ICA). She served as editor for Supporting the Military-Affiliated Learner: Communication Approaches to Military Pedagogy and Education(Lexington, 2020) and Women of the Wild: Challenging Gender Disparities in Field Stations and Marine Laboratories (Lexington, 2022). Dr. May also serves as the current Director of the Public Speaking Center and Graduate Student Coordinator for the MA in Professional Communication.  

How do I feel about the upcoming semester? As we continue to navigate this pandemic, I am inspired by our students who continue to prioritize their education. I feel honored to be part of their academic journey! Together we can get through this and come out stronger on the other side.

Robert W. Prince

Associate Professor

Digital Journalism

Bunnell 105C

M.A. Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media, Michigan State University
B.A. Communication Arts & Sciences, Calvin College

Professor Prince joined the Journalism Department in 2005.  He specializes in video production and documentary filmmaking for the UAF Journalism Department.  He has been working in video production since 1993.  He began his post-college career at Kurtis Productions in Chicago, a documentary production company owned by the journalist and television personality Bill Kurtis.  He went on to produce and direct live television programming for the PBS affiliate WGVU-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan and then ran the video production department at Calvin College.  His award-winning documentary films have been broadcast internationally.  His documentary "Making Choices" won the audience-choice award at the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival and is available on Amazon and Netflix.  He is currently working on a documentary film about buying a DeLorean sports car and driving it up to Alaska.  In 2013 Professor Prince was nominated and selected as one of eight UAF faculty fellows to serve as part of the Chancellor’s Program for Innovation in Technology and Elearning (CITE).

Dr. Kevin Sager

Associate Professor

Communication

Bunnell 101C

I joined the Department of Communication Faculty in 2010. I have a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Washington, a M.S. Ed. in Counseling and Counselor Education from Indiana University, and a B.S. in Psychology and Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

My academic interests include statistics, quantitative research methods, organizational communication, interpersonal communication, and small group communication. My current research focuses on superior-subordinate communication.

J. Jason Lazarus

Term Instructor in Photography / Computer Systems Analyst / Darkroom Labs Manager

Digital Journalism

Bunnell 114

M.F.A. '14, Photography, Academy of Arts University, San Francisco

Jason Lazarus provides our technology-dependent department with its life support, keeping our computers, cameras, recorders, microphones, printers and all the rest of our gear in operating condition. He is a graduate of our very own department, with a degree in Photojournalism. Jason has been with us since 2004, taking over the management of our computer labs and traditional darkrooms.  Since 2005, he's served as an adjunct (and recently as term instructor) for the department teaching both film and digital versions of our photography courses and had developed courses in Alternative and Historical Photo Processes. His hobbies range from vintage video games to exploring abandoned mines and dredges. He has a lovely wife, Deanna, and a 11-year old son named Aidan.

Ed Husted

Associate Professor (Media Law)

Journalism

Brian Patrick O'Donoghue

Professor Emeritus

Digital Journalism

M.A. '85, Broadcast Journalism, New York University

B.A. '77, History, University of California, Santa Cruz

Professor Brian Patrick O’Donoghue recently received Alaska Press Club’s highest honor, the 2016 First Amendment Award, for “dogged persistence in pursuit of the truth.” The recognition follows more than a decade of student-assisted reporting that helped exonerate the Fairbanks Four, a group including three Native Alaskans, wrongfully incarcerated 18 years for a white teen’s 1997 murder.

O’Donoghue’s 35-year career spans print, broadcast and mobile journalism. He’s taken readers with him pulling 7Gs in a F-16, accompanying Stryker Brigade soldiers sweeping palm groves for weapons in Iraq, observing pipeline construction on Arctic Ocean’s ice in 70-below conditions.

Mindy O'Neall

Adjunct Lecturer

Communication

Mindy O'Neall has taught Communications in a Group Setting, Interpersonal Communication and Public Speaking for COJO. O'Neall graduated from Iowa State University in Public Relations and Business Communication and from UAF with a Master's Degree in Communications. Her interests are in organizational culture and communications, particularly in government. Mindy is the Executive Director of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center and the Presiding Officer of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly.

Elizabeth Daravivanh

Adjunct Lecturer

Communication

Bunn 106

Elizabeth Daravivanh has taught communication courses on the individual and small group contexts. Daravivanh graduated from UAF with her Undergrad in Communication and minor in Anthropology. She continues her education at UAF to receive a Master’s Degree in Professional Public Speaking. Her research focus has included Computer Mediated Communication, Interpersonal Relationships and Organizational communication. Her thesis work focused on mentorships within the collegiate student body, specifically international students who were attending a university. Above all, her fascination with intercultural communication continues to grow over the years as the world seems to become more and more connected with the use of Social Media and other technology-based platforms.

Thanh Nga Nguyen (Nani)

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Communication

BUNN 106

Thanh Nga Nguyen, known as “Nani”, joined the Communication and Journalism Department in Fall 2021 as an international graduate teaching assistant from Germany. Born and raised in Germany, she also has roots in Vietnam. Nguyen is currently pursuing her M.A. in Professional Communication while also teaching a communications course on the small group context. She also serves as the current Assistant Director and Coach of the Speaking Center. Nguyen graduated from UAF with her undergraduate in Psychology and minor in Management and Organizations in 2018. During her undergraduate studies, Nguyen swam for UAF as a collegiate athlete. Her research interests are in intercultural communication, mindset and communication, and interpersonal relationships. In her leisure time, Nguyen enjoys spending time with her partner and their two dogs, Odin and Koa. Nguyen is also passionate about personal development and the mind-body-spirit connection. She strives to keep her life balanced with swimming, yoga and meditation.

Courtney Pagh

Administrative Extraordinaire

Communication and Journalism

Bunnell 101

An almost life-long Alaskan with ties to UAF since the early 70's, I have been with the Department of Communication since 2010. My focus is on student success and I pride myself on being able to find creative solutions to student problems.