JMS News

SDSU alumna Bailee Hicks turned her lifelong passion for digital creation into a career in social media strategy, crafting content for major brands while drawing on curiosity, collaboration and the creative foundation she built at SDSU.

SDSU alumna Jamie Ballard built a versatile freelance writing career shaped by her Daily Aztec newsroom experience, blending data storytelling, cultural reporting and immersive interviewing while encouraging students to pursue connections and follow stories that inspire them.

SDSU graduate student Naiima Paul examines Doechii and Flo Milli’s lyrics to show how Black women rappers reclaim language, challenge stereotypes and reshape representations of femininity through hip-hop–blending personal identity with academic research.

SDSU will launch a Spring 2026 course on Bad Bunny, taught by Dr. Nathian Rodriguez, exploring the artist’s cultural, political, and media impact through pop culture pedagogy, identity analysis, and critical examinations of gender, representation, and Puerto Rican history.

The former director of the School of Communication is remembered as a calm presence and valuable mentor.

J. Fred Sidhu, an SDSU alumnus and longtime media professional, built a 25-year journalism career before transitioning to tennis media relations, where his passion, volunteer work and respect for others led him to cover major tournaments worldwide.

Graduate student Alex Hopp’s thesis explores how pop artist Chappell Roan’s boundary-setting with fans reveals a cultural shift in celebrity-fan relationships, emphasizing that authenticity and connection can coexist with privacy and self-protection in digital fandoms.

Students attended a Screening Circle at SDSU’s Montezuma Theatre to watch Muslim Matchmaker and discuss media representation, exploring how diverse portrayals of Muslim identities challenge stereotypes and promote cultural understanding on campus.

The School of Journalism and Media Studies opened the Ion | Behar Family Student Lounge and Studios, a new space in Adams Humanities for JMS students to study, connect, and relax — reflecting the school’s commitment to community, creativity, and student-centered spaces.

SDSU graduate student Noemi Portillo is researching how generational differences shape how Latinos interpret political messages, aiming to improve communication with multicultural communities while balancing full-time work and her master’s studies under advisor Dr. Kaye Sweetser.