Alumnus Shawn VanCour Wins Outstanding Dissertation Award

The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) has named Comm Arts alumnus Shawn VanCour the recipient of the 19th annual Kenneth Harwood Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Established in 1955, the BEA is a professional association for professors, industry professionals and graduate students who are interested in teaching and research related to electronic media and multimedia enterprises. The Outstanding Dissertation Award is named for Kenneth Harwood, former president of the BEA and Professor of Communication at the University of Houston. The annual award recognizes the top national dissertation in broadcasting and electronic media.

Shawn is a 2008 Ph.D. in the Department of Communication Arts in theMedia and Cultural Studies graduate program. The title of his dissertation is “The Sounds of ‘Radio’: A Cultural History of Radio’s Aesthetic Definition as a Broadcast Medium for Aural Communications in 1920s America.” At present, Shawn is a visiting assistant professor of cinema and media studies at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Congratulations, Shawn!