Nicholls State University Department of Mass Communication is set to launch the Nancy Sanderson Matherne Institute for Global Communications, a program that will connect Nicholls to the world by providing a global communications structure that will aid its local community, faculty, staff and students. Nicholls will select a group of students to be institute recipients in the initial year, and successful candidates will participate in an international campaign, working directly with an international client and traveling to the United Kingdom to pitch their campaign to a panel of communications specialists and the project client.
The institute was created and funded by Dr. Brian Matherne, a Houma physician, and his daughter Kellie Daniels, a lecturer in public relations and corporate communications at Newcastle University in England, to honor his mother Nancy Sanderson Matherne, United Kingdom native, long-time Terrebonne Parish resident and first female member of Terrebonne Parish School Board. Establishing the institute will pay tribute to Nancy’s impact on education in South Louisiana and the role of travel in understanding and communicating in different cultural contexts.
“We are thrilled to be able to open the door to international travel and global communications opportunities to the students at Nicholls State University and hope this link opens the door to further cultural programs and exchanges. Like Granny always used to say, ‘Travel really is the best education,'” said Kellie Daniels, granddaughter of Nancy Sanderson Matherne and institute co-founder.
The Nancy Sanderson Matherne Institute for Global Communications will provide collaborative opportunities for Nicholls’ Mass Communication program by partnering with international universities, specifically Newcastle University in England, to expand the understanding and practice of international communications.
“We are delighted to be able to provide such exciting international experience to our students to broaden their understanding of global communications and to share that knowledge with our local community. It is a unique offering and invaluable to have the opportunity to travel to the UK to build collaborative campaigns which will inform and improve our global communication skills. Together, we can carve a path for world-class education to ensure our students, and as a result our communities, have a bright future,” said Dr. James Stewart, Mass Communication department head at Nicholls State University.
The Nancy Sanderson Global Communications Institute is to be funded through private donations, grants to the institute and support from Nicholls State University. To learn more about investing in Nicholls, visit nichollsfoundation.org.
The Nicholls State University Department of Mass Communication offers multiple concentration areas of study, state-of-the-art facilities, opportunities to join student publications or organizations, and an internship program designed to give students practical experience to accompany their classroom education. The faculty strives to help develop students’ professional skills and values needed for successful careers in mass-media-related fields, working to ensure skills courses reflect current industry standards. To learn more visit, www.nicholls.edu/maco.