UFCJC Names Two Winners of the First Annual CJC Legends Award
Debbie Treise, former University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Advertising professor and senior associate dean for Graduate Studies and Research, and Jody Hedge, former UFCJC Graduate Division program assistant are the winners of the inaugural CJC Legends faculty staff awards. The awards will be presented at the College Awards Banquet on April 2.
Treise retired in 2023 after a 31-year tenure. She served as an assistant professor and ascended to associate professor in 1997 and professor in 2002. She was named associate dean of Graduate Studies in 2003 and senior associate dean of Graduate Studies and Research in 2013. She stepped down as senior associate dean in 2019 and continued teaching in the Advertising Department.
Among her major accomplishments are development and implementation of the STEM Translational Communication Center, Professional Master’s program, Science/Health Communication master’s track, the three-study dissertation and advocacy for a support system for grants including hiring a staff member to support grants full-time. She received $1.4 million in grants from funding organizations such as NASA, the Kaiser Family Foundation and UF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Treise was the first UFCJC professor to receive a UF Research Faculty fellowship. She won the College Research Award twice and received UF’s Outstanding Doctoral Mentorship Award in 2010 and 2019.
In that time, she supported more than 2,000 master’s students and more than 250 doctoral students. She possessed an extensive knowledge of university graduate school rules, established many of the division’s administrative processes and demonstrated genuine compassion for students, faculty and fellow staff.
Hedge retired from UFCJC as Graduate Division program assistant in 2020 after nearly 30 years at the College. In that time, she supported more than 2,000 master’s students and more than 250 doctoral students. She possessed an extensive knowledge of university graduate school rules, established many of the division’s administrative processes and demonstrated genuine compassion for students, faculty and fellow staff.
The Legends Award was created to recognize former faculty and staff who made significant contributions to the College during their tenure. The faculty award recognizes demonstrated excellence in and commitment to teaching, research and/or student performance, were instrumental in the College’s growth and establishment of new programs, worked to advance and strengthen UFCJC’s mission and strategic goals and had a positive impact on students’ careers and lives.
The staff awards honors former staff members who demonstrated excellence in and commitment to their area of work, were instrumental in the growth of the College and its programs, went above and beyond to advance and strengthen the UFCJC mission and strategic goals, and had a positive impact amongst their colleagues and/or students.
Legends nominees were required to have worked for the College for at least 10 years and have been retired for at least one year or were no longer able to work because of a serious health condition. Winners were selected by a CJC Legends team that included two members from both the Faculty Welfare and Development Committee and two people from the Staff Council.
Category: College News
Tagged: CJC Legends Debbie Treise Graduate Studies and Research Jody Hedge
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