IDS publisher to be given award

Adjunct journalism professor and Indiana Daily Student publisher David Adams will be honored with the Educator of the Year award by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Aug. 5. The award, given annually by the Scholastic Journalism Division of the AEJMC, will be given at the organization's conference in Toronto, Ontario.\n"I was surprised when they called," Adams said, explaining that this particular award is typically given to researchers in the field of scholastic journalism. He said he considers himself less of a researcher and more of an instructor. \n"I have spent most of my career on the 'practical side' of journalism, which is why this honor came as such a surprise," Adams said.\nAdams has garnered a number of awards in his almost 30-year career, including two Fulbright fellowships and an induction into the College Media Advisers Hall of Fame in 1997. He has been on the IU faculty since 1989, when he became the publisher of both the IDS and Arbutus yearbook.\n"I don't teach to win awards, though that is a nice part of it," Adams said. "I do it for the students who go on to become members of the media after their time here -- that is the real award."\nIU journalism professor David Weaver said he was pleased to hear that Adams won the award,\n"This is great for him and also for IU," Weaver said.\nAdams has twice received Fulbright fellowships to teach abroad, spending time in both Zambia and China. He embraced the opportunity to work with students in places where journalists' rights differ greatly from those in America. \n"My greatest experience in China was convincing school officials to publish an uncensored English-language newspaper," Adams said. "In both countries I taught in I definitely learned far more from the people I worked with than I gave to them."\nIDS Editorial Adviser Beth Moellers said she worked closely with Adams when she was the IDS editor in chief in the fall of 1998. \n"(The AEJMC) couldn't find a more deserving person. He supports students on all levels. He is one of their strongest advocates," Moellers said. "He has really gotten the IDS to a place that is financially stable, which really helps support the students. He is really strong at being a great asset to students whenever they need something."\nIU journalism professor Jack Dvorak echoed Moellers' praise. \n"Dave does an excellent job in working with those high school teachers-to-be," Dvorak said in a press release. "Student evaluations of teaching are overwhelmingly strong, and Dave does so many unique things with the students. For example, this past semester -- as in previous years -- he has had students analyze the media programs in area schools as part of their studies. These observational opportunities, with the accompanying expectation for evaluation, have proven invaluable for students."\nAdams said he still has a lot to accomplish, even within the walls of the IDS. \n"I want more international students involved here," he said. "With the population of international students being as high as it is, there should be more voices being heard."\nAdams said the key to his success has been trusting and respecting his students.\n"The more you give to the people you teach, the more they give you, and the more they learn," he said. "That's why I teach."\n-- Contact staff writer Lou Capwell at lcapwell@indiana.edu.