Department of Journalism and Mass Communications
Samford University - Birmingham, AL
Dr. Dennis R. Jones is a well-known figure in the Samford Journalism Department. Students recognize his welcoming smile, contagious laughter, and teaching style. He has been a part of the Samford community for 15 years and has helped develop and maintain the department ever since he signed on in 1991. He is the publisher and creator of Exodus magazine and he has helped enhance and create four new courses in the journalism department. Though he has spent fifteen successful years at Samford, his career in journalism and media did not start there.
Dr. Jones received a Bachelor of Science in English and Secondary Education from Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana. Following his time at Manchester College, Dr. Jones went to study at the University of South Carolina, where he received his Masters degree in News/Editorial Journalism, Mass Communication Research. After completing the Master’s program he received his PhD in 1982 from the University of South Carolina in the fields of Computer Science, Higher Education, Social Science Research Methods and Journalism and Mass Communication.
Dr. Jones has accomplished much in the academic world, but he has also obtained numerous achievements in the professional world as well. He has a long list of employment that began with teaching high school English and coaching wrestling, to working with the St. Petersburg Times in Florida and The State newspaper of Columbia, South Carolina.
Following his time as a high school teacher and after working with newspapers, Dr. Jones went on to work at the University of South Carolina as their director of the South Carolina Scholastic Press Association (scSPA). While working at USC, Dr. Jones brought the college into the computer-typesetting era and helped to expand the colleges advanced news-writing courses.
A year after he became part of the faculty at the USC, Dr. Jones took a job at the University of Southern Mississippi where he was appointed Department of Journalism chair in 1984. He worked there until he joined the faculty at Radford University in Radford, Virginia. At Radford he took on the responsibility of associate professor, teaching four classes a semester. In 1991, Dr. Jones left Radford and joined the Journalism Department at Samford University where he is still working today.
In addition to his thorough teaching background, Dr. Jones' work has been published in the Journalism Educator, The Columbia Record, Creative Strategy in Advertising, and The Basic Reporting Laboratory Manual. Along with being published Dr. Jones has been honored and awarded many times for his work in journalism education.
Alongside his career accomplishments, Dr. Jones has personal accomplishments as well. He is married with two daughters and is an active member at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Hoover, Alabama. He enjoys woodworking and reading.
Office: University Center Annex, Room 103
Phone: (205) 726-2167
E-mail: drjones@samford.edu