Throughout 2020 and 2025, the School of Communications and the Department of Theatre and Media Arts have continued to evolve to support students and their learning on and off campus. Check out some highlights of the past few years below!
COMMS
School of Communications Announces Changes to Journalism Labs | 2021
In 1878, BYU’s first student news publication began, and in the decades since then, the program has gone through many changes to better support students and give them meaningful experiential learning opportunities. In 2021, the BYU journalism lab implemented a two track approach to the program. Digital news would still be published, and a magazine style news periodical was introduced that fall. Meanwhile, the broadcast TV news program transitioned to an online video news show rather than a five-day-per-week traditional local TV news model.
BYU School of Communications Launches PR Intelligence Lab | 2021
In 2021, the School of Communications launched the Public Relations Intelligence Lab, led by faculty and run by students. The research-driven lab provides students with hands-on experience crafting public relations campaigns for real clients.
BYU AdLab Recognized Internationally for its Exemplary Students and Faculty | 2024
2024 marked another successful year for BYU’s AdLab. In Coca Cola’s Refreshing Film contest, students took first place, and the lab swept the best commercial category at the 2024 Student Emmys. BYU faculty member Jeff Sheets won the “Distinguished Educator of the Year” award from the American Advertising Foundation.
First Annual Comms Career Fair | 2025
2025 marked the School of Communication’s first annual career fair, in which students had the opportunity to connect with industry professionals and explore career opportunities in the field of communications.
Public Relations Students Gain Real-World Insight at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital | 2024
In the spring of 2024, communications professor Pamela Brubaker traveled to Memphis, Tennessee with several public relations students to learn from communications professionals at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — including the change management team and the Strategic Communication, Education and Outreach team.
TMA
The Cast of ‘Babe, the Sheep Pig” Brings the Magic of Theatre Beyond BYU to Young Audiences | 2024
BYU’s Young Company brings theatre productions to young audiences around Utah each year. Student performers in 2024’s production of “Babe, the Sheep Pig” utilized puppets made out of repurposed household items to foster interaction with and participation from the children during each show.
Broadway and West End’s Ramin Karimloo Talks Performance, Faith and the Creative Process With BYU Students | 2025
Each year as part of the Bravo! Professional Performing Arts Series, BYU welcomes professional musicians and performers to share their talents and industry experience with the campus community. In 2025, Broadway and West End’s Ramin Karimloo connected with students in a Q&A before his performances in the Music Building that weekend.
The Making of a Thriller: Behind the Scenes of Wait Until Dark | 2023
In 2023, BYU Theatre brought a production of the spine-chilling thriller “Wait Until Dark” to the West Campus Studio Theatre. The 1960s classic tells the story of Susy Hendrix and the three conmen she outsmarts in her apartment. “‘Wait Until Dark’ is one of those theatre classics that has stood the test of time and continues to delight audiences year after year because of the great script writing and clever staging,” said director David Morgan.
CFAC Faculty Reflect on History and Memories of the Harris Fine Arts Center | 2023
After the Harris Fine Arts Center was torn down in preparation for the construction of the new arts building on campus, several CFAC faculty took a walk down memory lane and reflected upon what the HFAC meant to them.
From Script to Stitch: How BYU's Costume Design Program Shapes Future Designers | 2024
BYU Theatre’s production of “Men on Boats” would be incomplete without its costume design by student Lucy Maucotel. “I wanted the costumes to represent the characters’ personalities so the audience could get to know them right away,” she said. “I love helping the characters come to life through costume design.”
Students in the Department of Theatre and Media Arts' Scene Shop Immerse Themselves in Scenic Design | 2024
In the Department of Theatre and Media Arts’ scene shop, BYU students get valuable experience creating sets for BYU Theatre productions. “The scene shop is a place where students, both in our majors and in other majors, can learn practical skills and the artistic processes necessary to put a show on stage,” said TMA department chair Megan Sanborn Jones.
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