Source: Angela Powers, 785-532-3963, apowers@k-state.edu
Website: http://jmc.k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Kristin Copeland, 785-532-3952, kmc6644@k-state.edu

Thursday, July 1, 2010

FORMER CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR PHOTOJOURNALIST JOINING K-STATE'S A.Q. MILLER SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS

MANHATTAN -- A former Christian Science Monitor photojournalist and multimedia producer is joining the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Kansas State University.

Andrew Nelson, a Topeka native who earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from K-State in 1987, will be joining the school's faculty in August as an assistant professor and R.M. Seaton Chair.

Nelson is currently an independent photojournalist and multimedia producer based out of Bangkok, Thailand. His clients have included Habitat for Humanity International and Getty Images. Nelson worked at the Christian Science Monitor for more than a decade and was a staff photographer at the Register-Guard in Eugene, Ore., and The Kansas City Times. In addition, he has taught at the University of Oregon as an adjunct instructor.

"I'm looking forward to returning to my alma mater to help inspire a new generation of journalists in an era of rapid change. Convergent journalism and new media offer great opportunities for compelling storytelling, and I am excited to bring my experience from the field into the classroom," Nelson said.

R.M. Seaton, the late editor and publisher of the Coffeyville (Kan.) Journal, established the Seaton chair in 1981 to attract top news professionals with substantive careers "who will help link the newsroom and the classroom to effectively educate future journalists."

"We are fortunate to have such strong ties with the Seaton family, owners of the Manhattan Mercury, which provides funding for the Seaton Chair. This relationship creates the best possible situation for our students," said Angela Powers, director and professor of the Miller School.

"The Seaton family has been synonymous with journalistic excellence, and I am honored to be named R.M. Seaton Professional Journalism Chair," Nelson said.

While working for the Christian Science Monitor out of Bangkok, Nelson covered stories in Vietnam, Japan and China and produced on-deadline multimedia pieces from the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. Out of the publication's D.C. office, he worked on stories in more than 30 countries. He covered the Kosovo refugee crisis, the 2000 and 2004 U.S. presidential campaigns, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.

"Nelson’s experience with prestigious newspapers such as the Christian Science Monitor is exactly what we seek in the Seaton Chair. He brings an international perspective to our program and up-to-date multimedia skills that our students will relish," Powers said. "He also understands the needs of our students and community, having served as an editor-in-residence for our student newspaper a few years ago."

Nelson has received numerous awards from the White House News Photographers Association as well an Award of Excellence from the Society for Newspaper Design.

K-State's A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications, established in 1910, has three sequences: advertising, journalism and digital media, and public relations. The undergraduate programhas an enrollment of about 650 students; the graduate program has about 20 students. The school is accredited by The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.