Christine Lemesianou
Associate Dean, College of the Arts
Christine is a teacher and scholar in Communication and Media and works with SCM faculty to create exciting summer programs for high school students. She teaches courses in Viral Media, Globalization and Media, and Persuasive Transmedia Campaigns and works collaboratively with various organizations and non-profit groups to create opportunities for students to complete applied projects that serve the needs of local communities. In her work, she investigates how individuals, communities, corporations, journalists and the media use digital technologies and social platforms to participate in and influence public dialogue and public life.
Thomas Franklin
Associate Professor of Multimedia Journalism; Co-director of the Summer Workshop
Thomas E. Franklin is an Assistant Professor in Multiplatform Journalism, bringing a wealth of journalism experience to his teaching after nearly 30-years as an award winning news photographer and video journalist. For the past 23-years he worked for The Record and the newspaper’s website Northjersey.com covering a wide range of assignments, including 9/11, hurricane disasters, Presidential inaugurations, the Super Bowl, the World Series, and the NBA and NHL Finals. His work has been recognized by national organizations such as Picture of the Year International, National Press Photographers Association, and the Society of Professional Journalists.
Tara George
Associate Professor of Local Journalism
Professor George has worked as a reporter in Singapore, London, New York and New Jersey. She began her career as a newspaper journalist and has evolved with the times, telling stories across platforms. Her work has appeared in The New York Daily News, where she was a staff writer, The New York Times, New Jersey Monthly magazine and NJTV. At Montclair State, she is adviser to the independent student news organization, The Montclarion, and is working with the students to steer the paper to a digital-first approach to news.
Marc Rosenweig
Associate Professor of Television & Digital Media (RET.)
For a decade, Marc RosenweIg was an associate professor of Television and Digital Media at Montclair State University. Prior to that, he spent more than 30 years as a television reporter, producer, executive producer and program executive. He was a member of program management teams that launched CNBC and the YES Network for the New York Yankees. At MSU, he was one of the founders of the School of Communication & Media plus he was one of the creators of the Journalism major. In addition, he launched the school’s highly successful mentorship program, which pairs students with alumni and others to provide guidance as students prepare to enter the media industry. Marc received the L.J. Hortin Distinguished Alumnus Award from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. He also has a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Steve McCarthy
News & Video Production
Steve McCarthy is an Emmy Award winning Network Television News producer with 30 years of experience. He was a staff producer on programs such as “60 Minutes” and “Dateline” before starting McCarthy Productions, Inc in 2001. His clients include CBS News, NBC News, MSBC, CNBC, Charlie Rose, Dan Rather Reports and others, including corporations and trade associations. Since joining Montclair State University as Professional Staff, McCarthy has been executive producer of 5 webcasts on subjects including Bullying, The Arab Spring and 9/11. He has taken students to Bermuda, Tunisia, Austria, Italy and Jordan on reporting and documentary projects.
Anabella Poland
General Manager of WMSC Radio
Anabella Poland is the General Manager of WMSC-FM. Before joining Montclair State University, she was the Director of Talent & Industry Relations at SiriusXM Radio, where she negotiated and managed interviews, events and performances with A-level Hollywood actors, celebrities and musicians for more than 135 SiriusXM channels. Prior to joining SiriusXM, she was a Segment Producer at ABC News Good Morning America where she booked and produced breaking news, cultural stories, entertainment and the summer concert series. Ms. Poland brings to MSU a unique combination of extensive experience in broadcast journalism, content development, programming, music discovery and production, social media, film and professional contacts that span the globe.
Joe Amditis
Associate Director of the Center for Cooperative Media
Joe Amditis is the associate director of the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. He graduated from Rutgers University in 2013 with a BA in criminal justice and political science. At Rutgers, he co-founded Muckgers Media, a digital-first investigative publication serving the Rutgers community. Joe specializes in backpack journalism and shoestring media production. He organizes and leads training sessions for independent and entrepreneurial journalists to help them better understand and use the various tools at their disposal – without breaking the bank. Joe recently earned an MA in Social Journalism from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
Mark Effron
Professor of Journalism
Mark Effron is a professor of Journalism, TV and Digital Media at Montclair State University, and coordinator of the News Lab in the School of Communication and Media. Before joining Montclair State, Mark was a veteran news executive, holding top positions at such companies as MSNBC, The Washington Post television stations, New York Public Radio, and Tribune Media. What Mark loves most about being at Montclair ia working with committed and passionate students. Mark lives with his wife Anne in West Orange. They have two grown children and one grandchild, Irving, named after his late father.
Vernard Gantt
Adjunct Professor of Journalism and TV Production
For 35 years Gantt worked at ABC, fX, FOX News, NBC, MSNBC, and finally WNBC, managing events that included Presidential debates, political conventions and five Inaugurations, entertainment productions, international remotes, football, basketball and the Olympics – giving him an insider’s understanding of how television production works. Gantt had been retired for only a few months before coming to Montclair State University to help educate a new generation of students that will become the next industry leaders keeping the machine called ‘television’ running smoothly.
Kelly Whiteside
Assistant Professor of Sports Media and Journalism
Kelly Whiteside, an assistant professor of Sports Media and Journalism at Montclair State, brings her experience as a sports journalist into the classroom, focusing on critical issues in sport and their impact on society. At USA Today, she was the lead Olympics writer, World Cup soccer writer and the national college football writer. Prior to USA Today, she was a reporter at Newsday and a staff writer at Sports Illustrated. She is also a contributor to the New York Times.
Keith Strudler
Director of the School of Communication and Media
Keither Strudler was the founder and director of the Marist College Center for Sports Communication and associate professor of communication, Strudler will lead a range of groundbreaking, cross-disciplinary communication, television and digital media programs – including production and sound, filmmaking, journalism, public and organizational relations, and health communication. The Montclair State University School of Communication and Media provides students with the hands-on tools, focused coursework, instruction and internships needed to succeed in the communication and media industries. The School moved into a new cutting-edge facility this fall.
Elena Plumser
Production Assistant for Broadcast and Media Operations; Coordinator of the Summer Workshop
Elena graduated from the School of Communication and Media in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Television and Digital Media. Throughout all four years, she worked as a Student Assistant and Open House Coordinator for the College of the Arts’ Dean’s Office. She spent the majority of her days in SCM’s newsroom producing and editing for “Montclair News Lab” weekly broadcast. All through senior year, she spent a part of every week interning for NBC Studios in Rockefeller Plaza. For the last 3 years, Elena has continuously worked on the crew in our TV studios for various client shoots and partakes in other outside freelance opportunities as well.