Harris named Student Publications Council chair

John Harris has been appointed chair of the Student Publications Council, effective Sept. 15. An associate professor of Journalism, Harris earned his doctorate at the University of Washington and has more than 20 years of professional experience as a reporter, editor, photographer and investigative journalist.

John Harris will be replacing Peggy Watt, who will be on sabbatical beginning fall quarter.

“Our student publications are an important public face of the university and provide a rich array of professional opportunities for students preparing for careers in writing, publishing, sales, communication, design and public relations,” noted Steve VanderStaay, who serves as the president’s designee to the SPC.

“John was everyone’s first choice for chair,” VanderStaay said. “We are very pleased he has accepted this position and extremely appreciative of the leadership that Peggy Watt, and each of the publication’s advisers, has provided over the past three years.”

Western’s student publications have been awarded numerous state and national awards. These awards cut across multiple categories, including writing, photography, design and advertisement design.

The Planet magazine was named as one of the nation’s best three student magazines by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Last year’s winter edition of Klipsun won first place in the magazine design category of the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication’s college journalism awards.

For the second year in a row, Western publications won the Sweepstakes award from the Washington Press Association for the most awards given to entries from a single college.

Western’s student publications include The Western Front, Klipsun Magazine, The Planet, and Jeopardy, the student literary magazine. Occam’s Razor, a scholarly journal for students, was added to the SPC this year.