Vis Com professor wins academic excellence award

Denise McGill, an assistant professor in visual communications, was recently selected as the winner of the 2009 Beckman Stewart Academic Excellence award presented by the Southern Short Course in News Photography.

The award is based upon excellence in teaching, outstanding service to the photojournalism community, a successful practitioner career, and a strong ability as a mentor.

McGill was picked from among 200 other candidates for the award. She was recognized earlier this month during the Southern Short Course in News Photography’s photojournalism seminar in Charlotte. Three students and two alumni accompanied her to the SSC seminar.

McGill teaches courses in photography and visual communications at USC and she is the secretary of the National Press Photographers Association. She started a student chapter of the National Press Photographers at USC this past fall.

The Southern Short Course in News Photography is America's longest-running photojournalism seminar. Originally founded by the Carolinas Press Photographers Association, the SSC is now a non-profit independent organization.