It’s hard to be famous for TV commercials, but Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey found a way to pull it off. His broody Lincoln Motor Co. ads are as captivating as they are amusing. In 2023, a select number of advertising and film students had an opportunity to study McConaughey’s commercial work — with the help of McConaughey himself, who is a Radio-Television-Film professor of practice — in a new course called Script to Screen: Commercials. The course, co-taught by Advertising & Public Relations associate professor Laura Bright and RTF associate professor of practice Scott Rice, guided students on how to produce commercials as part of the development and distribution of advertising campaigns, an asset for both advertising and film students. Students got unprecedented access to McConaughey’s scripts, shot lists, storyboards and behind-the-scenes footage. 

In 2023, a team of six public relations majors set out to educate college students about the dangers of mis- and disinformation as part of a PR campaign for the 2023 Bateman Case Study Competition. The competition, held annually by the Public Relations Student Society of America, gives students an opportunity to implement a PR campaign for a real client, including planning content, pitching to media and holding events. More than 75 teams enter the competition each year. This was Moody College's first time participating. Its client was the News Literacy Project, a nonprofit that helps people become more discerning news consumers. After conducting research, the team informed students by setting up a website with resources, holding a panel discussion and hosting a night playing the Mexican card game Lotería. 

“This is an experience like no other. You aren’t getting graded on it. You aren’t going to risk getting fired if you don’t do something right. We really are here to learn.” 

— Georgina Vargas, public relations major

In 2021, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling prompted the NCAA to change its rules to allow college athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness, a benefit that was previously only afforded to professional athletes. Advertising & Public Relations assistant professor of practice James Dalthorp saw an opportunity for Moody College to fill a very important space, helping student athletes learn about personal branding and what to do and not do when seeking sponsorship deals.

Dalthorp’s fall class, Impact of NIL in Sports, welcomed both student athletes and non-athletes and gave a broad history of the NCAA and NIL, as well as a basic understanding of social media and strategic branding. Students also had the opportunity to partner with Pluckers Wing Bar on a marketing campaign. The course is beneficial to more than just athletes, Dalthorp said, as many students go on to work as sports reporters, agents or social media managers. 

In September 2022, the unranked UT Austin football team locked horns with the No. 1 ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide in an epic battle. Before the final cannon blast and heartbreaking 20-19 Alabama victory, four students from each university were given the unique experience to cover behind-the-scenes of the event.

Reporters from local and national broadcast and print outlets donated their time and expertise to help the students understand how to cover major live sporting events. The four Moody College students acted as a press corps alongside Fox Sports and ESPN staff. The group visited the stadium press box with working journalists, got access to the field after the game and attended a post-game press conference with Texas players and coaches.

Moody College’s in-house podcast production house, The Drag Audio, couldn’t have made bigger waves when it first launched five years ago. Its inaugural podcast “The Orange Tree,” about the 2005 murder of Jennifer Cave, rose to the Top 25 in Apple Podcasts. At the time, The Drag just had five student staffers. Today, it’s grown to nearly 25 with more expansion on the way. The production house has 12 podcasts under its belt, including its newest, “Lady Bird,” released this year. Drag staffers have interviewed people in prison, mass shooting survivors and even the daughter of a president.

Additionally, Moody College now also has four audio classes for students — Audio Storytelling, Podcast Production, True Crime Podcasts and a capstone course in podcasting. This May, it also introduced a one-month travel podcasting class. Student work from this and other podcasting classes will soon be available to listen to on all podcasting platforms as part of The Drag.

— Katey Psencik Outka, managing director
                        of The Drag Audio