Dr. Elizabeth Cox, a recent graduate of the Gaylord College doctoral program, has joined the faculty of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. She serves as an assistant professor, teaching in the Sports Media and Society and Digital Marketing Communications, Advertising and Public Relations concentrations.
Now in her first semester at KU, Cox said she is most excited about connecting with students and building her research program. “I’m teaching two classes this semester, and I’ve enjoyed learning more about the curriculum and the opportunities open to students in our school,” she said. “I’m also really looking forward to diving into my research agenda. I’ve already been able to grow my collaboration network in the months after graduation, and I can’t wait to build some collaborations here at KU.”
Cox said her time at Gaylord College prepared her well for the transition to faculty life. “By my final year at OU, I was already doing most aspects of the job, so I felt very prepared for the role,” she said. “The structure of the doctoral program allowed me to gain experience teaching my own class and leading research projects, with and without faculty assistance. I give a lot of credit to my dissertation chair, Dr. Jensen Moore, for her support since my first day in the program.”
She added that Gaylord’s collaborative culture and leadership helped her grow both personally and professionally. “The supportive community of faculty, staff, and leadership really helped to uplift me during my time at OU and on the job market,” Cox said. “Whenever I had a question or concern, I was met with individuals who wanted to lend a hand and find a solution. I think one sign of a strong program is that its leadership knows it can improve year-after-year. Over the last four years, while I’ve continued to learn and become my own scholar, the program itself has also continued to learn and improve as it adapts to the current academic environment.”
Some of Cox’s favorite memories from Gaylord came from the graduate student community. “The weekly writing groups, monthly brown bag presentations, and social events through our Graduate Student Association were some of my favorite moments at Gaylord,” she said. “One moment that really stands out is our graduate student research showcase, where a few of the students presented about their research agenda. It was the first time we really got to hear about each of our interests and current studies outside of a classroom setting, which usually only focused on our class’s final project.”
For current students hoping to follow a similar path, Cox encourages patience and perspective. “This process will be a marathon, and everyone’s marathon is different,” she said. “While we all might ‘run the same race,’ we do it at our own pace, in our own way, and on our own course. I also hope that you take time to really enjoy the process by celebrating every win, big or small, and building community with the graduate students around you.”
