Faculty | Journalism | SIU

School of Journalism and Advertising

Dong Han’s education shifted from English language and literature to law and finally to media and communications research. From 1999 to 2004, he was a lawyer at the Legal Office of China Central Television, China’s national TV network. As a researcher, he is interested in how market relations expand and deepen in a wide array of media and cultural sectors. His papers appeared in journals including Media, Culture & Society, International Journal of Communication, and Television & New Media.

Dr. Xinle Jia is an Assistant Professor in the School of Journalism and Advertising. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023, an M.Phil. from the University of Hong Kong in 2016, and a B.A. from Fudan University in China in 2014.Her research focuses on misinformation, media effects, democratic deliberation, public news consumption, and the intersection of AI and misinformation. Dr. Jia teaches a variety of courses, including Quantitative Research Methods, Introduction to Mass Communication Research, Social Media, AI, and Misinformation, and Strategic Communication.

School of Journalism and Advertising

Bridget Lescelius’ career spans over 30 years in advertising and marketing, including vice president and partner of Spark in Phoenix, Arizona; senior associate of marketing at the Institute for Supply Management in Tempe, Arizona; co-founder and principal at The Big Idea, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia; senior account executive at The Washington Agency in Washington, D.C.

Molly Parker-Stephens is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience writing for regional and national publications. Her byline has appeared in national publications including ProPublica, the New York Times and Mother Jones and in numerous regional publications throughout Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina and Mississippi. Parker is a working journalist writing for Capitol News Illinois, the nonprofit arm of the Illinois Press Foundation whose stories about state government are distributed to more than 800 newspaper and broadcast media outlets. Parker is also a ProPublica Distinguished Fellow in its Local Reporting Network.

School of Journalism and Advertising

Julia Rendleman is a working photojournalist freelancing for national publications such as the Washington Post and New York Times. She freelanced full-time for six years in Richmond, Virginia where she covered politics, elections, the affordable housing crisis, substance abuse and rehabilitation, climate change and other topics relating to human health and community. Before that, she was a staff photographer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Houma Courier & Daily Comet in southwest Louisiana.

Broadcast and Multi-Media Journalism

Jeff Sutker is an Emmy award‑winning broadcast journalist with over four decades of experience covering major national and international news events.

His career highlights include the Bosnian War, the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the death of Princess Diana, the funeral of Pope John Paul II, and mass shootings such as those at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, and the Highland Park Fourth of July parade. He was assigned to Republican and Democratic national conventions, documented riots in cities including Chicago, Ferguson, Kenosha, and NATO summits, and covered events at the White House. Jeff shot footage of arrivals, departures, and speeches for seven U.S. presidents, and he broadcast live coverage of President Barack Obama’s historic acceptance speech in Chicago. He also worked on the Chicago Bulls’ six NBA championship runs and was on the field during the Chicago Cubs’ World Series celebration. As an ENG supervisor, he managed live broadcast coverage of that historic event.

School of Journalism and Advertising

Professor Jan Thompson is the first female permanent Director in the 78-year history of the School of Journalism and Advertising. Her professional work crosses various genres such as music, sports, and history. With 15 Emmy nominations, she has won Emmys for original music, directing and writing.