Amanda Hinnant wins Mizzou’s Graduate Faculty Mentor Award
The award is only the latest honor in Hinnant’s nearly two-decade career at the Missouri School of Journalism
COLUMBIA, Mo. (April 18, 2025) — Amanda Hinnant, professor and Wallace Turner Memorial Faculty Fellow at the Missouri School of Journalism, accepted the prestigious MU Graduate Faculty Mentor Award last night in a reception at the State Historical Society of Missouri.
The university-wide honor comes with a $1,500 prize and recognizes the impactful relationships faculty advisers forge with graduate students.
“A good mentor can help students foresee pitfalls and find a path forward to unlock their full potential, and Amanda has fulfilled that role for so many graduate students,” said David Kurpius, dean of the School of Journalism. “She is deeply invested in the success of her students and in the community that benefits from the great work they go on to perform. This distinction is well-deserved.”
“Working with graduate students through teaching and research is one of the most satisfying parts of my role at Mizzou.”
Amanda Hinnant, professor and Wallace Turner Memorial Faculty Fellow, Missouri School of Journalism
Since returning to the School of Journalism in 2006 —she earned her master’s degree from the School in 1999 — Hinnant has become a leading voice in health and science communication research while devoting a great deal of time to teaching and mentorship. She has taught well over a dozen classes, served on more than 150 graduate student committees and has won a variety of awards for teaching, research and service, most recently the Faculty-Alumni Award and Gold Chalk Award in 2022.
“Dr. Hinnant is known for setting high standards for students while being deeply compassionate,” said Yong Volz, the Roger Gafke Distinguished Faculty Fellow and chair of the journalism studies faculty at the School. “She always makes herself available for students and offers not only intellectual, but — equally important — moral and emotional support for their personal growth and career development.”
Volz added that Hinnant “has co-authored more than 25 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters with her graduate students,” many of which feature the students as first author.
This emphasis on student growth is no accident. It’s a core part of Hinnant’s hands-on approach to education and mentorship, one that aligns well with the School of Journalism’s Missouri Method of learning by doing.
“Working with graduate students through teaching and research is one of the most satisfying parts of my role at Mizzou,” Hinnant said. “I believe that graduate education is not merely a transfer of information from me to the students, but rather a partnership where students are invited and empowered to be active participants in their education.”
Many of Hinnant’s former students wrote in support of her nomination, describing the supportive but rigorous academic environment she nurtures as a strong foundation for present and future success.
- “Dr. Hinnant’s greatest gift to me was her gentle guidance as I wrote my thesis during the early months of the pandemic. As in her other roles, she was kind yet precise in her criticism and grace-giving yet instructive when I made mistakes. Because she buoyed not only my research but also my spirits, I was able to make it through as the world fell apart around me.” – Alexis Allison, independent journalist.
- “A great researcher does not necessarily make a great mentor. However, Dr. Hinnant has been phenomenal at both. She was a considerate advisor who was willing to proactively adjust her mentoring to fit my needs. … I strive to mirror her research and mentoring style, passing on her positive impact to my students.” – Sisi Hu, assistant professor, University of Arkansas
- “Her continuous blend of high academic standards with an empathetic mentorship style makes her a revered figure not only among students but also within the broader faculty community.” – Cory MacNeil, photojournalist at the Jefferson City News Tribune
- “When I was a Masters’ student at the University of Missouri, I used to joke that I wanted to be Amanda Hinnant when I grew up. But since I graduated in 2011, I’ve quickly realized that was never actually a joke. I still want to be Amanda when I grow up.” – Kelsey Whipple, assistant professor of journalism, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Hinnant has won top paper awards from the AEJMC Communicating Science, Health, Environment and Risk Division, the Magazine Division, and the Entertainment Studies Interest Group. Her research has been published by prestigious journals, including PLOS One, Climatic Change, Health Communication, Journalism Studies, Computers in Human Behavior, and Communication Research.
Read more about her career here.
Updated: April 18, 2025