Shelly Rodgers honored with esteemed Blum Research Award from AEJMC
COLUMBIA, Mo. (June 10, 2025) — Shelly Rodgers, the Maxine Wilson Gregory Chair at the Missouri School of Journalism, has earned the Eleanor Blum Distinguished Service to Research Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).
The award, which will be presented at the 2025 AEJMC Conference in San Francisco on Thursday, August 7, recognizes those who have worked to promote mass communication research throughout their careers. Rodgers’ career has fulfilled the criteria in several ways, from her own prolific research output to her support of student research at all levels. She is also the co-editor of two forthcoming books: the third edition of Advertising Theory and the fourth edition of Digital Advertising Theory.
“Shelly’s productivity continues to grow,” said David Kurpius, dean of the School of Journalism. “In the past year alone, she has published six journal articles, a remarkable feat for any scholar, let alone one balancing numerous other commitments. At the same time, her dedication to supporting young researchers exemplifies her role in cultivating a supportive academic community.”
Rodgers, a fixture at the School for 22 years, centers her research around how audiences can be better served by advertising that represents them faithfully and communicates clearly. It’s an ethic that has guided her work on a wide variety of projects as she has overseen nearly $30 million in grant funding, but it has also formed the foundation of her work with students.
Rodgers runs the Gregory Scholars Program, which offers paid research experience to both undergraduate and graduate students as they pursue work that benefits communities traditionally underserved by advertising. She has earned the Kemper Award for Teaching Excellence — Mizzou’s highest teaching award — and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in teaching, among other accolades.
As a mentor, she has supervised and collaborated on more than 160 student-authored publications, served on more than 100 masters’ theses committees, and served on more than two dozen doctoral dissertations — four of which went on to win national awards for research.
“Shelly’s productivity continues to grow. In the past year alone, she has published six journal articles, a remarkable feat for any scholar, let alone one balancing numerous other commitments. At the same time, her dedication to supporting young researchers exemplifies her role in cultivating a supportive academic community.”
David Kurpius, dean of the Missouri School of Journalism
“Students are drawn to Dr. Rodgers’ intellectually compelling mentorship, which is a platform for extremely useful innovations for communication professionals,” wrote Glen T. Cameron, professor emeritus and former Gregory Chair at the School of Journalism, in a letter supporting Rodgers’ nomination. “By the same token, she and student co-authors have pushed the envelope for pedagogy and service learning in the journalism classroom through evidence-based research.”
But Rodgers’ support for strategic communication research goes even further. She recently served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Advertising, as well as president of the American Academy of Advertising in 2010. In putting together special journal issues and planning conferences in those and other roles, she said she has relished the opportunity to participate in the side of research that rarely sees acclaim.
“I am so abundantly aware that without peer reviewers, none of this happens,” Rodgers said, referring to those who assess the quality of research papers before they are published. “We can do our part and make our contributions through service, through research, through teaching and all of the things that are expected. But without peer review, what do we have? This is their award, too.”
Still, Rodgers allows herself a bit of satisfaction as she observes how her experience at the annual AEJMC Conference has changed over the years.
“Students are drawn to Dr. Rodgers’ intellectually compelling mentorship, which is a platform for extremely useful innovations for communication professionals. By the same token, she and student co-authors have pushed the envelope for pedagogy and service learning in the journalism classroom through evidence-based research.”
Glen T. Cameron, professor emeritus and former Gregory Chair at the School of Journalism
“When I was a doctoral student, I remember feeling like there was an energy in the hallways when you were on your way to a session,” she said. “You would see people that you had cited in your own research and were learning about in your classes, and there would be an exchange of hellos. It was just exciting.”
The conference still carries that same excitement, she said—but now it’s her work students are citing, her name they recognize.
“It’s surreal sometimes,” she admitted. “I just feel lucky to be able to give back and be part of someone else’s journey.”
About the AEJMC Blum Research Award
Awarded by AEJMC’s Elected Standing Committee on Research, the Blum Research Award was created to recognize people who have devoted substantial parts of their careers to promoting research in mass communication. It is named in honor of its first recipient, the late Eleanor Blum, a longtime communications librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The award is not necessarily given each year.
Updated: June 10, 2025