Conversations with COJO

Student host Lydia Hill talks with COJO alum Kristy Laue, the former Chief Creative Officer at the marketing, advertising and branding agency Lawrence & Schiller, and current Associate Professor of Practice in Advertising, about her 20 year journey back to SDSU.

Student host Alex Olson interviews Jason Hove, SDSU's Assistant Athletic Director for Communications, about his path from college journalist to athletic communications professional, how sports information has changed, and how digital tools and AI are shaping the field.

Student host Lydia Hill talks with Dr. Kevin Kessler, director of athletic bands and assistant professor of music, about his leadership of The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band and his impact on music education at South Dakota State University.

In this episode student host Claire Booth talks to Anna Peters, director of news and multimedia content at KELOLAND Media Group. She discusses the challenges of rural reporting, building trust with sources, the role of social media and ethics, and tips on how to get internships, craft strong stories, and grow in broadcasting.

Student Host Emily Attrill interviews photojournalist and COJO alum, Tyler Teal, about his path from Sioux Falls and college internships to working at KARE-11 in Minneapolis. He discusses mentorship, the learning curve of shooting and editing, and offers practical advice for aspiring journalists.

Student Host Amina Aidarkhanova wraps up her conversation with Dean David Earnest, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at South Dakota State University.

Student Host Amina Aidarkhanova talks with Dean David Earnest, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at South Dakota State University. In this episode, they discuss leadership in higher education, the role of the humanities and social sciences today, and how programs like COJO prepare students for a rapidly changing world.

Student Host Ryann Davis talks with COJO alum Wren Murphy. Wren is a reporter at the Madison Daily Leader in Madison, South Dakota.  They graduated from SDSU in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism with minors in Spanish and English.  Wren has worked at the Mobridge Tribune, The Beacon in Beulah, North Dakota, as well as the Collegian when they were a students.

Our first episode of the new year features student host Emily DeCock talking with Dr. Jamie Folsom.  She is an Assistant Professor of American Indian and Indigenous Studies in the School of American & Global Studies at SDSU. Dr. Folsom is an experienced journalist, who also teaching journalism courses for COJO.

Student host Kyla Andvik talks with COJO student Sydney Meissner. Sydney was crowned Miss SDSU 2026 earlier this fall. She is a Communication Studies major with double minors in Spanish and theater from Rapid City, SD.

Student host Jordan Roemeling talks with Tom Nieman, an SDSU alum whose career began in broadcast journalism and expanded into sports reporting, play-by-play announcing and sales. Today, he serves as a Development Director at the SDSU Foundation for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Student host Jordan Roemeling talks with Jeremy Waltner. Waltner is a second-generation publisher/editor of the Freeman Courier, a South Dakota Weekly newspaper, following his father, Tim Waltner. He also runs a photography/design studio called Waltner Media.

Student host Kayla Walsh visits with Alison Simon. Alison graduated in 2021 with a degree in Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership. She has worked as a reporter for the Collegian, the Mobridge Tribune, and the Brookings Register.  She was also the state president for the Future Farmers of America.

This week, student host Emily DeCock talks with COJO alum Greta Goede.  Greta graduated cin May of 2024 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She was the Editor-in-chief of The Collegian and interned with South Dakota News Watch while in college.  Greta currently works as a reporter at KMTV in Omaha, Nebraska.

COJO student Annie Witt talks with Tyler Merriam.  Tyler is the "Voice of the Jackrabbits" for SDSU athletics and the Jackrabbit Sports Network.  He also hosts weekly radio sports shows. Tyler grew up in Pierre, S.D. and graduated from SDSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism. 

In the first episode of the fall 2025 semester, student Brayden Byers talks to COJO alum Josh Munce.  Josh has worked in television news, advertising and live sports, and is currently the Sports Operations Manager for Midco Sports.  His work has earned him two regional Emmy awards, and he will be recognized as a Distinguished Alum in COJO this fall.

Student host Taylor Tennant talks with Landon Dierks, who is an SDSU journalism alumni and sports editor for the Mitchell Republic. 

Student host Jordan Roemeling talks with COJO graduate alum Stefanie Fauth. Stefanie is a Senior Communications Specialist at Dominium, Inc. and also an actor and filmmaker.  Her graduate project was a documentary film entitled "Women in Film in Minnesota," which will be featured during the COJO Cinema event at the South Dakota Art Museum on April 14.

Student host Annie Witt talks with Steve Jurrens, who is the News Director at KXLG Radio 99.1 in Watertown, South Dakota.

Student host Natalie Dean talks to Jeanine Basinger.  Basinger is the Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies at Wesleyan University, where she is also the founder and curator of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives and chair of the Film Studies Department. She has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from SDSU, and has authored several books on film history.

Student hosts Coryn Wolff and Tessa Henderson talk to COJO graduate student Finn Kane.  Finn is a teaching assistant in the Basic Media Writing course and it is working on a documentary for his graduate professional project. This is the last episode of the fall semester, however look for new episodes in January.

Student hosts Coryn Wolff Tessa Henderson talk with COJO faculty member Dr. Mary Jo Nesmith, who has designed and taught the online SPCM 101 course for over 10 years.

Student host Anna Poull talks to COJO alum Lura Roti. Lura is an agriculture journalism and Master of Mass Communication graduate of SDSU. She grew up on a ranch in western South Dakota but today she calls the Cathedral Historic District of Sioux Falls home. Lura has worked as a freelance journalist and media relations specialist for more than two decades. She loves telling the stories of agriculture and rural life – and engaging with the people, places, science, culture, businesses and organizations that make up South Dakota agriculture. Utilizing diverse platforms to share these stories, Lura’s work can be found in print publications, on the radio, TV and web. Since 2020, Lura has had the opportunity to share her knowledge with the next generation as an adjunct professor. 

Student hosts Coryn Wolff and Tessa Henderson talk to playwright, actor, author, storyteller and cultural advocate Kevin Kling. Kevin visited SDSU on October 16th, and Coryn and Tessa talked with him prior to his visit.

Student host Anna Poull talks with V.J. Smith, a 1978 graduate of SDSU. V.J. worked as an assistant athletic director and then executive director of the SDSU Alumni Association. He is a motivational speaker and author, including a book entitled "Jackrabbit Tales."

Student hosts Coryn Wolff and Tessa Henderson talk with Jon Bakken, who is the elementary 4th and 5th grade orchestra teacher in Brookings. He is also the author of the book Tiger Meat: The Stories Behind South Dakota’s Best Music, which will be featured at the South Dakota Festival of Books on campus this weekend.  Jon is also hosts the website Tiger Meat: South Dakota Music.

Our rebranded “Conversations with COJO” podcast starts off the fall 2024 semester with graduate student host Anna Poull talking with Dr. Hye Soo Chang. Dr. Chang is a new assistant professor of advertising, and was most recently a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Advertising at the University of Florida, where she completed her Ph.D. in 2023. Her research deals with how people psychologically process strategic communication and advertisements and how emotions help behavior changes.  Dr. Chang teaches advertising principles, research and planning and digital promotions, as well as advising and teaching in the Master of Mass Communication program. 

Our student host Demetria Gilkey talks with Makenzie Huber, a COJO alum and reporter for South Dakota Searchlight.

Student host Anna Poull talks with Baylee Peterson. Baylee is an news anchor for Dakota News Now. Baylee is a COJO alum with a bachelor's degree  in Communication Studies with a minor in Political Science and Marketing.

Student host Anna Poull talks with Erica Summerfield, who will be joining COJO this fall as an assistant professor of agricultural communication. Summerfield is completing her Ph.D. in agricultural communication, education and leadership at The Ohio State University.  Her research focuses on the intersections of agricultural and communication education. She will teach digital promotions, public relations writing and science writing. In addition, she will assist with curricular revisions and develop new courses in agricultural communication. 

Student host Anna Poull talks with Jim Berman, President and General Manager, Dakota News Now (KSFY/KDLT).  Jim also serves on the boards of Junior Achievement, Make-A-Wish and Family Services, Inc, and The Children’s Home Society of South Dakota. Jim has been on the board of SEBA youth baseball and coached local youth teams. 

Student host Anna Poull talks with COJO alum Alexandra Farber, who is an Associate Account Executive at Click Rain, a digital agency in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Alex has a Bachelors' degrees in Advertising and Communication Studies, and an M.A. in Communication & Media Studies from South Dakota State University.

Student host Anna Poull visits with Abigail Hopp.   Abby graduated from SDSU in 2020 with a B.S. in Agriculture Communications.  She also has a M.S. in Mass Communication from Texas Tech University, and is currently the Marketing Manager for Pipestone, a agriculture company that provides resources and expert services in pig health, management, nutrition, research, and business.

Student host Demetria Gilkey talks to COJO alum Deema Al Saffar Patterson.  Deema received both her undergraduate and masters degrees at SDSU, and is currently a senior journalists for Al Arabiya and a form ernews producer for ABC10 in Sacremento, California. 

Graduate student host Demetria Gilkey talks with COJO grad student Ariana Schumacher.  Ariana is a Multimedia Ag Journalist for AGWEEK and also a COJO alum and student in the Master of Mass Communication program. Coffee with COJO will be on hiatus until the new year, thanks for listening!

Student host Anna Poull talk with COJO alum Jillian Wheeler.  Wheeler is the Sustainability Impact Lead at Truterra, LLC - Land 'O Lakes, Inc.  She talks to Anna about her journey starting as a farm kid to working in sustainability.

Student host Anna Poull talks with COJO alum Jody Heemstra. Jody graduated from SDSU in 1998 with a degree in Agricultural Journalism.  She produced the Dakota Ag Newsline at SDSU in the late 90s and went on to be the assistant news director and farm director for KWAT/KIXX/KDLO Radio in Watertown for 13 years.  She also worked for the Red River Farm Network from 2013-2015, and then as public relations director for the SD Department of Agriculture. She is currently the news and farm director for the Dakota Radio Group.

This week student host Demetria Gilkey speaks with Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Dr. Lynn Sargeant. Dr. Sargeant earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Russian History from Indiana University, Bloomington. She also holds bachelor’s degrees in Music Education from the University of Minnesota and Russian Area Studies from the University of Washington.

Student host Anna Poull talks to COJO graduate student Elise Heesch.  Elise majored in advertising with a management minor and has her own advertising business that works with websites, social media, and graphics.

Graduate student Anna Poull talks with 1990 COJO graduate Vernon Brown. Brown has worked as a reporter for KELO-TV, served as a Sioux Falls city councilor, worked as the VP of Marketing and Community Relations for SDN communications, and is currently the Associate Vice president of External Affairs for SDSU while also co-owning The Spice & Tea Exchange in Sioux Falls with his wife, Tami.

Our first episode of the Fall 2003 semester features a conversation with Master of Mass Communication graduate student Demetria Gilkey and new COJO faculty member Shola Aromona, who has a doctorate in journalism and mass communication from the University of Kansas. 

Our last podcast of the season features Journalism and English senior Jordan Rusche.  Jordan talks with student host Demetria Gilkey about her experience working with student media, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, and the Pulitzer Center. We will be back this fall with new episodes. Thanks for listening!

Student host Taylor Storbakken talks with COJO Alum Morgan Larson.  Morgan is the CEO/Co-Founder at duet, an agency that works with content creators, podcasters, entrepreneurs, and startups create impactful short-form content.  Taylor and Morgan met as part of the SDSU alumni mentor program. They both talk about their relationship and student experience in COJO.

This week student host Anna Poull talks with former Coffee with COJO host, Sam Schauer. Anna and Sam discuss Sam's work with On Call with the Prairie Doc and Jack's News.

Student host Demetria Gilkey talks with KXLG Radio General Manager Melissa Herrboldt about her journey in radio and how Watertown radio legend Bob Faehn influenced her career.

In this episode, COJO graduate student Demetria Gilkey visits with journalist Bryan Horwath.  Bryan is a graduate of the Master of Mass Communication program and is currently the senior reporter at KTNV in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Demetria spoke with Bryan about his career and experience as an online graduate student at SDSU.

Student host Anna Poull talks with Zoey Schentzel, an agricultural communications and journalism major.  Zoey talks about her experience covering the FSC football championship for the student-run newspaper The Collegian as well her study abroad experience.

In this episode, COJO student Taylor Storbakken talks with alum Laura Butterbrodt.  Laura is the health reporter at the  Duluth News Tribune and a 2019 COJO graduate. She spoke with Taylor about all of things she was involved with at SDSU that helped in her career.

In this episode, COJO student Anna Poul returns as host to speak with alum Mark Glissendorf.  Mark is a partner at the marketing and advertising agency Lawrence & Schiller. He also worked as an executive producer, news anchor and reporter at KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls and earned his BS in Broadcast Journalism from SDSU  Anna and Mark spoke recently about his career and experience. We will be back in 2023 with our next podcast going live in January.

In this episode, COJO graduate student Demetria Gilkey returns as host to speak with alum Miranda o'Bryan.  Miranda is currently a broadcast anchor and journalist at KOTA Territory News/ KEVN Black Hills Fox.  Demetria spoke with Miranda about her experiences as a COJO and honors student at SDSU. Our last podcast for 2022 will be on December 9th.