Bowers wins advertising educator award

Bowers wins advertising educator award

Tom Bowers received the Distinguished Advertising Educator Award from the American Advertising Federation (AAF) at their annual conference held this year in Louisville, Kent.

The award is given each year to recognize the best advertising professors in the country. Winners must have demonstrated excellence in teaching and student advisement; a record of scholarly research, publications and professional experience; and
a record of participation in advertising organizations, the industry, academia and the community.  

As the James L. Knight Professor of Advertising, Bowers taught advertising in the school from 1971 until his retirement in 2006.  He served as associate dean from 1979 to 2005 and interim dean in 2005-2006.

During his teaching career, he was active in several organizations focused on advertising and journalism education. He was president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in 1988-1989 and editor of Journalism Educator from 1983 to 1988.  He was on the accrediting committee of the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication for six years and chair of the committee for two years. He served as site-team chair or evaluator on more than 20 accrediting visits. From 1999 to 2004, he represented the American Academy of Advertising on the Accrediting Council. He also served as a member of the National Advertising Review Board. He was an active member of the academic committee of the American Advertising Federation and served as the committee chair for 2003-2004. Bowers is married to the former Mary Ellen Woolley, who was senior vice president for educational services at the AAF from 1989 to 2001.