Submitted by Esther Thorson - 3/11/2022

I started at Wisconsin in Journalism and Mass Communication in 1981. Prior to joining the faculty I had been a psychology professor, but one who wandered into advertising. To say I didn't know much about either journalism or advertising would be an understatement. But I was lucky enough to have an office right next to Sharon's. She told me things like I should know the editor of Wisconsin State Journal, and read it and The NY Times every day! She gave me pointers about my research, even though advertising was certainly not her field. After working long days, we often headed out for a beer and chat.

Sharon won every major JMC-related award, from ICA Fellow to AEJMC's Deutschmann award for research career achievement. She was such a high-impact and thoughtful researcher. Unselfish too, as she nominated me for the same awards! I could never thank her enough.

No one loved nature like Sharon and her partner Steve Glass. I can't remember exactly when we started birding together. Steve, working at the UW Arboretum, knew everything about both birds and the botanical world. Sharon was also a bird expert. How often did we stand around with our bird books, trying to get a correct identification. On one of our trips north of Madison they introduced me to my first sandhill crane. The cranes were much more rare in those days. Just a few years ago we stayed at a birder's B&B in New Mexico where every morning hundreds of cranes would show up for the corn we had helped put out for them. Just a couple of days ago, a pari of sandhills flew over honking their weird call and reminding me, as so much does today, of Sharon and Steve and all our wonderful trips.

Sharon was taken from us far too soon. I miss her every single day, and know I always will.

Submitted by Katy Culver - 3/4/2022

When I was hired in the J-School to help launch its innovative new curriculum in 2000, I met with Sharon, who was director at the time. She had taught the first course I took as a graduate student, J701 Proseminar in Communication Research, and had always been kind and supportive during my time in the master’s and doctoral programs. In that meeting, Sharon told me, “You’re training students for jobs that may not yet exist.” Those words out of someone else’s mouth would have been intimidating. But from Sharon, they were aspirational and inspirational. A call to action to do the very best I could for students who were heading out into a disrupted and uncertain media world. In the ensuing months and years, I came to her with question upon question, idea upon idea. She enthusiastically encouraged me on the bright ideas and gently redirected me on the less-bright ones. I remember one particularly important conversation in which she had to deliver news I did not want to hear. I walked away with a sense of acceptance and appreciation for her approach. I’ve thought of that moment so many times since, when I have needed to be honest and clear, yet open and empathetic. That’s the mark of a mentor – always showing – not telling – you how you can make your way in the world.