MEMORIAL SERVICE SCHEDULED FOR PROFESSOR JANICE RUSHING

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A memorial service for Janice Hocker Rushing, professor of communication at the University of Arkansas, has been scheduled for 5 p.m., March 26, in Giffels Auditorium, located in Old Main. Dr. Rushing died Thursday, Feb. 19.

Professor Janice Rushing joined the department of communication at the University of Arkansas in 1985 as an assistant professor. She earned a bachelor of arts in speech communication from Texas Christian University in 1971 and a master’s and Ph.D. in speech communication from the University of Southern California—Los Angeles in 1973 and 1976. Prior to joining the UA faculty, she taught at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and the University of Colorado in Boulder. She was appointed to the rank of full professor at the U of A in 1996.

"Professor Rushing was consistently viewed by students as one of the best teachers in the department and was especially admired and loved by her graduate students as both a mentor and scholar. In addition to being an outstanding teacher, Professor Rushing was widely recognized for her research. She frequently published in the field’s finest journals, often with her husband, Dr. Thomas S. Frentz," said Robert M. Brady, department chair.

An expert in rhetorical and media criticism, Dr. Rushing taught a wide variety of courses over the years, both undergraduate and graduate, in rhetoric and the arts, political communication, conflict management, rhetorical criticism, experiences in communication, and persuasion. She won the Outstanding Teaching Award from Lambda Pi Eta four times and with her husband, Thomas Frentz, was the author of the book "Projecting the Shadow: The Cyborg Hero in American Film." She and two other scholars authored "Trans-Per: A Teaching Strategies Guide" in 1975. She was also the author of numerous articles in major leading communication journals, on topics ranging from feminist criticism to the Frankenstein myth and the rhetoric of Ronald Reagan’s "Star Wars" address.

"Janice Rushing was an outstanding teacher, researcher and colleague in our department and the university community," said Jimmie N. Rogers, who served as department chair from 1982 until 2000. "She taught well, and she enjoyed it. She contributed much to the study of film and culture and was well published. She served our regional and national professional organizations and received accolades from both groups. The department, college, and university have lost an esteemed and valuable colleague, but she will remain in our memories as a role model for what we are expected to be and do on this campus."

In 2001 Rushing won the highest research award given by the Southern States Communication Association, the Michael M. Osborn Teacher-Scholar Award. In 2002 she received the Best Scholarly Book Chapter Award from the National Communication Association for her article "Erotic Mentoring: Pygmalion and Galatea at the University."

She regularly delivered invited papers at national conferences and at conventions of the Speech Communication Association. She offered a depth of service to her profession, as a judge, chair, referee and panelist at numerous conventions and meetings, as associate editor of the "Quarterly Journal of Speech" and as editorial reviewer for "College English." She served the local community by offering free lectures at Washington Regional Hospital and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Consistent with her life of mentoring, a scholarship fund has been created in Rushing’s name. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Janice Hocker Rushing Scholarship fund at Bank of America, 1 East Center Street, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701.