Alan Neckowitz retired in July, 2007, after 34 years of teaching at JMU and advising The Breeze. As an emeritus faculty member, Professor Neckowitz will be teaching a senior seminar on media behavior in the 2008 election, along with SMAD's media literacy class in JMU's general education program, in spring 2008.

The variety of print journalism courses taught by Professor Neckowitz during his years at JMU include News Writing, News Editing, Media Ethics, Media History, and Media and Politics. Neckowitz's special love was working with students in small groups and one-on-one in his role as adviser to JMU's campus newspaper, The Breeze.

As a media professional before coming to JMU, Prof. Neckowitz worked for three years as editor and suburban editor of the Willimantic Chronicle, a daily newspaper in eastern Connecticut (1971-73). He also worked for three years as a copy editor at the Hartford Courant (1969-71), and spent 10 years as an editor-writer for the George Washington National Forest, Harrisonburg, Virginia (1980-90).

In addition to his regular teaching, Neckowitz was provided with wonderful opportunities to teach students abroad in JMU's International Education Program. He served as Faculty Member in Residence in JMU's Semester in London program in 1984, and as FMIR in Florence in 1987 and 1991. With his SMAD colleague Dr. Charles Turner, Neckowitz helped develop JMU's Summer in Ireland program. Together Neckowitz and Turner brought over groups of JMU students to study writing in Ireland during five different summers, 1997-2006.

To honor the extensive work of Neckowitz and Turner in International Studies, JMU has established a studies abroad scholarship in their names. The scholarships will help SMAD students in the Ireland program, or in one of the other international programs, toward the extra costs of studying abroad.

To contribute to the Neckowitz/Turner Study Abroad Scholarship, Acct. No. 15609, you can send checks to James Madison University, Advancement Gifts and Records, MSC 3603, 800 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807. If you have any questions, contact SMAD Prof. Dave Wendelken, who led the way in establishing the scholarship, at wendeldh@jmu.edu.