Biography

B.S. agricultural journalism, Auburn University

M.A. communication management, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Kenny is an assistant teaching professor in the Communication Studies department. In addition to comm studies, he also teaching in RTVF and journalism, and is a part of the sports communication and media program. He does research and writes for Rowan’s Center for Sports Communication and Impact.

Prior to joining the Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts in 2023, Kenny spent seven years at Indiana University (Bloomington), teaching production and sports media classes and advising Indiana University Student Television, winner of top honors from the College Media Association. Before that, he taught journalism and mass communication courses at Samford University (Birmingham, Alabama) where, for eight years, he advised The Samford Crimson. Before returning to academia, he also worked for about a decade as a multimedia journalist, news anchor and producer, covering sports and breaking news across the southeastern United States. He has contributed to the Associated Press, ESPN, and Smithsonian Magazine. He’s also filed live reports in most of the major broadcast markets across the country and in print in a variety of newspaper and magazine formats.

Kenny regularly attends the Southern States Communication Association convention, where he has previously served as chair of the mass communication and political communication divisions, and the multimedia showcase. He has reviewed scholarship for a variety of journals and conferences and served as a judge for several state and national media awards.

Off campus, he works with South Jersey Cycling Safety Committee, an organization which aims to raise awareness of road safety for motorists and cyclists. A SCUBA diver, cyclist, and swimmer, he is married to Dr. Lauren Smith, an associate professor of Sports CaM.

Courses

CMS 04315 Digital Media Processes

CMS 04206 Digital Presentations

CMS 04330 International Media Communication

JRN 02210 Journalistic Writing

RTF 03295 Introduction to New Media

RTF 03201 Foundations of Media Production

Recent Publications

Smith, K.D. (2021). “RIP my mentions.” In Cruikshank, S.A., Eschenfelder, C.E., and Coleman, K. (Eds.) A Complete Guide to Television, Field, and Digital Producing, New York, NY: Routledge.

Cummings, D. C., Smith, K.D., Goshorn, J. (2018). “The 2018 Digital Showcase: Sights and Sounds of the South.” Communication Arts Faculty Presentations. 88.

Reichart Smith, L.M., Smith, K.D., Blazka, M. (2017). “Follow Me, What’s the Harm? Considerations of Catfishing and Utilizing Fake Online Personas on Social Media.” Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport. 27(1).

Reichart Smith, L.M. & Smith, K.D. (2012). “Identity in Twitter’s Hashtag Culture: A Sports Media Consumption Case Study." International Journal of Sport Communication, 5(4).

Reichart Smith, L.M. & Smith, K.D. (2010). “What a Difference a Download Makes: Political Advertising in the Digital Age.” In Burns, N., Daugherty, T., and Eastin, M.S. (Eds.), A Handbook of Research on Digital Media and Advertising: User Generated Content Consumption, Hershey, PA: IGI Global.