By By Kelli DeWalt

Many professors in the School of Communication come to the University with professional experience from well-known publications in the media.

Etheleen Renee Shipp, associate professor of journalism, media studies and public relations not only teaches at the University, but also writes for the New York Daily News.

“It was nice to have a professor for my major that was really into what she was teaching,” Camille Freni, a sophmore broadcast and print journalism major, said. “She knows what she is doing and that made me want to learn and pay attention in her class.”

The honor of winning the Pulitzer Prize came as a total surprise to Shipp.

“I felt overwhelmed because it was totally unexpected,” Shipp said. “I didn’t realize it was such a big deal in the world of journalism.”

Her commentaries on public policy issues, which extend to matters of violence, affirmative action, the quality of the school systems, Africa’s future and other hot topics, have earned her accolades.

But it’s not only her writing that has garnered praise, but her teaching as well. “She’s an enormously important addition to the faculty,” Steven Knowlton, a fellow professor of journalism, media studies and public relations said.

“She’s a remarkably dedicated classroom teacher,” Knowlton added. “It will significantly be a better journalism program because of her.”

On Nov. 14, the University held an official event to honor and welcome Shipp to the University. This special convocation was for the installation of Shipp as the Lawrence Stessin Distinguished Professor in Journalism.

“It was a wonderful event,” said Sybil DelGaudio, dean of the School of Communication. The event was filled with speeches from the University’s President Stuart Rabinowitz, former New York Mayor David N. Dinkins and Rev. Darren A. Ferguson.

With all she has accomplished, it seems like Shipp has been constantly working ever since she entered college. Shipp now receives the recognition she deserves after keeping up a strong and dedicated work ethic.

After earning her degree from Georgia State University in 1976, she moved to New York City and enrolled in Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. There, she focused on law, eventually earning three degrees.

All along she was always writing, especially for local newspapers. After her sophomore year at Georgia State, she was offered an internship at the Atlanta Journal. She cites this as her most important internship because she was the first person to receive a position as a sophomore.

After earning a Master of Science in journalism in 1979 and a journalism degree in law in 1980 from Columbia, she immediately went to work for The New York Times. For 13 years, from 1980-1993, she worked as an editor and reporter for the Times, primarily in the field of law. But she did not stop there.

Shipp worked as an adjunct professor at Columbia University until she was asked to become a permanent fixture to the school’s journalism program in 1994. That same year, not only did she receive her master’s in history from Columbia, but the New York Daily News asked her to become a weekly columnist. This was the same newspaper that would be her vehicle to winning the Pulitzer two years later.

As one could imagine, there were vast differences between working at the New York Times and the New York Daily News. When she was first working for the Times, Shipp was a reporter, which included a lot of running around and meeting deadlines. She did not have a position with much luxury until she became a columnist. While she felt privileged to work for the “crème de la crème of American journalism,” she “got tired of the daily grind [of being a reporter],” Shipp said.

The News on the other hand, provided a more relaxed environment. There, she does not even have to step through the newsroom door, relying primarily on e-mail to deliver her columns.

While Shipp was born and raised in Georgia, she feels at home in New York. It is where she spends time playing with her two cats, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis.

Balancing writing and teaching is not difficult for Shipp. Even though her reason for becoming a professor was simply because she was asked, Shipp does not prefer one over the other.

“I have a calling for both,” Shipp said. “And they feed off each other.”

Shipp does not limit her writing to newspapers. She also co-wrote the book, “Outrage: The Story behind the Tawana Browley Hoax” in 1990, published by Bantam Books. The book explores the 1987 case of Tawana Browley, who fabricated her story of being gang-raped by white supremacists, and the media circus that ensued.

When looking towards her future, Shipp likes to take things as they come.

“I look forward to developing this relationship with Hofstra,” Shipp said. Having only joined the University this past September, Shipp is still adjusting to her new environment.

“I’ve found Hofstra very welcoming,” she said. “I like the campus and I get a kick out of hearing my students complain about everything.”

Catch her latest commentary in this week’s Daily News.

Shipp finds that being both a reporter and teacher are her true callings and has no problem balancing the two duties. Still new to the University, she is eager to get to know it a little better.