MANSFIELD, PA— Montclair State University in New Jersey named one of two television master control rooms in its new School of Communication and Media in honor of Mansfield University Professor Emeritus of Communication Howard Travis on October 14. Travis created and built the broadcasting program in the 1970s and 1980s before moving to Mansfield.
The second master television control was named for Travis’ colleague, Christopher Stasheff. The control rooms are directly across from each other symbolically controlling the digital traffic in the entire building. Travis and Stasheff gave the university a powerhouse broadcasting program infused with experiential learning and hundreds of working alumni.
The professional alumni returned to campus to honor Travis and Stasheff as a special surprise. Their former students came up with the idea to name the control rooms for their life-altering teachers when the university originally announced plans for a new $60 million School of Communication and Media. The alumni raised the money to dedicate the spaces in nine months.
In his ribbon cutting speech, Travis told his “kids” that he was thrilled to know he made such a difference in their lives. “You enriched my life in ways that can never be repaid,” he said. “I am proud of each and every one of you and what you mean for this university.”
Professor K. Sue Young ’86, chair of the MU Department of Communication, and Rob Weigand, a 1995 Mansfield graduate and director of Digital Video Strategy at NBCUniversal, accompanied Travis to help celebrate this honor.
Travis ended his career after 14 years at Mansfield, carrying on the tradition of helping connect students to major media companies. He continues to be active in mentoring students in the Department of Communication and recently was named to the Mansfield Foundation board.
Montclair State opened the doors to its $60 million School of Communication and Media this fall. The state-of-the-art digital facility is the finest building of its kind on any university campus nationwide. Sony Electronics partnered with Montclair State to provide all of the technical resources necessary for the training of future communication professionals. The building contains the identical technology and spaces as the Sony production studios in Hollywood. Montclair State calls the building, “Sony East.”