Dr. Eric Dogini looks forward to new start at Alcorn
From the moment Dr. Eric Dogini arrived in Mississippi to prepare for his new role in Alcorn State University’s Department of Mass Communications, he received a warm welcome for his fellow Alcornites. The Nigeria native by way of Atlanta, Georgia loves the hospitality that he has been shown in his new home.
“Everyone has been so nice to me,” said Dogini. “My co-worker, Myrtle Hedrick, picked me up from the airport, showed me around Vicksburg and Port Gibson and found me a place to stay. Dr. Cindy Scurria, dean of the English and Mass Communications Departments, made me feel really comfortable when we spoke. Compared to other places I’ve been and people I’ve dealt with, she made me feel really relaxed. All of those things made me feel really comfortable and well received.”
All of the hospitality Dogini has received assures him that accepting a faculty position in the Department was the right choice. Dogini will teach advanced television production, copyediting and news editing.
Dogini brings years of experience to the University. Prior to his new role, Dogini spent 12 years as a professor at Clark Atlanta University. He earned a doctorate degree from Capella University, a master’s degree from Texas Southern University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, which is now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL). He has also researched and produced articles for the International Journal of Education and Social Science and the Review of Journalism and Mass Communication Journal, to name a few. His latest published article titled, “Cultural Responsive Teaching of Broadcast Journalism Diverse Learners in Higher Education: An Integration and Synthesis of Relevant Theory and Research,” appeared in the International Journal of Education and Social Science.
Relocating to a smaller city was the goal for Dogini and his family. He said that Alcorn’s location was one of the factors that led to him accepting the position.
“The school’s location peeked my interest because I’ve been in the big cities. My wife and I wanted to come to a smaller, quieter town that would be a good place for us to live after we retire.”
Some of Dogini’s goals as an instructor include building the students’ abilities to produce compelling stories that would connect with the audience. Preparing students for journalism careers is also on his agenda.
“I want to enhance the students’ ability to tell a story by using visuals. I’m very experienced in visual and audio editing, so those are the type of skills I will bring here. I also plan to develop their skills in script writing, play-by-play sports broadcasting and news broadcasting. I want to teach the students how to prepare visual reels so that when they graduate, they can take their reel to any television station and land a job. I want to make sure the students enjoy their stay here. I also want to teach them how to do video editing. I have a lot of patience, so I’ll be glad to help students who are interested in learning.”
Dogini said that he will encourage the students to take advantage of the tools and lessons that are made available to them at Alcorn.
