WT Communication Department to Host Annual 'HomeCOMMing' Brunch, Hall of Fame

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CANYON, Texas— Alumni, current students and friends of the West Texas A&M University Department of Communication are invited to the annual homecoming brunch and Communication Hall of Fame event Oct. 4.

Faculty and students from the department will host a free Wild West 'HomeCOMMing' Brunch from 10 a.m. to noon in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex, including interactive experiences for attendees.

“As with every 'HomeCOMMing,' our goal is to provide a welcoming place where alumni want to return,” said Dr. Kristina Drumheller, associate dean for the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities and head of the Department of Communication. “We have such amazing alumni who continue to be active in the department, and we’re grateful for how they help our students grow as professionals.”

Guests can attend various sessions throughout the complex that will demonstrate the types of skills and concepts taught within the department, including improvisational speaking, graphic design and media production.

At noon, alumnus and Amarillo native Ryan Hazelwood will be inducted into the Communication Hall of Fame. Hazelwood earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the department and served on staff for five years as the broadcast engineer before leaving to work for several news stations.

“Ryan has taken what he learned at WT and turned it into a career that anyone would be proud of,” said Randy Ray, senior lecturer of media communication and director of broadcast engineering. “The quality of his work and the quality of his leadership in our industry is impressive to everyone.”

Hazelwood also worked as a photojournalist at KVUE in Austin, as a producer for a national company creating a television show about new homes, and as the news director for both KVII in Amarillo and KOAA in Colorado Springs.

While at KVII, Hazelwood won a Lone Star Emmy Award for his documentary “Blood and Steel,” and at KOAA, he led a team of journalists that was awarded Station of the Year by the Colorado Broadcasters Association for five out of his seven years there.

WT has a week full of activities planned for Homecoming, beginning Sept. 26 with Paint the Town Maroon and stretching until Oct. 4's Homecoming game against Sul Ross State University. For a roundup of highlights, click here. For a full list of community and student activities, visit wtamu.edu/homecoming.

Making an impact throughout the region and beyond are key components of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

About the WT Department of Communication

The WTAMU Department of Communication houses two undergraduate programs: Communication Studies and Media Communication. The three majors offered include several areas of emphasis in each program as well as the option to seek teacher certification in speech or journalism. The master’s program offers an M.A. in Communication, which can be completed online. For more information on the department, visit wtamu.edu/academics/college-fine-arts-humanities/department-communication/index.html.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as at the Harrington Academic Hall and the WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000. It offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree, and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state, and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offer 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—1910—