果冻视频

When Cole Yarborough walks into the newsroom at WBTV in Charlotte 鈥� one of the nation鈥檚 Top 25 television markets 鈥� he carries with him lessons first learned in a campus studio at UNC Pembroke.

A 2018 broadcasting graduate and now a production supervisor, Yarborough credits Dr. Jamie Litty with setting the standard that launched his career. His story is one of countless examples of the impact Litty has had on generations of UNCP students 鈥� an influence now recognized with her selection as the 2026 recipient of the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.

鈥淚 credit her with why I am where I am today,鈥� Yarborough said. 鈥淚f I could thank her for one thing, it would be for setting the bar extremely high and not moving that bar,鈥� Yarborough said. 鈥淭hat pushed us all to a place where most of us graduated with a skill level higher than others in our field.鈥�

The award is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed upon faculty within the UNC System. For Litty, the award represents both personal validation and broader recognition for hands-on, creative disciplines like broadcasting and media production.

鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful when alternative, nontraditional disciplines are recognized for our kind of teaching, which is a little bit outside of the box,鈥� said Litty, who has taught everything from service-learning to study abroad to a hands-on drones course, which prepared students for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification

For more than three decades, Litty has embodied that outside-the-box approach.

For former student Hannah Bussell, Litty鈥檚 鈥渙utside of the box鈥� teaching made all the difference. Bussell 鈥�25 first met Litty as a student, but their relationship quickly extended far 果冻视频 the classroom.

鈥淒r. Litty was much more than a professor,鈥� Bussell said. 鈥淪he was my advisor and supervisor when I was editor of the Indianhead yearbook. I got to know her inside and outside of the classroom.鈥�

In the classroom, Bussell describes Litty as polished and prepared 鈥� but never passive.

鈥淪he is not someone who creates a slide show and reads off the slides. She always has so much more to offer.鈥�

Like Bussell, Yarborough said Litty balanced rigor with approachability.

鈥淪he had high expectations, but at the same time, you could come to her with just about anything,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he was willing to stay after and put forth as much effort for you as long as you were willing to give it.鈥�

Provost Diane Prusank said Litty embodies the very best of UNCP鈥檚 commitment to student-centered excellence.

鈥淗er classroom is not simply a place of instruction; it is a place of transformation,鈥� Prusank said.

鈥淭hrough innovation, mentorship and an unwavering dedication to her students鈥� success, she challenges them to think critically, lead confidently and pursue their goals with purpose.

A first-generation college graduate from New Jersey, Litty was an avid reader from childhood 鈥� devouring Time Magazine at age four and helping classmates learn to read in kindergarten. As a college student at NYU, she envisioned a future writing for Rolling Stone magazine or working in radio.

鈥淲hen I was a senior in college, I said, 鈥業鈥檓 never going to school again,鈥欌�� she recalled. 鈥淏ut honestly, I almost never left.鈥�

After working at a government cable channel, Litty pursued a professional master鈥檚 degree at Miami University, where she discovered her passion for teaching. She later earned her PhD from The Ohio State University and has now spent 34 years in higher education.

鈥淚鈥檝e always had a teaching component,鈥� Litty said. 鈥淓ven in my first job, I was training high school students. As a graduate assistant, I was teaching classes. During my PhD, I was rewriting the curriculum at a cable access channel and teaching people how to produce their own TV shows.鈥�

Since joining UNCP in 2001, Litty has become a cornerstone of the Mass Communication program. She has served as director of Broadcasting, adviser to the yearbook and department chair, while maintaining a full teaching load and mentoring students 果冻视频 the classroom.

Her teaching philosophy centers on active learning and collaboration.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 assume students are empty buckets that need to be filled with my wisdom,鈥� Litty said. 鈥淭hey bring something to the table. I learn from them, too.鈥�

Whether mentoring students on the sidelines of a football field with a camera or guiding them through postgame press conferences, Litty emphasizes experiential learning. Former students have gone on to earn regional and national Emmy Awards and land positions at ESPN, NBC, the Golf Channel and other national outlets. Others have found their niche in local media across the country.

For Litty, the true reward goes 果冻视频 accolades.

鈥淚f I am producing media-literate people who have a lifelong love of learning, then my job is done.鈥�

Her transformative impact extends internationally. Through faculty-led study abroad programs in Ireland and England, Litty has helped students broaden their horizons 鈥� including one student who had never left North Carolina before boarding a plane for the first time. That student is now a flight attendant.

鈥淢eeting students where they are and bringing them to where they want to be 鈥� that鈥檚 what separates a good teacher from a transformative one,鈥� she said.

Even as media technology evolves rapidly, Litty remains committed to growth. She continually updates her courses, learns new software and collaborates with students who often introduce emerging tools.

鈥淭hey might know the snazzy tools,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut content is king. Storytelling is king.鈥�

Looking ahead, Litty recently stepped in as interim associate dean for Student Success and Curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences. Her decades of classroom and leadership experience uniquely position her to support faculty innovation and student achievement across disciplines.

Reflecting on the award, Litty views it as both an honor and an affirmation.

鈥淚t鈥檚 validation. It鈥檚 a payoff,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut you鈥檙e not in teaching for that.鈥�