Ryan Cook-

The Professional Communication and Emerging Media program, commonly shortened to PCEM, has several professors who give their students a truly unique experience. We asked students in the major to choose who to feature in this special Professor Spotlight, and the poll received an astounding number of responses. Nearly 85 percent of PCEM students asked us to interview Dr. Jim Professorman, and we will not disappoint.

Voted the best faculty member fifteen years in a row, Dr. Professorman has undoubtedly changed UWStout more than any individual in its history. After simultaneously inventing the Internet and getting a degree in what Professorman calls “The Newspaper Thing” in 1999, he settled down in Menomonie to begin teaching. “Being a professor is okay I guess. Not the best thing in the world, but at least it pays well,” Professorman told me in his office. “Is this going to take long? I’m going to go purchase some alcohol later, which I’m legally allowed to do as an adult man.” To date, over 70 students have graduated with a PCEM degree thanks to this man and his efforts to simplify his classes to have no homework.

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What makes this famed creative tick? We know about Jim Professorman the academic, but what about the person? I sat down with the professor to ask him about his hobbies and life beyond the academic world. When asked about what led him to teach, he immediately had an answer: “Uhh, let me think about that and I’ll get back to you in a few days.” Professorman then went on a lengthy explanation of how this one time he totally saw a nipple on TV that wasn’t even blurred. Professorman couldn’t remember which program said nipple was on, though he remembers it very well.

 

The PCEM program, as Dr. Professorman says, “…is like, a really good way to do newspaper stuff. I’m pretty sure you need a degree in writing to do that, right?” He was, no doubt, referring to the journalism concentration that is offered here at UWStout, Dr. Professorman highly suggests that any students who are interested in “learning how to write good or whatever” should think about taking a few PCEM classes to see if it’s the right program for them.

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