Boynton honored with Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement
Photo credit to Jessica F. Simmons '24
Earlier this semester, Associate Professor Lois Boynton was honored with the Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement — the first time that a UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media professor has been selected for this award, which recognizes Carolina faculty and staff who have long contributed to student success both in and out of the classroom.
Boynton has taught on UNC Hussman’s public relations faculty since 2001, specifically courses in PR basics and ethics. That’s what her research interests have primarily focused on, too — ethical dilemmas ranging from journalistic freedoms and professionalism to women’s rights.
What first sparked Boynton's interest in media ethics? Princess Diana.
Watching the aftermath of paparazzi and media relations got Boynton thinking, from a public relations perspective, about what it means to make the “wrong” choice in a moral dilemma.
“How do the wheels fall off when most people know the difference between right and wrong?” she said. “What gets in the way of making an ethical decision?”
Boynton got her start, though, not in public relations, but in journalism, working at a daily local paper in Newton, North Carolina. There, she covered the local Chamber of Commerce and learned that a business coming into the area was looking for a media relations specialist.
After she transitioned into that role, Boynton also began teaching night classes at her alma mater, Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina. She loved teaching the introductory journalism and public relations courses — the equivalent of “MEJO 153: Writing and Reporting” and “MEJO 137: Principles of Advertising and Public Relations” at UNC Hussman — but soon realized that if she was interested in eventually teaching full-time, she needed to pursue further education.
That’s how she ended up at UNC-Chapel Hill, pursuing a master’s and then a Ph.D. at UNC Hussman. After a year teaching at the University of South Carolina, she found her way back to Chapel Hill, and she’s been a core part of UNC Hussman ever since.
Now, Boynton’s students know her for her mentorship, her love of teaching and her open door.
In her office on the second floor of Carroll Hall, the two things she always keeps well-stocked are candy and tissues.
“I think sometimes, based on when students first come in, it's like there's a nervousness about ‘What are professors like?’” Boynton said. “And we're just weird people like everybody else, so it's just kind of fun. It's that being approachable makes a difference.”
UNC Hussman’s Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research Lucinda Austin nominated Boynton for the mentorship award.
Austin and Boynton met through the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication before Austin joined the UNC Hussman faculty in 2016. Since then, in her administrative role, Austin has seen Boynton’s impact firsthand in her encouragement of and advocacy for her students.
“If the student body is facing a difficulty, Lois is often the first to hear, because students trust her and seek her counsel,” Austin said. “And it is so evident that she cares about them in how she represents them.”
When Austin reached out to Boynton’s colleagues, as well as current and former students, she received an outpouring of earnest, heartfelt nomination letters in response.
Boynton has kept in touch with many of her former students. She takes an annual photo with UNC Hussman alumni Johnny Gil, now the lead video producer at the Ladies Professional Golf Association, and Alex Giles, now an anchor at WBTV in Charlotte, when they’re back in Chapel Hill around March Madness tournament season — the two of them on either side of Boynton, who is standing on a chair to match their heights.
Photo courtesy of Lois Boynton.
Stephanie Mahin, now a clinical associate professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, said Boynton was one of the main reasons she felt empowered to get her Ph.D. through UNC Hussman. Later, she and Boynton collaborated to finish and publish one of Mahin’s papers in the Journal of Women’s History.
“Lois means the world to me. I don’t know that I have met a more genuinely kind-hearted individual,” Mahin said. “A letter in support of her cannot adequately begin to describe the kind of human God has graced us with. You have to experience Lois to know she is the real deal to her core.”
UNC Hussman Dean Raul Reis said Boynton embodies the school’s ideals of a culture that is welcoming and inclusive to all in the school community.
“Lois is a leading voice in our school who always puts the interest and experiences of her students first,” he said. “It is remarkable how dedicated she is to continuing the mentoring relationships that she builds with students even after they graduate and launch their careers. Lois is often the first to celebrate the achievements of current students, alumni and colleagues, and we are grateful to now celebrate her for the mentorship, leadership and kindness that makes her such a valuable member of the UNC Hussman community.”
When Boynton found out that Austin was nominating her for the award, she was flattered but had zero expectation of winning. When she got the email from Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts that she had won, she couldn’t wait to tell all of the students and colleagues whose thoughtful words put her in the same category as Dean Smith, the legendary UNC basketball coach and winner of the first Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement.
“When I think about the spirit of Carolina, I think of Lois,” Austin said. “And why I stay here is because of people like Lois. She is such an important part of our community.”