The more she learned about the media industry, the less sure Kristen Ball was about whether pursuing a career in journalism was such a smart idea.
And then she met the UI faculty member who quickly became her favorite.
“Dr. Kim Rotzoll was dean of the College of Communications in 1992. He was my ethics in journalism teacher,” Ball says.
“I struggled with this class because I found that some media outlets lacked in moral ethics, in my opinion. My whole life, I had wanted to be a journalist, and with this one course it seemed my dreams were dashed.
“Dean Rotzoll recognized my struggle and sat with me for a while and walked me through what I could use a communications degree for, even if I didn’t become a journalist. He was the person who encouraged me to continue on in the College of Communications.
“He was a very caring and knowledgeable professor and he kept me on my path.”
