University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

James Carey was a scholar who recognized the significance of culture as part of the communication process. He devoted his life to better understanding how culture and communication were intertwined. Communication As Culture made a profound impact on the field of cultural studies, and Professor Carey, through his generous sharing of his time, inspired numerous individuals to connect culture and communication in their scholarship in ways that did not occur in previous eras. I was fortunate to call Jim a friend. I collaborated with him to edit his work after he gave an address at Penn State for a national-level graduate conference that was organized by the College of Communications in 1999. He served as the keynote speaker for that event and was outstanding. He was a wonderful person, a skilled researcher, and very much a gentleman. When I would attend conferences, we would share a beer, talk about the field, and he would encourage my research well before I was known by anyone. The Cultural and Critical Studies division within the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC) has chosen to dedicate the top student paper award to the memory of James Carey. It was a move that I was proud to support after his passing in 2006, and I am now fortunate to head up that division. If anyone wants to truly understand the link between communication and culture, the book I have chosen is an essential text.