More Than Ribbon Cutting, Events Galore
Asbury University will celebrate the opening of the Andrew S. Miller Center for Communication Arts with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning, but the weekend’s activities encompass much more.
Thursday evening, a panel discussion titled “Engaging Culture through Communication Arts” will offer students and community members the opportunity to interact with Asbury alumni and media professionals.
Four panelists will share their experiences and perspectives: Susanna Elliot ('07) was in charge of public relations at the 2010 World Equestrian Games this past summer and also works in PR at Alltech; Sarah Leckie ('03) is a media missionary with One Mission and has traveled around the world shooting short documentaries; DT Slouffman ('97) has produced television projects for ABC, ESPN, Lifetime, TLC and the Discovery Channel; and Jeff Rose, an accomplished actor, has appeared in more than 35 films and television series including “Army Wives,” “Drop Dead Diva,” “Teen Wolf,” “The Family that Preys” and “Hullo.” (Extended bios included below.)
On Friday, actor Dean Jones (‘53) will speak during chapel services in Hughes Auditorium at 10 a.m. Perhaps best known for his role as Jim Douglas in Disney’s “The Love Bug” series, Jones had found fame in family-friendly entertainment. His personal lifestyle, however, brought only pain until he experienced a renewal in his spiritual life.
Saturday, workshops on public relations, media and missions, television production and acting are open to students and community members free of charge.
For more information on the Andrew S. Miller Center for Communication Arts and its dedication, visit http://www.asbury.edu/buildingwindows/news/2011-02-asbury-dedicate-new-building-march.
Meet the Panelists
Susanna Elliott — Susanna Elliott is currently the corporate PR manager for Alltech, a global animal health and nutrition company operating in 125 countries. For the past two years, however, she worked exclusively to handle PR for the company’s $36 million-plus investment in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Through her work with the Games — held in Lexington, Ky. — Susanna had the opportunity to work with more than 1,100 international media on site for the event, and she secured the company’s first mainstream interviews with CNN, Reuters, NBC, and the Los Angeles Times. Prior to her work at Alltech, she worked as an assistant to the Governor of Kentucky in the final months of his term in office.
Elliott graduated from Asbury University in 2007 with a communication arts degree and fondly recalls her time in the Corbitt studio and on The Collegian staff.
“I really felt the professors encouraged us to be at the top of our field,” Susanna said, “as well as a light for Christ in the field.”
Originally from the shores of Lake Erie, she never expected to stay in Kentucky, but says she has found life in the Bluegrass with her husband and their black lab, Bentley, a rather wonderful adventure.
Sarah Leckie — Sarah Leckie ’03 has been traveling with One Mission Society, documenting stories around the world for almost eight years. She currently works in the Communication Department, helping OMS document the Lord’s work around the world and communicate it to churches and individuals in OMS’ sending countries.
Sarah also travels to various colleges, helping motivate young men and women to serve the Lord overseas. She says that she is a pencil in the Lord’s hand, letting Him write His stories with her life.
It was as a student at Asbury University that Sarah says she was introduced to and challenged into the world of missions.
Amongst Sarah’s travels on five continents, she has taught Web design classes in the Middle East and photography/videography classes in Africa and South America.
She produced a full-length documentary on the world’s most violent prison in Medellin, Colombia, and countless shorter documentaries of OMS’ other work.
Sarah, who grew up in a non-Christian family, met the Lord at age 14 and says it’s been her joy to see God use her Asbury degree to share Him with others.
D.T. Slouffman — D.T. Slouffman graduated from Asbury College in the spring of 1997 with a degree in Media Communications. Thanks to a recommendation from Dr. Jim Owens, he joined the ABC Television Network three months before completing his studies in Wilmore.
D.T.’s credits include more than 1,000 hours of television programming as a producer, director, or writer. His body of work comprises reality series, live and taped sports productions, studio shows, and several documentaries.
D.T.'s non-fiction programs have aired on TLC, the Discovery Channel, Lifetime, Style Network, HGTV and Court TV. Moreover, his sports television pieces have appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN, TNT, TBS and USA. He has received three Emmy Awards and two additional nominations for his remarkable work as a field producer and an animation designer.
D.T. is currently the senior story producer of TLC’s “Baby’s First Day.”
D.T. enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter in the urban jungle of New York City and the mountains of Pennsylvania, and he’s an ordained Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.
Jeff Rose —Thankful to the Lord to be supporting his family as a professional actor and filmmaker, Jeff Rose is known for his simultaneous recurring roles on both of Lifetime Television’s highest-rated dramas.
Jeff joined the cast of “Drop Dead Diva” in its sophomore season as power attorney Doug Resnick, sharing the screen with such notable guest stars as Cybil Shepherd and Chad Lowe. Jeff will be back in the same role when the third season of the hit show begins production later this month.
As Major Bryce Ogden on “Army Wives,” Jeff has played a pivotal role in some of the most dramatic storylines over the past four seasons of the show.
Look for Jeff later this year opposite Phil Driscoll in a supporting role in the eye-opening and heartfelt “Divine Awakening,” a docu-drama about the musician’s life.
Jeff recently began a third simultaneous recurring role on MTV’s episodic thriller, “Teen Wolf,” due to hit the screens across the country this spring.
In 2010, Jeff Rose was honored with the award for Best Actor in Los Angeles at the prestigious faith-based 168 Film Festival, starring in “The Party.”
