Justus Reed is a Public Affairs Specialist at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, or ERDC, in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Reed serves as a Beat Writer for the agency’s Environmental Laboratory, covering newsworthy research the lab conducts to benefit the environment. Reed has expanded his duties to include photography, taking pictures at some of the agency’s events. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Alcorn State University in 2010. Before joining ERDC, Reed worked as a Public Relations Specialist/Staff Writer at Alcorn’s Division of Marketing and Communication for nine years. During his tenure, Reed was responsible for writing news articles and feature stories for the university website, Alcorn.edu. He also played a significant role in the formation and publication of “Alcorn – The University Magazine,” serving as the primary writer. Reed and the Marketing and Communications team won several awards, which includes the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi, or CPRAM, Grand Award in the Electronic Media (Print Media Senior Division) category, first place in the Special Publications category (Senior Division), and first place in the Sports Media Guide category for his work on the “Celebration Bowl Media Guide” in 2017. Also that year, the team won the Best Alumni Publication at the HBCU Awards.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ALCORN? Alcorn has always been celebrated in my community. I’m the youngest of four, and all of my siblings attended the university. Also, my dad would bring my little cousin and me on campus to watch the Braves’ football and basketball teams play during their seasons. Watching my siblings attend the school and remembering all of those fun moments that I had on campus assured me that one day, I too would get a higher education from Alcorn.
WHAT ORGANIZATIONS WERE YOU A PART OF? I was a writer and Entertainment Editor for The Campus Chronicle. Writing for the school newspaper gave me my first glimpse into what it means to be a journalist. The opportunity also helped me grow as a writer and develop my social skills.
HOW HAS ALCORN HELPED PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CAREER? Alcorn helped shape my work ethic, especially my former professors in the Department of Mass Communications. Dr. Jerry Domatob, Mr. Larry Sanders, and Mrs. Toni Terrett exposed my classmates and me to the knowledge and skills that would help us succeed in the journalism field and beyond.
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU ENJOYED MOST ABOUT ALCORN? I’m sure everyone praises Alcorn’s family-like atmosphere, and I’m no different. Everyone at Alcorn looks out for each other, and I will always appreciate that about my university. I’ve always admired how my professors had the students’ best interests at heart. As an employee, I really enjoyed the opportunities to enhance my journalism skill set, whether it was writing speeches for the president or taking photos on Braves’ gamedays. Alcorn has always been a place that will take you to the next level.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR CURRENT OR FUTURE STUDENTS ON ‘THE YARD’? Enjoy your college experience, but never lose sight of why you’re there: to earn a degree. Alcorn has so many opportunities for students to participate in such as internships that could turn into life-changing careers, so take advantage of every opportunity that’s available to you. To young journalists, my advice is to learn as many skills under the communication umbrella as possible to increase your value.
