The Team

Dr. Cassy Burleson is a senior lecturer in Journalism, public relations, and New Media at Baylor University. She is the 2014 president of the American Studies Association of Texas, and has worked since 1965 as a writer/editor, having published her work in newspapers, magazines, and academic and literary journals. Her poetry has appeared in Whetstone, Green Fuse, Beall House of Poetry, and the Langdon Review. Her second paper on a 16-year study on the Jasper dragging death, co-authored with Mia Moody-Ramirez, appeared in the November 2011 Journal of the American Studies Association of Texas. She received the Distinguished Professor award in 2001 at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, a Mortar Board Distinguished Professor award at Baylor in 2010, and is an EAOC board member. She sponsors Baylor University's crew team.

Cassy Burleson believes that after 48 years of working as a writer/photographer/editor, the credit goes to God and her family for giving her grit and good stories: Maw, MawMaw and Mommie Mae, her dad, mother, Sue, Jasa, Aaron, Jerry, Dana, Bryant, Uncle Earl, Aunt Margaret, Virginia, Skyler, Clint, and Debby; her mentors: Marie Lively, Leon Hale, Joseph Colin Murphey, Anne Sexton and Rachel, who taught her to think/write and/or believe in miracles; the Langdon family of artists; Drs. Roueche, Walker-Nixon, Moody-Ramirez, Bates, Ferdon and Stone, who continue to inspire; and soul mates Karen, Ashley, June, Rickey, Rick, and all the "girls" of '65.

Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez joined Baylor University’s Department of Journalism, PR & New Media in 2001 as a lecturer. Today, she is the department’s Graduate Program Director and the Program Director for American Studies. Moody-Ramirez specializes in new media portrayals of women, people of color and politicians. She teaches PR and media research theory and methods courses. She is the co-author of The Obamas and Mass Media: Race, Gender, Religion, and Politics with Dr. Jannette Dates (2013); and the author of Black and Mainstream Press’ Framing of Racial Profiling: A Historical Perspective (2009). 

She earned her Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Texas in 2006; a M.A. in journalism from Baylor University in 2001; a MS.Ed. in educational psychology from Baylor University in 1998; and a B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University in 1990.

The Bryan native served as a staff writer and columnist for the lifestyle section of the Waco Tribune-Herald from 1990 to 1997, and was a general assignment reporter and intern at the Bryan-College Station Eagle in 1988-1990. She was also editor and publisher of Elegant Woman Magazine from 2000 to 2004.

Moody-Ramirez is active in the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and the International Communication Association (ICA). She was appointed to the 2013-2014 AEJMC Strategic Plan Implementation Committee and the 2013-14 AEJMC Equity & Diversity Award Advisory Committee.