Bob Rucker


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Resume of Robert L. Rucker III

African-American / 34 Year Professional Journalist / Diversity Consultant, Facilitator & Projects Coordinator.
New Media Program Planner & Administrator /
Bay Area & National Media Expert & Consultant / Media Writer and Career Consultant /
Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications, San Jose State University.
                                                           
E-mail: professorrucker@yahoo.com                             Online: www.profbob.com
Office: Dwight Bentel Hall Room 218                                                    408-924-3272
 

Academic Career Experience:

Fall, 1993 – Present   Coordinator, Diversity in Media, SJSU School of Journalism & Mass Communications. 

On one of the most diverse university campuses in the United States, broadened department curriculum for graduate and
undergraduate media students to study closely how online and traditional media, advertising, PR, TV, radio, newspapers,
magazines, books, and movies, portray issues affect public knowledge, understanding, opinions and attitudes about race
and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion and disabilities in our society and world. To meet the challenges and
needs of the ever changing demographics of California, this emphasis has been included in the department mission
statement and incorporated in all university and community service assignments and endeavors.
 

http://www.profbob.com/A%20MCOM%20105%20Diversity%20Media%20class%20HOME%20PAGE.htm

 

Jan, 2009 - Present       CNN I-Reports “Thinking Out West” SJSU Project Administrator.                    

Developed an innovative professional and academic working relationship to showcase the diverse cultural groups
 in the San Francisco Bay Area, and helped facilitate their inclusion in national and global discussions of
 timely and important issues. I work directly with network producers and former students now working at CNN
headquarters in Atlanta to help SJSU advanced broadcast journalism students anticipate network needs, research
and produce insightful video reports, then post them on the
network’s international citizen journalism website. Many of these special focus, carefully
supervised student reports have been approved for broadcast on both CNN domestic and international channels,
and have earned SJSU special recognition online with CNN executives calling these
“Superstar” student journalistic efforts.
 

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-369807
                                               
 

Nov. 2008 – Jan, 2009   “Education on Wheels” Civil Rights/Inauguration Project Co-Administrator.               

Co-developed a cross country learning road trip through the landmarks of civil rights movement in America.
Secured daily CNN national news coverage travels of ten Bay Area media students from diverse backgrounds who
were assigned to develop newspaper, multi-media online, video and live broadcast feature stories which connected the history
and struggles of the civil right movement to the election of the first African-American president.
Also developed a special website which documented the journey and provide updates on the
project titled “44 Years to the 44^th President.”  
 
 http://www.profbob.com/Inauguration.htm

 

October, 2007       50^th Anniversary/National RTVJ Reunion Project Administrator.                  

Appointed by the JMC school faculty to develop a special campus celebration for the
award-winning SJSU Radio & Television Journalism degree program. Secured ABC Newsman Sam Donaldson
as keynote speaker, created an online site for event news and information, oversaw an online fundraising campaign,
and organized a weeklong “Guest Professor” seminar series which connected hundreds of campus students
with returning SJSU distinguished media graduates.

  http://www.profbob.com/RTVJ%20Reunion%2007/A%2050th%20RTVJ%20HOME%20PAGE.htm


 

Fall, 1990 – Present      Radio/TV/Online News Coordinator / Associate Professor of Journalism.
Prepare budgets, purchase new technology and teach in the Radio/TV/Online journalism program.
During this nineteen year period, several students have earned top honors and recognition in the distinguished
William Randolph Hearst national student competition in broadcast journalism. Before its dissolution in the
late 1990s, RTVJ students also captured numerous top honors in the California Intercollegiate Press
Association statewide competitions.
Hired as a full-time SJSU faculty member in August, 1990. Tenured in May, 1996.

Fall, 2005 – Present       Undergraduate Coordinator & Internship Supervisor.
Periodically appointed by the JMC School Director to lead research, strategic planning and implementation of  
timely curriculum changes, faculty hiring efforts, and new technology assessments for media convergence in our
advertising, public relations and print, broadcast and online journalism degree programs.

 

Fall, 1990 – Present       Coordinator of Professional Media Coverage of Special Events.
In the presidential election years of 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008, developed  study partnerships with working
professional journalists and on-campus faculty in Political Science and Communications Studies to critically evaluate
media coverage of the campaigns in newspaper, radio and television news reporting. The 2008 special topics class

had a timely information resource website which students used to research candidate comments and public reactions
during the live televised presidential debates. http://www.profbob.com/Media%20&%20Election%202008%20HOME%20PAGE.htm

In 1996, while on vacation, arranged with San Francisco’s leading news radio station, KCBS, to offer live reports
from the scene of the aftermath of the bombing incident at the international Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

 

       SJSU Campus Administrative Experience:     

 

1999 – 2003      SJSU Presidential Appointee to the University IRA Appropriations Board.

Charged with reviewing, ranking and allocating campus wide requests for millions of dollars
 in funds from student fees.

1994               CASA Dean’s Representative on SJSU Academic Priorities Committee.

Appointed by the dean of the largest academic unit on campus, the College of Applied Sciences and Arts,
 to participate in the campus budgetary review of more than 100 degree programs, and make cutback
and closure recommendations.

1992           Chair, Diversity Workshops Initiative for SJSU’s Largest College.
Was asked by the CASA dean to oversee the appropriation of a $250,000 grant to be divided among ten
academic departments for faculty training on issues of culture, race, lifestyle and diverse life experiences.



Additional University Administrative Experience: 
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

August, 1983 – June, 1990        

Local PBS Moderator & Public Affairs Producer, WILL-TV.
Coordinated, produced, videotape-edited, and moderated 52 half-hour public affairs discussions on international,
national and state issues for the second largest Public Broadcasting Service affiliate in Illinois.
 

Member, Board of Directors, Illini Media Company.
Supervised the budget and operations of WPGU-FM, a central Illinois commercial radio station, and the DAILY ILLINI,
the U of I based, independent local and campus newspaper in central Illinois.
 

Creator, News Director and Producer, "NEWSLINE" TV Journalism Lecturer/Assistant Professor of Journalism.
Developed the new production of on-air news content for a half-hour, student produced local television newscast in
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.

Professional Television News Experience:
 
June, 1982 - July, 1983.             National News, SF Bureau Correspondent, Cable News Network (CNN).
San Francisco-based correspondent responsible for covering news in the western United States and northern
Mexico. Produced, wrote, edited and reported a wide range of live, breaking news, and feature stories for the
24-hour International cable television news network. Major stories included: The rise of high tech Silicon Valley,
the outbreak of AIDS, Mt. St. Helens Eruptions, President Reagan  and Queen Elizabeth II’s visits,
and SF Mayor Dianne Feinstein’s recall election.

 

Dec., 1978 - June, 1982.       Weekend News Anchor & Reporter, New Jersey Bureau Chief, 
                               and Group W Westinghouse National Medical News Correspondent.
At KYW-TV, Philadelphia, in the nation's fourth largest television news market, anchored three, half-hour editions
of Channel 3's Eyewitness News programs, managed their Garden State / Delaware Valley news bureau and staff,
and specialized in medical feature reporting for the corporation’s NEWSFEED local and national television
reporting service. Also spent nine days on site covering the nation’s worse nuclear accident at Three Mile Island,
and interviewed Pope John Paul II live on television during his visit to Philadelphia.

 

Dec.,1977 - Dec. 1978.          National News Producer- Reporter, NEWSWEEK, New York, NY.
One of three coordinating news and sports producers for the international news magazine's national
television news Feature Service. Reports aired in 65 U.S. television markets. 

 

                             June, 1976 - Dec., 1977.    TV Reporter & Anchor, NBC Television Affiliate, Des Moines, Iowa.                 
News researcher, writer, producer and general assignment reporter for WHO-TV, Palmer Broadcasting
in Iowa's capital city. Also served as the weekend co-anchor of four, half-hour editions of the Eyewitness News
program. Hired by News Director Jack Cafferty who’s now with
CNN’s program the Situation Room with Wolfe Blitzer.


Community Service:
 

2009 – Present     South Bay Catholic Church Coordinator of the Outreach to the GLBT Community Project.
Following the lead of a prominent Northern California immigration rights advocate and Pastor of St. Julie Billiart Parish
Roman Catholic Church in San Jose, Father Jon Pedigo, I am organizing a group of parish lay leaders and helping
 them research and follow explicit San Jose Diocese guidelines for specific outreach to the gay, lesbian,
bi-sexual and transgender Christians. Detailed information about our perspectives and effort were
printed in an extensive article in the Metro, the Silicon Valley’s number one weekly newspaper, and posted on
their Metro Online website. 
       
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/11.18.09/cover-0946.html      
 

2005 – 2009     Webmaster, St. Julie Billiart Parish, San Jose, CA.
2004 – 2007     Member, Parish Pastoral Council, (Policy-making and financial oversight.)



Education    

Master of Science, Broadcast Journalism, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, May, 1990.

Bachelor of Science, Political Science, Northern Illinois University, May 1976. Graduated with honors.

 

Professional Associations:
           
APTRA Board of Directors, Associated Press Radio & Television Association, California/Nevada.  
National Association of Black Journalists  (NABJ)
Bay Area Black Media Association ( BABMA )
Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA)

 

References:
 

Jerald Enos. Former Division Director for the Center for Performing Arts & Associate
Professor/Scenic Designer,
Department of Theatre and Dance, Santa Clara University.  
 

Egan Schulz.  Senior Producer, I-Tunes LP and Extras, Apple Corporation, Cupertino, CA. 
 

Drew Griffin.  News Anchor & Special Investigative Correspondent, Cable News Network,
CNN World Headquarters, Atlanta, Georgia.  

Jane McMillan. Associate News Director, KCBS Newsradio, San Francisco, CA.
 

Damian Trujillo. TV News Reporter, Producer/Host “Comunidad Del Valle,”
 NBC Bay Area.

          Kiet Do.  TV News Reporter, CBS 5 South Bay Bureau, San Jose, CA.
  

Jon Pedigo. Immigration & Civil Rights Activist / Pastor,
St. Julie Billiart Parish, San Jose, CA.

Stephen Gangstead.  Former overseas U.S. State Department Embassy Attaché.
Minneapolis, MN. 

Dennis Richardson.  Independent Documentary Producer & CBS Television News,
Philadelphia, PA.