Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Communication, Media Arts, and Marketing, Anna Daly, who was named College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for September 2023.
Daly has been part of the CWI community for the last six years where she has taught various classes, such as Media News Writing and Reporting (COMM 273), Principles of Public Relations (COMM 278), Multimedia Storytelling (COMM 261), Introduction to Mass Media (COMM 271), and Communicating Through Web Design (COMM 259).
Daly teaches because she enjoys guiding students in making connections between the skills they learn in class and how those same skills can be applied in a future career or their academic and personal lives.
“When students make the direct connection between their education and their future aspirations, they become more engaged,” Daly said. “For example, being able to communicate and write clearly and effectively are skills that are essential in every profession. I am passionate about empowering students to be critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and adaptable team members so they can make meaningful and impactful contributions in their future professions and in our community.”
Born and raised in the Treasure Valley, Daly attended Bishop Kelly High School in Boise and received her bachelor's degree in Communication and a Master of Education degree at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa.
While in the final year of her undergraduate, Daly obtained an internship with KTVB Idaho News Channel 7 in Boise which helped start her career in journalism. While at Channel 7, she worked as a News Producer for several different newscasts and even won an Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Emmy) Award for Best Morning Newscast. Daly also helped launch KTVB’s noon show, Idaho Today, which she produced and anchored.
“My internship experience is what allowed me to make connections to people in the news industry and find mentors that I still turn to for advice and guidance today. Now that I can mentor students, I really try to emphasize the importance of internships and fostering relationships that open the doors to new opportunities.”
While Daly works full-time at CWI, she is still actively involved in local journalism. Daly is a Reporter for the locally owned news outlet, BoiseDev, where she writes weekly articles highlighting businesses and people in our community. Working for BoiseDev has allowed her to stay connected to an industry that is everchanging and evolving and then share that knowledge with her students.
Daly believes CWI plays an important role in the Treasure Valley by offering affordable, accessible, and career-focused education to a diverse student body. It also provides students with a variety of pathways to academic and professional success — something she strives to assist with.
Department Chair of Communication and Marketing, Jim Gatfield, notes Daly plays an active role in the programmatic efforts related to strategic planning and growth and has taken the lead in modernizing and refining CWI’s Media Arts program. Daly has met with stakeholders at transfer partners and written a new curriculum based on both transfer and industry-wide needs.
“In the classroom and online, it’s clear that students are benefitting deeply from Anna’s presence,” Gatfield said. “Student evaluations reflect positively on Anna, with students remarking on her commitment to their success and skillful teaching style. Beyond the College, Anna maintains relationships with industry contacts throughout the Treasure Valley. These connections aid both curriculum development efforts and provide students with high-impact internship opportunities.”
Daly’s favorite moments of working at CWI are seeing how her students progress in their education and careers.
“I have had several students go work in public relations,” Daly said. “They will reach out to me with press releases for me to write about and cover for their company and organization. That's when it really comes full circle. It's also always rewarding to see students' work when they go work for local news outlets, marketing, and public relations agencies.”
Outside of the College, Daly enjoys traveling around Idaho and beyond, as well as camping, attending sporting events, and spending time with family.
