Bringing the Agency into the Classroom: How Un Chae Chung is elevating media education at UW-Whitewater

Some hires fill a need. Others change the trajectory of a program.

When UW-Whitewater brought Un Chae Chung into the Communication Department in 2023, it did both.

Chung arrived with a strong academic background, including doctoral work in mass communication and training from one of the top advertising programs in the country. More importantly, he brought something that’s harder to teach and even harder to replicate — a clear understanding of how media strategy actually works in practice.

That combination has made an immediate impact.

In a short time, Chung has helped push the advertising curriculum toward a more applied, industry-aligned model. His courses don’t just introduce concepts. They ask students to use them, test them, and adjust when things don’t go as planned.

That shift shows up most clearly in his use of the Stukent Media Planning Simternship. 

On paper, it’s a simulation. In practice, it feels a lot like agency work.

Students step into the role of media planners at a fictional advertising agency. They analyze target audiences, build strategy, allocate budgets across platforms, and evaluate campaign performance using data that mirrors what professionals see in the field. 

But Chung doesn’t use the platform as a shortcut or a plug-and-play tool.

He uses it as a framework for decision-making.

Students are expected to connect theory to action. Audience segmentation, strategic alignment, and performance optimization aren’t just terms from lecture. They become the basis for real choices, with real consequences inside the simulation. 

That’s where the learning deepens.

Students begin to see how small decisions affect larger outcomes. They adjust. They start thinking less like students completing assignments and more like professionals managing campaigns.

And they notice the difference.

One student described the experience simply: “It was very neat to have an example and actually do the media planning for a business.” Another put it more bluntly: “The fake internship was fun and good practice.” 

There’s some truth in both.

The work is engaging. It’s also demanding in the right ways.

Chung has a reputation among students for being both approachable and precise. He expects a lot, but he’s clear about why it matters. That balance has made him a popular addition to the department.

Chung also raised the bar.

What he is building aligns closely with where the Communication Department is already headed. Experiential learning isn’t new at UW-Whitewater. What Chung brings, though, is a sharper connection between classroom instruction and the expectations of the advertising industry as it exists right now.

Media planning today is complex. It requires analytical thinking, adaptability, and a willingness to work across platforms that are constantly changing. Chung’s approach reflects that reality.

Students don’t just learn how media works. They learn how to navigate it.

That matters for outcomes.

Graduates leave with more than familiarity. They leave with experience making decisions, defending strategy, and understanding performance. Those are the skills employers notice quickly.

For a program that prides itself on preparing students for professional work, that’s a strong addition.

And it signals something larger.

As the Department of Communication approaches its 50th anniversary, hires like Chung show how the program continues to evolve. The foundation is still there: storytelling, strategy, and communication that connects. But the tools, platforms, and expectations are changing.

Chung is helping students meet that moment.

And if the early returns are any indication, he’s going to be a big part of where the program goes next.