AUSTIN, Texas – Feb. 15, 2012 – The Texas Program in Sports and Media (TPSM) has announced that Sean Adams, columnist, author and radio host at ESPN Austin's 104.9 The Horn, will become the first TPSM Fellow.

The TPSM Fellows program brings together sports and media professionals with College of Communication faculty and students. Starting February 2012, Adams will lecture, research and write on topics including sports and race and the spectacle of contemporary American sports.

"With all the applied academic disciplines in the College of Communication, nothing is more valuable to students and faculty than relationships with industry professionals to share the latest in professional practice," said Mike Cramer, TPSM executive director. "Sean has been there and done that. We're thrilled to have him as a part of the program and look forward to the industry perspective he can bring into the classroom and campus, generally."

Adams has worked at ESPN Austin's 104.9 since 2007 and hosted the mid-day "The Adams Theory" since 2010. Since 2002, he has been a partner and columnist at Orangebloods.com, the online magazine devoted to Longhorn sports.

Adams has appeared on FOX, ABC, the NFL Network and CBS and at universities across the U.S. His appointment as a TPSM fellow runs through the 2012-13 academic year.

"I am honored to be working in conjunction with the Texas Program in Sports and Media," Adams said. "I have a tremendous passion for the educational setting and school environment. To be able to do my work and conduct research in partnership with UT's Texas Program in Sports and Media is important to me as we all try to understand the relationships between sports, athletes, fans and the media."

The TPSM Fellows program seeks to create an accessible and ready conduit between the academy and industry. It will bring to campus professionals from print, television and online journalism, public relations, advertising, corporate communication, and film and broadcast production to provide insight on how their professions interface with the cultural consumption of sports.

Contacts: Nick Hundley, (512) 471-7209 or Mike Cramer, (512) 471-2430.