Winners include journalism graduate student Manu Ferreira for “Succeeding in a New World” in the Non-Fiction – Long Form category; journalism and political science dual-degree undergraduate student J. Sidney Malone for “Egg Prices” in the Multimedia Journalist category; and journalism undergraduate students Emmie Larson and Adrian Carrasco for “Illini Sports Night Pregame Special for Illinois Women’s Basketball” in the College Sports Program category. The pregame coverage was also the first show that Illini Sports Night aired on the B1G+ network. (Pictured above is the Illini Sports Night pregame show team.)
Ferreira and Larson also earned a nomination for “UI7 Live Special Report: Decision 2022” for live coverage of the 2022 election in the category of College Newscast. In addition, Malone was a finalist in the News Report – Light News category for “Egg Prices Are Up. Should You Buy a Chicken?”
A group of Illinois advertising and computer science + advertising students earned second place in the district level at the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition held April 27-28 in South Bend, Indiana.
After extensive marketing research, the Illinois NSAC team of students—which includes researchers, strategists, creatives, media personnel, and designers—developed and pitched an integrative advertising campaign for this year’s NSAC corporate sponsor and worldwide job search site Indeed.
For Indeed, the team created the campaign tagline “Know It All” and produced a 12-page book with research, insights, strategy, and media placements, as well as five creative executions, a video spot, and a live 20-minute presentation. They worked on the project through Advertising 400: NSAC Campaign last fall, taught by Brittany Duff, associate professor of advertising, and this spring, taught by Carrie Wilson-Brown, lecturer of media and cinema studies and of advertising.
“I am so proud of this talented group of students,” Wilson-Brown said. “They exemplify the innovative thinking and professionalism we strive for in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising.”
Student presenters included advertising majors Brooke Button, Lauren Jenkins, and Thomas Sanders, and chemistry major Juan Camargo. Members of the executive board were CS+advertising major Ayesha Baweja, advertising majors Julie Garcia and Annee Mattson, and advertising and sociology major Cassidy Marcum.
Fifteen additional students have contributed to the campaign since the beginning of the school year or the start of second semester.
“Our executive board has been planning and working on this campaign since August, and we are so proud of our team and presenters,” Baweja said.
NSAC is an annual competition that provides more than 2,000 college students hands-on experience in creating a strategic media campaign for a real corporate client. Students address real-world marketing challenges and must research the client and its competition, identify issues, and devise an integrated campaign. Then students pitch their campaign to the clients and a panel of AAF judges who are professionals in the advertising, marketing, and communications industry.
Congratulations to these College of Media students who received campus and college awards and honors, and scholarships and fellowships that were made possible thanks to our donors.
HONORS
Bronze Tablet Inscription on the Bronze Tablets in the Main Library recognizes students ranking in the top three percent of their graduating class.
Noah Balduf
Shelby Kate Hagerman
Owen Reilly Henderson
Deja Angelique Hill
Jillian Horvatin
Jennifer Hu Li
Emily Norine McNaughton
Patrick Winter
Sydney Madison Wood
Highest Honors For 2022-2023, the Highest Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors with a 3.97 to 4.0 GPA. (Ranges are based on percentages and may change slightly each year.)
Noah Balduf
Abbey Marie Burke
Tristen Clark
Shelby Kate Hagerman
Owen Reilly Henderson
Deja Angelique Hill
Jillian Horvatin
Jennifer Hu Li
Mogan McDonnell
Emily Norine McNaughton
Priyanka Nair
Brianna Pietrzak
Patrick Winter
Sydney Madison Wood
High Honors For 2022-2023, the High Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors with a 3.93 to 3.96 GPA. (Ranges are based on percentages and may change slightly each year.)
Mona Alrazzaq
Emily Anne Christopher
Matthew Fanelli
Taylor Gatz
Francesca Gonnella
Jackson Janes
Ryan Leshock
Rachel Maeng
Jane Molenda
Aniruddha Pai
Griffith Pool
Gabriella G. Trani
Matthew Troher
Oscar Villalobos
Yihan Wang
Rachael Yao
David Zelkowitz
Jia Zeng
Honors For 2022-2023, the Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors with a 3.86 to 3.92 GPA. (Ranges are based on percentages and may change slightly each year.)
Maggie Beese
Natalie Anne Belloff
Sumin Cho
Catalina Anahee Delgado
Giovanna DiTullio
Carley Morgan Edwards
Carson Barrett Gourdie
Maxwell Kurtock
Alyssa Leveille
Kelly Kieuvan Ly
Justin Sidney Malone
Kayla Mish
Margaret Morris
Sasha Olevsky
Amanda Katherine Powell
Miriam Sadkhin
Danielle D. Schleyer
Lauren Sebek
Jintian Song
Samantha G. Sorich
Brynne Peyton Spears
Xiaoyu Su
Minghao Sun
Myka Bailey Thies
Makayla Wilson
Tyler William Wurster
James Scholars This university-wide honors program encourages James Scholars to develop skills in leadership and service, research or honors coursework, service learning and global studies, and professional development.
Natalia Catalina Alfaro
Emily Anne Christopher
Catalina Anahee Delgado
Giovanna DiTullio
Isabelle Downey
Carley Morgan Edwards
Kiley Fletcher
Shelby Kate Hagerman
Owen Reilly Henderson
Jillian Horvatin
Ryan Leshock
Mackenzie Mae Lyerla
Justin Sidney Malone
Emily Norine McNaughton
Jane Molenda
Zoe Lewis Nielsen
Sasha Olevsky
Aniruddha Pai
Robyn Emily Pease
Griffith Pool
Danielle D. Schleyer
Sydney Madison Wood
David Zelkowitz
Kappa Tau Alpha This college honor society recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication.
Noah Balduf
Taylor Gatz
Francesca Gonnella
Ryan Leshock
Emily Norine McNaughton
Brianna Pietrzak
Sydney Madison Wood
David Zelkowitz
Senior 100 Honorary This campus honor recognizes academics, leadership, service, and engagement at the University of Illinois.
Zoe Lewis Nielsen
Nate Walinder
AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, & FELLOWSHIPS
American Advertising Federation’s 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students Each year, the American Advertising Federation selects the 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students in the nation. Since the program began in 1997, the AAF Illinois chapter has had more winners than any other university or college. Winners participate in a three-day industry immersion program (when held in-person) with the highest-level industry executives and companies in New York City. They are also recognized at the annual Building Bridges for Our Future awards luncheon with top industry professionals and organizations.
Julie Garcia
Asia Griffin
Carmen Larios
Kassandra Leyva
Blake Morrow
Marvin Sosa
Betty Hinckle Dunn Memorial Scholarship Mr. Lyman Dunn, a graduate of the University of Illinois, established this scholarship in memory of his wife at the time of her death. Mrs. Dunn was a journalism graduate and a longtime officer of Women in Communications. Mr. Dunn died in 1986. The fund supports an undergraduate scholarship and an annual public lecture by a distinguished journalist.
Farrah Anderson
Madison Holcomb
Ashley Howerter
Nour Longi
Bill Geist Broadcast Journalism Writing Prize This endowment was established in 1998 by alumnus Bill Geist, CBS correspondent and best-selling author. The award is presented to an undergraduate student majoring in broadcast journalism who demonstrates extraordinary ability and creativity in writing and reporting news for radio and television.
Sydney Wood
Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship in Journalism This scholarship celebrates the life of Brett Lerner whose untimely death in 2015 lead to an outpouring of support from the campus community and across the country. Brett was a junior studying journalism who inspired many with his tremendous talent, professionalism, and drive to succeed. Those closest to Brett knew him as a very bright young man with an amazing future ahead of him in the sports broadcasting field. His parents, Richard and Susan Pomerantz, were instrumental in establishing the fund and providing a way for family members, friends, and Brett’s many professional and personal connections to honor his legacy. The Lerner Scholarship is awarded to a talented undergraduate student with a passion for journalism and demonstrated experience working for a high school or college newspaper or other journalism work experience.
Kayla Mish
C&U Poster Advertising Company Scholarship This scholarship is awarded to a senior majoring in advertising. It was created by Kip Pope to honor Robert P. Pope and Barbara G. Pope and in memory of Fred and Bertha Gillingham. Mr. Pope is the former president of C&U Poster.
Deja Hill
C. Arthur and Eleanor Hemminger Scholarship The late Eleanor Garm Hemminger was a 1939 graduate of the University, and established this endowment through her estate. Arthur Hemminger was a 1930 journalism graduate. Scholarships are presented to deserving undergraduate media students.
Abbey Burke
Tristen Clark
Anjana Gulapalyam
Sofia Kanda
Jennifer Li
Kelly Ly
Olivia Rice
Leopold Smat
C.O. “Doc” Erickson Scholarship in Journalism This scholarship was established in 2006 by the late University of Illinois alumnus and film producer C.O. “Doc” Erickson, who worked with many Hollywood directors, including Alfred Hitchcock on “To Catch a Thief” and “Vertigo,” and with John Houston on “The Misfits.” The scholarship is presented to undergraduate students enrolled in journalism.
Piotr Fedczuk
Calvin Hugy Scholarship This endowment was established from the Calvin E. Hugy estate. Mr. Hugy was a 1950 journalism graduate. He retired as vice president of Pacific Eurpac Service, Inc., of Greenwich, Connecticut. The scholarship is presented to deserving undergraduate media students.
Gabriella Blangiardo
Francesca Dumitrescu
Shelby Hagerman
Sizhe Huang
Annalee Mattson
Emily McNaughton
Cardiss Collins Scholarship for Diversity in Advertising Established by the American Advertising Federation in 1996 to honor Illinois’ first black congresswoman, Rep. Cardiss Collins, this scholarship is awarded to a minority student intending to pursue advertising studies.
William Morrow
Carl and Ruth S. Stephens Scholarship The Stephens family bequeathed a farm to the College of Communications in the mid-1980s. Proceeds from its operation and eventual sale in 1990 have been used to endow this scholarship for journalism students who demonstrate academic merit and/or financial need.
Sydney O’Brien
Jacqueline Barba
Stephanie Mosqueda
Charla Krupp Endowed Scholarship for Internships in Journalism As a 1975 journalism graduate, Charla Krupp was an inspiration to students, faculty, and professionals alike with her ambition, enthusiasm, and accomplishments. She had a strong desire to help students establish careers in major media markets, such as New York City. It was Ms. Krupp’s wish that the College of Media develop a valuable and practical internship program on her behalf, delivering a rich, diverse multimedia learning experience to allow students to gain hands-on skills for a successful career in journalism.
Vivian La
Charles G. Sotir Journalism Scholarship This scholarship is made possible from funds donated by alumnus Charles G. Sotir and his wife, Mary, of Evanston, Illinois. The award is given to a journalism undergraduate student with academic merit.
Jonna Harris
Christopher Allen Scholarship The Christopher L. Allen Scholarship is awarded to academically meritorious juniors and seniors enrolled in the College of Media or in the Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The scholarship was established in memory of Christopher Allen, a 1983 graduate of Illinois who had an outstanding political career, both at the state and national levels.
Max Kurtock
Luke McKenna
Atlas Vanzanten
College of Media Alumni Scholarship Established in 1943 by alumni donations, this endowment provides awards to outstanding College of Media students, based on scholarship, character and professional achievement.
Francesca Dumitrescu
Priyanka Nair
College of Media Annual Fund Scholarship These scholarships are funded through contributions to the College of Media Annual Fund from alumni and friends. They are awarded to students based on their scholarship, character and professional achievement.
Francisco Albarran
Raegan Gooding
Samuel Greenblatt
Sofia Kanda
Mattie Kennel
William Nelson
Konrad Przeczek
Bo Ravanh
College of Media Endowed Scholarship This scholarship is made available each year to outstanding undergraduate students within any college degree program and is based on financial need, academic merits, or both. Alumni and friends make gifts to the fund annually.
Ayesha Baweja
Aniruddha Pai
Daily Illini Journalism Scholarship Fund This fund was established in 2020 by Sarah Min (BS ’93, journalism) and Matthew Pincus of the Sarah Min and Matthew Pinkus Foundation, to benefit undergraduate journalism students who are committed to working at least one semester at The Daily Illini. Sarah Min is a digital media consultant in New York City.
TBD
Daniel and Nancy Balz Endowed Fund in Journalism In 2013, Dan and Nancy Balz brought their love of an Illinois education to life by establishing their first scholarship. Dan received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in journalism and went on to be an internationally recognized correspondent for The Washington Post. Nancy has degrees from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Library and Information Science. The fund from their endowment will be used for either scholarship or internship support for journalism students in the College of Media.
Emmie Larson
Isabella Zarate
David Shaul Endowed Scholarship in Journalism David Shaul (BS ’63, journalism), personified what local television news should be. He was an integral part of Champaign-Urbana, as a professional broadcaster and citizen, for more than five decades. He was an ethical journalist known for his experience, professionalism and rich knowledge of central Illinois. He set the standard for quality television journalism and was honored by several friends and family who created this scholarship in his honor in 2018. The scholarship honors an undergraduate journalism student based on academic merit.
Dalila Divanovic
Dawn M. Turner and Kim D. Turner Endowed Scholarship in Media Dawn M. Turner (BS ’87 journalism) a former columnist and reporter for the Chicago Tribune, established this scholarship in 2018 in honor of her late sister Kim. The fund supports undergraduate scholarships and experiential learning opportunities for College of Media students with a demonstrated financial need, giving preference to African American students. Dawn hopes to inspire students to seek out untold stories to counteract the negativity we often see in the media.
Evie Edwards
Deanna Frautschi and Alan Bedell Scholarship This scholarship fund was established in 2018 by Deanna Frautschi (BS ’70, Advertising) and her husband Alan Bedell, to benefit College of Media juniors and seniors, regardless of their major. Deanna retired after a 33-year career as executive vice president of communications and human resources for COUNTRY Financial and wants College of Media students to reap the benefits of an Illinois education, just as she did.
Cameron Taylor
Department of Advertising Scholarship Established in 2004 by alumni donations to the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising Annual Fund, this current use fund provides awards to outstanding College of Media students, based on scholarship, character and professional achievement.
Samantha Barajas
Emily Hong Chen
Rawan El-Bawab
Meghna Goli
Jillian Horvatin
Saborni Kundu
Julianna Nunez
Ivana Salto Lopez De Llergo
Nancy Zhang
Department of Journalism Scholarship This fund was established in 1982 by alumni donations to the Department of Journalism Scholarship Fund. It provides awards to outstanding College of Media students, based on scholarship, character and professional achievement.
Zeno Jo
Donald E. Chamberlain Journalism Scholarship This award is presented to outstanding journalism students on the basis of academic performance and promise of success in the field. The award was established in 1956 by the Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association in memory of Mr. Chamberlain. The ILCA dates back to 1946. Mr. Chamberlain worked with state and legislative leaders to establish modern pressroom facilities for the association in 1947.
Alexander Winton
Donald P. Mullally Internship at Illinois Public Media A scholar and true visionary for public radio and television, Don Mullally served as General Manager at the NPR and PBS stations licensed to the University of Illinois from the early 1970s until his retirement in 2005 – well into the Internet age. The Donald P. Mullally Endowment was established with gifts made in his honor at the time of his retirement. Mullally passed away in early 2015. Interest from the endowed fund supports a paid internship at WILL in the fall and spring semesters each year.
Aniyha Jones
Earl M. Cummings Advertising Education Research Award These are academic research awards given to Master’s in Advertising students who demonstrate great promise in research.
Alexander Ambrosio
Catherine Arreazola
Paris Baptiste
Xinle Du
Masashi Fukada
Ruo-Yu “Joyce” Huang
Dongchan Lee
Floria Yujin Lee
Jingyu Liu
Veranika Paltaratskaya
Nisa Purbita Rahman
Prativa Subedi
Geng Sun
Ed Wilks Memorial Scholarship in Journalism This scholarship was established in 1988 by the Ambassadors, a St. Louis charitable and civic organization. Mr. Wilks graduated from the University of Illinois in 1950 and went on to a fine career in journalism. He worked with The Associated Press and for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where he was executive sports editor for most of his 34 years in the business. This scholarship is for undergraduate journalism students interested in newspaper careers.
Victoria Olaleye
Florence Hood Miner Scholarship in Journalism This endowment was established in 1998 by Florence Hood Miner of Castle Rock, Colorado. Scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students in journalism, with a preference to students working for The Daily Illini or a similar student newspaper.
Tara Mobasher
Florence J. Johnson Scholarship The Florence J. Johnson Endowed Fund was created in July 2014 in memory of Florence J. Johnson, a 1945 journalism graduate who gifted the fund to the College of Media from her estate.
Sofia Cesarone
Daden Gabryszewski
Grace He
Nathaniel Murphy
Megan Wood
Forsyth Family Endowed Scholarship Created in 2014 by Illinois alumni Bill and Martha Forsyth, this renewable scholarship is awarded based on academic merit. The Forsyths know that media is a rapidly changing industry. This scholarship will help students gain the experience they need to make an impact in the industry and be innovative leaders.
Emily Christopher
George Will Endowed Scholarship The George Will Endowment Fund was created in 2014 in honor of George Will, a local University Laboratory High School graduate and a 1977 Pulitzer Prize-winning political commentator for The Washington Post. Will was named a member of Uni High’s “Class of the Century” in 2022. The scholarship is awarded to an outstanding College of Media student.
Emily Hong Chen
Gerald P. Johnson Scholarship A 1951 graduate of Illinois, Gerald Johnson was an engaged community member and great enthusiast of local sports. To honor Gerry and his lifelong interest in sports broadcasting, his family established the Gerald P. Johnson Endowment Fund in the fall of 2013. The fund provides merit-based awards for either scholarships or internships to undergraduates with an interest in broadcast journalism.
Alex Bahena
Ehkhjin Erdenekhuyag
Gerald Robert Bland Scholarship Established by Wilma R. Bland from her estate to honor her late husband, Gerald Robert Bland, this scholarship is presented to students in journalism.
Antonio Elvir-Hernandez
Glenn Hanson Scholarship in Visual Communication Presented in honor of longtime journalism faculty member Glenn Hanson, this scholarship is awarded to a journalism student studying graphic arts.
Rolando Mendez
Glenn Holman Roberts Journalism Scholarship This award was established by the late Glenn H. Roberts, a 1947 University of Illinois journalism graduate. Mr. Roberts retired after 39 years as the vice president of research for The Des Moines Register and then was the head of his own research firm. The fund provides scholarships to juniors or seniors who have proven ability in journalism courses, have extracurricular journalistic experience and demonstrate a particular interest in print journalism.
Arianna Williams
Goldie Maxine Cord and Marcus Franklin Cord Scholarship This scholarship was established in memory of Goldie Maxine Cord, a 1936 journalism graduate. The scholarship is presented to a third-year journalism student.
Anulika Ochuba
H. Maxine Gladding Greenwood Scholarship This award was established in 2001 by James Greenwood to honor his wife, Maxine, a 1938 journalism graduate. Mrs. Greenwood was a feature writer for the Moline Daily Dispatch and was the first woman on its display advertising staff. The fund provides scholarships, fellowships and teaching awards as appropriate. Students receiving scholarships are chosen for academic achievement and financial need.
Dalila Divanovic
Harold E. and Dorothy Johnson Sortor Journalism Scholarship This scholarship was established in 1988 by Harold E. and Dorothy Johnson Sortor of Savannah, Georgia, who wished to acknowledge their appreciation to the University of Illinois by providing financial recognition to outstanding journalism students. The scholarship is based on academic merit.
Colin Hislope
Harold Gustave Roettger Memorial Award This award is presented to outstanding graduating seniors in Media and is based on academic performance and membership in Kappa Tau Alpha, a national communications honorary society.
Noah Balduf
Deja Hill
Sydney Wood
Helen C. and Theodore B. Peterson Scholarship This scholarship was established in 1998 in memory of Theodore B. Peterson, former dean of the College of Communications, now the College of Media. Dean Peterson’s wife, Helen Peterson, passed away in 2007, and the scholarship now bears both of their names.
Jakob Stutz
Hugh Hough Memorial – Media This fund was established in 1986 by Hugh Hough’s wife Ellen Wasemann Hough and other donors to honor Hugh Hough, a 1951 journalism graduate. Hugh Hough was an author who received a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting with Art Petacque for uncovering new evidence that led to the reopening of efforts to solve the 1966 murder of Valerie Percy. The scholarship is awarded to a journalism student, who, based on professional interest and academic achievement, shows promise of continuing Hugh Hough’s legacy as a journalist.
Joshua Pietsch
Ian Fleming Foundation Undergraduate Research Scholarship The Ian Fleming Foundation (IFF) Undergraduate Research Scholarship has been donated by the Ian Fleming Foundation to honor the late Ian Lancaster Fleming, a journalist, critic, travel writer, and author of the James Bond novels. The IFF was formed in 1992 by Dr. Michael L. VanBlaricum, John Cord, and Douglas Redenies, and this scholarship was established by the IFF in 2014. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide incentive and support to outstanding undergraduate students to become involved in primary media and/or film research with College of Media faculty. Funds are offered each year to undergraduate students who possess an outstanding track record of academic achievement along with independent research potential.
Evelyn Cabrea
Yun Hyuk (Alex) Choi
Paul Duarte-Noe
Alexander Gallegos
Sizhe Huang
Trent Miles
Illinois Broadcaster’s Association Scholarship in Journalism This scholarship was established in 2004 for an undergraduate journalism student majoring in broadcast journalism who demonstrates talent, commitment, excellence, and professional ambition in broadcasting. The student must have a superior record of academic performance and be the top student preparing to enter their senior year.
J. Sidney Malone
Iris Chang Journalism Award This award was established in memory of Iris Chang by her family and friends. Ms. Chang was born in Princeton, New Jersey, and grew up in Champaign-Urbana, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Illinois in 1989. She established herself as an invaluable source of information about Asia, human rights and Asian American history with her international best seller, The Rape of Nanking. Seniors in journalism are eligible.
Chiffon Claiborne
Olabisi Efunnuga
Jackson Janes
James Webb Young Assistantships in Advertising James Webb Young was one of the great pioneers and most honored figures in advertising. Mr. Young, a self-educated man who authored four textbooks on advertising, enjoyed a distinguished career that lasted six decades and bridged two centuries. It began with the writing of direct response advertising and continued to include, among other achievements, the creation of several now-classic ads and the founding of the Advertising Council. The fund was established at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1959. One of its main goals is to improve advertising by attracting talented graduate students from all over the world.
Masashi Fukada
Jay Lin Scholarship Jay Lin (MS ’89, advertising), the first mainland Chinese student to receive a master’s degree from oversees, created the Jay Lin Scholarship Fund in 2018. It was his dream to someday give back to the University of Illinois’ next generation of advertising students after receiving support via the James Webb Young Scholarship when he was a student. This scholarship honors an advertising student in the college.
Caroline Field
Jenny Lenzini Memorial Scholarship in Journalism The family of Jenny Lenzini (BS ’16, journalism) established a scholarship to help make education more affordable for University of Illinois students, to fund their passions, and to honor her legacy. Jenny passed away tragically on November 15, 2020, at the age of 26. At Illinois, Jenny worked for The Daily Illini, was a member of Chi Omega sorority, and helped lead UI-7 News to a NATAS Crystal Pillar Award for the best college newscast in Mid-America. This scholarship supports an undergraduate junior or senior journalism student with undergraduate scholarships or experiential learning opportunities.
Yuzhu Liu
Joe Sutton Honorary Scholarship This award was established by the late June Sleeman, University of Illinois journalism alumna, and her late husband, Tom Sleeman, who was president of Unocal Chemicals in Los Angeles, to honor Joe Sutton, former assistant dean, associate professor in journalism and editor of Illinois Alumni News. Joe was a key person in the instructional program of the Department of Journalism and had the responsibility for the core of news writing and editing courses. The award provides a scholarship to a female print journalism student enrolled in the College of Media—who is or has been on the staff of The Daily Illini—on the basis of academic performance and promise of success in journalism.
Jacqueline Barba
Joel D. and Analee Weisman Scholarship Established in 1999 by Joel D. Weisman and Analee Rudich Weisman, this scholarship is given to an undergraduate student who is working, either part-time or full-time, at a job that involves journalism, marketing or management. Students with financial need are given preference. Joel Weisman is an attorney, talent representative and Emmy Award-winning Chicago television host and commentator. While a student he met his wife, Analee, and worked as a sportswriter columnist for The Daily Illini and The News-Gazette.
Nathalie Murillo
John H. and Sylvia N. Schacht Memorial Scholarship John Schacht was a longtime journalism faculty member who was an editor of The Daily Illini as an undergraduate. His father was previously editor-in-chief of the paper. Sylvia N. Schacht taught English at the University for 25 years. This scholarship was created by the Schacht family in honor of their parents. It is presented to an undergraduate student who is a staff member of The Daily Illini.
Zoe Nielsen
John R. Foreman Scholarship The Marajen Stevick Foundation established the John R. Foreman Scholarship fund in honor of John Foreman’s “outstanding service” to The News-Gazette, the community and the profession of journalism. A 1977 journalism alum, Foreman began his career at The News-Gazette as a reporter and was later promoted to state editor, city editor, managing editor, editor, and general manager. The scholarship underscores Foreman’s respect for education at all levels and his commitment to journalism and to the University of Illinois. The award provides internship or scholarship assistance to undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Journalism.
Talia Duffy
Logan Hodson
John T. Trebilcock Memorial Award This memorial fund was established to honor the late John Trebilcock, a journalism teacher. The award recognizes a Daily Illini reporter judged to have done the year’s best investigative reporting. The Daily Illini staff chooses the recipient and matches the College of Media award.
Sarah Bond
Judy Blasdell Bligh Endowed Journalism Scholarship Judy Blasdell Bligh was a 1969 University of Illinois Advertising graduate who worked in journalism, primarily in copy editing and proofreading. She worked for University of Illinois Press, The Library at 190 S. Lasalle in Chicago, Fearon-Pitman Publishers in California, and Apple in Seattle, Washington, during her long career. The scholarship was named in Judy Blasdell Bligh’s honor upon her passing in April 2020. It recognizes outstanding students in the Department of Journalism.
Jasper Doney
Jules and Jody Anne Becker Scholarship This scholarship was established by the late Jules Becker and Jody Anne Becker to assist journalism or advertising students. Mr. Becker, of Becker & Company Public Relations-Advertising in San Rafael, California, attributed his outstanding journalistic education and solid foundation for life to the college.
Piotr Fedczuk
Karen Lucas Petitte Endowed Scholarship in Journalism Karen Petitte holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Illinois. While at Illinois, Karen was among the first women selected as editor-in-chief of The Daily Illini. She has worked for the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Daily News, Consumers Digest, Modern Healthcare, and Modern Physician, the latter two published by Chicago-based Crain Communications, Inc. She has served as the first woman president of the Chicago Newspaper Guild and as Chicago’s consumer affairs commissioner under Mayor Jane Byrne. In 2007 she was inducted into the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame and the Illini Media Hall of Fame. The award is given to a student majoring in journalism based on academic merit and financial need.
Megan Krok
Klues Scholars In 2015, the Jack M. Klues and Elizabeth F. Klues Family Foundation established an endowment in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising to fund scholarships and experiential learning opportunities for underrepresented students with significant financial need. The gift was initiated by Jack Klues, a 1977 advertising alum, who began his career as an account executive in the media department at Leo Burnett. In 1996, he was part of the management team that created Starcom, and in 2003, following the acquisition by Publicis Groupe, he served as global CEO for Publicis Groupe Media. From 2007 until his retirement in 2012, he served as global CEO and Directoire member with oversight of media agencies, as well as Digitas and Razorfish under Publicis’ holding company’s digital and media agency, Vivaki. Mr. Klues has served in many volunteer leadership roles for the College of Media, including the James Webb Young Board, and has served on the board of directors for the Off the Street Club in Chicago for more than 25 years. His family’s gift will assist the college in its goal of building a more diverse student population, which ultimately improves diversity within the advertising industry.
Sophia Cepeda
Catalina Delgado
Maria Mancero
Joshua McWhorter
Lulu Kelly Nardine Awards Three awards are given to journalism students who have demonstrated excellence in writing. The late Gretchen Nardine Doris of Tampa, Florida, established this scholarship in memory of her mother.
Carley Edwards
Owen Henderson
Sydney Wood
Lynne Blanton Student Travel Fund Marilyn Dean DeRamus Blanton established this endowment to provide travel funds for graduate students in the Institute of Communications Research (ICR) in honor of her daughter, Lynne Blanton, who earned a Ph.D. in 1979 from the Institute under the direction of Professor Albert L. Kreiling.
Ariana Cano
Jiyeon Chang
Kirby Cook
Yiran Gao
Stephanie Gomez-Perez
Jingyi Gu
Namita Gupta
Seo-Jeong Heo
Ruochong “Alice” Ji
Woojin Kim
Seo Yoon Lee
Anirban Mukhopadhyay
Ji Won Oh
Yeahin “Jane” Pyo
Jorge Rojas Alvarez
Elizabeth Simpson
Yanyun “Mia” Wang
Shiyue “Jennifer” Zhang
Mengqing “Maggie” Zhang
Marian and Barney Brody Creative Feature Article Writing Awards in Journalism These awards were established in 1996 through the generosity of Marian Boruck Brody, a 1937 journalism graduate, who passed away in 2016. The awards are presented to journalism graduate or undergraduate students judged to have reported and written the best student feature articles during the academic year.
Sarah Bond for “Daily Bread soup kitchen”
Marilyn Miller Kaytor Scholarships Established from the estate of Marilyn Miller Kaytor, one of the first journalists to make a career of writing about food for a mass audience, this endowed fund supports scholarships for undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Journalism.
Siona Ahuja
Michael Bergonzi
Jordan Butler
Kathryn Dalton
Talia Duffy
Ariyelle Edwards
Enkhjin Erdenekhuyag
Benjamin Fader
Elizabeth Fawley
Ryan Hastings
Kayla Henry
Logan Hodson
Jackson Janes
Benjamin Kovar
Vivian La
Jacob Larson
Faith Lee
Hannah Lonergan
Nour Longi
Justin Malone
Haley Maser
Stephanie Mosqueda
Darryl Norwood
Humza Qazi
Emilio Reyes
Julissa Reyes
Emily Richie
Liliana Rodriguez
Adam Rosen
Thomas Rot
Angel Saldivar
Gwyneth Skiles
Victoria Trevino
Mariah Trujillo
Lathanial Wells
Julia Youman
Isabella Zarate
Media Underrepresented Scholarship Fund Endowed in 2020 by alumni donations, this scholarship provides awards to outstanding College of Media underrepresented students, based on scholarship, character, and financial need.
Oscar Villalobos
Murray Kalis Awards for Creativity in Advertising Murray Kalis (BS ’61, advertising) had a long and successful career in the advertising business, creating Kalis, Inc. He spent most of his career as a creative director and established this fund in 2020 to emphasize to students the importance of creativity in advertising. The awards are given to students majoring in advertising in recognition of excellence in creativity in advertising. The criteria for these awards includes smart positioning, outstanding creative concept, strong execution, and a “wow” factor.
Claire Hulen – Best Single Ad
Claire Hulen and Zoe Nielsen – Best Campaign
Maggie Beese – Best Portfolio
Nelio A. Florio and Patricia M. Florio Scholarship in Journalism Patricia Florio established this scholarship in honor of her husband, the late Nelio Florio, a 1938 journalism graduate. Nelio was a sports writer on The Daily Illini and served as sports editor of Trans-Radio News, the Southtown Economist, the Garfieldian, and the Austin News. Later he joined Western Electric and served for 31 years as editor of its newspaper and then at the Oak Park Journal as sports editor. The award is presented to an undergraduate journalism student.
Jakob Stutz
Paul C. Fulton Scholarship This scholarship fund was created by Mrs. Ester Fulton to honor her late husband, Paul, a longtime advertising executive with the Chicago Tribune. The scholarship is awarded to juniors or seniors who maintain academic excellence and demonstrate proficiency in their field.
Demi Apostolakos
Jacqueline Leveille
Paul Schrage-McDonald’s Fellowship in Advertising Paul D. Schrage received his master’s degree in advertising from the College of Communications in 1959. A marketing wizard for McDonald’s Corporation since 1967, Mr. Schrage deployed the “Golden Arches” synonymous with the fast-food giant and is credited with many of the chain’s other key innovations. In 2005, the Paul Schrage-McDonald’s Corporation Graduate Fellowship in Advertising Fund was established to support excellence in graduate education in advertising.
Alfonso Gonzalez Diaz
Prativa Subedi
Paula L. Gottschalk Scholarship The estate of Paula Gottschalk (BS ’66, advertising) provides fellowships for advertising students and scholarships for undergraduate students in journalism.
Joana Salto Lopez De Llergo
Yanglu Wang
Raymond O. Torr Memorial Scholarship in Journalism Illinois Journalism alumnus Raymond Torr was the public relations director for the National Fund for Medical Education. Upon his death, his colleagues established this memorial to honor his legacy. The award is presented to a graduating senior who shows promise of a successful professional career in journalism.
Ashleigh Kendrick
Richard Hildwein Memorial Photojournalism Award Presented in honor of longtime faculty member Richard “Dick” Hildwein, this scholarship is awarded to a journalism student with an interest in photojournalism.
Carson Gourdie
Richard Tuttle Orr Scholarship This scholarship was established in 1993 by Richard Tuttle Orr of Chicago, a University of Illinois journalism graduate. He was a Chicago Tribune staff member, and served as president of the Chicago Press Club and the Newspaper Farm Editors of America. The award provides scholarships based on academic merit and/or financial need to undergraduate students who are majoring or intend to major in journalism.
Farrah Anderson
Ehkhjin Erdenekhuyag
Katherine Ratke
Emilio Reyes
Shawn Sloan
Robert N. and Lorraine M. Wilt Scholarship Robert and Lorraine Wilt were journalism graduates and later co-publishers of the Muncy Luminary in Muncy, Pennsylvania. Initially Robert Wilt established this scholarship in memory of his wife. After Mr. Wilt’s death, an additional bequest was added to the original fund, and now the scholarship honors them both. The scholarship is presented to an outstanding female journalism student.
Hannah Lonergan
Robert O. Endres Endowed Internship at Illinois Public Media Robert O. Endres created this fund in 2017 to support internships with WILL. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the College of Media and during his time at Illinois he worked at both WPGU and WILL. Endres had a long, distinguished career as a projectionist including 25 years at Radio City Music Hall.
Arianna Williams
Roger Ebert Fellows in Media Criticism In recognition of Roger Ebert’s career in journalism, the Roger Ebert Fellows program was established in 2015 to provide learning experiences that focus on critical thinking and interpretative journalism. As a key component of the Roger Ebert Center, a select group of Illinois students experience in-depth mentoring by professional critics as they attend film festivals and write for Illinois Public Media and The Daily Illini—Roger’s beloved student newspaper.
Lee “Levi” Beckett
Andrew Stover
Tania Trejo
S. Watson and Elizabeth S. Dunn Fellowship Samuel Watson Dunn was the first PhD graduate from the University of Illinois with an advertising focus. He later returned to the University of Illinois to head the Department of Advertising from 1966-1977. Dr. Dunn was a major force in advertising education, especially in the graduate arena. This fellowship program was created by Dr. and Mrs. Dunn to honor his legacy.
Olga Shabalina
Schlueter Family Endowed Fund for Internships in Journalism James E. Schlueter is a 1980 graduate of the College of Media School of Journalism. A native of Edwardsville, Illinois, Schlueter was a sportswriter and columnist for The Daily Illini, and was a sportswriter and editor for five years before joining The Boeing Company. He is the second member of his family to earn a degree from the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Amy, are both grateful for the opportunities they have received as alumni from Big Ten universities and are proud and privileged to help future students secure future career success through internships.
J. Sidney Malone
Veronica Ponterelli Toussaint and Dr. Paul Toussaint Scholarship Fund Veronica Pontarelli Toussaint (BS ’92 and MS ’93, Advertising) and her husband, Dr. Paul Toussaint, a physician at Amita Health Medical Group, established this scholarship in 2016. Veronica was formerly Vice President of Scholarship for the Chicago North Shore Alumnae Panhellenic Association and started her career as an Account Executive at Shaker Advertising. This fund provides scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students in the Department of Advertising, with preference for residents of the State of Illinois.
Ryan Leshock
Wilkey Scholarship for Print Journalism This scholarship was established by the Wilkey family in 2007 to reward a junior or senior enrolled in print journalism who displays good mentoring abilities, among other worthy attributes.
Yunah Elsner
Wilma M. Haist Journalism Memorial Scholarship This memorial fund was a bequest by Wilma M. Haist to honor her late husband, Lt. Col Glade F. Haist, United States Air Force, Class of 1936. The scholarship is to assist journalism students in need of aid and who strive to report news as it really is.
Get to know some of our College of Media alumni.Isabel Morales(BS ’13, journalism) is the media relations manager at The Nature Conservancy. Morales also participated in a Media Career Night alumni panel on “Nonprofits” in Spring 2022. Watch a recording of the session here.
Why did you major in journalism and how has it influenced your career path? Majoring in broadcast journalism came from following a passion of reading, writing, and pop culture growing up. In high school I worked on the interviewing and design/layout of our school newspaper, which played a role in my decision to major in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As a freshman I got involved in The Daily Illini as a page designer, allowing me to try out so many different aspects of news later on such as editing and radio segments. Having the ability to dip into different areas of interest, I fell in love with the production side of journalism! So I found an internship at a local TV station practicing pulling segments as a news anchor. I got my first broadcast journalism job at WNBC, which fostered my ideal company culture with the amount of nurture and willingness to learn from each other. I then moved on to a concept producer for an NBC affiliate in Chicago, where I would work overnight cutting scripts and writing articles. After my time in NBC, I had a complete lifestyle change where I became a PR coordinator for the Museum of Science and Industry. I realized at this job that I enjoyed storytelling and being a voice for a brand. My current role is with The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, where I use my storytelling abilities through visual media, producing news, and being a reporter.
What is one of your favorite memories as a College of Media student? For one of my broadcasting classes we had to check out equipment, one being a giant tripod. I remember being on the Quad with my classmates feeling silly with all the equipment we had to have tracking down students for a quick quote, but having my peers who were also so passionate in this career made this memory so sentimental to me. After being on the Quad we would all go edit our pieces together, learn from one another, and form an inclusive environment. The College of Media being a small college really unites and promotes a close-knit community, which I found in my classes and being a part of the college overall.
How do you think the College of Media prepared you for your career? The college prepared me in so many ways! Connecting with your classmates, special guests, professors, and resources go a long way. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in general has endless opportunities with internships, professional development events, classes, and overall embraces you to explore new and a variety of things.
What are three skills that you think a Media student needs to be successful? First, be curious! Curiosity innovates ideas and interests. Second, be transparent with yourself and the work you are accomplishing. Know why you are pursuing what you want and be transparent with who you are working with to maintain clarity. Last but not least, be flexible. There are going to be days where you have a variety of things to do or things that may not go your way but having the ability to adapt in your environment will go a long way.
What advice do you have for current Media students? Try out what you can and what you have time for! Don’t overwhelm yourself; quality over quantity. I’d also say to put yourself in a space where you can have a continuous drive, be encouraged, and have confidence.
Who inspired you? Everyone I worked with at The Daily Illini! The DI has talented, curious, and warm people with limitless motivation to explore new parts of the field, which really refreshed and influenced me to achieve anything I put my mind to. I also met my husband at the DI!
What are you most proud of? My entire career journey. I came a long way and feel empowered looking back at my decisions and accomplishments. I’m also proud of not staying in a traditional career track. The people I surrounded myself with in both a professional and friend capacity always influenced me to grow and do what I love. I found that the more I challenged and strived for all my desires I felt fulfilled. What I am proud of now is being in a role and environment that stimulates growth with each other but within your own skill set as well.
Students from the College of Media are participating in the 16th annual University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Symposium, held Thursday, April 27, in the Illini Union. The symposium features presentations, posters, and performances from students across campus. (View the program.)
Pictured above is “Yellow Hollywood” by Alex Gallegos, a sophomore in media and cinema studies, who was a semi-finalist in the Image of Research competition. Read his description about his image, which was inspired by the film Everything Everywhere All At Once. The winners’ and semi-finalists’ images are on display as part of the symposium.
Media student poster presentations include:
“Bilingual Computational Analysis of the #nosabokid Hashtag Community on TikTok” (#89) 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM, Illini Union South Lounge
Research Mentor: Hyunseo (Violet) Yoon, Recreation, Sport & Tourism
“In A League of Their Own: A Study of Peer Attitudes Toward F-1 Visa Holders” (#62)
J. Sidney Malone, Senior, Political Science and Journalism
Research Mentor: Yujeong Yang, Political Science
“Yellow Hollywood: Disparities, Representation and Contemporary Problems of Asian/Asian Americans in the Hollywood Film Industry” 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Illini Union Room 217
Alex Gallegos, Sophomore, Media & Cinema Studies
Research Mentor: Rachel Kuo, Assistant Professor, Media & Cinema Studies
“International Expansion of Netflix: The Case for South Korea” (#18) 3:45 – 5:00 PM, Illini Room A
Yun Hyuk (Alex) Choi, Senior, Media & Cinema Studies
Research Mentor: Rachel Kuo, Assistant Professor, Media & Cinema Studies
As part of the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program to assist advanced graduate students with their research projects, Nancy Zhang, a freshman in computer science + advertising, worked with research mentor Hyunseo Yoon in the Department of Recreation, Sport & Tourism.
Jenny Oyallon-Koloski, assistant professor of media and cinema studies, was the research mentor for Gehan Jia, a junior in mathematics and computer science (LAS) for their presentation on “Howl’s Moving Castle Moving.”
The American Academy of Advertising held its annual conference March 23-26 in Denver, Colorado, where five faculty from the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and graduate students in advertising and from the Institute of Communications Research presented papers, led panel discussions, and won awards.
Sela Sar, professor of advertising and director of the Institute of Communications Research, completed his term as president of the AAA and will remain on the executive committee until March 2024.
(Pictured at top: Professor Sela Sar, ICR doctoral student Dongchan Lee, advertising graduate student Prativa Subedi, and Associate Professor Chang-Dae Ham.)
AWARDS & HONORS
Journal of Interactive Advertising Best Article of the Year Associate Professor Chang-Dae Ham (pictured above, at right) and Ayoung Seok (advertising graduate student), along with Joonghwa Lee (University of North Dakota) and Soojung Kim (University of North Dakota), were part of a collaboration that won a “Best Article” award at the conference for “Avoidance and Acceptance of Native Advertising on Social Media: Applications of Consumer Social Intelligence, Persuasion Knowledge, and the Typology of Consumer Responses.”
Chen (Crystal) Chen (ICR doctoral student, pictured above) and ICR alumni Xiaohan (Catherine) Hu (PhD ’22), Xiaoyu (Zoe) Xu (PhD ’22), and Regina Jihea Ahn (PhD ’18) were part of collaborations that won research grants at the conference:
Chen, Hu, Xu, “Investigating the Effects of Social Presence and Perceived Autonomy in Chatbot Advertising”
Ahn and Joonghwa Lee (University of North Dakota), “Social Influence and Its Impact on Influencers’ Content Strategies on Instagram: From a Nano-Influencers”
In addition, Chen (Crystal) Chen and Olga Shabalina (ICR doctoral student) were awarded special travel grants from AAA.
PRESENTATIONS
Presentations by faculty and students included:
“Bridging Research and Practice: Advertising’s Role in Promoting Sustainability,” co-presented by Professor Sela Sar, among others
“How Neutralization Affects Subsequent Prosocial Behaviors: The Roles of Materialism and Moral Identity,” presented by WooJin Kim (ICR doctoral student) and Seo Jeong Heo (ICR doctoral student)
“Self-construal and Green Online Behavioral Advertising: The Moderating Role of Algorithmic Awareness and the Mediating Role of Self-esteem,” presented by Dongchan Lee (ICR doctoral student) and Professor Sela Sar
“Disentangling Control and Personalization: Exploring the Effects of Ad Choice and Ad Personalization in Digital Advertising Effectiveness,” co-presented by Professor Kevin Wise
“The Effects of Personalized Social Media Political Advertising on Attitude Formation: The Role of Personality and Political Orientation,” co-presented by Assistant Professor Ewa Maslowska, among others
“Constructing a ‘Metaverse’ Typology based on Affordances and Psychological Processes: A Systematic Literature Review,” presented by Professor Michelle Nelson, and ICR doctoral students Chen (Crystal) Chen, Yan (Anna) Liu, Jingyu Liu, Veranika Paltaratskaya, and Prativa Subedi (advertising graduate student)
“Computational Approaches to Advertising Research: Ongoing and Emerging Challenges and Lessons,” co-presented by Assistant Professor Ewa Maslowska, among others
“Understanding and Increasing Everyday Persuasion Knowledge about Political Advertising,” co-presented by Professor Michelle Nelson, Kirby Cook (ICR doctoral student), Associate Professor Change-Dae Ham, and Veranika Paltaratskaya (ICR doctoral student)
“The Future of Dataveillance in Advertising Theory and Practice,” moderated by Associate Professor Chang-Dae Ham and co-presented by Hari Sundaram (ICR doctoral student), among others
“Exploring Screen-Ad Congruence Effects on Visual Aesthetics and Ad Likeability in Social Media,” co-presented by Olga Shabalina (ICR doctoral student) and Professor Michelle Nelson
“Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) Superior to Human?: Rethinking the Role of Agent Knowledge in Perceived Autonomy, Superordinate Intentions, and Coping Mechanism with Influencer Marketing,” presented by Dongchan Lee (ICR doctoral student) and Associate Professor Chang-Dae Ham
Get to know some of our College of Media faculty. Josh Heuman is a teaching assistant professor in the Department of Media & Cinema Studies and the Department of Journalism. He received the 2022 College of Media Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by a Specialized Faculty Member.
What is your favorite class to teach? We’re not supposed to have favorites, like you don’t have a favorite child. Usually, we get to teach courses that we want to teach. Even when you are teaching something that you didn’t necessarily pick yourself, you find the interest in each class you teach.
I do enjoy all the courses I teach, but Creative and Information Economies (MACS 264) is probably my favorite because it’s a material that’s closest to my own work and it is always changing. This course gives a broad introduction to media industries. We take a really close look at film, music, and television industries. I think part of the fun of the course is looking at things that cut across all different kinds of media industries. So before too long in the course, we’ll talk about things like labor markets and geographies of media industries, allowing lots of interesting comparisons.
What are some other classes that you teach? I usually teach the History of American Journalism course (JOUR 205), and then this semester I’ve just started the Media Law course (JOUR 311), which is really exciting for me; that’s what I taught at other universities in the past.
What are some projects that you are involved in? The big project that I’m interested in pursuing over the long term is looking at the historical development of radio and television and writing, and especially the way that we come to the role of the radio and television writer as a professional. I think in a lot of cases, when we do look back on the history of radio and television writing, or other kinds of writing as well, we’re telling the stories of the triumph of art or the defeat of art, as if that’s what that kind of work should be.
When you go back to the beginnings of the field, they were very ambivalent about this ideal of art. I think looking more closely at how early radio and television writers imagine themselves, how they were shaped by outside forces, gives a much more complicated picture of what that role was at the time.
What are some past projects of yours? I think a lot of my projects revolve around questions of industry and regulation. By looking at television writers’ contracts and the idea of the figure of the showrunner is really interesting. This really reflects specific transformations in television. I am also interested in writers as it relates to authorship and ownership of series formats.
How do you conduct your research? I think with different projects, it works out in different ways. Usually, I find myself looking at documents from a particular time period. I’m really thinking about radio and television writing. I was just flipping through Writer’s Digest—the writer magazines with amateur writers from the ’20s through the ’60s, and just seeing what they’re saying. I was thinking about two questions: How does one do radio and then television writing? What are the characteristics of a radio or television writer and the way that that gets defined in those materials for aspiring writers?
What made you want to teach? I think going to graduate school and having the excitement of looking at these complex systems that shape our world and the interest of working within those systems was something that has always been present in my life. Media is incredibly interesting. I also think that when I was entering into graduate school was a particular moment when media and cultural studies were colliding. If you wanted to know about the world, the field of media and cultural studies was and is an especially exciting place to work. I’m really glad to be in Illinois and teaching the kind of students who are really engaged, really interested.
What is some advice you want to give to students? Be curious. Sleep well. Watch and listen and play and read as much as you can. I think we forget that part of our cultural citizenship is not watching everything, but try to watch and listen widely, you have to be in it to win it. I think too often when opportunities are put in front of us, there’s a tendency to say, “Oh, that’s not for me.”
Talk to your teachers. I feel like it doesn’t happen a lot, but if things are going wrong, better communication would help solve those problems. If things are going right, we can help you reach that next level.
Get to know some of our College of Media alumni. Steven Pratten (BS ’15, media and cinema studies) is a senior digital media manager at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Pratten also participated in a Media Career Night alumni panel on “Digital Communication” in Spring 2023. Watch a recording of the session here.
When did you know that you wanted to study media and cinema studies? In junior high, my fascination with local TV production began. I was amazed by how networks could produce multiple shows in a day with such fast turnaround. Being from Champaign-Urbana, WCIA News was a local network that I noticed played an essential role in informing and creating a sense of community in the smaller market. This sparked my passion for media, and I even created a small news set in my basement where I forced my friends to act as reporters and anchors. Although, it may seem outdated, editing on tape gave me a solid technical foundation in media. In high school, my interest in media evolved into my affinity for horror movies. I would make 50-hour-long horror movies, about one per year, and even focused on advanced editing, which became one of my favorite things. I also started to explore graphic design and marketing by creating posters for my movies. When it was time to consider college, the media and cinema studies major in the College of Media caught my attention. I knew it was the ideal fit for me since the University of Illinois is a world-class university in my hometown. I had the opportunity to join different clubs, work at WILL/Illinois Public Media, and freelanced on the side. These experiences, along with my education, gave me the technical and theoretical skills I needed to succeed in my career after graduation.
How do you think the College of Media prepared you for your career? Through the College of Media and the media and cinema studies program, I was exposed to a wide range of media. This experience equipped me with the tools to consume media with the understanding that everything in media exists within the context of its time and its creators. The audience shapes how it’s received. This understanding prepared me for my experience in content creation, where I had to craft my messages in a way that resonated with the target audience and created an impactful experience for them.
Moreover, being involved in the College of Media provided me with various opportunities, including participating in Ebertfest, joining different RSOs, and serving as a student ambassador. It gave me insight to all the different paths I could pursue in my career. It was a very well-rounded program that had plenty of specific things you would take away, while giving you the opportunity to mold it into your own experience.
What are one or two skills that you think a Media student needs to be successful? The media industry is a rapidly evolving field, not just in terms of technical advancement in camera or platforms, but also in the changing channels of consumption, audience preferences, and shifting demographics. Therefore, the ability to learn and adapt is crucial, and it’s more important than simply possessing knowledge. Instead, you should look ahead and think about what will make yourself, your work, or your organization stand out. As the competition for audience attention increases, having a forward-thinking outlook on the future is becoming increasingly necessary.
What are your responsibilities as senior digital media manager? I’m responsible for ensuring that the Gies College of Business produces high quality, pedagogically sound video content for our global audience of learners. I manage a group of video producers and graphic designers that make that content and ensure that it is up to the standards of Illinois Gies College of Business. Ultimately, our goal is to make sure our videos teach and educate people. We create dynamic and engaging video content while maintaining its educational value.
Apart from this, I also handle typical aspects of the media industry such as ensuring projects hit crucial milestones and forecasting potential issues. If a milestone is missed, we evaluate how we can work through any constraints to produce high-quality content.
Project management is another big part of my job. I place great value on supporting our staff by providing them with the necessary resources and tools to reach their full potential and bring their best work to the table.
In addition, a significant portion of my attention is focused on the development of a new production building, Steven S. Wymer Hall. This building will have two 40-by-40 production sound stages, and we are designing them in a way that will enhance our content and expand its capabilities. It’s exciting to build a future workplace that my team is eager to be a part of.
What advice would you give to students who are graduating soon from the College of Media? Graduation is an exciting time, but it can also bring about anxiety. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in your life. My advice is to allow your interests to guide you to your first job or jobs. It’s easy to become fixated on job titles, salaries, or locations, but true fulfillment and success come from having a genuine interest in your work. Allowing your interests to guide your career choices will set you up for sustainable success throughout your professional life. Don’t be afraid to take on unknown roles, as you never know where they may take you. Use your internal passion as a compass as you embark on your professional journey!
Update 5/10/2023: The MACS Student Showcase program is now available to watch online:
See Program, Credits, and Timestamps
MACS 150: Intro to Digital Media Production 00:00:18 – Alma (Ethan Hill, Kara Yoo, and Ben Shlau) 00:04:33 – The Radio Doctor (Eleni Sakas, Caroline Tadla, Roderick Carbins, and Juliana Chang) 00:11:25 – The Indelible Goodbye (Andrew Stover, Ryan Pasterz, and Raegan Gooding) 00:16:07 – Strawberry (Paul Duarte-Noe, Jiyayi Jing, Yuhan Zhou, and Nick Chan) 00:20:33 – Drink of Fate (Gavin Schroeder, Joey Chan, and Emily Kunst) 00:24:23 – Specter’s Market (Jasper Chang, Miles Gregory, Amy Bradu, and Sierra McKeiver)
MACS 199: Documentary and Social Change 00:29:21 – One Big Midwestern University: “Anti-Transgender Hate Speech” (Ryan Boyd-Sharpe)
MACS 205: Introduction to Documentary 00:44:47 – Romanian Communist Propaganda – A Personal and Archival Perspective (Francesca Dumitrescu)
MACS 260: Film Production 00:55:43 – Ready Set Action (Mike Besler) 01:04:53 – The Bookkeeper (Mara Smith and Mark Magallanes) 01:13:05 – The Sharpie, the Sheet, and the Sapphic (Michelle Wang) 01:20:12 – Crumbs of Deception (Max Szykowny and Akkhiel Nambbiar) 01:26:34 – Still Damp (Jake Vanoss)
MACS 284: Animated Media from Mickey to GIFs 01:56:31 – How to Make a Song Out of Clay (Matt Fanelli) 01:58:27 – Fossils (Sam Fisher)
MACS 485: Making Video Essays 02:01:23 – Howl’s Moving Castle Moving (Nancy Jia) 02:05:21 – [Un]Framing Movement: [Non]Action Cinema of King Hu (Tingyu Chen)
MACS 370: Cinematography and Sound 02:08:49 – Time to Remember…Time to Forget (Cameron Taylor and Samarth Taneja) 02:19:08 – Life is No Picnic (Michelle Husain)
MACS 480: Advanced Filmmaking 02:31:49 – St. Anthony’s Fire (Michelle Husain, Mark Magallanes, Mara Smith, and Cameron Taylor)
The Department of Media & Cinema Studies presents the inaugural MACS Student Showcase, featuring faculty-curated work created by students in MACS classes throughout the academic year.
The event, which celebrates student media production, will be held on Saturday, May 6, at 7 p.m. in the Knight Auditorium of Spurlock Museum. The showcase will screen more than a dozen film projects and a podcast excerpt representing eight different MACS courses, all produced by both individual and groups of students.
Derek Long, assistant professor of media and cinema studies, said the idea for the event originated from faculty discussions about the “sheer amount of excellent student work” coming out of the program.
“MACS faculty wanted to celebrate all the amazing experiential work that our students are doing in our program,” Long said. “As faculty, we wanted to put on an event showing off our students’ impressive work to a bigger audience than just their instructor and class.”
The showcase is also an opportunity to share the world premiere of the MACS 480: Advanced Filmmaking short St. Anthony’s Fire. Advanced Filmmaking, taught by Victor Font, lecturer of media and cinema studies, is one of the capstone production courses where students work as a production team for an entire semester to produce a professional 27-minute short film.
“As you can imagine, the students who have been working on St. Anthony’s Fire for months and months are very excited about being able to share their film with friends, family, and the general public for the first time,” Long said.
Faculty chose the best student-produced work received in their classes from last fall and this spring, aiming to showcase a variety of work, including projects that exemplified excellent technical and aesthetical aspects as well as a compelling subject or theme. Long said they also tried to represent a diverse range of genres, approaches, and student voices.
“Cutting all the work we receive in an academic year down to a selection of just over two hours was a big challenge,” he said. “There was lots of excellent student work that we just didn’t have time to include.”
Long said they hope to be able to include more podcast and digital media work in future showcases.
Jill Wine-Banks (BS ’64, journalism), MSNBC legal analyst, author, and podcast co-host, is excited to return to the University of Illinois to serve as the alumni speaker at the College of Media Convocation ceremony on Sunday, May 14—marking her first visit back to campus in 44 years.
“Obviously the University has changed a good deal since 1979 and so I’m very much looking forward to seeing the physical campus, walking around to see what’s happened to my sorority house, to the library, Kam’s, and Greg Hall, of course,” Wine-Banks said. “But mostly I remember my friends and professors.”
She also plans to visit Krannert Center for the Performing Arts as well as the Alma Mater statue and the Quad, just a few of the many landmarks that come to mind when she recalls her time on campus.
“Those are the kind of things that I think of, but I also think of all the doors that the University opened for me,” Wine-Banks said. “If it hadn’t been for a good education at UIUC, I wouldn’t have gotten into an Ivy League law school, I wouldn’t have become a journalist now, or a lawyer before that. I’m grateful for the education I got.”
Wine-Banks says after graduation, gender discrimination was prevalent in journalism, and she was only offered jobs to write for the “women’s pages,” so she decided to attend the prestigious Columbia Law School in New York to improve her chances of being considered for more hard news opportunities.
“I ended up in law school to get a better job in journalism, and it worked 50 years later,” she said.
Wine-Banks started her notable law career as the first woman to serve as an organized crime prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Less than five years later, she was named one of the three Assistant Watergate Special Prosecutors, and the only woman, for the obstruction of justice trial against President Nixon’s top aides. She became a major player in the Watergate tapes hearing that preceded the trial, cross-examining Rose Mary Woods, President Nixon’s secretary, about the 18 ½-minute gap in a key White House recording.
She also had a couple of female role models who inspired her, including an early pioneer in television journalism, Nancy Hanschman Dickerson, whom she heard speak during her freshman year at the University of Illinois. A couple of years later Wine-Banks represented her sorority Iota Alpha Pi at a national convention in New York and visited the United Nations where she saw UN correspondent Pauline Frederick. Seeing these two women excelling in their exciting careers had a big impact on Wine-Banks.
“I’d have to say that both of those women influenced me, as did [Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and New York Times columnist] Anthony Lewis,” she said.
Her legal career also includes service as the first female General Counsel of the U.S. Army where she helped integrate women into the Regulate Army by eliminating the Women’s Army Corps, and into West Point; as the first Solicitor General of Illinois where she argued in the U.S. Supreme Court and first female Deputy Attorney General; and as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the American Bar Association, the only woman to have held that position.
In addition to her post at MSNBC, Wine-Banks is also co-host of two Politicon podcasts: #SistersInLaw with three other MSNBC contributors discussing the hottest legal issues of the week, and iGen Politics with a 21-year-old college junior bringing an intergenerational approach to political issues, interviewing leading politicians, cabinet officers, activists, and journalists.
She describes her podcast iGen Politics as a dream come true because “anybody who I can think of [to interview] I can call, and they say yes.” Some of her most memorable interviewees include former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof, along with numerous senators and Congress members.
Wine-Banks is also the author of a memoir, The Watergate Girl, that was optioned by Katie Holmes to become a movie, and is beginning work on a second book that looks at the Trump administration through her pins, a tradition with its own hashtag: #JillsPins.
“I have always loved brooches as accessories. You will see in my high school yearbook, I’m wearing a pin. If you look carefully at the Watergate pictures [taken during the trial], I’m wearing pins,” Wine-Banks said.
During her first appearance on MSNBC to discuss an op-ed piece she wrote, she donned a pin of an eagle holding a shield.
Viewers went to Twitter, which was new to her at the time, to ask about the pin and Wine-Banks realized simply wearing the pin had the power to send a message. Now she finds pins at flea markets, antique shows, Etsy, and frequently receives them as gifts from her followers.
For the Media convocation ceremony, Wine-Banks has already set aside an “Illinois” pin to wear.
