Alumni News 4 | College of Media

Alumna Cheryl W. Thompson to receive Washington Association of Black Journalists Legacy Award

Cheryl W. Thompson (BS ’82, LAS; MS ’84, journalism), investigative correspondent and senior editor at NPR, and associate professor at George Washington University, will receive the 2024 Washington Association of Black Journalists Legacy Award.

This award recognizes a current or retired journalist or journalism educator in the Washington, D.C., area who has broken barriers and/or provided distinguished leadership in increasing access and opportunities to people of color in journalism.

Thompson will be honored at the third annual WABJ Special Honors & Scholarship Gala on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Blackburn University Center, Howard University.

“As the first elected Black president of the Investigative Reporters and Editors organization, and as an associate professor of investigative reporting at George Washington University, where she founded and also advises an NABJ student chapter, Cheryl has forged an exemplary pathmaking career rooted in strengthening the next generation qualifying her as a worthy recipient of WABJ’s Legacy Award,” the WABJ Awards Review Committee said. The Investigative Reporters and Editors is a 6,000-member organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of investigative journalism.

Thompson has worked at Champaign-Urbana’s News-Gazette, Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, Los Angeles Daily News, The Gainesville Sun, and The Washington Post, where she wrote extensively about law enforcement, political corruption and guns, and was a White House correspondent during President Barack Obama’s first term.

She has received numerous awards for her investigative reporting, including an Emmy, three sharedPulitzer Prizes, and five awards from the National Association of Black Journalists, one awarded in 2019 for a Washington Post Sunday Magazine story on the nearly 50-year-old unsolved murders of six little black girls in D.C.

Thompson is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and received the NABJ Educator of the Year Award in 2017. She’s also a founding and current board member of the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism, which focuses on cross-border investigations.

Journalism alum Mike Carpenter writes book about Illinois basketball

Mike Carpenter (BS ’09, journalism) has written a book about the last 30+ years of Illinois basketball, The 200 Level: An Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Fan’s Journey, which will be released on October 3.

The book is a mix of personal narrative and sports journalism, charting the ups and downs of the program while reflecting on Carpenter’s own personal experiences as a fan.

Carpenter was a sports talk broadcaster and podcaster for ESPN 93.5 from 2011 through 2019. He’s hosted his own podcast on Illini sports, The 200 Level, for the past five years.

Learn more.

Advertising alum Amy Restko promoted to director of engagement strategy at AbelsonTaylor Group

Amy Restko (BA ’13, LAS; MS ’14, advertising) was promoted to group director of engagement strategy at AbelsonTaylor Group, a leading health and wellness advertising agency located in Chicago, in recognition of her success in developing winning brand strategies for clients and delivering customer experiences that drive behavioral change.

“Amy’s experience and leadership will continue to elevate our capabilities in delivering customer experiences that truly drive behavior change,” said Lynnette Hunter, executive vice president and director of client services. “She excels at bringing the voices of patients, healthcare providers, and other target audiences to life while developing winning brand strategies that meet audiences along their healthcare journeys.”

Restko joined AbelsonTaylor Group in 2016 and served as an account planner before her promotion to planning director in 2022.

She was recently selected as one of 20 Clio Health Innovators of 2024. The Clios were founded in 1959 to celebrate creative excellence in advertising.

Legacy of late journalism alum James Urbanski recognized with honorary street name

The City of Tampa recently recognized the legacy of the late James Urbanski (BS ’50, journalism), who worked with the Tampa Tribune for over three decades, with an honorary street in his namesake near the site of the former newspaper building.

Urbanski, who passed away on April 16, 2021, at the age of 93, served as president and general manager at the Tampa Tribune.

A lifetime civic leader, Urbanski also served as CEO of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, director of the Straz Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, director of the Museum of Science and Industry, president of the Florida State Fair Authority, president of the United Way of Greater Tampa Bay, and director of the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA.

Urbanski was also the recipient of the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award and 1989 Civitan Tampa’s Citizen of the Year Award. He was an avid booster of making Tampa “America’s Next Great City.”

Read more from Fox 13 News Tampa Bay and Tampa.gov.

Journalism alum, film projection pioneer Bob Endres passes away

Robert “Bob” Endres (BS ’62, MS ’63, journalism), a pioneering figure in film projection and a generous University of Illinois donor, passed away on June 25, 2024. He was 85.

During college, Endres worked at WILL as an engineer and a film critic. Endres said the valuable experience he gained at WILL served him well in his first job after college as a radio talk show host and DJ in his hometown of Streator, Illinois.

Endres would go on to work as head projectionist at the Kankakee Theater until moving to New York City in 1974 to fulfill a lifelong dream as head projectionist at Radio City Music Hall. In 1999, he became a projection technician in Dolby’s New York City screening room where he worked for the remainder of his career.

Endres was a member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and worked as a projectionist for advertising agencies, film laboratories, and movie studios. He also acted as background projectionist for CBS on the television shows Search for Tomorrow, As the World Turns, and Captain Kangaroo.

His career highlights include Abel Gance’s Napoleon, with its three-screen triptych at Radio City; the 25th anniversary celebration of the Metropolitan Opera; running “dailies” screenings for Sydney Lumet on seven of his pictures, including his last; and working for director Otto Preminger in his home screening room in Manhattan.

In 2017, Endres created the Robert O. Endres Endowed Internship at Illinois Public Media to support student internships with WILL. Since it began, the fund has helped a total of seven Media students further their education and gain real-world experience through internships.

Endres was named a member of the President’s Council, the University of Illinois Foundation’s donor-recognition program for those who give at the highest levels (totaling $50,000 or more) and a member of College of Media’s Dean’s Society, for donors who give $10,000 and above.

Read his obituary.

Read his essay “25 Years at Radio City.”

MACS alum Jordyn Poulter named to 2024 U.S. Women’s Volleyball Olympic roster

Former Illinois setter Jordyn Poulter (BS ’18, MACS) was named to the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer. The All-American setter is one of 12 selected for the roster.

Poulter, who was chosen as Best Setter at the COVID-delayed 2021 Tokyo Olympics, helped the U.S. earn its first-ever gold medal three years ago.

During her time at Illinois, Poulter was a three-time All-American, earning first-team accolades as a senior in 2018. During her senior year, the Colorado native was named the Big Ten Co-Setter of the Year, AVCA Northeast Region Player of the Year, and a finalist for the Honda Award. Poulter also led the Illini to the program’s fourth-ever NCAA National Semifinal appearance.

The Women’s Olympic indoor volleyball competition runs July 27-August 11.

Advertising alum Armando Sanchez-Monsivais named to Creative Ladder 2024 Cannes Lion Cohort

Armando Sanchez-Monsivais (BS ’19, advertising), ad product specialist at Twitch and a member of the James Webb Young Advisory Board in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, was named to the Creative Ladder 2024 Cannes Lion Cohort.

Sanchez-Monsivais is one of six creatives chosen to receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, held June 17-24, to gain invaluable exposure, connect with industry leaders, and showcase their unique perspectives on a global stage.

Held annually in Cannes, France, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is home to the world’s most prestigious advertising awards. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate creativity, effectiveness, and innovation in the global advertising, marketing, and communication industries.

In addition to his role at Twitch, Sanchez-Monsivais serves as a committee member on the Mosaic Next Gen Leadership Council, an initiative by the American Advertising Federation; an advisory board member for ADCOLOR Conferences and Awards; and was selected for the Rising Leaders Academy at the Creative Ladder.

Advertising alumna Amy Restko named a Clio Health Innovator

Amy Restko (BA ’13, LAS; MS ’14, advertising), planning director at Chicago advertising agency AbelsonTaylor Group, has been selected as one of 20 Clio Health Innovators.

The 2024 honorees, recognized as top talents from around the globe, will be celebrated at the Clio Health Awards on June 12. The Clios were founded in 1959 to celebrate creative excellence in advertising.

“Being selected as a Clio Health Innovator is an immense honor and validation of the work that I and my colleagues at AbelsonTaylor Group do every day. It shows that you can do amazing things when you make your work fun and feel supported and encouraged to explore new territory,” Restko said.

Restko joined AbelsonTaylor Group in 2016 and served as an account planner before her promotion as planning director in 2022.

Sarah Min selected for 2024 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award

May 14, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood

When Sarah Min (BS ’93, journalism) was appointed to President Joe Biden’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in 2022, she knew her background in journalism would prove useful in government policy and nonprofit advocacy work.

“For people who practice journalism, it’s a job requirement to constantly learn new things and talk to a lot of people outside of the known” Min said. “I think that was the heart of my education at the college that has really stayed with me.”

Plus, Min, who moved to New York City right after graduation with only the prospect of a job, likes to embrace unexpected and challenging opportunities.

“I really look for steep learning curves. I think that’s what keeps the brain agile and [provides] intellectual stimulation, from diving into the unfamiliar,” she said.

Min’s curious nature has been a career asset as a magazine journalist and media executive, and now, as Deputy Chief Commissioner of President Biden’s AA and NHPI Advisory Commission.

Min’s exemplary career accomplishments, along with her engagement with the college, have earned her the 2024 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award.

“The breadth of Sarah Min’s contributions to the media industry, to nonprofits, and to government and advocacy are truly inspiring,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “Her career path demonstrates to our students that there are many opportunities to pursue your interests and to make a difference.”

As a member of the President’s Advisory Commission, Min and her colleagues provide recommendations to President Biden on ways the public, private, and nonprofit sectors can work together to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for every Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community.

The federal advisory commission works to address key priorities, including efforts to combat anti-Asian hate, promote data disaggregation and language access, and advance health and economic equity.

She also serves on the board of EMILY’s List, an organization that elects pro-choice Democratic women, and Color of Change, a racial justice organization.

Min, who holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, is involved in several additional political nonprofits, working to build political power by “getting good information out to people around civic engagement.”

Min says she owes much of her success to her education, experience, and mentors at Illinois, including Bob Reid, a former investigative journalism professor who taught his students to push themselves as much as possible.

“One of the things that [Reid] always said was to stay outside your comfort zone and how important that is, but also how deliberate you have to be about that,” Min said of Reid, who passed away in 2004. “That idea has truly guided me throughout my career.”

Working at The Daily Illini also had a huge impact on Min, who said it’s where she learned how to write, edit, and think visually about a story.

In 2020, she established the Daily Illini Journalism Scholarship Fund with her husband, Matt Pincus, to help support undergraduates in journalism who are committed to working at least one semester at The Daily Illini.

Min said it was a way for her to honor those students who manage work and classes, while remaining committed to sustaining the practice of journalism.

“I’m proud and privileged to be supportive of young people who are willing to commit to continuing that tradition because maintaining journalistic standards is critical in our civil society,” she said.

While the early part of Min’s career involved jobs at magazines like Glamour and Vibe, her desire to help build political power for women and people of color is where most of her professional and personal focus stands today.

Min said her previous experience and skill set applied to the kind of work that needed to be done, which is related to narrative work and storytelling and changing perceptions.

“These days it’s about how you get the truth out to people. How do you meet people where they are, how do you find the audiences,” Min said. “It’s very similar principles to journalism—understanding specific audiences and how to deliver content to each of those audiences so that they will engage with information.”

For Min, who says the first part of her career was satisfying because she could see an immediate product, what’s most gratifying now is advocating for future leaders.

“I’m inspired to help to build a pipeline of leaders for tomorrow who take a hopeful and innovative approach to the future,” Min said.

Eli Murray selected as winner of 2024 College of Media Emerging Leader Award

May 14, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood

A multimedia piece about an avalanche in Washington published by the New York Times in 2012, which included video, interactive graphics, and animated simulations, changed the way newsrooms presented storytelling.

It also inspired Media alum and Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter Eli Murray (BS ’15, journalism) to think about a career as a data journalist.

“I was in college when the New York Times published ‘Snow Fall’ and it was ground-breaking. It was the first time I had ever seen a story like that and so I felt really inspired and [felt] that was something I wanted to pursue,” Murray said.

Murray would go on to excel at visual storytelling, first at the Tampa Bay Times, where he would earn a Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting in 2022, and now at the New York Times as a graphics editor.

The College of Media is honoring Murray’s early career accomplishments and his engagement with the college, selecting him as the recipient of the 2024 College of Media Emerging Leader Award.

“In addition to his outstanding journalistic achievements, Eli Murray has returned to campus to share his expertise with the College of Media, at events for students and for the public,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “He is wonderfully deserving of this year’s Emerging Leader Award.”

Murray considers himself lucky to have discovered the potential of data journalism as a student at the University of Illinois and says visual elements allow a journalist to reach a wider audience.

“I think a story that is just [relying on] data is not as strong as it can be, but I think that a story that is just about anecdotes and about people is also not as strong as it can be,” he added.

In his current role, Murray uses code to pull data from websites and public records, crunch and analyze numbers, and create visual elements to tell stories.

“I really do feel strongly that visuals are important in journalism, and I think that the New York Times is really setting the standard for what people can do visually in online journalism,” Murray said.

Murray is also an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida, teaching students how to code JavaScript from scratch in an online data visualization course. He’s hoping to inspire more students to consider a career in data journalism.

Murray’s interest in data journalism was bolstered during a news design class his junior year with Eric Meyer, retired associate professor of journalism. During a weeklong segment on WordPress, students learned about coding in HTML and CSS.

“I really enjoyed that. It just clicked for me, and I recognized that I could use these skills to do journalism,” Murray said.

Murray got a few books and taught himself how to code. During his senior year, he worked at The Daily Illini as a beat reporter and then as a web developer.

He credits his time at the DI with helping him grow his skills, build his confidence, and produce clips to land his first job after graduation.

While researching a story, Murray says it can often be difficult to figure out what the information is trying to tell you, so early on he visualizes the facts through charts and graphics.

Murray compares the process of exploring data through visuals to shucking oysters and looking for pearls.

“You may open a hundred oysters and find two pearls in there but those are the two graphics that you can bring forward and say, ‘These are saying something enlightening. These are the ones that I’m going to share with readers,’” Murray said.

Murray and two colleagues at the Tampa Bay Times published “Poisoned” in 2021, a six-part series uncovering the truth about dangerous lead levels at a battery recycling plant in Florida.

Murray, who became a certified lead inspector throughout the course of his research, spent nearly two years building a database from thousands of pages of PDFs and analyzing the results.

The reporting, which garnered Murray and his team a Pulitzer Prize, led to the implementation of new safety regulations to better protect the lives of workers and nearby residents.

Although Murray says he’s most confident working with facts and figures, affecting real change in the lives of people is the most gratifying aspect of his job.

When he was interviewing the wife of a factory worker whose son had experienced the detrimental effects of lead poisoning, Murray realized the significance of telling their story.

“To [the family], it was their whole entire life,” Murray said. “[Their] entire life revolved around getting care for [their] son who was lead poisoned and so that just made it really concrete to me. The reason we do this is for people, and going forward it makes me to want to put more emphasis on that side of things in my own work.”

Murray has always been motivated to find the objective truth. He advises those starting out in their journalism careers to go into a story with an open mind and be willing to go where the story takes you.

“It’s important to be able to pivot when new information comes in and to be able to talk to people who disagree with the things that you’re seeing on the ground,” he said.

As a young reporter who has already won the most prestigious award in journalism, Murray’s career goals remain unchanged.

“I wouldn’t say that there’s any more pressure than there was at any [other] time,” he said. “Fortunately, I’m pretty early in my career, so I hope I’ve got enough time to keep doing more good work.”