March 23, 2023 | Kelly Youngblood It’s a toss-up for Mike VanBlaricum on which he loves more—anything related to James Bond and the fictional character’s creator, Ian Fleming, or his beloved Alma Mater, the University of Illinois. Luckily, he’s rarely had to choose. In fact, VanBlaricum has found opportunities over the years to combine his […]
After a 24-year career at the Charlotte Observer, journalism alum Rogelio Aranda has become assistant news editor with the American Heart Association. He will continue to be based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In his new editorial role, Aranda will help to raise awareness around heart disease and stroke through the AHA’s news service. He will also […]
Update March 7, 2023: Anderson Cobb facilitates workshop on her play about insurrection Nicole Anderson Cobb (MS ’16, journalism) recently facilitated a community workshop about her play Homegrown: An Insurrection Play, following a free screening at the First Mennonite Church of Champaign-Urbana. The play had previously run at the Station Theatre in Urbana in December […]
February 27, 2023 | Kelly Youngblood University of Illinois alumna Karen Lucas Petitte pursued a career in journalism at a time when barriers were common for women, and opportunities were few. But that didn’t stop the visionary trailblazer from building an illustrious career as an award-winning journalist—and helping to advance gender equality in journalism along […]
Award-winning alumna Demetria Kalodimos (MS ’83, journalism) has released a nine-part true crime podcast about a 1975 cold case murder. Carol’s Last Christmas examines the murder of Carol Rofstad at Illinois State University in 1975. The podcast, which was produced by Kalodimos’ company, Genuine Human Productions, is the culmination of a two-year investigation with Alexandra Daskalopoulos, […]
January 10, 2023 | Kelly Youngblood Since Mike Wychocki (BS ’83, advertising) graduated from the University of Illinois College of Media nearly 40 years ago, he has helped build and sell two advertising/marketing agencies, traveled around the world, and become Chief Marketing Officer of a global container-shipping transportation company. In all that time, Wychocki has […]
Kevin Finke (BS ’92, advertising) received a University of Illinois Alumni Association Comeback Award, given to prominent and accomplished alumni who are invited to participate in various activities during Homecoming Weekend, with a focus on providing opportunities for honorees to interact with current students, and sharing information about their professional experiences and the value of their University of Illinois […]
Institute of Communications Research alumnus Klaus Krippendorff (PhD ’67), one of the most prominent researchers and scholars in the field of communications, passed away in early October at the age of 90. Krippendorff was an emeritus professor of communication who had taught at the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication for 55 years. One of […]
Melissa Wagner (BS ’18, journalism), a public relations senior at Zebra Technologies, was recently recognized as a “Rising Star” in PRNEWS’ Top Women Awards program. Some of her accomplishments at Zebra include launching the company’s first-ever Global Week of Service during the pandemic, which engaged nearly 150 employees who volunteered more than 1,000 hours in 11 countries […]
After 43 years as a journalist, Bill Hill (BS ’75, journalism) teaches sports reporting to graduate students at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He previously served as assistant managing editor at MLB.com, directing coverage of 10 West division teams and coordinating MLB’s internship program.