Awards and Recognition 2 | College of Media

Professor Brant Houston to be honored at Investigative Reporters & Editors 50th anniversary gala

September 15, 2025

Update 9/19/2025:

Pictured above: Professor Brant Houston, left, is honored with awardees Lea Thompson and James B. Steele (far right), with host Scott Pelley, correspondent for 60 Minutes. (Photo by Nathalie Schueller.) The Investigative Reporters and Editors 50th Anniversary Gala raised $1.5 million for journalism training.

See more photos from the event.

Brant Houston, Knight Chair Professor in Investigative and Enterprise Reporting in the Department of Journalism, will be honored at the Investigative Reporters & Editors 50^th Anniversary Gala on Monday, Sept. 15, in New York City.

The event, which also serves as a fundraiser and live auction, recognizes journalists representing milestones from each decade since the organization’s founding in 1975. Co-chairs of the event are Paul Sagan, chair of ProPublica; AG Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times; and Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent at PBS NewsHour.

Houston will be honored for his impact on the industry during the 1980s, for his contributions to “The Emergence of Data and Consumer Investigations.” The other honorees in his category include James B. Steele of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Time, and Vanity Fair; and Lea Thompson of NBC News and WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.

Houston served as the executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors from 1997 to 2007.

He co-founded the Global Investigative Journalism Network in 2003 and serves as chair of its board of directors; he also co-founded the Institute for Nonprofit News in 2009.

Houston currently oversees the online newsroom at Illinois, CU-CitizenAccess.org, which serves as a lab for digital innovation and data journalism.

“These stars of journalism, who all received training at IRE, exemplify the power and future of journalism, the very foundation of democracy,” said IRE executive director Diana Fuentes.

The gala will also feature Michael Keaton, acclaimed actor, director, and press freedom advocate, accepting IRE’s first Champion of Investigative Journalism Award, recognizing his spot-on portrayal of journalists and steadfast support for a free press.

IRE, a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting, was formed to create a forum in which journalists throughout the world could help each other by sharing story ideas, newsgathering techniques, and news sources.

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Media faculty and TAs make list of teachers ranked as excellent

September 3, 2025

Updated 9/22/2025 to include Summer 2025 results.

Congratulations to all the College of Media faculty and teaching assistants who were ranked as excellent by their students!

This list is based on Instructor and Course Evaluation System questionnaire forms completed by students during the Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 semesters. Only those instructors who distributed ICES forms at least once during this time period and who released their data for publication are included in the list. View the complete list.

Note: * denotes that the instructor ratings were outstanding.

ADVERTISING

KENT BROWN – ADV 314

*TERRY KASDAN – ADV 409

EWA MASLOWSKA – ADV 494

*SHACHAR MERON – ADV 222, ADV 333

*MICHELLE NELSON – ADV 582, ADV 590

*MARISA PEACOCK – ADV 290, ADV 498

CHARLOTTE PELOQUIN – ADV 290

LEONA YI-FAN SU – ADV 492

KEVIN WISE – ADV 483

MEDIA

CL COLE – MDIA 590

JOURNALISM

*CHRISTOPHER BALL – JOUR 430, JOUR 451

ALISON DAVIS – JOUR 215, JOUR 340, JOUR 440

MELITA GARZA – JOUR 310

ALEXANDRE GONÇALVES – JOUR 102

CAROL LOMBARDI – JOUR 220

MEDIA & CINEMA STUDIES

*VICTOR FONT – MACS 371, MACS 480, MACS 481

JONATHAN KNIPP – MACS 282

JENNY OYALLON-KOLOSKI – MACS 262

STRATEGIC BRAND COMMUNICATION

EWA MASLOWSKA – SBC 505

RICH PIECZYNSKI – SBC 504

TEACHING ASSISTANTS

J. CHANG – ADV 250

C. CHICK – ADV 150

*K. COOK – ADV 250, ADV 490

A. GOODREAU – ADV 150

H. JI – ADV 250

M. KHOWAJA – ADV 250

N. OSHODI – ADV 150

S. PARK – ADV 360

R. SUN – ADV 284

T. CHEN – MACS 260

J. CINTRON – MACS 100

G. DUTRA GUEDES – MACS 100

S. GOMEZ- PEREZ – MACS 101

W. HELMKE – MACS 101

Y. HONG – MACS 100

Y. KANG – MACS 100

*G. PAXTON – MACS 100

J. ZHANG – MACS 260

N. ZHOU – MACS 101

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2025-2026 student award and scholarship recipients

August 26, 2025

Updated May 19, 2026

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.

Amanda Barry
Christina Kivarkis
Hailey Kotowski
Mallory Miller
Adelyn Mui
Layli Nazarova
Sydney Populorum
Konrad Przeczek
Lauren Redenius
Benjamin Shlau
Kara Yoo
Jiaying Zhou

Highest Honors
Highest Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top five percent of their graduating class.

Audrie Ballard
Amanda Barry
Emily Chen
Christina Kivarkis
Hailey Kotowski
Jenny Lin
Mallory Miller
Adelyn Mui
Layli Nazarova
Sydney Populorum
Konrad Przeczek
Lauren Redenius
Yingying Ren
Benjamin Shlau
Kara Yoo
Jiaying Zhou

High Honors
High Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top 10 percent of their graduating class.

Nicole Amrhein
Samantha Barajas
Sam Brody-Goldberg
Ruoxuan Chen
Reis Glover
Lauren Keith
Mattie Kennel
Ava Kolodziej
Caitlyn Land
Christopher LaPorte
Rory McFadden
Justin Meyers
Charles Michaels
Kendall O’Keefe
Caroline Pulford
Katherine Ratke
Heejae Shin
Lillian Paige Walk
Zhuoyi Wu

Honors
Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors in the top 20 percent of their graduating class.

Thanistha Bisalputra
Natalie Circolone
Li Deng
Elie Dixon
Kyle Ehrenhaft
Rawan El-Bawab
Siyi Gao
Lillian Garski
Raegan Gooding
Jillian Grabowski
Megan Harding
Macy Hull
Eunsung Koh
Kate Lamb
Shirley Ma
Maria Mancero
Haley Maser
Ryan McGee
Connor Micklos
Drew Mutchnik
Kaitlyn Nichols
Kyu Ha Nick Park
Piper Pascarella
Mary Piacente
Humza Qazi
Mariana Quezada Marquez
Eduardo Quintana
Chen Tu
Sofia Walters

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.

Samantha Barajas
Amanda Barry
Diyosa Funk
Reis Glover
Raegan Gooding
Sofia Kanda
Eunsung Koh
Hailey Kotowski
Megan Krok
Christopher LaPorte
Peirong Li
Jenny Lin
Haley Maser
Mallory Miller
Nathan Murphy
Layli Nazarova
Kaitlyn Nichols
Kendall O’Keefe
Humza Qazi
Katherine Ratke
Madeline Santori
Sydney Spotts
Megan Ashley Wood

Kappa Tau Alpha
This college honor society recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication.

Jenny Lin
Mallory Miller
Layli Nazarova
Lauren Redenius
Jiaying Zhou

Senior 100 Honorary
This campus honor recognizes academics, leadership, service, and engagement at the University of Illinois.

Emma Biallas
Sofia Kanda
Shivam Patel
Katerina Souleles
Sydney Spotts

AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, & FELLOWSHIPS

A-Mark Journalism Master’s Scholarship

Kaniz Fatema

American Advertising Federation Most Promising Students

Odinakachukwu (Odi) Ogbuefi
Claire-Michelle Sweet
Kara Yoo

Anthony J. Petullo Endowment in Design and Advertising Fund

Alexandra Ehrhart
Zixuan (Zia) Lu

Barton A. Cummings Graduate Assistantship / Richard and Audrey Christian Graduate Assistantship

Tunga Jois
Michelle Martinez

Betty Hinckle Dunn Memorial Fund in Journalism

Annisyn Krebs-Carr

Bill Geist Broadcast Journalism Writing Prize

Mary Piacente

Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

Sijie (Jenny) Lin

C&U Poster Advertising Company Scholarship

Tomi Dugbo

C. Arthur and Eleanor Hemminger Scholarship

Karys Boeriu
Yueming Gong
Yash Jagtap
Sofia Kanda
Tiffany Liu
Rory McFadden
Diego Miranda
Konrad Przeczek
Claire-Michelle Sweet

C.O. “Doc” Erickson Scholarship in Journalism

Eunsung (Anna) Koh

Calvin Hugy Scholarship

Gabriella Blangiardo
Nevin McVicar
Kris Modi

Cardiss Collins Scholarship for Advertising Studies Fund

Kayla Robinson

Carl and Ruth S. Stephens Scholarship

Brendan Gallian
Isabella Lazansky
Maraya Petrova
Liliana Rodriguez
Madison (Maddie) Shaw

Charles G. Sotir Journalism Scholarship

Michael Sweeney

Clifford G. Christians Institute of Communications Research Career Advancement Fund

Tingyu Chen

College of Media Alumni Scholarship

Eduardo Quintana

College of Media Annual Fund Scholarship

Brianna Alvarado
Eli Kennel
Danielle Mitchell
Sophia Negrete
Livia Nigro
Josslyn Ostrom
Isabella (Izzy) Phillips
Rein Phone
Mary (Molly) Sloan
Elianna Williams

College of Media Dean’s Honors Scholarship

Thea Abang
Denise Aguilar
Maya Brito
Samantha (Sammy) Hernandez
Laila Hinton
Allison Ibarrientos
Jaelynn Isbendy
Quinn Isberg
Calli Kraft
Aria Manfroi
Jocelyn Melchor
Gabriel Montano
Noor Najjar
Isaiah Rohn
Yoselin Sanchez-Miran
Jenna Sissom
Joseph Tempel
Megan Weiss

College of Media Endowed Scholarship

Yufan Du
Elena Janeva
Ella Yoder

Cynthia Browne Placek Endowed Scholarship

Kennedy Caldwell

Daily Illini Journalism Scholarship Fund

Sofia Boddy
Qyler Bowie
Adam Edwards
Mariana Quezada Marquez
Alexandra Murphy
Emily Nnodi
Mary Piacente
Lillien Salas
Zachary Shapero
Evelyn (Evy) York

Daniel and Nancy Balz Endowed Fund in Journalism

Edgar Nava Garcia
Josephine (Richelle) Gunawan
Evelyn (Evy) York

David Shaul Endowed Scholarship in Journalism

Mariana Quezada Marquez

Dawn M. Turner and Kim D. Turner Endowed Scholarship in Media

Taya Brown

Deanna Frautschi and Alan Bedell Scholarship

Ben Shlau

Department of Journalism Scholarship

Faith Routley

Donald E. Chamberlain Journalism Scholarship

Prayse Odomes

Donald P. Mullally Internship at Illinois Public Media

Grace Merki

Ed Wilks Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

Giuliana Means

Florence Hood Miner Scholarship in Journalism

Jahzara Norris

Florence J. Johnson Scholarship

Yidan (Lisa) Hu
Peirong (Zoe) Li
Yuechen (Bonnie) Li
Nathaniel Murphy
Odi Ogbuefi
Atharva Sindwani
Zakk Wolovich
Megan Wood

Forsyth Family Endowed Scholarship

Karys Boeriu

George Will Endowed Scholarship

Emily Chen

Gerald P. Johnson Scholarship

Gabriel Alpher
Andrew Burkey
Eli Mitzenmacher

Gerald Robert Bland Scholarship

Amelia Benson

Glenn Hanson Scholarship in Visual Communication

Knox Mynatt

Glenn Holman Roberts Journalism Scholarship

Piotr Fedczuk

Goldie Maxine Cord and Marcus Franklin Cord Scholarship

Anthony Geritano

H. Maxine Gladding Greenwood Scholarship

Temitola (Temi) Akinyemi

Harold E. and Dorothy Johnson Sortor Journalism Scholarship

David Lyle

Harold Gustave Roettger Memorial Award

Amanda Barry
Mallory Miller
Adelyn Mui
Layli Nazarova
Sydney Populorum
Konrad Przeczek
Jiaying Zhou

Helen C. and Theodore B. Peterson Scholarship

Sarah Slattery

Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Scholars Graduate Fellowship

Dwayne Banks
Rocio de la Rosa Vasquez
Kaniz Fatema
Reed Lofstedt

Ian Fleming Foundation Undergraduate Research Scholarship

Yufan Du
Yidan (Lisa) Hu
Yuhan Zhou

Illinois Broadcasters Association Scholarship in Broadcast Journalism

Liliana Rodriguez

Iris Chang Journalism Award

Katie Dalton

J. Christopher and Robin N. Kaler Scholarship

Jonathan Mathew

James Webb Young Travel Fund

Jiyeon Chang
Kirby Cook
Yujin Lee
Jiayi (Joy) Wang

Jay Lin Scholarship

Valerie Oviedo

Jenny Lenzini Memorial Scholarship

Adelyn Mui

Joe Sutton Honorary Scholarship

Evelyn (Evy) York

Joel D. and Analee Weisman Scholarship

Nathan Gonzalez
Megan Krok

John R. Foreman Scholarship

Emily Burciaga
Ashley Howerter
Layli Nazarova
Cooper O’Kelly
Ella Peterson
Fernanda Romero
Alyssa Thomas

John H. and Sylvia N. Schacht Memorial Scholarship

Paige Walk

John Russell Heitman Fellowship

Farah Bassyouni

Jonathan Laxamana Award in Student Filmmaking

Aidan Allenfort, molecular and cellular biology major, for his film Health. Hope. Peru.

Jonathan Laxamana Endowment Fund

Kris Modi

Judy Blasdell Bligh Journalism Endowed Scholarship

Jonathan Mathew

Jules and Jody Anne Becker Scholarship

Eunsung (Anna) Koh

Karen Lucas Petitte Endowed Scholarship in Journalism

Brendan Gallian
Megan Krok
Mallory Miller

Klues Scholars

Mia Avila
Andrea De La Torre
Kamron King
Larimar Rivera
Alanna Ross
Evita Zimmerman

Lulu Kelly Nardine Awards

Elissa Eaton
Mallory Miller
Mary Piacente

Lynne Blanton Student Travel Fund

Jiyon Chang
Jennifer Cintron
Haochen Ji
Youngin Kang
Ji Won Oh
Se Il Park
Wei Xiao

Marian and Barney Brody Creative Feature Article Writing Awards in Journalism

Adelyn Mui – 1^st place – “More than a holiday tradition: Reindeer are a way of life at the Hardy Ranch in Rantoul”
Mackenzie (Mack) Jones – 2^nd place – “Horses Nap on their Farm”
Sijie (Jenny) Lin – 3^rd place – “Urbana will explore alternatives to mental health crisis intervention without police involvement”

Marilyn Miller Kaytor Fellowship

Colae Eason
Claire McDaniel

Marilyn Miller Kaytor Scholarships

Felicity Abbott
Sonja Aghakhan
Chloe Barbarise
Amelia Benson
Taylor Casey
Jean-Luc Charles
Kathryn Dalton
Edgar Nava Garcia
Mackenzie Jones
Haley Maser
Giuliana Means
Kyle Murry
Amanda Muscia
Layli Nazarova
Cooper O’Kelly
Jude Panlilio
Addison Petrinos
Humza Qazi
Ford Quaintance
Samuel Rink
Liliana Rodriguez
Penelope Roewe
Fernanda Romero
Riley Shankman
Tristan Starzec
Cora Steele
Alexandria Tatman
Paige Whiteside

Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellows Program Fund

Andrei Badulescu
Mariah Brooks
Ruoxuan (Christina) Chen
Kaitlyn Devitt
Oluwatomi Dugbo
Paige Gaines
Megan Harding
Kris Modi
Adelyn Mui
Ektarit (Gus) Nophaket
Joy Wu

Mary Fulton Rothermel Fellowship

Yi (Sarah) Lin

Maureen Moore Memorial Fellowship in Advertising

Seo Jeong Heo
Tianxuan (Nikki) Wu

Murray Kalis Awards for Creativity in Advertising

Paige Walk – Best Single Ad
Christina Kivarkis – Best Portfolio
Jacklynn Cartwright – Best Campaign

Nancy Ronald and Ronald L. Hartshorn Internship Fund

Felicity Abbott
Nathan Gonzalez

Neil and Lynn Gissler Experiential Learning Fund

Brooke Babbington
Vanessa Benavides
Taya Brown
Ange Chang
Madelyn (Maddy) Collier
Yosef Fissahye
Gracieanna (Gracie) Gordon
Cooper Haynes
Alayna Irby
Eli Kennel
Hailey Kotowski
Madeline (Maddie) Kraus
Sara Kulesza
Mora Lozar
Alessandra Lugo
Valery Mayorga
Odinakachukwu (Odi) Ogbuefi
Sarah Page
Emma Roedder
Kathryn San Roman
Sydney Spotts
Kambyl Stipes
Georgia Sussenbach
Claire-Michelle Sweet

Nelio A. Florio and Patricia M. Florio Scholarship in Journalism

Sarah Slattery

Paul C. Fulton Scholarship

Hailey Kotowski
Christopher LaPorte

Paul Schrage-McDonald’s Fellowship in Advertising

Seo Jeong Heo

Raymond O. Torr Memorial Scholarship in Journalism

Cooper O’Kelly

Richard Hildwein Memorial Photojournalism Award

Samuel Yohnka

Richard Tuttle and Lois Marie Orr Endowment Scholarship

Grace Bernstein
Jaedynn Clark
Chloe Plyler
Katherine Ratke
Samuel Rink
Abby Timm
Samuel Yohnka

Robert N. and Lorraine M. Wilt Scholarship

Mariah Brooks

Robert O. Endres Endowed Internship at Illinois Public Media

Stephanie Orellana

Roger Ebert Fellows in Media Criticism

Paige Gaines
Amir Rehab
Jin Wang

S. Watson and Elizabeth S. Dunn Fellowship

Kirby Cook

Schlueter Family Endowed Fund for Internships in Journalism

Mariana Quezada Marquez

Veronica Pontarelli Toussaint and Dr. Paul Toussaint Scholarship

Justin Meyers

Wilkey Scholarship for Print Journalism

Olivia Dvorak

Associate professor of advertising Leona Yi-Fan Su selected for 2025-26 Emerging Research Leaders Academy

August 18, 2025

Leona Yi-Fan Su, associate professor of advertising and a faculty affiliate at the Institute of Communications Research, was selected by the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute for the 2025-2026 Emerging Research Leaders Academy.

The ERLA allows mid-career researchers to refine their goals, make connections, and develop skills to strategically lead collaborative, multi-investigator research teams, and pursue center-level or large-scale, collaborative research funding.

Su, who was one of 15 Illinois researchers chosen for this year’s cohort, engages in a range of interdisciplinary and collaborative research projects on science and health issues.

Her key research areas include studies on social norms, humor, incivility, social media, engagement metrics, virtual assistants, big data, machine learning, brand communication, science communication, health communication, and environmental communication.

ERLA candidates are nominated by a dean, department head, or director, and evaluated by a campuswide selection committee. Factors such as their commitment to the program, future leadership potential, and how their participation will benefit their career as well as that of the Illinois research enterprise, are all considered before the final selection is made.

Throughout the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters, ERLA members will engage in reflection and personal assessment, clarify their vision and goals, and develop five-year action plans that they will present at the ERLA graduation in April 2026.

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Journalism alum, ocean expert Annie Crawley wins 2025 Illini Comeback Award

August 14, 2025

Annie Crawley (BS ’90, journalism) was one of two recipients to win the University of Illinois Alumni Association’s 2025 Illini Comeback Award.

Crawley, a.k.a. “Ocean Annie,” is a pioneering underwater filmmaker, environmental photojournalist, author, and ocean advocate whose career spans more than three decades.

She has become a driving force for ocean literacy, exploration and conservation through immersive storytelling and education. She founded “Dive Into Your Imagination”—a series of award-winning illustrated books and award-winning DVDs that have reached global audiences, inspiring millions to care for and become a voice for oceans.

The College of Media is hosting a special screening of Crawley’s film The Island of the Shark, Guardians of Malpelo, followed by a Q&A with Crawley on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 4:30 p.m. at Spurlock Musem. The event is free and open to the public. Participants may also join by registering for the Zoom link.

Crawley’s recent work includes ocean-themed visual compositions for symphonies with renowned composer Stella Sung—merging science, music, and art to spotlight noise, chemical, and sound pollution. Her latest documentary, The Island of the Shark: Guardians of Malpelo, highlights shark conservation and the fight against illegal fishing in Colombia.

As a columnist for Scuba Diving Magazine and an in-demand speaker, Crawley challenges us to dive deeper—to hear the ocean’s story and recognize the role we all play in the ocean’s future.

Since 1980, when the Illini Comeback Award was established, the UIAA has invited prominent and accomplished alumni back to the campus to participate in various activities during Homecoming Weekend.

Honorees are provided opportunities to interact with current students and share information about their professional experiences and the value of their University of Illinois education.

UIAA Alumni Awards will be presented in conjunction with Homecoming Week, September 21-27.

Students in Media Entrepreneurship course win ‘Graphic Design USA’ magazine’s 2025 American Digital Design Award

July 23, 2025

Four students in the Spring 2025 ADV 409: Media Entrepreneurship course won 2025 American Digital Design Awards presented by Graphic Design USA magazine.

Alessandra Lopez, Macy Miller, Ben Riseman, and Emmanuel Tinajero, all 2025 graduates in advertising, were seniors at the time of the class.

The students created a comprehensive pitch deck for a new mobile app they conceptualized called Bad St!tch, which lets users share the ways they upcycle their clothes. If another user likes an upcycling idea but doesn’t want to or is unable to do it, they can hire the person who published the idea to do it for them, giving designers a way to showcase their work and potentially acquire customers.

Terry Kasdan, adjunct lecturer in advertising who teaches ADV 409, said the team won the award in the student work category for Bad St!tch’s brand identity and user interface, which they developed in class.

“As much as I still love my ‘day job’ as a digital marketer and agency owner, I have to admit, the hours I spend in class with the amazing students I’m so privileged to teach in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and Technology Entrepreneur Center are truly my favorite parts of the week. Nothing beats seeing them transform ideas into real ventures and gain recognition for their creativity and hard work,” said Kasdan.

Their work was published in GDUSA’s 25th annual Digital Design Awards Showcase, alongside entries by Bank of America, Dell, and Marriott International, Inc. Kasdan said more than 13,000 entries across all categories were submitted this year and just 100 winners were chosen.    

See the winning student work.

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‘En Vivo Contigo’ wins first place for 2025 Ñ Award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists

July 17, 2025

En Vivo Contigo, the first all-Spanish news broadcast on the student-run UI7 Newsroom, won first place for the Ñ Award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in the category of Student Broadcast Journalism.

The award-winning segment featured an interview conducted by Emilio Reyes (BS ’25, journalism) with Salvatore Callesano, assistant professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and highlights the importance and impact of linguistics in Spanish-speaking families.

Reyes also co-produced the piece with Jackie Barba (BS ’25, journalism.) Both Reyes and Barba were seniors at the time of production.

The Ñ Awards honor excellence in categories ranging from investigative journalism and television and video to education reporting and student journalism.

Watch the winning video:

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Students recognized for outstanding work in Hearst Journalism Awards Program

May 20, 2025

A group of University of Illinois students have been recognized for their outstanding work in the 2024-25 Hearst Journalism Awards Program.

Update June 12, 2025:

(Photo of Layli Nazarova
by Jakub Mosur.)

Congratulations to two journalism students for their outstanding accomplishments at the Hearst National Championships!

Layli Nazarova won first place and a $10,000 scholarship award in Hearst’s National Audio Championship. Madison Holcomb was named a finalist and won a $1,500 scholarship award for Hearst’s National Writing Championship.

Both Nazarova and Holcomb advanced to the Hearst Championships, the culmination of the 2024-25 Hearst Journalism Awards Program, held May 31-June 5 in San Francisco, California, to complete assignments under deadlines that were judged by media professionals.

(Photo of Madison Holcomb by Jakub Mosur.)

Nazarova’s assignment was to produce a two-minute story on the following topic: “Demonstrate how one of President Trump’s executive orders is having an impact on life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Choose from one of the following subject areas: immigration, higher education, tariffs, the economy, DEI.” Listen to her story.

Holcomb’s assignment was to write two articles: a news story from an interview with Executive Chair and Director of TPG Inc. Jim Coulter, and an article about how one of President Trump’s executive orders is affecting the Bay Area. Read her stories.

The Hearst Championships, often referred to as the “Pulitzers of College Journalism,” included 29 student journalists from across the country. The finalists were selected from 1,260 entries submitted in 14 competitions held throughout the academic year.

Original story published May 20, 2025:

A six-student team won first place in the Multimedia Digital News/Enterprise Team category, and two students won individual awards including first place in Explanatory Reporting and fourth place in Audio News.

Journalism students Maggie Knutte, Nathan Gonzalez, Piper Pascarella, Nour Longi, and Faith Lee, and agricultural communications student Elena Cleary earned first place and a $3,000 scholarship for a documentary on period poverty titled “Tailoring Hope,” which was one of 60 entries submitted from 35 schools in the multimedia competition.

Additional credit for the documentary goes to 2024 Illinois journalism alum Stephanie Wayda and Fourah Bay College students Amadu Lamrana Bah, Stella Fredricka Bangura, Ola Deen, Nuhu Jalloh, Alpha Janneh, Aminata Kamara, Kelfala Kargbo, Rose-Lyn Koroma, and Hanna Aba Yankson.

The project is the inaugural work of the Illinois Partnership for African Women’s Health Narratives, an interdisciplinary initiative that empowers early-career African and American journalism and media students to research, produce, and disseminate the true stories of grassroots innovations to women’s health challenges in Africa—leveraging the humanizing power of first-person, character-driven storytelling to raise awareness and drive meaningful change.

“Tailoring Hope” focuses on Uman Tok, a nongovernmental organization based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa, which aims to alleviate period poverty and menstrual exclusion and educate girls and boys about sexual and reproductive health awareness. Read more about the making of the documentary.

Watch here:

Madison Holcomb, a senior in journalism, won first place in Explanatory Reporting and a $3,000 scholarship for her piece on livestock fatalities during transportation. The story was published in Investigate Midwest.

Read Holcomb’s story.

Layli Nazarova, a junior in journalism, won fourth place in Audio News and a $1,000 scholarship for her stories on campus accessibility and the designation of the Middle Eastern North African Census.

Listen to Nazarova’s stories.

The Hearst Journalism Awards Program was founded in 1960 to provide support, encouragement, and assistance to journalism education at the college and university level.

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Illinois Student Newsroom at IPM staff win Society of Professional Journalists Awards

June 2, 2025

Illinois Student Newsroom at Illinois Public Media members and journalism students Madison Holcomb and Layli Nazarova were named 2024 Mark of Excellence Awards winners in the audio category in their region by the Society of Professional Journalists.

SPJ’s Region 5 comprises collegiate journalists within Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.

Holcomb, a senior, was the overall winner for radio feature with the story “He used education to escape a violent childhood. Today, he wants to help kids in similar situations.”

Additionally, Holcomb’s “Coal ash is polluting Illinois rivers. Environmentalists want the state to move faster to stop it” was also a finalist for radio in-depth reporting.

In the category of radio news reporting, Nazarova, a junior, was one of two finalists for her piece “U of I student drops disability studies over inaccessible bathrooms.”

Christine Herman, news editor at Illinois Public Media, served as a professional advisor for Holcomb and Nazarova.

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Alum Murray Kalis wins 2025 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award

May 21, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood

For his outstanding career accomplishments and generous monetary support of advertising students, Murray Kalis (BS ’61) was recognized by the College of Media with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Kalis, whose work has taken him across the world and back, heading his own agency, and serving as chair of the largest global network of independent agencies, has experienced some remarkable moments throughout his 50 years (and counting) in advertising.

He’s helped numerous companies build their brands, including United Airlines, Nestle, KFC, Wetzel’s Pretzels, Hormel Foods, and Starbucks Coffee. Most recently, a former client brought him in as a strategic investor for Dave’s Hot Chicken, where he is creating TV and social media advertising that has helped it grow to over 300 restaurants, and just begun international expansion.

In 2020, he established the Murray Kalis Award for Creativity in Advertising to provide monetary gifts to advertising students judged for creative excellence. Students who demonstrate smart positioning, outstanding creative concepts, strong execution, and a “wow” factor receive awards for Best Single Ad, Best Campaign, and Best Portfolio.

“The response to the Award for Creativity in Advertising has been beyond what I anticipated,” Kalis said. “The students are thrilled to express creative ideas. And the questions I get when I teach are insightful, mature, and often surprising.”

“Murray Kalis has charted an exciting career in advertising and shares his wealth of experience, advice, and encouragement with our students,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “The College of Media appreciates the time he devotes to our classes—as well as his advocacy of creativity through the award that he established—and we are proud to honor him with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award.”

Murray Kalis early on his career — Murray Kalis early in his advertising career.

As a student at the University of Illinois, Kalis felt fortunate to be taught by the legendary “Father of Advertising Education” Professor Charles H. Sandage.

“I can picture him to this day. He made an impression on me that still guides my work,” Kalis said. “He discovered advertising could impart its own magic: That a great ad can do more than sell, it can add value to the product itself.”

Kalis said Sandage always approached advertising from a highly philosophical and intellectual way and encouraged critical thinking. “He used a kind of Socratic method [of teaching].”

If students gave an incorrect answer, Sandage had a way of guiding them to the right one.

“He would start asking you questions, and he would lead you to understand, to try to defend your position, and suddenly you realize, ‘Oh, that doesn’t make any sense,’” Kalis said.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree—and thanks to the University of Illinois Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program—Kalis was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Army where he put his civilian education in advertising to work in psychological operations.

“I had two years of active duty basically running an ad agency,” he said. “We found illustrators and writers among the draftees, and we would create leaflets to be dropped out of planes.”

Following his military service, a master’s degree in fine arts, and a college teaching position in Iowa, Murray joined ad agency Leo Burnett in Chicago.

There, he quickly rose up from junior copywriter to creative director in an era when the ad industry resembled the glossy, high-profile lifestyles portrayed in the television series Mad Men.

As a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and Emmys judge, Kalis met Mad Men star Jon Hamm at a reception for the cast and producers.

Kalis said they discussed the similarities of the TV show and his real-life experience in advertising, which included “making those pitches, dealing with clients, and having to work your way through three-martini lunches.”

Kalis’s creative career also introduced him to actor Tom Hanks. To prepare for a role as a Chicago advertising executive in the 1986 film Nothing in Common, Hanks followed Kalis around the office to get a feel for his daily routine.

At this point in his career, Kalis says he is mainly working in social media, which is a lot different than when he first started in the business. Then, there were just three television channels that offered an opportunity to advertise.

While media delivery options have changed over the years, Kalis said the purpose of advertising—finding solutions to consumer problems—has remained the same.

“The media changes,” he said, “but people don’t. It’s Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, just like when I was entering Greg Hall for the first time.”

After all these years, Kalis is still full of energy and enthusiasm for the advertising industry.

“I love the biz. I love doing this stuff,” Kalis said. “I love looking at a product and figuring out how to match it with a consumer.”

Above: Murray Kalis was creative director for this Dave’s Hot Chicken ad.

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