College of Media 10 | College of Media

First slate of Ebertfest films and guest Frank Oz announced around theme of ‘Empathy at the Movies’

March 9, 2023

A diverse selection of films that generate empathy have been curated for the 23rd Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, running April 19-22 at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign. Ebertfest—co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert—will honor the 10th anniversary of her husband Roger Ebert’s death by screening films and bringing filmmaker guests who exemplify the theme of “Empathy at the Movies.”

Roger Ebert, a renowned film critic, University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native, spoke often about the power of cinema and its ability to transform perspectives. Chaz said his guiding principle was empathy.

“For me, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy,” said Roger Ebert. “If it’s a great movie, it lets you understand a little bit more about what it’s like to be a different gender, a different race, a different age, a different economic class, a different nationality, a different profession, different hopes, aspirations, dreams, and fears.”

“Empathy can be generated through pathos and humor and by sharing communal experiences,” said Chaz. “This year in Roger’s memory we will gather together in what Roger has called the temple of cinema to reaffirm our connections to each other.”

Joining this year’s Ebertfest will be director Frank Oz, known for creating and performing many beloved characters on The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, bringing to life Yoda in the Star Wars series, and directing numerous films, from Little Shop of Horrors to What About Bob? to The Stepford Wives.

“We are eager to welcome this special guest whose work is the very embodiment of empathy,” said Chaz.

Oz will accompany the screening of his film Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself (2020), a biography that explores identity and illusion while the storyteller and magician attempts to answer, “Who am I?” The film originated as a play written and performed by DelGaudio and directed by Oz, which ran Off-Broadway for 72 weeks. Derek DelGaudio and Janet Pierson, director emeritus of SXSW Film Festival, will also be in attendance.

THIS YEAR’S LINEUP ALSO INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING FILMS AND GUESTS:

The German cinematic masterpiece Wings of Desire (1987) made director Wim Wenders’s name synonymous with film art. “You’re seduced into the spell of this movie,” wrote Roger Ebert in his original review. The film, which was shot in black and white and color, features Bruno Ganz as Damiel, an angel who is willing to give up his perch high over Berlin, his ability to hear thoughts, as well as his immortality to return to earth after falling in love with a trapeze artist. Created shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Ebert wrote that “the film is like music or a landscape: It clears a space in my mind, and in that space I can consider questions. Some of them are asked in the film: ‘Why am I me and why not you? Why am I here and why not there? When did time begin and where does space end?’” Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, will attend.

Directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-winner Rita Coburn, Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (2022) explores the life of the African American singer and civil rights pioneer, who died in 1993 at the age of 96. The film highlights Anderson’s career, art, and legacy as a Black classical singer with a breathtaking and rare vocal range as well as her work to further civil rights. The film allows viewers to hear Anderson’s own voice and point of view through archival interview recordings, photographs, and personal correspondence with family and friends, including Martin Luther King Jr., Josephine Baker, and Langston Hughes.

Director Rita Coburn and producer Brenda Robinson will attend. Following the screening will be a live performance by Viveca Richards, an opera soprano from the University of Illinois Lyric Theatre.

After a series of award-winning short films and music videos, Japanese Brazilian writer and director Edson Oda delivers a heartfelt vision on the meaning of life in his film directorial debut, Nine Days (2020). The ultra-original American fantasy drama that invites viewers to reconsider their worldview was a winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. In the RogerEbert.com review, Oda was praised for centering the film around “the eternal issues of the human condition: What does it mean to be alive? How do we appreciate life while we are here? Is it even possible?”

This year’s selection from the Ebertfest audience choice movie poll is Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953). In Roger’s review of the film—which he called “one of the greatest films of all time”—he wrote, “Ozu is not only a great director but a great teacher, and after you know his films, a friend. With no other director do I feel affection for every single shot. … It ennobles the cinema. It says, yes, a movie can help us make small steps against our imperfections.”

An expert on Yasujiro Ozu’s work (to be announced) will be in attendance.

Continuing Ebertfest’s tradition of hosting a live music performance with a silent film, the Anvil Orchestra, based in Vermont, will accompany the German Expressionist silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), directed by Robert Wiene. It depicts the story of an insane hypnotist who uses a somnambulist (a sleepwalker) to commit crimes. The Anvil Orchestra—fondly named after a misspoken introduction by Roger Ebert at the Alloy Orchestra’s first Ebertfest appearance—is comprised of two-thirds of the Alloy Orchestra, which has since disbanded.

Additional films and guests will be announced in the coming weeks.

Passes to see all films with reserved seating are available to purchase online or at the Virginia Theatre box office, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, 217-356-9063. Individual movie tickets will go on sale on April 3.

Ebertfest is sponsored by the University of Illinois College of Media and Chaz Ebert.

Note: Anyone interested in supporting the event as a festival sponsor may contact Molly Cornyn, the festival’s project coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.

Richmond Studio to undergo $2M renovation to create state-of-the-art broadcast facility

March 2, 2023 | Kelly Youngblood

Students in the College of Media will have access to a state-of-the-art broadcast studio and newsroom this fall after nearly $2 million in renovations are completed at the Richmond Studio.

Since 1999, the studio—connected to Campbell Hall, the home of Illinois Public Media—has served as the site for the college’s broadcast journalism courses. Three student broadcasts are currently produced at the studio for the University of Illinois public access TV channel UI7, including UI7 Live, Illini Sports Night, and Good Morning Illini.

The renovation project, which will begin in mid-March and is expected to reach substantial completion before the Fall 2023 semester begins, is made possible thanks to a gift from Richard and Leslie Frank. In 2020, the Franks gave the College of Media $7.5 million—the largest gift in college history—to establish the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media and to renovate Richmond Studio. This project is the first major overhaul of the building since it was erected in 1996, funded by a $2 million gift from Jack C. and Marjorie Laird Richmond.

“Through their enthusiastic support and generosity, Richard and Leslie Frank are ensuring our next generation of broadcast journalists will enter the profession ready to make an impact,” said Mira Sotirovic, associate professor, Karin and Folke Dovring Scholar in Propaganda, and head of the Department of Journalism.

The renovation project includes a fully remodeled studio with a new control room. A new equipment storage and check-out room will be built, as well as a video and audio production room where students will be able to record podcasts.

The existing classroom and computer lab located adjacent to the studio will become a collaborative room that serves not only as a class meeting space with a lab but also a newsroom and green room. A scrolling, LED news ticker will be installed around the perimeter of the newsroom and computer lab area. (Pictured above is a rendering of the newsroom and green room.)

Most of the current equipment—including studio cameras, lights, and the control systems—will be upgraded to more modern versions that newsrooms around the country are currently using, allowing students to learn best practices.

“My commitment to the University of Illinois, and Leslie’s career and passion for journalism, inspired us to want to give back to the journalism program by creating a new, state-of-the art broadcast facility,” Rich Frank said. “We are really impressed with the program here and the people who are dedicated to making it one of the top in the country.”

“Shaping journalists starts at the university level,” said Leslie Frank. “We feel that the University of Illinois has a fantastic journalism program and think our contribution will only enhance it, giving students more advantages and opportunities to become successful in their future journalism careers.”

Students on the set of Richmond Studio broadcast an episode of *UI7 Live.* (Photo by Kenneth Erdey.)

Kenneth Erdey, instructor of journalism and technical coordinator for the Richmond Studio, says he’s excited to see the new opportunities the renovations will bring to students.

He expects to see expanded televised programming, live reporting from various locations outside of the studio, and more breaking news coverage, which will be beneficial to students.

“On-camera talent is going to get better because there’s going to be more opportunity for them to [be on-air],” Erdey said. “Newscasts will improve because there will be more opportunities to cover breaking news.”

Alison Davis, lecturer of journalism and Emmy-award winning documentarian, is thrilled about the revamped studio and increased access to experiential learning.

“The renovated space will not only give students access to the latest technology but it will be a space for collaboration,” Davis said. “We hope students in all classes will use Richmond to further their creativity and journalism skills whether it is joining the UI7 Newsroom RSO, creating a podcast, anchoring a newscast, or producing their own TV show.”

Erdey, who has taught at the studio for 12 years, says his goal has always been to give students a sense of a real, working newsroom.

“I want this building to be a working experience, but also allow students to make the mistakes they need to make before they get their job,” Erdey said. “The work students are doing here is not just college work, it’s [broadcast] television.”

March 10 is the last day classes will be held at the studio before it’s closed for construction. However, students will continue reporting for the duration of the semester, making video stories to be uploaded to ui7newsroom.com. Live studio shows will be limited to one special per show.

“The Department of Journalism is dedicated to preparing students for an industry that will continue to evolve with changes in technology,” Sotirovic added. “When Richmond Studio reopens, the new experiences it will offer will give students a distinct career advantage in today’s dynamic media environment.”

Ebert Symposium 2023 to address documentary, violence, and the media

March 1, 2023

This year’s Chaz and Roger Ebert Symposium will feature a film screening, keynote speaker, and two roundtable discussions that address the theme of “Documentary, Violence, and the Media.” The events, which are free and open to the public, are presented by the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies.

Chaz Ebert’s beloved grandson, Joseph London Smith, was tragically and unintendedly the victim of gun violence in Atlanta, Georgia, in September 2022. In dedication to his memory, the Ebert Symposium will explore the power of cinema to mediate violence and ask: How does cinema intervene in this conversation?

PROGRAM

TUESDAY, APRIL 18

7:30-9 p.m.
Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, Urbana

Screening of Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968) is an experimental documentary by Black Emmy award-winning filmmaker William Greaves that was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2015. Ebert Symposium keynote speaker Amir George, artistic director of Kartemquin Films, selected the film and will share introductory remarks. Learn more.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19

9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Illini Room C, Illini Union, 1401 W. Green, Urbana

Keynote Speaker
9:30–10:45 a.m.
“To Be Radical”
Amir George, Artistic Director, Kartemquin Films, Chicago
Join us in person or register to join via Zoom.

Roundtable Discussion #1
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
“Cinema and Media Interventions into Violence”

Panelists:

Rachel Kuo, Assistant Professor of Media & Cinema Studies, UIUC
Denise Zaccardi, Executive Director and Founder of CTVN, Community TV Network, Chicago
Melita Garza, Associate Professor and Tom and June Netzel Sleeman Scholar in Business Journalism, UIUC
Moderated by Angela Aguayo, Associate Professor of Media & Cinema Studies, UIUC

Roundtable Discussion #2
1-2:30 p.m.
“Cinema and Violence in Challenging Times”

Panelists include the following Ebertfest 2023 filmmaker guests:

Edson Oda, director of Nine Days (2020)
Jason Michael Berman, producer of Nine Days and president of Mandalay Pictures
Max Libman, teenage founder and director of CU International Film Festival, Champaign-Urbana
Brenda Robinson, producer of Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (2022)
Moderated by Jenny Oyallon-Koloski, Assistant Professor of Media & Cinema Studies, UIUC

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Amir George, Artistic Director of Kartemquin Films

Amir George is an award-winning filmmaker and has served as a programmer at True/False Film Fest and Chicago International Film Festival. As an artist, George creates spiritual stories, juxtaposing sound and image into an experience of non-linear perception. George’s films have screened at institutions and film festivals including Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, Anthology Film Archives, Glasgow School of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Trinidad and Tobago International Film Festival, BlackStar Film Festival, and Camden International Film Festival, among others.

The Ebert Symposium began in 2018 and is named in part for the late film critic Roger Ebert. Ebert, who died in 2013, was an Urbana native, journalism alumnus, Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, and founder of RogerEbert.com. His namesake film festival, known as Ebertfest, runs April 19-22 at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign.

PANELISTS

Rachel Kuo, Assistant Professor of Media & Cinema Studies in the College of Media, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Dr. Rachel Kuo writes, teaches, and researches race, social movements, and technology. Her current book manuscript, Movement Media: Racial Solidarities Across Platforms, brings together archival research and ethnographic fieldwork to examine historical and contemporary grassroots organizing and social movement media forms addressing state violence and U.S. democracy. Her new work examines transnational and intergenerational information systems in Asian diasporas and histories of mis- and disinformation. Her writing has been published in New Media & Society, Social Media and Society, Journal of Communication, Teen Vogue, Truth Out, and ACM Interactions.

She is a founding member and current affiliate of the Center for Critical Race and Digital Studies and also a co-founder of the Asian American Feminist Collective. She is a co-editor of the anthology Black and Asian Feminist Solidarities with Haymarket Books and co-editor of the the book series Critical Race + Digital Studies at New York University Press. She is also a guest editor at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, including the World Without Cages project.

Denise Zaccardi, Executive director and founder of CTVN, Community TV Network, Chicago

Denise Zaccardi, executive director and CTVN founder, holds a PhD in Communications from The Union Institute and wrote the nation’s first dissertation on media arts curriculum for low-income, minority youth. She earned an M.S. in Early Childhood Education from State College in Buffalo, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Dayton. She has participated as a media and education activist with a variety of local and national organizations. Dr. Zaccardi has received numerous awards for her contributions to the field, including the Christian Service Award from the University of Dayton, and the Service Recognition Award for Arts Educator from the Illinois Arts Alliance. Dr. Zaccardi has put together a team of seasoned artist/teachers carefully selected not only for their exceptional ability to engage and teach arts underserved youth; but to represent a broad range of vital skills and knowledge including psychology, marketing, organizational dynamics, writing, audio, editing, producing, directing, graphics, and animation.

Community TV Network (CTVN) is a non-profit company devoted to empowering youth with the resources and education they need to make digital media! Our network of artists, teachers, and alumni has been promoting the visions and voices of Chicago’s students for 49 years. CTVN promotes positive youth and community development with the overall goal of raising the educational success and economic viability of the neighborhoods in which young participants live and work. CTVN programs instill in our students the awareness, motivation, and tools they need to create positive futures for themselves and the people around them.

Melita Garza, Associate Professor and Tom and June Netzel Sleeman Scholar in Business Journalism in the College of Media, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Melita M. Garza is an associate professor and the Tom and June Netzel Sleeman Scholar in Business Journalism in the Department of Journalism. She is the 2022-2023 Chair of the Standing Committee on Research for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She was a fellow at the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. Prior to getting her PhD, Melita M. Garza was an award-winning journalist, working at the Chicago Tribune, Bloomberg news, and the Los Angeles Times during a two-decade-long career.

She is an American journalism historian who studies news as an agent of democracy, specializing in English- and Spanish-language news, the immigrant press, and coverage of underrepresented groups. She is the lead editor of a forthcoming book that aims to re-envision the history of journalism. She is the author of They Came to Toil: Newspaper Representations of Mexicans and Immigrants in the Great Depression (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2018), which was a finalist for the Tankard Book Award, the Frank Luther Mot/ Kappa Tau Alpha Award, and the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS) Tejas Fojo Award. Her research has also won awards from the American Journalism Historians Association (AJHA), and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) divisions of: History, Minorities and Communication, and International Communication.

MODERATOR: Angela Aguayo, Associate Professor of Media & Cinema Studies, UIUC

Angela Aguayo’s research is centered around documentary production and media studies, and her work creates connections between production, theory, and history. She was selected as a James W. Carey Faculty Fellow, for which she will work on a book project called Collective Matters, which examines how traditions in the humanities, health care, law, and education manifest through documentary in non-theatrical spaces, addressing the rituals of media producing, screening, and circulating that bind communities across time. Her project called the Illinois Community Media Project—which focuses on people making and circulating media that is most aligned with the interests of that community—received funding from campus’s inaugural Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program. She has previously published Documentary Resistance: Social Change and Participatory Media (Oxford University Press), which explores a documentary’s capacity for social change.

Edson Oda, Director

After a series of award-winning short films and music videos, Japanese Brazilian writer and director Edson Oda made his film directorial debut with Nine Days (2020). Based in Los Angeles, Oda is a BAFTA Breakthrough alum, a Sundance Screenwriters Lab alum, and a Latin Grammy-nominated director for best music video.

Jason Michael Berman, Producer, President of Mandalay Pictures

Jason Michael Berman, president of Mandalay Pictures, was named in the 2016 Variety Dealmakers Impact Report, and in Variety in 2011 as one of the Top Ten Producers to Watch.

Berman currently has AIR in release for Amazon and Skydance, directed by Ben Affleck, written by Alex Convery, and starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, and Jason Bateman.

He recently produced Surrounded, directed by Anthony Mandler and starring Letitia Wright, Jamie Bell, and Michael K. William, awaiting release from MGM/Amazon. His other recent producing credits include Edson Oda’s Sundance award-winning film Nine Days; Olivier Megaton’s The Last Days of American Crime; Prentice Penny’s Uncorked; Cindy Chupack’s Otherhood; Clark Johnson’s Juanita; Jonathan Helpert’s IO; Gerard McMurray’s Burning Sands; Ryan Koo’s Amateur; Eli Craig’s Little Evil; and Nate Parker’s 2016 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury and Audience Award-winning film The Birth of a Nation.

Berman is in development on new projects for Skydance, Netflix, Sony, Apple, and A24.

Prior to producing, Berman worked at the William Morris Agency, MGM Studios, and for writer/director Gary Ross. Berman is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and the Producers Guild of America. He is a 2006 graduate of the University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts, where he has been an adjunct professor since 2013. Berman helped to develop and start the Catalyst program at the Sundance Institute which has now raised over $50M for the financing of award-winning independent narrative film and documentary projects. He is originally from Baltimore, Maryland.

Max Libman, CU International Film Festival Founder

Max Libman is the teenage founder and director of the CU International Film Festival that debuted in October in Urbana and featured eight short films, one of which was produced by the Turner brothers. In his young career, Libman has also been honored for his screenwriting.

Brenda Robinson, Producer

Brenda Robinson, producer and entertainment attorney, is involved with numerous film, television, and music projects. She is a producer of Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (2022), and was a financier on the Academy Award-winning documentary Icarus as well as Won’t You Be My Neighbor and Step. Robinson is currently head of film finance and inclusion strategies for HiddenLight Productions, a global studio founded by Hillary Clinton, Sam Branson, and Chelsea Clinton. She is also a member of Impact Partners, which is dedicated to funding independent documentaries that focus on social issues.

MODERATOR: Jenny Oyallon-Koloski, Assistant Professor of Media & Cinema Studies

Jenny Oyallon-Koloski is an assistant professor of Media & Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and a Certified Movement Analyst in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies. She serves as the movement analysis specialist for the Media Ecology Project (Mark Williams and John P. Bell, PIs, Dartmouth College) and is a faculty affiliate of the Eye Tracking / Physiology Lab in the College of Media at the University of Illinois. Her current book project argues for the storytelling power of figure movement and dance in musical cinema. She is also the director of the movement visualization (mv) lab and co-creator, in collaboration with Michael Junokas, of the mv tool, an embodied motion-capture research environment to study the manifestations of human movement in cinematic space.

JR Reed joins College of Media Office of Advancement

February 1, 2023 | Kelly Youngblood

JR Reed considers himself a lifelong learner who enjoys meeting new people and exploring new places—just a few of the many qualities that will serve him well in his new role as assistant director of advancement at the College of Media.

Reed, who officially began in January, is bringing a wealth of experience and a variety of interests, as well as a lot of drive and ambition, to the fundraising position.

For Deanne Johnson, assistant dean for advancement at the College of Media, those were some of the key reasons she felt Reed would be a great addition to the team.

“His compassion for others and positive outlook on life were obvious from our first meeting,” Johnson said. “He brings a diverse set of skills to the position, and we are fortunate to have him on our Advancement team and in the College of Media.”

Reed said the major gift officer role initially appealed to him because he felt it offered the ability to connect with alumni and donors, hear their stories, and help them find ways to support the college. He knew the job would be a perfect match after meeting with members of the College of Media.

“Not only did the job description match [my skills and interests] but I really connected with the team here. Everyone I’ve met has been friendly and welcoming, so it just felt right.” he said.

He recognizes the importance of media and the role it plays in various aspects of today’s world—media is “very cutting-edge, always adapting, and impactful to people’s lives.”

A native of Tolono, Illinois, Reed grew up an Illini fan, frequently attending Illinois football and basketball games.

“The University was always a big part of my life growing up. I was born and bred orange and blue,” he said. “It makes sense my professional trajectory would bring me back to the area, working for the University.”

The career path leading Reed to Illinois has been a winding one which includes culinary school, a bachelor’s in business administration from Robert Morris University in Chicago, an infantry squad leader in the U.S. Army, a barber’s license, and an MBA from California Coast University. Most recently, he worked as a membership and marketing supervisor at Costco Wholesale in Champaign. Reed believes his vast experiences have prepared him for the role he’s in today.

Reed says the most valuable lesson he’s learned working at Costco and serving in the U.S. Army was the importance of taking care of people and finding solutions—whether it was soldiers, customers, or the 50-plus employees he managed. He feels it will transfer well to his advancement position.

Reed has also worked at two famous downtown Chicago attractions including the Skydeck at Willis Tower and the Chicago River Boat Architecture Tours. These experiences, coupled with organizing off-site networking events for Costco, has helped to foster his event-planning skills, which he will use in his new position as he supports Chicago-based, alumni-coordinated events.

He anticipates his first year to be full of learning experiences, and he’s looking forward to integrating into the advancement team and engaging with alumni and donors.

“Maybe it’s a scholarship or a deferred gift—everybody is going to have a different story and something different they want to support. That’s where I come in, as a liaison, to assure their needs are met to support the University of Illinois and the College of Media,” Reed said.

“Perhaps the most fulfilling part of the job, and a component I will enjoy the most, is the positive impact on the lives and futures of students, faculty, and staff,” he added. “Each generous gift to the College of Media has the potential to positively transform the academic career of our students. Only rarely do we have the ability and opportunity to make such impacts, and I’m privileged to say I now have the potential to do so.”

2022 College of Media Teaching Award recipients announced

January 20, 2023

Each academic year, the College of Media seeks nominations for a teaching award that honors faculty who display a strong commitment to the undergraduate teaching mission. This year, Josh Heuman and Yiran Gao have been recognized as recipients of the 2022 College of Media Teaching Awards.

Heuman, a teaching assistant professor in the Department of Media & Cinema Studies and the Department of Journalism, received the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by a Specialized Faculty Member. Heuman’s teachings range widely across the field of media studies, including courses in media industries, media law, media history, media theory, and media genre, narrative, and style. His research explores media industries and regulation, especially in television, with an emphasis on the regulation of media work. He’s also interested in the evolution of the television writers’ room where stories are first introduced.

Gao, a doctoral student at the Institute of Communications Research, received the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by a Teaching Assistant. Since Spring 2018, Gao has consistently been ranked as excellent by her students, based on Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) questionnaire forms. Her interdisciplinary research interests lie at the intersection of media studies, critical cultural studies, science and technology studies, and global studies. Her current research focuses on the roles and the impact of digital media on the formation of digital public sphere at a transnational level.

Advertising alum Mike Wychocki credits college leadership and faculty for career inspirations

January 10, 2023 | Kelly Youngblood

Mike Wychocki with advertising students — In Fall 2022, Mike Wychocki (center) was invited back to campus by the College of Media to explain to students in the American Advertising Federation RSO how he developed the new branding and marketing campaigns for EagleRail.

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 never forgotten a certain College of Media associate dean and a professor, both of whom played a vital role in his education and professional success.

“One of the things that keeps me connected to the University of Illinois and the College of Media is, at the time, we had a Dean of Students named William Alfeld. He helped me get across the finish line,” Wychocki said. “I think if it weren’t for Dean Alfeld, I probably wouldn’t have graduated.

“Dean Alfeld was one of those kind gentlemen who had a big heart. He would always help me figure something out,” Wychocki said of the late Alfeld, who served as associate dean at the college from 1962 to 1992.

Wychocki, a first-generation college student from the south side of Chicago, was unfamiliar with the collegiate lifestyle and overwhelmed upon his arrival.

He initially struggled with academics and didn’t care for the large lecture-type classes held in huge auditoriums. Thankfully, Alfeld helped him navigate the challenge of introductory courses, and helped identify the strengths and talents that enabled him to thrive in the major.

Wychocki also recalls an advertising professor who had a profound impact on his career—the late Gordon White, who Wychocki describes as “the second most influential person” he encountered as a student on campus. White, who taught classes in advertising creative strategy, also earned his MS and PhD degrees in the college.

“[Professor White] taught me a lot and was very supportive of me. He gave me the confidence to know that I was a good storyteller. And I believe that all advertising starts with a good story,” he said.

“Taking several journalism classes also helped and Professor White explaining how to craft and express a strong message definitely kept me inspired in my career over the years,” Wychocki added. “Plus, Professor White was an actual Mad Men Creative Director at BBDO on Madison Avenue in NYC in the 1960s and he taught us how the U.S. ad market transited from long-format ads in the 1950s to short, clever, and pithy ads just like Don Draper reminded us 30 years later.”

Wychocki also has fond memories of his time working at WILL-TV as a production assistant, production manager, and assistant producer. He said engaging in hands-on learning at WILL was a pivotal decision that helped guide him to choose a path in marketing and advertising.

The advertising education he received at Illinois has enabled him to create numerous career opportunities, including his current role as CMO of EagleRail. About seven years ago, Wychocki started out as a freelance marketing consultant for EagleRail, a global transportation solution that automates short-haul container shuttling between ports and intermodal facilities.

Wychocki describes the company concept as “doing with a 60,000-pound box what Amazon warehouses do with a 60-pound box. Robotically lift it, shuttle it, and set it back down in the right spot.” He developed that elevator pitch seven years ago, and still uses it today.

After just a few months of joining the company, Wychocki purchased majority interest of EagleRail from the company’s inventor and took the lead as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. More recently, he decided to focus on the marketing and sales side of the business and hired his own replacement.

“I always knew my job here was to sell this concept—create this story from the whole cloth. I recently hired my own replacement with international operational and global finance experience and gave myself the title of Chief Marketing Officer,” he said.

No matter how far his career has taken him away from the University of Illinois campus, he will always recall the unique places and traditions that students still enjoy today, such has hanging out on the Quad and “geeking out” to the Marching Illini band perform at sporting events.

If he had any career advice to give current advertising students, Wychocki says it would be to work hard to create, cultivate, and value professional relationships. While a good strategy and creative execution are important, nothing helps you succeed long-term like creating a personal connection with the people you’re working with, whether it’s a client or a colleague.

“I’m a huge believer in positive relationships as currency. I think it is one of the keys to success,” he said. “You have three elements in life that will determine the level you achieve professionally: how smart you are, how hard you work, and how well you work with other people. If you’ve got two out of three, you’ll be a success…and working well with others is the lowest investment and highest return of the three.”

Wychocki also recommends being yourself and understanding your own strengths first.

“If you know what your brand is and know what your strengths are, then you’ll know how to position yourself either for jobs or accounts or freelance opportunities that are right for you,” he said. “Be yourself and find out what your internal brand is. If you want to figure out how to create someone else’s brand, first you’ve got to figure out your brand, and then you’ll be in the best position to succeed.”

2022-23 Ebert Fellows announced

November 7, 2022 | Faith Lee, Communications Intern

Through the annual Roger Ebert Fellows program, established in 2015 at the College of Media, three undergraduate students are selected each fall to gain in-depth learning experiences that focus on critical thinking, arts and entertainment criticism, and interpretative journalism.

The 2022-23 Roger Ebert Fellows are Levi (Lee) Beckett, Andrew Stover, and Tania Trejo, all media and cinema studies majors.

Named after the late Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic and University of Illinois journalism alumnus Roger Ebert, the Ebert Fellows will receive a stipend and work closely with Michael Phillips, film critic for the Chicago Tribune, to strengthen their writing, radio, video, and storytelling skills across a wide range of multimedia platforms. The experience, coordinated through the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies, will prepare them for an increasingly competitive arts and entertainment media job market.

Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the program to adopt a hybrid model, but this year will offer more in-person interactions. The students will connect monthly with Phillips for workshops. They will also attend film festivals, including the True/False Film Fest in Columbia, Missouri, in March.

“It’s been very difficult to work around the limitations of what we had to do when it was almost entirely online,” Phillips said. “I sense that people are eager and grateful for a return to as much in-person activity as they feel is possible.”

Phillips has been an advisor and mentor since the program began and has enjoyed working with the students. He hopes that they learn as much from him as he does from them.

“I want to make them more confident about doing something they’ve never done before,” Phillips said. “I try to get all of us to think hard about what it is we’re trying to say when we write something and how well we’ve argued our point.”

Meet the 2022-23 Ebert Fellows:

Lee Beckett is a junior in media and cinema studies, with a minor in political science. Beckett has always enjoyed the art of filmmaking and critiquing films. He appreciates Roger Ebert’s work and is excited to explore new opportunities and to network.

“I think by getting experience and hearing from people who have learned by trial and error is the best way to learn,” Beckett said. “We’re going to go to a couple film festivals and we’re going to meet with some people who are making content in the local area and also in Chicago, so I’m hoping to learn from professionals.”

On campus, Beckett is involved in the Young Democratic Socialists of America and Red Bison, an ecological restoration organization.

Beckett’s favorite film is Fantastic Mr. Fox because he “really likes the story and the characters and it’s simple and fun, but it also has a deeper theme underneath.”

Andrew Stover is a junior in media and cinema studies, with a minor in critical film production. He developed his interest in film in 2016 and created a blog dedicated to reviewing films. Stover is a longtime fan of Roger Ebert’s work and is honored to be chosen as a fellow.

“I have a genuine passion for film criticism, and I was excited to be selected. It’s a great honor,” Stover said. “I hope to gain more experience outside of film.”

Stover continues his passion for critiquing films by writing reviews for Film Threat, an independent film review site where he’s published more than 125 reviews. He looks forward to working with Phillips and the other fellows to expand his skills.

“Having a broad knowledge of film, podcasting, and other forms of media that I will learn about during this fellowship will help me be able to do more than just film-centric [work],” Stover said.

Stover said his favorite satirical comedy is The Truman Show because he “admires Jim Carrey’s dramatic turn as Truman Burbank” and thinks it is one of his best performances.

Tania Trejo is a senior in media and cinema studies. She loves to plan and create films. Trejo hopes to highlight the Latino community in her work in the future.

“This fellowship will help me achieve my goals by providing me with different skills such as interviewing, writing, and podcasting,” Trejo said. “I will also get more exposure and access. Since I will be working with people who are in the industry, I am excited to ask more questions about what they do.”

Trejo said she is also excited to attend film festivals and watch films that she would not normally watch on her own.

Currently, her favorite movie is Everything Everywhere All at Once because “the movie itself tackles issues that first-generation American families face in a funny and sentimental way.”

Media Literacy Theme 2022-23

During the 2022-23 academic year, the College of Media will explore a theme of media literacy to build community and connections for students, faculty, and staff. The idea for an annual, opt-in theme emerged during the College of Media strategic planning process in 2020, and selection of a theme is voted on by faculty and staff each spring.

Josh Heuman, a teaching assistant professor in the Department of Media & Cinema Studies and the Department of Journalism, was appointed by College of Media Dean Tracy Sulkin as a Dean’s Fellow. He will work with department and college leadership teams to facilitate activities around media literacy this academic year. Learn more.

Read the media literacy theme blog

Media Literacy Initiatives in the College of Media

Initiative for Media Education Inquiry and Action (IMEDIA)
The Initiative for Media Education Inquiry and Action was formed by the College of Media and the College of Education, along with the cofounder of the Illinois Media Literacy Coalition, to help fill educators’ needs for media literacy training and curriculum development. In Summer 2022, IMEDIA held a media literacy workshop for public school educators. Learn more.

Political Advertising Literacy Research Group
The Political Advertising Literacy Research Group includes researchers in the University of Illinois College of Media and at the University of Tennessee. The researchers are investigating how much U.S. voters know about political advertising, called political advertising literacy, and improve their knowledge to effectively cope with misleading political advertising. Their research was featured in Forbes in September 2022.

View resources, including classroom slides and reference links

Media Matters eText
This eText aims to empower readers with increased media literacy, or the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and communicate using a variety of media. Anyone with a University of Illinois netID can view this multimedia-rich, online textbook. The book is authored by College of Media faculty Amanda Ciafone, associate professor of media and cinema studies; Stephanie Craft, professor of journalism and associate dean for academic affairs; and Michelle Nelson, professor of advertising.

Upcoming Events

More details to come.

Past Events

National Media Literacy Week
October 24-28, 2022
Learn more. | View resources.

Defining and Measuring News Literacy
September 21, 2022
As part of the Center for Advanced Study’s Initiative on Conspiracy, Misinformation, and the Infodemic, Stephanie Craft, professor of journalism and associate dean for academic affairs, presented a talk on “Defining and Measuring News Literacy.”

About the presentation:
The rapid spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic has increased calls for news literacy to help reduce endorsement of misinformation, conspiracy theories, and other falsehoods. Recent research showing that individuals with higher levels of news literacy are more likely to reject COVID-19 misinformation and conspiratorial thinking suggests that improving news literacy could be part of a strategy to equip individuals to reject health misinformation. However, varied approaches will be necessary to engage with groups that differ in political orientation, race, age and news consumption habits.

Political journalists from CNN, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune to speak on politics and elections

The Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will host four of the country’s top political journalists—David Chalian from CNN, Domenico Montanaro from NPR, Vivian Salama from the Wall Street Journal, and Alice Yin from the Chicago Tribune—for a panel discussion on what it’s like to cover politics and elections in 2022.

Titled “Reporting on Politics and Elections in 2022,” the panel will be held Thursday, Oct. 13, from 6-7 p.m., in the Knight Auditorium of Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, Urbana.

The event is free and open to the public and will be broadcast live via Zoom; register to join via Zoom at https://go.illinois.edu/politics-elections-2022.

Panelists include:

David Chalian, CNN Political Director
Domenico Montanaro, NPR Senior Political Editor
Vivian Salama, Wall Street Journal National Security Reporter
Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune City Hall Reporter
Moderator: Colleen King, Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media Director and Clinical Assistant Professor of Journalism

The panelists will weigh in on the upcoming midterm elections and potential national outcomes, from the fate of President Joe Biden to the control of Congress, and more. Audience questions will be welcomed toward the end of the hour or may be submitted through the Zoom registration form.

David Chalian is CNN’s vice president of political coverage and political director. In his role, Chalian oversees CNN’s daily political coverage across all platforms, the polling and decision desk operations, and helps guide the editorial content for the network’s special event political programming.

Domenico Montanaro is NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent. Based in Washington, D.C., his work appears on air and online delivering analysis of the political climate in Washington and campaigns.

Vivian Salama covers national security for the Wall Street Journal, based in Washington. She has covered U.S. foreign policy and national security issues for nearly two decades, reporting from more than 75 countries. Most recently, she has reported extensively from Ukraine.

Alice Yin is a reporter for the Chicago Tribune’s metro desk, responsible for covering the ins and outs of Cook County government and the Obama Presidential Center.

This event is presented by the Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media at the University of Illinois College of Media.

Learn more at https://media.illinois.edu/frankcenterpanel2022.

For more information, please contact Colleen King, director of the Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media and clinical assistant professor of journalism, at cck@illinois.edu.

Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellows program funds eight fall projects in the College of Media

October 4, 2022 | Holly Rushakoff

Eight projects led by College of Media faculty and staff have been selected to receive funding as part of the Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellows program, established this year to provide undergraduate Media students with professional experience in public engagement activities. It also provides opportunities for students to participate in programs that support first-generation college students, students from underrepresented groups, and/or students with significant financial need.

“We are delighted to be honoring Mark Brandt’s legacy through opportunities for our students to work with College of Media faculty and staff on projects that make a difference in our community, our state, and the nation,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin.

Brandt was a 1986 alumnus of Illinois who retired early from a career in finance at General Electric. After his death in 2021, the College of Media received an estate gift of just over $1 million to create the Brandt Public Engagement Fellows program. The trustee of his estate, Mary Leyendecker, chose to ensure that his legacy makes a positive impact on students and society. The funds will provide internships for up to 40 Media students annually, with opportunities announced in both fall and spring semesters.

Below is a list of the projects, activities, and programs that received funding for Brandt Public Engagement Fellows for Fall 2022. College of Media undergraduate students who wish to apply for these opportunities should check their email inbox for the October 3 Advising Newsletter for more details.

Mis/Disinformation in Asian and Asian American Communities Research Project
Led by Rachel Kuo, Assistant Professor of Media & Cinema Studies
The Brandt Fellow will support research on a project that studies the historical and political contexts of mis/disinformation in Asian and Asian American communities through the use of community education workshops, oral histories, and focus groups. Working closely with the PI, the Brandt Fellow will support data collection and analysis; facilitate community research workshops and skills-trainings; and co-write and produce resource guides on Asian and Asian American history and ethnic media; and meet different community partners.

Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies
Led by Julie Turnock, Associate Professor of Media & Cinema Studies
This academic year (2022-2023) is the inaugural year of the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies. The Brandt Fellow will primarily use their skills in web design, graphic design, and public relations, to build and update a public-facing website for the Ebert Center, and work with the College of Media’s Director of Communications to publicize Ebert Center events via social media. They will also play a key role to help make the activities of the Ebert Center available to the local community.

SHIELD Illinois Research Project
Led by:
Ewa Maslowska, Assistant Professor of Advertising
Margaret Ng, Assistant Professor of Journalism
Harsh Taneja, Associate Professor of Advertising
The Brandt Fellows will help with a project with SHIELD Illinois—the community COVID-19 saliva-based testing program of the State of Illinois. Our project aims to understand public attitudes, news framing, and diffusion networks related to SHIELD COVID-19 testing through social media discourse and news coverage. The Brandt Fellows will take part in the process of data gathering and analysis and develop visualizations.

IMEDIA
Led by:
Amanda Ciafone, Associate Professor of Media & Cinema Studies, Director of Graduate Studies for the Institute of Communications Research
CL Cole, Department Head, Professor of Media & Cinema Studies
Stephanie Craft, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor of Journalism
Michelle Nelson, Professor of Advertising
The Brandt Fellow will help develop the digital communications strategy of the Initiative for Media Education Inquiry and Action. IMEDIA is a collaboration between the College of Media and the College of Education to help fill high school teachers’ needs for media literacy training and curriculum development in light of new Illinois State mandates requiring a unit of “media literacy” in all public Illinois high schools.

New Voices Internship Program
Led by Daniel Almanza, Assistant Director of Media Career Services
The New Voices Internship Program provides first-generation college students with support and opportunities to grow their resume as soon as they join the College of Media. Students in the program are given opportunities for professional development through workshop-style meetings with the Assistant Director of Career Services, as well as other members of the campus community. In addition to interviews, students will participate in projects based on their interests, as they align with the content needs of the College of Media.

Brand Hub
Led by Susan Muirhead, Visiting Associate Director, Hub for Brand Innovation and Advertising Technology
The Brandt Fellow will work with the Brand Hub on further development of their community and outreach efforts primarily through the development of Fall and Spring Brand Hub Marketing Fairs, in partnership with the Champaign Public Library. This includes support with program development, event marketing materials, and with the recruitment of student volunteers at these events. They will also be instrumental in the implementation of a pipeline system for nonprofits to work with the Brand Hub and courses in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising. The Brandt Fellow will also assist, where possible, with the development of the second year of the Impact Marketing and Fundraising Fellowship program, which is set to launch in early June 2023.

Illinois Community Media Project
Led by Angela Aguayo, Associate Professor of Media & Cinema Studies
The Illinois Community Media Project is a grant-funded project to bring media production, curation, and documentation to underserved communities. We begin with building connections with local service organizations and through collaborative identification of social problems, design a media production outreach program. Our Illinois Community Media team works hands-on with students to connect classroom knowledge with the community. The Brandt Fellows will assist in planning public-facing speaker visits, organizing, and assisting with community-based projects, creating documentation content of events, and building website and social media presence for the organization.

News, Brews & Beatz
Led by Moss Bresnahan, Executive Director of Illinois Public Media
Illinois Public Media produces a quarterly series called News, Brews & Beatz—a space for diverse voices to engage in breakthrough conversations on community issues and realistic solutions. Each quarter, News, Brews & Beatz focuses on a different topic in a way that elevates Black voices and shares what individuals and nonprofit groups are doing to build community. The Brandt Fellow will assist with this multiplatform initiative, which includes content airing on TV, radio, and social media. They will also create short videos for TikTok and other social media as part of the News, Brews & Beatz initiative.

Pictured at top: Media alumna Dora Valkanova (PhD ’20, ICR), Urbana High School student Halie Thompson, and sophomore in journalism Ashley Gilbert discussed ways in which students were audiences and creators of social media content at an IMEDIA media literacy workshop this summer for public school educators. IMEDIA is one of the funding recipients in the Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellows program.