Tracy Sulkin, who has served as dean of the University of Illinois College of Media since 2018, has been reappointed for a five-year term, pending Board of Trustees approval.
The reappointment follows a review of Sulkin’s first term.
“The Dean’s Evaluation Committee was generous with its praise for her transparent and effective leadership, noting her consultative yet decisive approach to decision-making; her strategic approach to the budget, including the establishment of clear priorities and a commitment to effectively communicating the details of the campus budget model to faculty and staff; and her active promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the college,” said Rosa Milagros Santos, acting executive vice provost for academic affairs at the Urbana campus.
“It is a great privilege to serve the College of Media community for another term as dean,” said Sulkin. “I am eager to work with our talented and dedicated faculty, staff, students, and alumni to build on the exciting momentum we have created together over the past five years. As we begin our planning for our centennial celebration in 2027, it is clear that there is a bright future ahead for the College of Media.”
The evaluation committee highlighted several key accomplishments under Sulkin’s leadership, including the elevation of the College of Media’s profile on campus, success in advancement—notably the biggest gift in College of Media history with the establishment of the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media, plus the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies—and substantial upgrades to technology and infrastructure to support research, teaching, and learning.
“I am confident she will build upon this momentum and continue to advance the College of Media as a strong leader,” Santos added.
Sulkin joined the faculty at the University of Illinois in 2002, after earning her PhD in political science from the University of Washington. She formerly served as the College of Media’s interim executive associate dean and has held administrative positions in the Department of Political Science, including as associate head for undergraduate programs and director of graduate studies. She has been a fellow of the Big 10 Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program and the University of Illinois President’s Executive Leadership Program. She is the recipient of multiple awards for excellence in teaching and is the author or coauthor of numerous articles and three books on legislative behavior, communication, and representation.
When it comes to career accomplishments, Jim Schlueter (BS ’80, journalism) could name a few, but none are quite as important to him as his ability to build up others.
It’s an honorable trait Schlueter has carried with him throughout his life—as an undergraduate student at Illinois, during his 33-year career in corporate communications, and more recently, as a very generous and passionate alum.
“If I think about accomplishments, really, it’s about helping people develop and grow and watching what they do,” Schlueter said.
Thanks to Schlueter’s contributions to the college, as well as his notable career achievements, the college’s leadership team agreed no one was more deserving of the 2023 College of Media Distinguished Alumni Award.
“Jim Schlueter has made many investments in the College of Media to benefit students now and in the future,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “We are so grateful for his engagement and for his desire to help make Illinois the number one destination for those who want to be part of the dynamic field of media.”
Schlueter is passionate about ensuring students stay ahead with new innovations and changing trends. In 2019, he and his wife, Amy, gave a generous gift to launch the Media Innovation Fund, which supports a wide range of activities that celebrate faculty excellence, faculty and student research, technology advancements, and cutting-edge pedagogy.
Schlueter said he felt humbled and honored when he learned of his nomination.
“I don’t do what I do to get awards, but to be recognized is a very, very special feeling because of [how I] feel about the University and the College of Media, the students, and the folks who have come before me and after me,” he said.
Schlueter, who grew up in rural Edwardsville, Illinois, and had always loved writing and sports, came to Illinois with a plan to study journalism. He joined the staff at The Daily Illini his sophomore year, covering women’s rugby, women’s cross-country, and men’s track. He became an executive reporter in sports his senior year covering football and basketball, and worked as a local stringer for the Associated Press.
“As much as I was looking forward to [attending the University of Illinois] … it was even better than I thought,” he said. “I met all my best friends there, I got to do experiences and things I couldn’t believe I was able to do, and I really stretched and learned a lot from my fellow students.”
After graduation, Schlueter worked as a reporter at a few newspapers, mostly covering the sports beat, and eventually earned his MBA in marketing from SIU-Edwardsville. In 1985, he went to work for an employee newspaper at McDonnell Douglas, an aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor that eventually merged with Boeing in the late ’90s.
Schlueter said his career offered him a variety of opportunities that allowed him to support different fields within the aircraft industry including international communications, military products, and commercial airplanes. He spent the last six years of his career in Boeing’s corporate office in Chicago as the director of technology communications, finally retiring in 2018.
“I got to do a lot of things at an amazing company, so many different things that I can’t believe, from military programs and products to the space programs. I even worked a few shuttle launches, which is incredible,” he said.
Schlueter gives credit to his experience at Illinois, learning from some of the best professors alongside some of the brightest students, as well as his time at The Daily Illini for helping to shape his future career endeavors. He expressed gratitude for the journalism skills he gained that contributed to his success as a corporate communicator.
“When you’re a communications person at a company like Boeing, it behooves you to be able to write like a journalist writes and edit and dive into complicated questions and issues that really get to the heart of the matter,” he said.
Schlueter currently resides in Iowa with his wife, and they also have an apartment in Champaign. As lifelong season ticket holders, they come back to campus often for football and basketball games, and to visit the college for alumni commitments and events. Schlueter has served on the College of Media Alumni Leadership Council for more than a decade, sharing his professional insights and resources with faculty, staff, and students.
“It’s always been part and parcel of me, I guess, to stay connected and involved,” Schlueter said. “That feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself, and that you belong amongst it, is a big deal to me.”
In addition to kickstarting the Media Innovation Fund, a $50,000 donation from the Schlueters helped build the Media Technology Center, which offers a variety of technology and resources that students can check out or access online. The center opened in Fall 2022.
The couple also created the Schlueter Family Endowed Fund for Internships in Journalism to support students seeking real-world experience. Schlueter hopes their contributions will make a difference for Media students by enriching their education and preparing them to become future leaders in their field.
“I want Illinois to be on the forefront of the people who are coming up with the new ideas, the folks who are going to figure out how to do journalism for this century,” he said. “It’s going to be the students. They’re going to be the ones who figure it out.”
When Emma Miller (BS ’08, media studies) graduated from the University of Illinois she wasn’t sure where her degree would take her.
Now, 15 years later as a Hollywood executive taking on a new leadership role at Netflix, Miller can say she’s exactly where she wants to be.
After eight years as the senior vice president of scripted development and programming at AMC Networks, Miller recently joined Netflix as director of overall deals in the series division.
Miller’s early career accomplishments, along with her continued engagement with the College of Media including serving on the Alumni Leadership Council, have garnered her the honor of being named the 2023 College of Media Emerging Leader Award winner. She is the first media studies graduate and the third recipient of the annual award.
“The College of Media is proud of Emma Miller’s career achievements and we’re thankful for her eagerness to be a resource for students,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “Emma has shared advice on how to navigate the film and TV industry that has been helpful and inspiring to students who are interested in making a career in Hollywood.”
Miller, who was named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s “35 Rising Executives 35 and Under” in 2018, said she was overwhelmed and excited when she received the news that she had won.
“I have a such a love for Illinois so it’s a real honor to be recognized by a place that I care a lot about,” Miller said.
Throughout her career, Miller has helped develop dozens of hit television series including The Walking Dead universe while at AMC, and The Americans on FX while a junior executive at Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Television. More recently, she worked on an AMC project with George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford called Dark Winds, a crime series with a majority Native American cast and crew.
But the Chicago-raised Midwesterner admits when she first set out for Hollywood after college, her path wasn’t very clear.
Miller considered going to law school to pursue a career as an entertainment lawyer but decided to find a job first.
After a lot of persistent if not frenzied effort on her part, Miller said she lucked out and landed her first job as a literary assistant at the talent agency William Morris.
“I just talked to everyone and applied to everything, and I got really lucky through that method, that really chaotic method,” Miller said. “In terms of getting into the industry, my advice is to talk to everyone that you possibly know that could help. Be shameless [about it] and ask for help. That’s how I did it.”
After gaining a couple years of experience as a literary assistant, Miller discovered the concept of development—which she said is similar to being a book editor who supports writers and gives feedback—and realized “there was a place for me here.”
“That’s when everything became way less chaotic and way more focused,” she said.
She has participated in two Media Career Night panels for students, one in 2020 and one in 2022, where she shared her experience and advice. (Recordings of the panels are archived online.) For Miller, it’s important to help students who were once like her and just starting out on their journey to working in Hollywood.
“I want to help Illinois have more of a presence within the industry and I want to help be a resource for [graduates who] come out here,” she said.
Miller originally came to the University of Illinois with plans to study English, but she became intrigued with the idea of working in the entertainment industry after taking a Women in Film course her freshman year. She signed up for more film classes and took advantage of a summer opportunity to work as a set production assistant on a Cartoon Network series produced by her uncle, which ultimately inspired her to switch majors.
“It was the exposure to the industry, and the realization that at Illinois there was a major I could do, that kind of cut me for a potential job in the industry,” Miller said.
She’s incredibly happy where she ended up.
“My life looks like what I thought I wanted, which was just exposure to a lot of interesting things and a sense that I don’t know what the next five years will bring [professionally],” she said. “I like the idea that in theory I don’t know what I’m going to be working on in five years, I don’t know what relationships I’ll have, I don’t know what new experiences I’ll have. And that to me is what I always wanted.”
Congratulations to these College of Media students who received campus and college awards and honors, and scholarships and fellowships that were made possible thanks to our donors.
HONORS
Bronze Tablet Inscription on the Bronze Tablets in the Main Library recognizes students ranking in the top three percent of their graduating class.
Noah Balduf
Shelby Kate Hagerman
Owen Reilly Henderson
Deja Angelique Hill
Jillian Horvatin
Jennifer Hu Li
Emily Norine McNaughton
Patrick Winter
Sydney Madison Wood
Highest Honors For 2022-2023, the Highest Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors with a 3.97 to 4.0 GPA. (Ranges are based on percentages and may change slightly each year.)
Noah Balduf
Abbey Marie Burke
Tristen Clark
Shelby Kate Hagerman
Owen Reilly Henderson
Deja Angelique Hill
Jillian Horvatin
Jennifer Hu Li
Mogan McDonnell
Emily Norine McNaughton
Priyanka Nair
Brianna Pietrzak
Patrick Winter
Sydney Madison Wood
High Honors For 2022-2023, the High Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors with a 3.93 to 3.96 GPA. (Ranges are based on percentages and may change slightly each year.)
Mona Alrazzaq
Emily Anne Christopher
Matthew Fanelli
Taylor Gatz
Francesca Gonnella
Jackson Janes
Ryan Leshock
Rachel Maeng
Jane Molenda
Aniruddha Pai
Griffith Pool
Gabriella G. Trani
Matthew Troher
Oscar Villalobos
Yihan Wang
Rachael Yao
David Zelkowitz
Jia Zeng
Honors For 2022-2023, the Honors status in the College of Media is awarded to graduating seniors with a 3.86 to 3.92 GPA. (Ranges are based on percentages and may change slightly each year.)
Maggie Beese
Natalie Anne Belloff
Sumin Cho
Catalina Anahee Delgado
Giovanna DiTullio
Carley Morgan Edwards
Carson Barrett Gourdie
Maxwell Kurtock
Alyssa Leveille
Kelly Kieuvan Ly
Justin Sidney Malone
Kayla Mish
Margaret Morris
Sasha Olevsky
Amanda Katherine Powell
Miriam Sadkhin
Danielle D. Schleyer
Lauren Sebek
Jintian Song
Samantha G. Sorich
Brynne Peyton Spears
Xiaoyu Su
Minghao Sun
Myka Bailey Thies
Makayla Wilson
Tyler William Wurster
James Scholars This university-wide honors program encourages James Scholars to develop skills in leadership and service, research or honors coursework, service learning and global studies, and professional development.
Natalia Catalina Alfaro
Emily Anne Christopher
Catalina Anahee Delgado
Giovanna DiTullio
Isabelle Downey
Carley Morgan Edwards
Kiley Fletcher
Shelby Kate Hagerman
Owen Reilly Henderson
Jillian Horvatin
Ryan Leshock
Mackenzie Mae Lyerla
Justin Sidney Malone
Emily Norine McNaughton
Jane Molenda
Zoe Lewis Nielsen
Sasha Olevsky
Aniruddha Pai
Robyn Emily Pease
Griffith Pool
Danielle D. Schleyer
Sydney Madison Wood
David Zelkowitz
Kappa Tau Alpha This college honor society recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication.
Noah Balduf
Taylor Gatz
Francesca Gonnella
Ryan Leshock
Emily Norine McNaughton
Brianna Pietrzak
Sydney Madison Wood
David Zelkowitz
Senior 100 Honorary This campus honor recognizes academics, leadership, service, and engagement at the University of Illinois.
Zoe Lewis Nielsen
Nate Walinder
AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, & FELLOWSHIPS
American Advertising Federation’s 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students Each year, the American Advertising Federation selects the 50 Most Promising Multicultural Students in the nation. Since the program began in 1997, the AAF Illinois chapter has had more winners than any other university or college. Winners participate in a three-day industry immersion program (when held in-person) with the highest-level industry executives and companies in New York City. They are also recognized at the annual Building Bridges for Our Future awards luncheon with top industry professionals and organizations.
Julie Garcia
Asia Griffin
Carmen Larios
Kassandra Leyva
Blake Morrow
Marvin Sosa
Betty Hinckle Dunn Memorial Scholarship Mr. Lyman Dunn, a graduate of the University of Illinois, established this scholarship in memory of his wife at the time of her death. Mrs. Dunn was a journalism graduate and a longtime officer of Women in Communications. Mr. Dunn died in 1986. The fund supports an undergraduate scholarship and an annual public lecture by a distinguished journalist.
Farrah Anderson
Madison Holcomb
Ashley Howerter
Nour Longi
Bill Geist Broadcast Journalism Writing Prize This endowment was established in 1998 by alumnus Bill Geist, CBS correspondent and best-selling author. The award is presented to an undergraduate student majoring in broadcast journalism who demonstrates extraordinary ability and creativity in writing and reporting news for radio and television.
Sydney Wood
Brett Lerner Memorial Scholarship in Journalism This scholarship celebrates the life of Brett Lerner whose untimely death in 2015 lead to an outpouring of support from the campus community and across the country. Brett was a junior studying journalism who inspired many with his tremendous talent, professionalism, and drive to succeed. Those closest to Brett knew him as a very bright young man with an amazing future ahead of him in the sports broadcasting field. His parents, Richard and Susan Pomerantz, were instrumental in establishing the fund and providing a way for family members, friends, and Brett’s many professional and personal connections to honor his legacy. The Lerner Scholarship is awarded to a talented undergraduate student with a passion for journalism and demonstrated experience working for a high school or college newspaper or other journalism work experience.
Kayla Mish
C&U Poster Advertising Company Scholarship This scholarship is awarded to a senior majoring in advertising. It was created by Kip Pope to honor Robert P. Pope and Barbara G. Pope and in memory of Fred and Bertha Gillingham. Mr. Pope is the former president of C&U Poster.
Deja Hill
C. Arthur and Eleanor Hemminger Scholarship The late Eleanor Garm Hemminger was a 1939 graduate of the University, and established this endowment through her estate. Arthur Hemminger was a 1930 journalism graduate. Scholarships are presented to deserving undergraduate media students.
Abbey Burke
Tristen Clark
Anjana Gulapalyam
Sofia Kanda
Jennifer Li
Kelly Ly
Olivia Rice
Leopold Smat
C.O. “Doc” Erickson Scholarship in Journalism This scholarship was established in 2006 by the late University of Illinois alumnus and film producer C.O. “Doc” Erickson, who worked with many Hollywood directors, including Alfred Hitchcock on “To Catch a Thief” and “Vertigo,” and with John Houston on “The Misfits.” The scholarship is presented to undergraduate students enrolled in journalism.
Piotr Fedczuk
Calvin Hugy Scholarship This endowment was established from the Calvin E. Hugy estate. Mr. Hugy was a 1950 journalism graduate. He retired as vice president of Pacific Eurpac Service, Inc., of Greenwich, Connecticut. The scholarship is presented to deserving undergraduate media students.
Gabriella Blangiardo
Francesca Dumitrescu
Shelby Hagerman
Sizhe Huang
Annalee Mattson
Emily McNaughton
Cardiss Collins Scholarship for Diversity in Advertising Established by the American Advertising Federation in 1996 to honor Illinois’ first black congresswoman, Rep. Cardiss Collins, this scholarship is awarded to a minority student intending to pursue advertising studies.
William Morrow
Carl and Ruth S. Stephens Scholarship The Stephens family bequeathed a farm to the College of Communications in the mid-1980s. Proceeds from its operation and eventual sale in 1990 have been used to endow this scholarship for journalism students who demonstrate academic merit and/or financial need.
Sydney O’Brien
Jacqueline Barba
Stephanie Mosqueda
Charla Krupp Endowed Scholarship for Internships in Journalism As a 1975 journalism graduate, Charla Krupp was an inspiration to students, faculty, and professionals alike with her ambition, enthusiasm, and accomplishments. She had a strong desire to help students establish careers in major media markets, such as New York City. It was Ms. Krupp’s wish that the College of Media develop a valuable and practical internship program on her behalf, delivering a rich, diverse multimedia learning experience to allow students to gain hands-on skills for a successful career in journalism.
Vivian La
Charles G. Sotir Journalism Scholarship This scholarship is made possible from funds donated by alumnus Charles G. Sotir and his wife, Mary, of Evanston, Illinois. The award is given to a journalism undergraduate student with academic merit.
Jonna Harris
Christopher Allen Scholarship The Christopher L. Allen Scholarship is awarded to academically meritorious juniors and seniors enrolled in the College of Media or in the Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The scholarship was established in memory of Christopher Allen, a 1983 graduate of Illinois who had an outstanding political career, both at the state and national levels.
Max Kurtock
Luke McKenna
Atlas Vanzanten
College of Media Alumni Scholarship Established in 1943 by alumni donations, this endowment provides awards to outstanding College of Media students, based on scholarship, character and professional achievement.
Francesca Dumitrescu
Priyanka Nair
College of Media Annual Fund Scholarship These scholarships are funded through contributions to the College of Media Annual Fund from alumni and friends. They are awarded to students based on their scholarship, character and professional achievement.
Francisco Albarran
Raegan Gooding
Samuel Greenblatt
Sofia Kanda
Mattie Kennel
William Nelson
Konrad Przeczek
Bo Ravanh
College of Media Endowed Scholarship This scholarship is made available each year to outstanding undergraduate students within any college degree program and is based on financial need, academic merits, or both. Alumni and friends make gifts to the fund annually.
Ayesha Baweja
Aniruddha Pai
Daily Illini Journalism Scholarship Fund This fund was established in 2020 by Sarah Min (BS ’93, journalism) and Matthew Pincus of the Sarah Min and Matthew Pinkus Foundation, to benefit undergraduate journalism students who are committed to working at least one semester at The Daily Illini. Sarah Min is a digital media consultant in New York City.
TBD
Daniel and Nancy Balz Endowed Fund in Journalism In 2013, Dan and Nancy Balz brought their love of an Illinois education to life by establishing their first scholarship. Dan received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in journalism and went on to be an internationally recognized correspondent for The Washington Post. Nancy has degrees from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Library and Information Science. The fund from their endowment will be used for either scholarship or internship support for journalism students in the College of Media.
Emmie Larson
Isabella Zarate
David Shaul Endowed Scholarship in Journalism David Shaul (BS ’63, journalism), personified what local television news should be. He was an integral part of Champaign-Urbana, as a professional broadcaster and citizen, for more than five decades. He was an ethical journalist known for his experience, professionalism and rich knowledge of central Illinois. He set the standard for quality television journalism and was honored by several friends and family who created this scholarship in his honor in 2018. The scholarship honors an undergraduate journalism student based on academic merit.
Dalila Divanovic
Dawn M. Turner and Kim D. Turner Endowed Scholarship in Media Dawn M. Turner (BS ’87 journalism) a former columnist and reporter for the Chicago Tribune, established this scholarship in 2018 in honor of her late sister Kim. The fund supports undergraduate scholarships and experiential learning opportunities for College of Media students with a demonstrated financial need, giving preference to African American students. Dawn hopes to inspire students to seek out untold stories to counteract the negativity we often see in the media.
Evie Edwards
Deanna Frautschi and Alan Bedell Scholarship This scholarship fund was established in 2018 by Deanna Frautschi (BS ’70, Advertising) and her husband Alan Bedell, to benefit College of Media juniors and seniors, regardless of their major. Deanna retired after a 33-year career as executive vice president of communications and human resources for COUNTRY Financial and wants College of Media students to reap the benefits of an Illinois education, just as she did.
Cameron Taylor
Department of Advertising Scholarship Established in 2004 by alumni donations to the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising Annual Fund, this current use fund provides awards to outstanding College of Media students, based on scholarship, character and professional achievement.
Samantha Barajas
Emily Hong Chen
Rawan El-Bawab
Meghna Goli
Jillian Horvatin
Saborni Kundu
Julianna Nunez
Ivana Salto Lopez De Llergo
Nancy Zhang
Department of Journalism Scholarship This fund was established in 1982 by alumni donations to the Department of Journalism Scholarship Fund. It provides awards to outstanding College of Media students, based on scholarship, character and professional achievement.
Zeno Jo
Donald E. Chamberlain Journalism Scholarship This award is presented to outstanding journalism students on the basis of academic performance and promise of success in the field. The award was established in 1956 by the Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association in memory of Mr. Chamberlain. The ILCA dates back to 1946. Mr. Chamberlain worked with state and legislative leaders to establish modern pressroom facilities for the association in 1947.
Alexander Winton
Donald P. Mullally Internship at Illinois Public Media A scholar and true visionary for public radio and television, Don Mullally served as General Manager at the NPR and PBS stations licensed to the University of Illinois from the early 1970s until his retirement in 2005 – well into the Internet age. The Donald P. Mullally Endowment was established with gifts made in his honor at the time of his retirement. Mullally passed away in early 2015. Interest from the endowed fund supports a paid internship at WILL in the fall and spring semesters each year.
Aniyha Jones
Earl M. Cummings Advertising Education Research Award These are academic research awards given to Master’s in Advertising students who demonstrate great promise in research.
Alexander Ambrosio
Catherine Arreazola
Paris Baptiste
Xinle Du
Masashi Fukada
Ruo-Yu “Joyce” Huang
Dongchan Lee
Floria Yujin Lee
Jingyu Liu
Veranika Paltaratskaya
Nisa Purbita Rahman
Prativa Subedi
Geng Sun
Ed Wilks Memorial Scholarship in Journalism This scholarship was established in 1988 by the Ambassadors, a St. Louis charitable and civic organization. Mr. Wilks graduated from the University of Illinois in 1950 and went on to a fine career in journalism. He worked with The Associated Press and for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where he was executive sports editor for most of his 34 years in the business. This scholarship is for undergraduate journalism students interested in newspaper careers.
Victoria Olaleye
Florence Hood Miner Scholarship in Journalism This endowment was established in 1998 by Florence Hood Miner of Castle Rock, Colorado. Scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students in journalism, with a preference to students working for The Daily Illini or a similar student newspaper.
Tara Mobasher
Florence J. Johnson Scholarship The Florence J. Johnson Endowed Fund was created in July 2014 in memory of Florence J. Johnson, a 1945 journalism graduate who gifted the fund to the College of Media from her estate.
Sofia Cesarone
Daden Gabryszewski
Grace He
Nathaniel Murphy
Megan Wood
Forsyth Family Endowed Scholarship Created in 2014 by Illinois alumni Bill and Martha Forsyth, this renewable scholarship is awarded based on academic merit. The Forsyths know that media is a rapidly changing industry. This scholarship will help students gain the experience they need to make an impact in the industry and be innovative leaders.
Emily Christopher
George Will Endowed Scholarship The George Will Endowment Fund was created in 2014 in honor of George Will, a local University Laboratory High School graduate and a 1977 Pulitzer Prize-winning political commentator for The Washington Post. Will was named a member of Uni High’s “Class of the Century” in 2022. The scholarship is awarded to an outstanding College of Media student.
Emily Hong Chen
Gerald P. Johnson Scholarship A 1951 graduate of Illinois, Gerald Johnson was an engaged community member and great enthusiast of local sports. To honor Gerry and his lifelong interest in sports broadcasting, his family established the Gerald P. Johnson Endowment Fund in the fall of 2013. The fund provides merit-based awards for either scholarships or internships to undergraduates with an interest in broadcast journalism.
Alex Bahena
Ehkhjin Erdenekhuyag
Gerald Robert Bland Scholarship Established by Wilma R. Bland from her estate to honor her late husband, Gerald Robert Bland, this scholarship is presented to students in journalism.
Antonio Elvir-Hernandez
Glenn Hanson Scholarship in Visual Communication Presented in honor of longtime journalism faculty member Glenn Hanson, this scholarship is awarded to a journalism student studying graphic arts.
Rolando Mendez
Glenn Holman Roberts Journalism Scholarship This award was established by the late Glenn H. Roberts, a 1947 University of Illinois journalism graduate. Mr. Roberts retired after 39 years as the vice president of research for The Des Moines Register and then was the head of his own research firm. The fund provides scholarships to juniors or seniors who have proven ability in journalism courses, have extracurricular journalistic experience and demonstrate a particular interest in print journalism.
Arianna Williams
Goldie Maxine Cord and Marcus Franklin Cord Scholarship This scholarship was established in memory of Goldie Maxine Cord, a 1936 journalism graduate. The scholarship is presented to a third-year journalism student.
Anulika Ochuba
H. Maxine Gladding Greenwood Scholarship This award was established in 2001 by James Greenwood to honor his wife, Maxine, a 1938 journalism graduate. Mrs. Greenwood was a feature writer for the Moline Daily Dispatch and was the first woman on its display advertising staff. The fund provides scholarships, fellowships and teaching awards as appropriate. Students receiving scholarships are chosen for academic achievement and financial need.
Dalila Divanovic
Harold E. and Dorothy Johnson Sortor Journalism Scholarship This scholarship was established in 1988 by Harold E. and Dorothy Johnson Sortor of Savannah, Georgia, who wished to acknowledge their appreciation to the University of Illinois by providing financial recognition to outstanding journalism students. The scholarship is based on academic merit.
Colin Hislope
Harold Gustave Roettger Memorial Award This award is presented to outstanding graduating seniors in Media and is based on academic performance and membership in Kappa Tau Alpha, a national communications honorary society.
Noah Balduf
Deja Hill
Sydney Wood
Helen C. and Theodore B. Peterson Scholarship This scholarship was established in 1998 in memory of Theodore B. Peterson, former dean of the College of Communications, now the College of Media. Dean Peterson’s wife, Helen Peterson, passed away in 2007, and the scholarship now bears both of their names.
Jakob Stutz
Hugh Hough Memorial – Media This fund was established in 1986 by Hugh Hough’s wife Ellen Wasemann Hough and other donors to honor Hugh Hough, a 1951 journalism graduate. Hugh Hough was an author who received a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting with Art Petacque for uncovering new evidence that led to the reopening of efforts to solve the 1966 murder of Valerie Percy. The scholarship is awarded to a journalism student, who, based on professional interest and academic achievement, shows promise of continuing Hugh Hough’s legacy as a journalist.
Joshua Pietsch
Ian Fleming Foundation Undergraduate Research Scholarship The Ian Fleming Foundation (IFF) Undergraduate Research Scholarship has been donated by the Ian Fleming Foundation to honor the late Ian Lancaster Fleming, a journalist, critic, travel writer, and author of the James Bond novels. The IFF was formed in 1992 by Dr. Michael L. VanBlaricum, John Cord, and Douglas Redenies, and this scholarship was established by the IFF in 2014. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide incentive and support to outstanding undergraduate students to become involved in primary media and/or film research with College of Media faculty. Funds are offered each year to undergraduate students who possess an outstanding track record of academic achievement along with independent research potential.
Evelyn Cabrea
Yun Hyuk (Alex) Choi
Paul Duarte-Noe
Alexander Gallegos
Sizhe Huang
Trent Miles
Illinois Broadcaster’s Association Scholarship in Journalism This scholarship was established in 2004 for an undergraduate journalism student majoring in broadcast journalism who demonstrates talent, commitment, excellence, and professional ambition in broadcasting. The student must have a superior record of academic performance and be the top student preparing to enter their senior year.
J. Sidney Malone
Iris Chang Journalism Award This award was established in memory of Iris Chang by her family and friends. Ms. Chang was born in Princeton, New Jersey, and grew up in Champaign-Urbana, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Illinois in 1989. She established herself as an invaluable source of information about Asia, human rights and Asian American history with her international best seller, The Rape of Nanking. Seniors in journalism are eligible.
Chiffon Claiborne
Olabisi Efunnuga
Jackson Janes
James Webb Young Assistantships in Advertising James Webb Young was one of the great pioneers and most honored figures in advertising. Mr. Young, a self-educated man who authored four textbooks on advertising, enjoyed a distinguished career that lasted six decades and bridged two centuries. It began with the writing of direct response advertising and continued to include, among other achievements, the creation of several now-classic ads and the founding of the Advertising Council. The fund was established at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1959. One of its main goals is to improve advertising by attracting talented graduate students from all over the world.
Masashi Fukada
Jay Lin Scholarship Jay Lin (MS ’89, advertising), the first mainland Chinese student to receive a master’s degree from oversees, created the Jay Lin Scholarship Fund in 2018. It was his dream to someday give back to the University of Illinois’ next generation of advertising students after receiving support via the James Webb Young Scholarship when he was a student. This scholarship honors an advertising student in the college.
Caroline Field
Jenny Lenzini Memorial Scholarship in Journalism The family of Jenny Lenzini (BS ’16, journalism) established a scholarship to help make education more affordable for University of Illinois students, to fund their passions, and to honor her legacy. Jenny passed away tragically on November 15, 2020, at the age of 26. At Illinois, Jenny worked for The Daily Illini, was a member of Chi Omega sorority, and helped lead UI-7 News to a NATAS Crystal Pillar Award for the best college newscast in Mid-America. This scholarship supports an undergraduate junior or senior journalism student with undergraduate scholarships or experiential learning opportunities.
Yuzhu Liu
Joe Sutton Honorary Scholarship This award was established by the late June Sleeman, University of Illinois journalism alumna, and her late husband, Tom Sleeman, who was president of Unocal Chemicals in Los Angeles, to honor Joe Sutton, former assistant dean, associate professor in journalism and editor of Illinois Alumni News. Joe was a key person in the instructional program of the Department of Journalism and had the responsibility for the core of news writing and editing courses. The award provides a scholarship to a female print journalism student enrolled in the College of Media—who is or has been on the staff of The Daily Illini—on the basis of academic performance and promise of success in journalism.
Jacqueline Barba
Joel D. and Analee Weisman Scholarship Established in 1999 by Joel D. Weisman and Analee Rudich Weisman, this scholarship is given to an undergraduate student who is working, either part-time or full-time, at a job that involves journalism, marketing or management. Students with financial need are given preference. Joel Weisman is an attorney, talent representative and Emmy Award-winning Chicago television host and commentator. While a student he met his wife, Analee, and worked as a sportswriter columnist for The Daily Illini and The News-Gazette.
Nathalie Murillo
John H. and Sylvia N. Schacht Memorial Scholarship John Schacht was a longtime journalism faculty member who was an editor of The Daily Illini as an undergraduate. His father was previously editor-in-chief of the paper. Sylvia N. Schacht taught English at the University for 25 years. This scholarship was created by the Schacht family in honor of their parents. It is presented to an undergraduate student who is a staff member of The Daily Illini.
Zoe Nielsen
John R. Foreman Scholarship The Marajen Stevick Foundation established the John R. Foreman Scholarship fund in honor of John Foreman’s “outstanding service” to The News-Gazette, the community and the profession of journalism. A 1977 journalism alum, Foreman began his career at The News-Gazette as a reporter and was later promoted to state editor, city editor, managing editor, editor, and general manager. The scholarship underscores Foreman’s respect for education at all levels and his commitment to journalism and to the University of Illinois. The award provides internship or scholarship assistance to undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Journalism.
Talia Duffy
Logan Hodson
John T. Trebilcock Memorial Award This memorial fund was established to honor the late John Trebilcock, a journalism teacher. The award recognizes a Daily Illini reporter judged to have done the year’s best investigative reporting. The Daily Illini staff chooses the recipient and matches the College of Media award.
Sarah Bond
Judy Blasdell Bligh Endowed Journalism Scholarship Judy Blasdell Bligh was a 1969 University of Illinois Advertising graduate who worked in journalism, primarily in copy editing and proofreading. She worked for University of Illinois Press, The Library at 190 S. Lasalle in Chicago, Fearon-Pitman Publishers in California, and Apple in Seattle, Washington, during her long career. The scholarship was named in Judy Blasdell Bligh’s honor upon her passing in April 2020. It recognizes outstanding students in the Department of Journalism.
Jasper Doney
Jules and Jody Anne Becker Scholarship This scholarship was established by the late Jules Becker and Jody Anne Becker to assist journalism or advertising students. Mr. Becker, of Becker & Company Public Relations-Advertising in San Rafael, California, attributed his outstanding journalistic education and solid foundation for life to the college.
Piotr Fedczuk
Karen Lucas Petitte Endowed Scholarship in Journalism Karen Petitte holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Illinois. While at Illinois, Karen was among the first women selected as editor-in-chief of The Daily Illini. She has worked for the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Daily News, Consumers Digest, Modern Healthcare, and Modern Physician, the latter two published by Chicago-based Crain Communications, Inc. She has served as the first woman president of the Chicago Newspaper Guild and as Chicago’s consumer affairs commissioner under Mayor Jane Byrne. In 2007 she was inducted into the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame and the Illini Media Hall of Fame. The award is given to a student majoring in journalism based on academic merit and financial need.
Megan Krok
Klues Scholars In 2015, the Jack M. Klues and Elizabeth F. Klues Family Foundation established an endowment in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising to fund scholarships and experiential learning opportunities for underrepresented students with significant financial need. The gift was initiated by Jack Klues, a 1977 advertising alum, who began his career as an account executive in the media department at Leo Burnett. In 1996, he was part of the management team that created Starcom, and in 2003, following the acquisition by Publicis Groupe, he served as global CEO for Publicis Groupe Media. From 2007 until his retirement in 2012, he served as global CEO and Directoire member with oversight of media agencies, as well as Digitas and Razorfish under Publicis’ holding company’s digital and media agency, Vivaki. Mr. Klues has served in many volunteer leadership roles for the College of Media, including the James Webb Young Board, and has served on the board of directors for the Off the Street Club in Chicago for more than 25 years. His family’s gift will assist the college in its goal of building a more diverse student population, which ultimately improves diversity within the advertising industry.
Sophia Cepeda
Catalina Delgado
Maria Mancero
Joshua McWhorter
Lulu Kelly Nardine Awards Three awards are given to journalism students who have demonstrated excellence in writing. The late Gretchen Nardine Doris of Tampa, Florida, established this scholarship in memory of her mother.
Carley Edwards
Owen Henderson
Sydney Wood
Lynne Blanton Student Travel Fund Marilyn Dean DeRamus Blanton established this endowment to provide travel funds for graduate students in the Institute of Communications Research (ICR) in honor of her daughter, Lynne Blanton, who earned a Ph.D. in 1979 from the Institute under the direction of Professor Albert L. Kreiling.
Ariana Cano
Jiyeon Chang
Kirby Cook
Yiran Gao
Stephanie Gomez-Perez
Jingyi Gu
Namita Gupta
Seo-Jeong Heo
Ruochong “Alice” Ji
Woojin Kim
Seo Yoon Lee
Anirban Mukhopadhyay
Ji Won Oh
Yeahin “Jane” Pyo
Jorge Rojas Alvarez
Elizabeth Simpson
Yanyun “Mia” Wang
Shiyue “Jennifer” Zhang
Mengqing “Maggie” Zhang
Marian and Barney Brody Creative Feature Article Writing Awards in Journalism These awards were established in 1996 through the generosity of Marian Boruck Brody, a 1937 journalism graduate, who passed away in 2016. The awards are presented to journalism graduate or undergraduate students judged to have reported and written the best student feature articles during the academic year.
Sarah Bond for “Daily Bread soup kitchen”
Marilyn Miller Kaytor Scholarships Established from the estate of Marilyn Miller Kaytor, one of the first journalists to make a career of writing about food for a mass audience, this endowed fund supports scholarships for undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Journalism.
Siona Ahuja
Michael Bergonzi
Jordan Butler
Kathryn Dalton
Talia Duffy
Ariyelle Edwards
Enkhjin Erdenekhuyag
Benjamin Fader
Elizabeth Fawley
Ryan Hastings
Kayla Henry
Logan Hodson
Jackson Janes
Benjamin Kovar
Vivian La
Jacob Larson
Faith Lee
Hannah Lonergan
Nour Longi
Justin Malone
Haley Maser
Stephanie Mosqueda
Darryl Norwood
Humza Qazi
Emilio Reyes
Julissa Reyes
Emily Richie
Liliana Rodriguez
Adam Rosen
Thomas Rot
Angel Saldivar
Gwyneth Skiles
Victoria Trevino
Mariah Trujillo
Lathanial Wells
Julia Youman
Isabella Zarate
Media Underrepresented Scholarship Fund Endowed in 2020 by alumni donations, this scholarship provides awards to outstanding College of Media underrepresented students, based on scholarship, character, and financial need.
Oscar Villalobos
Murray Kalis Awards for Creativity in Advertising Murray Kalis (BS ’61, advertising) had a long and successful career in the advertising business, creating Kalis, Inc. He spent most of his career as a creative director and established this fund in 2020 to emphasize to students the importance of creativity in advertising. The awards are given to students majoring in advertising in recognition of excellence in creativity in advertising. The criteria for these awards includes smart positioning, outstanding creative concept, strong execution, and a “wow” factor.
Claire Hulen – Best Single Ad
Claire Hulen and Zoe Nielsen – Best Campaign
Maggie Beese – Best Portfolio
Nelio A. Florio and Patricia M. Florio Scholarship in Journalism Patricia Florio established this scholarship in honor of her husband, the late Nelio Florio, a 1938 journalism graduate. Nelio was a sports writer on The Daily Illini and served as sports editor of Trans-Radio News, the Southtown Economist, the Garfieldian, and the Austin News. Later he joined Western Electric and served for 31 years as editor of its newspaper and then at the Oak Park Journal as sports editor. The award is presented to an undergraduate journalism student.
Jakob Stutz
Paul C. Fulton Scholarship This scholarship fund was created by Mrs. Ester Fulton to honor her late husband, Paul, a longtime advertising executive with the Chicago Tribune. The scholarship is awarded to juniors or seniors who maintain academic excellence and demonstrate proficiency in their field.
Demi Apostolakos
Jacqueline Leveille
Paul Schrage-McDonald’s Fellowship in Advertising Paul D. Schrage received his master’s degree in advertising from the College of Communications in 1959. A marketing wizard for McDonald’s Corporation since 1967, Mr. Schrage deployed the “Golden Arches” synonymous with the fast-food giant and is credited with many of the chain’s other key innovations. In 2005, the Paul Schrage-McDonald’s Corporation Graduate Fellowship in Advertising Fund was established to support excellence in graduate education in advertising.
Alfonso Gonzalez Diaz
Prativa Subedi
Paula L. Gottschalk Scholarship The estate of Paula Gottschalk (BS ’66, advertising) provides fellowships for advertising students and scholarships for undergraduate students in journalism.
Joana Salto Lopez De Llergo
Yanglu Wang
Raymond O. Torr Memorial Scholarship in Journalism Illinois Journalism alumnus Raymond Torr was the public relations director for the National Fund for Medical Education. Upon his death, his colleagues established this memorial to honor his legacy. The award is presented to a graduating senior who shows promise of a successful professional career in journalism.
Ashleigh Kendrick
Richard Hildwein Memorial Photojournalism Award Presented in honor of longtime faculty member Richard “Dick” Hildwein, this scholarship is awarded to a journalism student with an interest in photojournalism.
Carson Gourdie
Richard Tuttle Orr Scholarship This scholarship was established in 1993 by Richard Tuttle Orr of Chicago, a University of Illinois journalism graduate. He was a Chicago Tribune staff member, and served as president of the Chicago Press Club and the Newspaper Farm Editors of America. The award provides scholarships based on academic merit and/or financial need to undergraduate students who are majoring or intend to major in journalism.
Farrah Anderson
Ehkhjin Erdenekhuyag
Katherine Ratke
Emilio Reyes
Shawn Sloan
Robert N. and Lorraine M. Wilt Scholarship Robert and Lorraine Wilt were journalism graduates and later co-publishers of the Muncy Luminary in Muncy, Pennsylvania. Initially Robert Wilt established this scholarship in memory of his wife. After Mr. Wilt’s death, an additional bequest was added to the original fund, and now the scholarship honors them both. The scholarship is presented to an outstanding female journalism student.
Hannah Lonergan
Robert O. Endres Endowed Internship at Illinois Public Media Robert O. Endres created this fund in 2017 to support internships with WILL. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the College of Media and during his time at Illinois he worked at both WPGU and WILL. Endres had a long, distinguished career as a projectionist including 25 years at Radio City Music Hall.
Arianna Williams
Roger Ebert Fellows in Media Criticism In recognition of Roger Ebert’s career in journalism, the Roger Ebert Fellows program was established in 2015 to provide learning experiences that focus on critical thinking and interpretative journalism. As a key component of the Roger Ebert Center, a select group of Illinois students experience in-depth mentoring by professional critics as they attend film festivals and write for Illinois Public Media and The Daily Illini—Roger’s beloved student newspaper.
Lee “Levi” Beckett
Andrew Stover
Tania Trejo
S. Watson and Elizabeth S. Dunn Fellowship Samuel Watson Dunn was the first PhD graduate from the University of Illinois with an advertising focus. He later returned to the University of Illinois to head the Department of Advertising from 1966-1977. Dr. Dunn was a major force in advertising education, especially in the graduate arena. This fellowship program was created by Dr. and Mrs. Dunn to honor his legacy.
Olga Shabalina
Schlueter Family Endowed Fund for Internships in Journalism James E. Schlueter is a 1980 graduate of the College of Media School of Journalism. A native of Edwardsville, Illinois, Schlueter was a sportswriter and columnist for The Daily Illini, and was a sportswriter and editor for five years before joining The Boeing Company. He is the second member of his family to earn a degree from the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Amy, are both grateful for the opportunities they have received as alumni from Big Ten universities and are proud and privileged to help future students secure future career success through internships.
J. Sidney Malone
Veronica Ponterelli Toussaint and Dr. Paul Toussaint Scholarship Fund Veronica Pontarelli Toussaint (BS ’92 and MS ’93, Advertising) and her husband, Dr. Paul Toussaint, a physician at Amita Health Medical Group, established this scholarship in 2016. Veronica was formerly Vice President of Scholarship for the Chicago North Shore Alumnae Panhellenic Association and started her career as an Account Executive at Shaker Advertising. This fund provides scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students in the Department of Advertising, with preference for residents of the State of Illinois.
Ryan Leshock
Wilkey Scholarship for Print Journalism This scholarship was established by the Wilkey family in 2007 to reward a junior or senior enrolled in print journalism who displays good mentoring abilities, among other worthy attributes.
Yunah Elsner
Wilma M. Haist Journalism Memorial Scholarship This memorial fund was a bequest by Wilma M. Haist to honor her late husband, Lt. Col Glade F. Haist, United States Air Force, Class of 1936. The scholarship is to assist journalism students in need of aid and who strive to report news as it really is.
Students from the College of Media are participating in the 16th annual University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Symposium, held Thursday, April 27, in the Illini Union. The symposium features presentations, posters, and performances from students across campus. (View the program.)
Pictured above is “Yellow Hollywood” by Alex Gallegos, a sophomore in media and cinema studies, who was a semi-finalist in the Image of Research competition. Read his description about his image, which was inspired by the film Everything Everywhere All At Once. The winners’ and semi-finalists’ images are on display as part of the symposium.
Media student poster presentations include:
“Bilingual Computational Analysis of the #nosabokid Hashtag Community on TikTok” (#89) 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM, Illini Union South Lounge
Research Mentor: Hyunseo (Violet) Yoon, Recreation, Sport & Tourism
“In A League of Their Own: A Study of Peer Attitudes Toward F-1 Visa Holders” (#62)
J. Sidney Malone, Senior, Political Science and Journalism
Research Mentor: Yujeong Yang, Political Science
“Yellow Hollywood: Disparities, Representation and Contemporary Problems of Asian/Asian Americans in the Hollywood Film Industry” 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Illini Union Room 217
Alex Gallegos, Sophomore, Media & Cinema Studies
Research Mentor: Rachel Kuo, Assistant Professor, Media & Cinema Studies
“International Expansion of Netflix: The Case for South Korea” (#18) 3:45 – 5:00 PM, Illini Room A
Yun Hyuk (Alex) Choi, Senior, Media & Cinema Studies
Research Mentor: Rachel Kuo, Assistant Professor, Media & Cinema Studies
As part of the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program to assist advanced graduate students with their research projects, Nancy Zhang, a freshman in computer science + advertising, worked with research mentor Hyunseo Yoon in the Department of Recreation, Sport & Tourism.
Jenny Oyallon-Koloski, assistant professor of media and cinema studies, was the research mentor for Gehan Jia, a junior in mathematics and computer science (LAS) for their presentation on “Howl’s Moving Castle Moving.”
Jill Wine-Banks (BS ’64, journalism), MSNBC legal analyst, author, and podcast co-host, is excited to return to the University of Illinois to serve as the alumni speaker at the College of Media Convocation ceremony on Sunday, May 14—marking her first visit back to campus in 44 years.
“Obviously the University has changed a good deal since 1979 and so I’m very much looking forward to seeing the physical campus, walking around to see what’s happened to my sorority house, to the library, Kam’s, and Greg Hall, of course,” Wine-Banks said. “But mostly I remember my friends and professors.”
She also plans to visit Krannert Center for the Performing Arts as well as the Alma Mater statue and the Quad, just a few of the many landmarks that come to mind when she recalls her time on campus.
“Those are the kind of things that I think of, but I also think of all the doors that the University opened for me,” Wine-Banks said. “If it hadn’t been for a good education at UIUC, I wouldn’t have gotten into an Ivy League law school, I wouldn’t have become a journalist now, or a lawyer before that. I’m grateful for the education I got.”
Wine-Banks says after graduation, gender discrimination was prevalent in journalism, and she was only offered jobs to write for the “women’s pages,” so she decided to attend the prestigious Columbia Law School in New York to improve her chances of being considered for more hard news opportunities.
“I ended up in law school to get a better job in journalism, and it worked 50 years later,” she said.
Wine-Banks started her notable law career as the first woman to serve as an organized crime prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Less than five years later, she was named one of the three Assistant Watergate Special Prosecutors, and the only woman, for the obstruction of justice trial against President Nixon’s top aides. She became a major player in the Watergate tapes hearing that preceded the trial, cross-examining Rose Mary Woods, President Nixon’s secretary, about the 18 ½-minute gap in a key White House recording.
She also had a couple of female role models who inspired her, including an early pioneer in television journalism, Nancy Hanschman Dickerson, whom she heard speak during her freshman year at the University of Illinois. A couple of years later Wine-Banks represented her sorority Iota Alpha Pi at a national convention in New York and visited the United Nations where she saw UN correspondent Pauline Frederick. Seeing these two women excelling in their exciting careers had a big impact on Wine-Banks.
“I’d have to say that both of those women influenced me, as did [Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and New York Times columnist] Anthony Lewis,” she said.
Her legal career also includes service as the first female General Counsel of the U.S. Army where she helped integrate women into the Regulate Army by eliminating the Women’s Army Corps, and into West Point; as the first Solicitor General of Illinois where she argued in the U.S. Supreme Court and first female Deputy Attorney General; and as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the American Bar Association, the only woman to have held that position.
In addition to her post at MSNBC, Wine-Banks is also co-host of two Politicon podcasts: #SistersInLaw with three other MSNBC contributors discussing the hottest legal issues of the week, and iGen Politics with a 21-year-old college junior bringing an intergenerational approach to political issues, interviewing leading politicians, cabinet officers, activists, and journalists.
She describes her podcast iGen Politics as a dream come true because “anybody who I can think of [to interview] I can call, and they say yes.” Some of her most memorable interviewees include former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof, along with numerous senators and Congress members.
Wine-Banks is also the author of a memoir, The Watergate Girl, that was optioned by Katie Holmes to become a movie, and is beginning work on a second book that looks at the Trump administration through her pins, a tradition with its own hashtag: #JillsPins.
“I have always loved brooches as accessories. You will see in my high school yearbook, I’m wearing a pin. If you look carefully at the Watergate pictures [taken during the trial], I’m wearing pins,” Wine-Banks said.
During her first appearance on MSNBC to discuss an op-ed piece she wrote, she donned a pin of an eagle holding a shield.
Viewers went to Twitter, which was new to her at the time, to ask about the pin and Wine-Banks realized simply wearing the pin had the power to send a message. Now she finds pins at flea markets, antique shows, Etsy, and frequently receives them as gifts from her followers.
For the Media convocation ceremony, Wine-Banks has already set aside an “Illinois” pin to wear.
Congratulations to all of 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 (ICES) questionnaire forms completed by students during the Fall 2022 semester. 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.
Producer Lawrence Bender (‘Pulp Fiction’) brings ‘Fresh’ perspective to Ebertfest, along with Michael Morris with ‘To Leslie,’ and Shoah collaboration ‘My Name Is Sara’
Festival closes with empathic film ‘Forrest Gump’ with guest Mykelti Williamson
Roger Ebert’s Film Festival is pleased to announce the full lineup of films and accompanying filmmakers who will participate in the post-screening discussions at the 23rd annual event, which runs April 19-22 at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign.
As this year marks the 10th anniversary of Roger Ebert’s death, the program reflects his guiding principle of empathy, said Chaz Ebert, who co-founded and hosts Ebertfest.
“In Roger’s memory, we will gather together in what Roger has called the temple of cinema to reaffirm our connections to each other,” said Chaz Ebert.
The program for Ebertfest 2023, “Empathy at the Movies,” includes 11 films, two shorts, 20+ guests, and two musical performances:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19
6:30 P.M. NINE DAYS (2020) This ultra-original American fantasy drama Nine Days considers the meaning of life as potential souls audition for the chance to be born. In the RogerEbert.com review, the film was praised for centering questions 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?” The film won the Sundance Film Festival’s Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award in the U.S. Dramatic competition.
Guests
Director Edson Oda 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. 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.
Producer Jason Michael Berman President of Mandalay Pictures, Jason Michael Berman has produced feature films that have premiered at Cannes Film Festival, SXSW, Sundance Film Festival, and others. His latest film, Air, about Michael Jordan’s partnership with Nike, will be released in April. He also helped to develop the Sundance Institute’s film financing program called Catalyst. An alum of University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, he is now an adjunct professor there.
THURSDAY, APRIL 20
9:30 A.M. TOKYO STORY (1953) This year’s selection from the Ebertfest audience choice movie poll is Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story. In Roger Ebert’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.”
2:00 P.M. THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1920) Continuing Ebertfest’s tradition of hosting a live music performance with a silent film, the Anvil Orchestra will accompany the German Expressionist silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene. It depicts the story of an insane hypnotist who uses a somnambulist (a sleepwalker) to commit crimes.
Guest
The Anvil Orchestra Fondly named after a misspoken introduction by Roger Ebert at the Alloy Orchestra’s first Ebertfest appearance, the Anvil Orchestra is comprised of two-thirds of the Alloy Orchestra, which has since disbanded, with original member Terry Donahue and longtime member Roger Clark Miller. The multi-instrumentalists play an unusual combination of found percussion and state-of-the-art electronics. Donahue plays junk percussion, accordion, musical saw, and banjo. Miller plays synthesizer, and percussion; he also performs with the post-punk band Mission of Burma that he co-founded in 1979.
4:00 P.M. MY NAME IS SARA (2019) Sponsored by the Alliance for Inclusion and Respect In this prize-winning docudrama, My Name Is Sara gives viewers a look into the real life of a 13-year-old Polish Jew named Sara Góralnik who flees Poland after her parents were killed by Nazis at the outset of the Holocaust. Passing as an Orthodox Christian, Sara gets hired as a nanny by a Ukrainian farmer and his wife, and must endure grueling work throughout the war all while trying to protect her true identity and discovering her employers have dark secrets of their own.
Guests
Executive Producer Mickey Shapiro Mickey Shapiro, the eldest son of Holocaust survivors Sara Góralnik Shapiro and Asa Shapiro, escaped to the U.S. by boat with his parents in 1949, at nearly two years old. Shapiro is owner and principal of M. Shapiro Real Estate Group, one of the nation’s largest property management companies. He produced My Name Is Sara in association with the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation: The Institute for Visual History and Education, founded by Steven Spielberg to videotape and preserve interviews with survivors and other witnesses of the Holocaust.
Shapiro is a longtime member of the USC Shoah Foundation Board of Councilors Executive Committee and recently established the Mickey Shapiro Endowed Chair in Holocaust Education. He was previously appointed by President George W. Bush to be a council member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and is a former director of the Michigan Holocaust Memorial Center.
Director Steven Oritt Steven Oritt, who got his start directing music videos for bands such as the Foo Fighters and OneRepublic, focuses on documentary and true-life, character-driven stories, including American Native and Accidental Climber.My Name Is Sara is Oritt’s directorial debut of a feature film.
9:00 P.M. AMERICAN FOLK (2017) American Folk follows Elliott and Joni, both folk musicians, on a road trip from Los Angeles to New York City in the days following 9/11. Both folk singers in real life, Joe Purdy and Amber Rubarth portray the two strangers who forge a bond over several days through their love of music, encounters with memorable people, and a shared mission to “bring back the folk.”
Guests
Director David Heinz For the last decade, David Heinz has been working in cutting rooms on both independent and studio pictures alike. He has edited Adult World with John Cusack, which was released theatrically by IFC in 2014. In 2011 he served as the additional editor of This Means War for Fox as well as several other recent independent features. Heinz recently contributed as the visual effects editor to The Jungle Book, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Live Free or Die Hard, to name a few. American Folk marks his feature directorial debut.
Singer/Actress Amber Rubarth Amber Rubarth is an award-winning singer-songwriter who has toured the world alongside such artists as Emmylou Harris, Richie Havens, and Ralph Stanley. A winner of the prestigious NPR’s Mountain Stage New Song Contest, Rubarth’s album Wildflowers in the Graveyard features a song heavily featured in the film. American Folk also marks Rubarth’s big screen debut.
FRIDAY, APRIL 21
10:00 A.M. TO LESLIE (2022) In To Leslie, a drama inspired by true events, Andrea Riseborough plays Leslie, a struggling single mom living in Texas who wins the lottery only to waste it all on alcohol and drugs, much to the dismay of friends and family, including her only son. Years later, Leslie attempts to get her life back on track but the path to redemption may be more difficult than she can handle. For her portrayal of Leslie, Riseborough was nominated for Best Actress at this year’s Academy Awards.
Guest
Director Michael Morris With recent credits as executive producer of the final season of Better Call Saul, Michael Morris’s directorial feature film debut To Leslie was selected by the National Board of Review as one of the top 10 independent films of 2022. His roots in theatre began as director of the Old Vic in London. In the new Apple TV+ series Extrapolations, he directs the finale episode.
2:30 P.M. MARIAN ANDERSON: THE WHOLE WORLD IN HER HANDS (2022) Directed by Peabody and Emmy Award-winner Rita Coburn, Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands 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.
Guests
Director Rita Coburn Rita Coburn is the co-director/co-producer of Peabody Award-winning Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, the first feature documentary on Maya Angelou, which screened at Ebertfest 2019. Coburn’s work has also earned three Emmys for the documentaries Curators of Culture, Remembering 47th Street, and African Roots American Soil. Coburn is the owner of RCW Media Productions, Inc., a multi-media production company.
Producer Brenda Robinson Brenda Robinson, producer and entertainment attorney, is involved with numerous film, television, and music projects, most recently as 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.
Viveca Richards Following the screening will be a live performance by Viveca Richards, an opera soprano student from the University of Illinois Lyric Theatre.
7:30 P.M. DEREK DELGAUDIO’S IN & OF ITSELF (2020) This biography explores identity and illusion while the storyteller and magician Derek DelGaudio attempts to answer, “Who am I?” In & Of Itself originated as a play written and performed by DelGaudio and directed by Frank Oz, which ran Off-Broadway for 72 weeks.
Guests
Director Frank Oz Emmy Award-winning Frank Oz is known for creating and performing many beloved characters on The Muppet Show (Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal) and Sesame Street (Cookie Monster, Bert, Grover), as well as bringing to life Yoda in the Star Wars series. He has directed numerous films over the past four decades, including The Muppets Take Manhattan, Little Shop of Horrors, What About Bob?, and The Stepford Wives.
Derek DelGaudio An acclaimed and accomplished writer, performer, and magician, Derek DelGaudio wrote and co-starred in the avant-garde magic theater show Nothing to Hide, directed by Neil Patrick Harris, a few years before In & Of Itself began its Off-Broadway run. DelGaudio became the Artist in Residence for Walt Disney Imagineering in 2014 and was named Magician of the Year in 2016 from the Academy of Magical Arts. His memoir, Amoralman: A True Story and Other Lies, was published in 2021.
Producer Vanessa Lauren Vanessa Lauren is a producer of a diverse range of arts and entertainment projects. She produced both the Off-Broadway show and the film In & Of Itself. Her previous projects include Low in the Water, MST3K, Super Troopers 2, and Zappa.
Producer Jake Friedman Jake Friedman has produced In & Of Itself and was executive producer of the TV special Neal Brennan: Blocks.
Janet Pierson Janet Pierson, director emeritus of SXSW Film Festival, has spent the last 45 years of her career supporting independent films and filmmakers in various capacities. Pierson was named to The Guardian’s Film Power 100 list in 2010 and the Indiewire Influencers in 2013. A regular panelist at film festivals, Pierson is a member of the advisory board for the Austin Film Society, founded by filmmaker Richard Linklater, and the University of Texas Press Advisory Board.
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
9:00 A.M. [SHORT FILM PROGRAM] CLUB ALLI (2020) In just under nine minutes, brothers Julien and Justen Turner, who have made nearly a dozen short films, direct a sci-fi drama about America and the ever-present socio-economic divide in Club Alli, which won the CU International Film Festival. The duo, who have been featured on CNN and in the New York Times, say they wrote the short “to play around with the mirage of a free society. Our goal is to change the way that people think.”
Guests
Writers/Directors Justen and Julien Turner Filmmaker brothers Justen and Julien Turner, who run Dreadhead Films, are the youngest filmmakers to have been commissioned to produce a short film for Sesame Street for its 2018-19 season, at ages 15 and 19. They have produced numerous short films that have been honored at national film festivals.
Max Libman 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.
TEAM DREAM (2022) Audience members will be reminded it’s never too late to make a dream come true in the short documentary film Team Dream. Luchina Fisher directs this 17-minute film, which features two female friends, Ann and Madeline, preparing to swim in the National Senior Games held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The two women also discuss what it was like growing up in Chicago during times of segregation and their experience after joining Team Dream, an organization that trains women of color in swimming, biking, and triathlons.
Guests
Director Luchina Fisher Luchina Fisher, director, writer, and producer of the short documentary Team Dream, is an award-winning filmmaker and journalist who works at the intersection of race, gender, and identity. Team Dream, executive produced by Queen Latifah, won the Audience Choice Award at the 2022 Chicago International Film Festival and aired on BET on March 24.
Madeline Murphy Rabb Madeline Murphy Rabb is president of Murphy Rabb, Inc., a fine arts advisory firm she founded in Chicago in 1992. She is nationally renowned for her expertise in identifying and showcasing artwork created by African American artists, both emerging and established. Rabb has provided guidance to major art collectors, corporations, and institutions across the nation.
10:30 A.M. FRESH (1994) Samuel L. Jackson stars in the Sundance Film Festival Winner Fresh, an urban crime thriller Roger Ebert described as “a story of depth and power, in which the dangerous streets are seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old who reacts with the objectivity he has learned from chess, and the anger taught to him by his life.” Fresh (Sean Nelson), a young drug runner living in New York, is fed up with the violence and death he encounters in his daily life. Using chess lessons he learned from his alcoholic father, played by Jackson, Fresh devises a plan to free himself and his drug-addicted sister from the corrupt system.
Guest
Producer Lawrence Bender Lawrence Bender has produced well-known films over the past 30 years, many award-nominated, from Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, the Kill Bill series, and Inglourious Basterds, to the Academy Award-winning documentary on climate change An Inconvenient Truth and Good Will Hunting.
3:00 P.M. WINGS OF DESIRE (1987) The German cinematic masterpiece Wings of Desire 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?’”
Guest
Michael Barker Michael Barker, co-president and co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics with Tom Bernard, has distributed, and often produced, some of the finest independent movies over the past 40 years. Barker’s films have received nearly 200 Academy Award nominations and more than 40 wins, including several for Best Picture, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Foreign Language Film. He and his colleagues have also restored and theatrically reissued some of the great films of the past. In 2022, Barker and Bernard received the Game Changer Award from the Zurich Film Festival, in recognition of their services to film culture.
8:30 P.M. FORREST GUMP (1994) Roger Ebert described Forrest Gump, the six-time Oscar winning comedy drama starring Tom Hanks, as a “magical movie.” Ebert wrote, “I’ve never met anyone like Forrest Gump in a movie before, and for that matter I’ve never seen a movie quite like Forrest Gump.” The film follows the life of the slow-witted but good-natured Gump, from a young boy in the 1950s with braces on his legs to a father in the 1980s. Although born with a low IQ, Gump’s mental impairments don’t prevent him from being a part of extraordinary moments in history or falling in love and eventually marrying his childhood sweetheart.
Guest
Actor Mykelti Williamson In addition to playing the memorable shrimp-loving character “Bubba” in the Academy Award-winning Forrest Gump, actor Mykelti Williamson has also starred in the Academy Award-nominated film Fences and Con Air, as well as the TV series Law & Order: Organized Crime and Chicago P.D., among other movies and TV shows. He has also recently directed episodes of Sweet Magnolias, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D.
Other guests throughout Ebertfest include film critics:
Nick Allen
Matt Fagerholm
Al Lerner
Linda Lerner
Nell Minow
Michael Phillips
Brian Tallerico
Matt Zoller-Seitz
Please note that filmmaker guest appearances are subject to change, which may include adding a surprise guest to the program.
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.
Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic, University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native. Ebertfest is sponsored by the University of Illinois College of Media and Chaz Ebert.
Anyone interested in supporting the event as a festival sponsor may contact Molly Cornyn, the festival’s project coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.
Mike VanBlaricum with some of the Ian Fleming Foundation’s vehicles on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA. (Photo by Christina Gandolfo for the UI Alumni Association.)
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 passion for both, benefitting several different entities at the University, including the College of Media and its students.
VanBlaricum, who graduated with three degrees in electrical engineering (BS ’72, MS ’74, and PhD ’76), is the president of the Ian Fleming Foundation. He was the driving force behind the creation of the Ian Fleming Foundation Undergraduate Research Scholarship for media students nearly a decade ago. He says there were several reasons for creating this scholarship.
It was a way for the Ian Fleming Foundation, formed in 1992 by VanBlaricum and two friends, to fulfill one of its main purposes—education. It also enabled them to honor the late Ian Fleming and highlight his journalistic endeavors.
“We wanted to make students aware that Ian Fleming was a journalist, a book reviewer, and a travel writer, as well as being a novelist and short story writer,” VanBlaricum said. “That’s why his books are so well written—he is trained as a journalist.”
The scholarship is also a nod to the late film critic and journalism alum Roger Ebert (BS ’64), since it was designed to provide incentive and support to outstanding undergraduate students participating in research around film. Plus, the fact that Ian Fleming and Roger Ebert started their careers as journalists seemed like a “wonderful match.”
The origin of the scholarship may be multi-faceted, but the goal is more singular—to get undergraduate students involved with research at an early phase of their educational careers.
Undergraduate students in every College of Media major—advertising, computer science + advertising, journalism, or media and cinema studies—from freshmen to seniors, are eligible to apply if they are participating in research (either their own or with faculty) or an independent study project with a Media faculty member. The research can cover any area of film history or criticism, advertising in film, contemporary film production including the areas of film merchandising/memorabilia, travel writing, or history, and evolution of print journalism.
“I think for undergraduates in the College of Media, who are going to be writing and producing as they get older, doing research as freshmen and sophomores is pretty cool. I wish I had done stuff like that when I was that age,” VanBlaricum said.
VanBlaricum is somewhat of an expert when it comes to research. His career in research and program management spans more than 35 years, and much of that time was spent at Toyon Research Corporation based in California, which specializes in technology development and defense systems analysis. He retired from Toyon Research Corporation in 2010 but still serves as president emeritus of the company.
His “Bondiana” collection, a term VanBlaricum coined himself, began in his 30s and required a talent and dedication only a true researcher could possess. Over the years, the self-professed “collector at heart” has amassed over 10,000 items, ranging from Fleming’s literary works and related books to merchandise such as toys, games, records, posters, and other ephemera. The Ian Fleming Foundation owns over 40 vehicles featured in James Bond movies, including a helicopter and submarine, which they loan to museums and charity events.
Lately, he spends much of his time organizing and preserving his collection. He is currently in the process of donating a portion of his Ian Fleming/James Bond collection to the University of Illinois Rare Book and Manuscript Library. To date, he has already donated over 800 items.
VanBlaricum and his wife, Pam, who also earned three engineering degrees at Illinois, currently reside in California but come back to visit Illinois often. They own a home in Urbana that they purchased when their two daughters were attending the University of Illinois.
Mike VanBlaricum holds a British first edition of Ian Fleming’s first book, Casino Royale, published 70 years ago in April 1953, at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. (Photo by L. Brian Stauffer.)
In the fall, they enjoy going to Illini football games as well as various Lyric Theatre and other School of Music presentations. In the spring, they look forward to coming back for Ebertfest. Along with the camaraderie and the possibility of running into old friends, VanBlaricum likes to “see movies on the big screen with an astute audience and to hear people explain and critique the films.”
VanBlaricum, a faithful volunteer at the University of Illinois since he was a student and co-chaired Engineering Open House in 1972 with his wife, continues to be an involved alum.
He has served as president for the Electrical & Computer Engineering Alumni Board, for the Spurlock Museum Board of Advisors, and for the Illinois Music Advisory Council. In addition, he was the creator and a lead developer for the Illinois Distributed Museum, which highlights innovations at the University of Illinois. He’s also a generous donor, giving to many units, including his major home Grainger Engineering, the Spurlock Museum, the School of Music, and the University Library.
VanBlaricum’s enthusiasm for the University of Illinois and his Bond/Fleming collection doesn’t seem to be waning anytime soon; however, he unfortunately had to choose between Ebertfest and Bond this year.
He and his wife will be in London during Ebertfest weekend, attending the 70th anniversary of the publication of Fleming’s first book, Casino Royale. The Fleming estate is having an event to commemorate the anniversary and is launching a new re-booted series of Bond novels.
“As my wife, Pam, says, nothing new can come out without me having to buy the whole set,” said VanBlaricum, who is excited to add another item to his collection.
(Photo by Isabella Pennebaker, photography intern.)
Molly Cornyn recalls the time she and the cast of her musical just happened to run into Roger Ebert one night at a local Steak ‘n Shake after one of their high school performances. Ebert, the late Pulitzer-Prize winning film critic and Media alum (BS ’64, journalism), was a huge fan of Steak ‘n Shake, so it’s not that implausible to have spotted him there one random evening enjoying a meal.
However, Cornyn and her fellow cast members didn’t waste the opportunity to strike up a conversation with Ebert and sing their best musical number for him. Cornyn is proud to say they received Ebert’s iconic two thumbs-up rating for their impromptu performance and she left the diner with a smile on her face and a story for the ages.
Years later, Cornyn is now helping to plan Roger Ebert’s Film Festival as the new project coordinator for the College of Media. While the Ebert encounter never came up during the application process, the Champaign native had numerous qualifications to make her a stand-out candidate for the position.
“Molly’s experience managing the logistics for multiple complex projects in the entertainment industry makes her a perfect fit, and she has jumped right in,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “Moreover, we’re happy to welcome home a Media alum who understands and is invested in the mission of Ebertfest.”
Cornyn (BS ’06, media studies) will help plan, promote, and manage Ebertfest, which runs April 19-22 at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign.
“I think [Ebertfest] is a shining gem of what we have in this community,” she said. “I know that people at both the University of Illinois and outside of it are excited about the festival and think it’s really something special. Being able to be involved in that and bring that to the community is rewarding.”
After earning an MFA in producing for film and television from Chapman University in California, Cornyn spent five years at Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas, which owns and operates nine resort properties in the area, starting out as an entertainment public relations coordinator and then a film and special events manager.
Cornyn said she shot between 90 to 130 productions every year, which included “tons of cooking shows,” some with Gordon Ramsay whom she says is very nice to work with, despite his volatile persona on television. She also worked with producers of the Jason Bourne movie series for a scene that involved a car crashing into one of Caesars’ properties.
“Every project was different, the people you worked with were different, and that just made it exciting, something different every day,” she said.
When Cornyn decided to come back home to be closer to her family, she was hired at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, coordinating all aspects of a visiting artist’s performance. She enjoyed her time at Krannert Center, but also still held onto the dream of making her own films one day.
After two years there, she decided to take the leap and delve into freelance filmmaking but ultimately discovered filmmaking “wasn’t for me.” However, she never lost her passion for film, and when she saw that the job description for Ebertfest project coordinator sought certain logistical and project management skills that she excelled at, and involved a familiarity with film, she knew the job would be a great fit.
“The aspect of [the position] still being involved in film, which I love and didn’t necessarily want to get out of film entirely, [was appealing],” Cornyn said. “I was just trying to find my place, my niche [with film].”
Cornyn, who volunteered at Ebertfest as a student, believes her education and work experience in production will be a great asset in her new role.
“Producing is project management. It’s certainly having an eye for the creative and making space for the creatives to do what they do, and it’s also managing budgets, timelines, paperwork, and all the various people,” she said.
Her goal will be to balance the needs of all parties involved, from sponsors to vendors to attendees. Above all, she wants to maintain the integrity of the festival and the vision co-founder and host Chaz Ebert, wife of Roger Ebert, has for it.
Cornyn said continuing Ebert’s legacy through Ebertfest is very important for the film industry and the community at large.
“I think a big part of what Roger Ebert wanted from this festival was to educate people and give them the opportunity to see movies that are really phenomenal, that they might have never heard of, and having people who are involved or educated [about film] who can talk about them is so fantastic,” Cornyn said. “It’s important to remember people like him. He’s from this community, he cared about it, and gave a lot to it.”
Congratulations to all of the College of Media faculty and teaching assistants who were ranked as excellent by their students!
