2015 fall Cronkite convocation program

STATE UNIVERSITY

School of

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

The Cronkite School is widely recognized as one of the nation’s premier professional journalism programs. Rooted in the timehonored values — accuracy, responsibility, objectivity, integrity — that characterize its namesake, the school fosters journalistic excellence and ethics among students as they master the professional skills they need to succeed in the digital journalism world of today and tomorrow.

The Cronkite School’s 1,700 students consistently lead the country in national competitions. Over the past decade, Cronkite has been No. 1 in the nation in the Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence competition and the Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts awards and has finished in the top 10 in the Hearst Journalism Awards each year. Cronkite students annually win more than 100 journalism and public relations awards.

Students are guided by a faculty that is made up of both award-winning professional journalists and world-class media scholars. Cronkite professors include Pulitzer Prizewinning journalists, digital media thought leaders, top TV producers and correspondents, major metropolitan newspaper editors and strategic communications experts. They are

master teachers, writers and scholars who often speak around the globe on the most important topics facing journalism today.

The Cronkite School continues to lead the field of journalism education with its innovative use of the “teaching hospital” method, providing both unparalleled learning opportunities for students and important news content to the community, state, region and nation. Arizona PBS, one of the nation’s largest public television stations, is now part of Cronkite, making it the largest media outlet operated by a journalism school in the world. Arizona PBS serves as a hub for the Cronkite School’s full-immersion professional programs and a testing ground for new approaches in journalism.

Cronkite students participate in a dozen professional immersion programs, guided by award-winning journalists and communications experts, applying what they have learned in the classroom in real-world learning environments. Students cover the most important issues of the day from public affairs news bureaus in Phoenix and Washington. For Arizona PBS, they produce a nightly newscast that reaches 1.9 million households as well as a robust multimedia news website featuring in-depth local stories.

Students also report on sports from bureaus in Los Angles and Phoenix.

Students in the Public Relations Lab develop campaigns for client companies, while Carnegie-Knight News21 multimedia journalists conduct national data-driven investigations into issues critical to Americans. In the Public Insight Network Bureau, students work with professional news organizations to deepen their connections to audiences, and in the New Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab, they use digital technologies to forge the future of journalism.

More than 70 students in many of these professional immersion programs collaborated to create a statewide TV special on the deadly problem of heroin use that was watched live by more than 1 million viewers in January. “Hooked: Tracking Heroin’s Hold on Arizona,” produced in partnership with the Arizona Broadcasters Association, recently received the region’s highest TV honor, the Governors’ Award from the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Elsewhere at the school, the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism provides education and training to professional journalists and Cronkite Global Initiatives brings international journalists to the school for study and training.

All of these initiatives take place in a state-ofthe-art building that is unparalleled in journalism education. ASU’s investment in the school has generated national and international attention from educators and media professionals who place the school in the top tier of all U.S. journalism schools. The Times of London, The New York Times and USA Today have pointed to the Cronkite School as a leading example of changes taking place at journalism schools across the country. The prestigious publications called the Cronkite School a pioneer, kindling a notion of new media that will shape how news is delivered and how people will stay informed in the future.

About Our Graduates

The Cronkite School has nearly 10,000 alumni throughout the Valley, across the country and around the world. Many are leaders in digital media, magazines, newspapers, public relations, radio and television.

In 1993, the school inducted its first class into the Cronkite Alumni Hall of Fame. The charter inductees were Al Michaels (’66), the iconic American sports broadcaster, and ABC News foreign correspondent Bill Redeker (’71). Other notable inductees include CNN International anchor Becky Anderson (’94); Arizona Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall (’91); Pulitzer Prizewinning Los Angeles Times reporter Julie Cart (’80); CNN Worldwide Senior Latin American Affairs Editor Rafael Romo (’95); FOX 11 News anchor Christine Devine (’87); public relations executive Ray Artigue (’76); and Arizona Republic Editor Nicole Carroll (’91).

Stay connected to fellow #CronkiteNation alumni on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter or call 602.496.5555.

Keynote Speaker

Mi-Ai Parrish joined Republic Media as president and publisher of The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com in October 2015. She came to the Republic from The Kansas City Star Media Co., where she was president and publisher of The Kansas City Star and kansascity.com. She also was president and publisher of The Idaho Statesman for five years before serving at the Star. Her papers have been Pulitzer Prize finalists three times.

Parrish spent the majority of her career in newsroom roles, ranging from reporting and copy editing to travel editor and projects editor. She worked at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The Arizona Republic, Chicago Sun-Times and The Virginian-Pilot.

Parrish was the Star’s first female publisher and served on the boards of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Area Development Council and The Civic Council. She also was a co-chair for KC Rising, a regional development initiative as well as a United Way business council member.

Student Speaker

Yahaira Jacquez is graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, a minor in Italian and a specialization in business journalism.

For three semesters, Jacquez was a reporter for Cronkite News, the school’s award-winning nightly newscast. At Cronkite News, she served as an investigative reporter as well as a general assignment reporter, covering a variety of issues, including immigration, education and health.

Jacquez also worked as a business reporter for Cronkite’s Reynolds Business Bureau, the country’s only university-based newsroom that produces daily business coverage for regional and national media outlets.

She also contributed to Cronkite News en Español, the school’s Spanish language newscast.

This past summer, Jacquez worked at Reuters in New York as an editorial intern, covering

She has been a featured speaker at Sprint’s Global Diversity Initiative, the Central Exchange, American Society of News Editors, Asian American Journalists Association, Centurion’s Women’s Forum and Ink’s Middle of the Map Tech Forum on Women Innovators.

Parrish is a two-time Pulitzer Prize juror and a longtime member of the Asian American Journalists Association and was named one of the 100 most important minority journalists of the last century. She was inducted into the University of Maryland Alumni Hall of Fame in 2013. She is married to Pulitzer Prize winner Dave Parrish.

business and international stories for the global news agency. Over the past two years, she has traveled to 13 countries, and this past spring she lived and worked in Rome as a photography intern for the Catholic News Agency. There, she had the opportunity to photograph the Pope in St. Peter’s Square during special events.

Jacquez’s accomplishments also include serving as the ASU chapter president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and working as a Meredith-Cronkite fellow for CBS 5 in Phoenix. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career as a business journalist.

Convocation Program

Processional

Welcome Dean Christopher Callahan

Special Video

“Walter Cronkite: Legend and Legacy”

Keynote Speaker Mi-Ai Parrish

President and publisher, The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com

Presentation of Degrees

Ph.D. Degree Candidate Doctoral Director Craig M. Allen, assisted by Associate Professor Leslie-Jean Thornton

Master’s Degree Candidates

Dean Christopher Callahan, assisted by Senior Associate Dean Marianne Barrett, Associate Dean Kristin Gilger and Assistant Dean Mark Lodato

Dual Master’s and Bachelor’s Candidates

Deans Callahan, Barrett, Gilger and Lodato

Bachelor’s Degree Candidates Deans Callahan, Barrett, Gilger and Lodato

Special Awards

Outstanding Graduate Student Steven Dent

Outstanding Undergraduate Students

Aimee Cash Peyton Gallovich Rachel Gosselin Samantha Shotzbarger Siera Whitten

Highest Grade Point Average Maribel Castillo Whitney Woodworth

Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society Jason Axelrod Gregory Breeden Maribel Castillo Steven Dent Peyton Gallovich Paulina Iracka Richard Johnson Mario Kalo Miranda Perez Jeffrey Vinton Siera Whitten Whitney Woodworth

Student Speaker Yahaira Jacquez

Recessional

Platform Guests

Mi-Ai Parrish

President and publisher, The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com Keynote speaker

Yahaira Jacquez Student speaker

Araceli De Leon Regional vice president, Telemundo Arizona Cronkite Endowment Board

Laura Jordan (’80) Owner, The Jordan Group Alumni representative

Cronkite School Graduates

Doctor of Philosophy in Journalism and Mass Communication

Richard Johnson

It “breaks down this wall”: Dualities in Journalists’ Engagement with Twitter Followers

Master of Journalism and Mass Communication

Jason Axelrod

Tom Blanton

Christopher Caraveo Steven Dent Erin Johnson

Kristin Kirby Charles McConnell Nicholas Smith Curtis Spicer Margaret Staniforth

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication and Master of Mass Communication

William Argeros * B Aimee Cash ** B

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication

Kathryn Beck **

Adam Bradley ***

Gregory Breeden ** Jennifer Briney Justin Cabrera Hayley Campbell

Teresa Carr *

Aileen Carrasco Sienna Carrillo

Maribel Castillo *** Jamie Cochran

Natalie Crandall * Allyson Cummings * Cody Cunningham

Victoria Esparza Meryl Fishler

Graeme Flynn Tyler Freader

Greg Freitas

Peyton Gallovich *** Lauren Gephart

Allyson Gerrard Mallory Gleich * Brittani Gomez

Rachel Gosselin **

Lindsey Hahn **

Catherine Hahne * Stephan Harvey Morgan Hawkins

Alyssa Hillman

Jason Hommes Chelsea Hough Jenny Housh Ryan Howes Paulina Iracka ** Yahaira Jacquez * Megann Jakubek ** B Karolina Jaron * Kevin Jimenez Brandon Johansen Breanna Johnson * Karlie Johnson Hannah Johnston Mario Kalo ** Jasmine Kemper * Alexis Krasinski Nihal Krishan Kimberly Linn Alisha Liyanage ** Jordan Marzola

Aubrey McCleve Jesse Millard Andrew Mitchell Juliet Tjin Tjin Moo Jessica Moore Kathlyn Nguyen Devon Noehring Alexandra Panagos

Antonio Venegas Fan Wang Rebecca Winn

Miranda Perez ** Virginia Poulson Charles Rahrig Jenna Ramey ** Brittany Rex Sydni Russell Daniel Austin Santa Cruz Vanessa Santiesteban Emily Schilling

Christopher Schubert ** Sonny Scott Kourtney Seaton ** Branko Seretti Osej Serratos

Jamie Sheldon * Samantha Shotzbarger * Shelby Slaughter Johana Soto

Tyler Suddarth * Adriana Torres ** Jeffrey Vinton *** Chase Watts

Evan Webeck Cassandra Weller Siera Whitten *** Nicholas Wicksman * Alexander Wilson * Rebecca Winter Whitney Woodworth ***

Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Media Studies

Julius Adewumi

Alexander Angel

Alejandro Arroyo

Nathan Baguio

Jessica Banks

Jordyn Berwager

Ashlee Best *

Blair Billings

Amanda Bunney **

Caroline Burger

Kaily Burns

Kendra Carlo

Muriah Carlson

Natalie Clem

Andrew Cummings ***

James Davidson

Ariana Fiorentino

Stephanie Foresythe

Chanse Frenette

Shanita Harper **

Kirsten Ibarra ***

Neil Large **

Gena Louque

Kaitlin McIntosh

Julianna Medina * Brittany Mullen

Mariah Owens

Thomas Pierce ***

Jenna Polzin

Baylee Reblin

Michelle Rhude *

Lanette Rivera

Alyssa Romeo *** Michelle Sadlon *

Jay Smith

Kelli Sullivan **

Sylvia Tough ***

Susan Williamson

Tiffany Wong

Jamie Wright ***

Honors designations

Academic recognition is granted to undergraduate candidates only:

* Cum Laude – GPA of 3.40 to 3.59

** Magna Cum Laude – GPA of 3.60 to 3.79

*** Summa Cum Laude – GPA of 3.80 and above

B Graduate of Barrett, The Honors College

Special Awards Presented Tonight

Outstanding Graduate Student

This award is given to a graduate student who is nominated by Cronkite faculty for academic excellence and professional experiences.

Outstanding Undergraduate Students

This award goes to undergraduate students nominated by Cronkite faculty for excellence in academics, internships, professional experiences and extracurricular activities.

Highest Grade Point Average

This award is given to the undergraduate student with the highest cumulative grade point average in the graduating class.

Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society

This national college honor society recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism. Only the top 10 percent of the graduating class is inducted at convocation each semester.

Student Speaker

This privilege is bestowed upon a student who represents the very best of the Cronkite School — a well-rounded individual who exhibits academic excellence and has participated in many activities outside of regular course work.

Cronkite School Faculty

Faculty

Craig M. Allen Ph.D., Ohio University

Melanie Asp Alvarez M.L.S., Arizona State University

Douglas A. Anderson Ph.D., Southern Illinois University

Marianne Barrett Ph.D., Michigan State University

Rebecca Blatt M.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Sharon Bramlett-Solomon Ph.D., Indiana University

Peter Byck B.F.A., California Institute of the Arts

Christopher Callahan M.P.A., Harvard University

Michael Casavantes Ph.D., Arizona State University

Monica Chadha Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Alfredo Corchado B.A., University of Texas at El Paso

John E. Craft Ph.D., Ohio University

Steve Crane M.B.A., University of Maryland

Kevin Dale B.S., Kansas State University

Steve Doig B.A., Dartmouth College

Leonard Downie Jr. M.A., The Ohio State University

Heather Lovett Dunn B.A., University of Mississippi

Tom Feuer B.A., University of California, Los Angeles

Mary-Lou Galician Ed.D., University of Memphis

Kristin Gilger M.A., University of Nebraska

Dan Gillmor B.A., University of Vermont

Dawn Gilpin Ph.D., Temple University

Retha Hill M.A., Arizona State University

Jim Jacoby B.A., Arizona State University

Angela Kocherga B.J., University of Texas at Austin

Brett Kurland M.B.A., Northwestern University

Andrew Leckey M.A., University of Missouri

Christina Leonard B.A., University of Oklahoma

Mark Lodato M.Ed., Arizona State University

Andrés Martinez J.D., Columbia University

Fran R. Matera Ph.D., University of Miami

Tim McGuire J.D., William Mitchell College of Law

Eric Newton M.A., University of Birmingham

Jacquee Petchel B.A., Arizona State University

Sada J. Reed Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Mike Reilley M.S.J., Northwestern University

Virgil Renzulli B.A., University of Pennsylvania

Rick Rodriguez B.A., Stanford University

Dennis E. Russell Ph.D., University of Utah

Joseph Russomanno Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder

B. William Silcock Ph.D., University of Missouri

Leslie-Jean Thornton Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Xu Wu Ph.D., University of Florida

Affiliated Faculty

Lindsey Collom B.A., Arizona State University

Jeff Cunningham B.A., Binghamton University

Alan Lobock B.S., Arizona State University

Jason Manning M.A., George Mason University

Terry Greene Sterling M.F.A., Goucher College

Faculty Emeriti

Troy F. Crowder M.A., University of Iowa

Robert Ellis M.A., Case Western Reserve University

Donald G. Godfrey Ph.D., University of Washington

Roy K. Halverson Ph.D., University of Illinois

Frederic “Fritz” Leigh Ed.D., Arizona State University

Bruce Merrill Ph.D., University of Michigan

Joe W. Milner Ed.D., University of Wyoming

George Watson Ph.D., Duke University

Faculty Associates

Jill Adair

Freelance journalist

Allysa Adams Freelance journalist

Jay Alabaster

Cronkite School Ph.D. program

Matt Barcellos City of Phoenix

Tom Blodgett The Arizona Republic

Greg Boeck

Formerly with USA Today

Sonia Bovio Cronkite School Ph.D. program

Joe Camporeale

Photographer

Jerry Cobb Maricopa County Attorney’s Office

Dave Cornelius C4 Accel

Roy Dabner European Pressphoto Agency Deanna Dent ASU Media Relations

Elvia Diaz La Voz

John Dille Federated Media

Nancie Dodge Media consultant

Becca Dyer

The Arizona Republic

Gregg Elder Barrett-Jackson

Chuck Emmert Know99 Television

Tom Fergus FOX 10, KSAZ-TV

Eric Fischer GoDaddy

Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig shades Magazine

Faculty Associates

Joseph Garcia

ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy

Christia L. Gibbons Freelance journalist

David Gordon The Arizona Republic

Stephen Harding The Arizona Republic

Denise Hawken-Collins Sports media professional

JJ Hensley azcentral.com

Ceasar Hernandez CBS 5, KPHO-TV

Sean Holstege The Arizona Republic

Amber Hutchins Kennesaw State University

Betty M. van Iersel Lecturer in communications

Nicole Koester TV news professional

Kelly Vaughn Kramer Arizona Highways Magazine

John Leach Digital Strategies LLC

Maddie Liseblad Cronkite School Ph.D. program

Morgan Loew CBS 5, KPHO-TV

Ilana Lowery Phoenix Business Journal

Peter Madrid Cushman & Wakefield Arizona

Robert McJannet CBS 5, KPHO-TV

Aliya Mood The Arizona Republic

Holliday Moore KTAR News and CBS 5, KPHO-TV

Dawn Nici KFNN Money Radio

Robin J. Phillips

Castelazo Content

Theresa Poulson Video journalist

Jessica Pucci McMurry/TMG

Brian Rackham Cronkite School Ph.D. program

Josh Rawitch Arizona Diamondbacks

Mark Reda FOX Sports Arizona

Kelly Roach Communications consultant

Jose M. Romero The Sporting Nation

Kristy Roschke SPOT 127

Richard Ruelas The Arizona Republic Mark Scarp Heard Museum

Dave Seibert Phoenix Zoo Maren Showkeir Writer, editor and consultant

Glen Stephens Mesa Channel 11

Mike Sunnucks Phoenix Business Journal

Karen Werner Kwink Media

Maureen West Communications consultant

Evan Wyloge Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting

Bill Wyman

Formerly with Salon.com and NPR

Gilbert Zermeño CBS 5, KPHO-TV

Endowment Board of Trustees

Executive Committee Board Members

David Bodney

President Partner, Ballard Spahr LLP

John Misner

Immediate past president President and general manager, 12 News and 12News.com

Christopher Callahan

Dean, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Kristin Bloomquist

Chair, Mentoring Committee

Executive vice president and general manager, Cramer-Krasselt

Tom Chauncey

Chair, Nominations Committee Attorney, Gust Rosenfeld

John Hatfield

Chair, Development Committee Vice president of communications, APS

Anita Helt

Chair, Outreach and Diversity Committee Vice president and general manager, ABC15, KNXV-TV

Win Holden Chair, Assessment Committee

Publisher, Arizona Highways Magazine

Susan Karis Co-chair, Luncheon Committee Group publisher, Cities West Publishing

Fran Mallace Co-chair, Luncheon Committee Vice president, Cox Media

Lynn Agnello

Audio sales manager, Skyview Network

Ray Artigue

Principal, The Artigue Agency

Susan Bitter Smith

Executive director, Southwest Cable Communications Association

Art Brooks

President and CEO, Arizona Broadcasters Association

Elizabeth Murphy Burns

President and chief executive officer, Morgan Murphy Media

Paula Casey

Executive director, Arizona Newspapers Association

Jack Clifford President, Clifford Consulting Araceli De Leon Regional vice president, Telemundo Arizona

Michael Dee President, Arizona Foothills Magazine

David Eichler

Founder and creative director, Decibel Blue Creative Marketing & PR

Elvira Espinoza

Publisher, Mixed Voces

Kristin Gilger

Associate dean, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Derrick Hall

President and CEO, Arizona Diamondbacks

Scott Harkey President, Owens Harkey Advertising

Michael Hiatt

Publisher, Scottsdale Magazine

Brian Hogan

Senior vice president and general manager, FOX Sports Arizona

Rich Howe

Executive vice president and general manager, KAZT-TV Gordon James Owner, Gordon C. James Public Relations

Laura Jordan Owner, The Jordan Group

Linda Little

President, Phoenix market, iHeartMedia

Randy Lovely

Senior vice president, news and audience development, The Arizona Republic

Michael Mallace

General manager, Sierra H Broadcasting

Kelly McCullough

General manager, Arizona PBS

Denise McManus

Vice president and general manager, KASW

Joe Milner

Professor emeritus Art Mobley CEO, AdviceAd

Manny Molina

President, M&M Media

Mary Morrison

Mary M Media

Ed Munson

Vice president and general manager, CBS 5, KPHO-TV, and 3TV, KTVK-TV

Jim Paluzzi

Vice president, division of public service, Rio Salado College; general manager, KJZZ/KBAQ

Tim Pohlman

Senior vice president and market manager, CBS Radio

Tim Riester

President and CEO, Riester

Jose Rodiles

General manager, Riviera Broadcast Group

Mark Rodman

Vice president and general manager, FOX 10, KSAZ-TV

Jason Rowley

President, Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury

Matt Silverman

Vice president and managing director, R&R Partners

Robert Stieve Editor, Arizona Highways Magazine

Scott Sutherland

Vice president and market manager, Bonneville Media

Jim Taszarek

President, TazMedia Inc.

Diane Veres

President and general manager, Clear Channel

Outdoor

Clancy Woods

President, D Mobile Inc.

Roberto Yañez

Vice president and general manager, Univision 33 and Unimas

John Zidich

President of domestic publishing, Gannett Co.

Walter Cronkite (1916-2009)

ASU’s journalism program was named in honor of former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite in 1984.

The relationship started when Tom Chauncey, longtime owner of the CBS affiliate in Phoenix and a leading supporter of journalism education at ASU, contacted his old friend in an effort to advance the program. An endowment on behalf of the program was soon established and the school was named after “the most trusted man in America.”

Over the next quarter of a century, Cronkite lent much more than his name to the school. He was closely involved — advising leadership, guiding students and faculty and traveling to Arizona each year to personally give the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism to one of the nation’s top journalists. The most special relationship, though, was with “our students,” as Cronkite would always call them. Young women and men, some with parents barely old enough to remember Cronkite behind the anchor desk, lit up when he walked into a classroom. They hung on his every word as he thoughtfully answered their questions about the profession he so loved. They lined up just to shake his hand, and he loved every minute of it.

In what turned out to be Cronkite’s last visit to ASU in 2007 before declining health prevented him from traveling, a group of 100 students gathered with just a few minutes notice that Cronkite was in the building. He held them spellbound as he spoke about covering World War II, Vietnam, Apollo, Watergate and presidents from Truman to Reagan — and of how important “our school” was to him.

Cronkite died in 2009, but the school continues to be guided by his principles: accuracy, fairness and adherence to the highest standards of journalism.