CommunicatorS12

Summer 2012

A publication for alumni and friends of the College of Communications at Penn State

n io ct ip! se sh ial on ec pi Sp am s: ch ie al or n St ti o s na e s ts cc gh Su g h l i hi

Vol. 16, No. 2

Contents 4

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CARNEGIE NEWS

Feature: Experienced Advisers Assist Students Award Honors NPR • Students to Cover Olympics

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FACULTY/STAFF NEWS Feature: Faculty Member Brings Heritage to Classroom Deans’ Awards Honor Faculty • Timely Research Results

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS Gift Endows Award in Honor of Joe and Sue Paterno Alum Creates Scholarship for LGBTA Students

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STUDENT NEWS Students Honored for Integrity • Marshals Selected MLB.com Interns Set Standard • Scholarship Recipients

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ALUMNI NEWS

26 DEPARTMENTS

From the Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Alumni Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 College Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Contacting the College . . . . . . . . . .59

No Time to Pause After Pulitzer Prize Remembering Gene Goodwin • Alumni Notes

The Communicator is published twice a year by the College of Communications at Penn State.

Dean: Douglas A. Anderson Editor, Layout: Steve Sampsell Publication Policies All items relating to the College and its faculty, staff, students and alumni will be considered for publication.

All correspondence should be directed to: The Communicator College of Communications The Pennsylvania State University 302 James Building University Park, PA 16801-3867 Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce. U.Ed. COM 12-114

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ON THE COVER: Jamey Perry, assistant dean for academic services, and the advisers in the College of Communications serve hundreds of students every semester—including Folashade Olasimbo, who earned her degree in journalism in May. (Photo by John Beale)

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ince my arrival on this campus in summer 1999, I have said the College of Communications should strive to be the largest, most comprehensive, best-balanced, student-centered accredited mass-communication program in America.

Day in and day out, our faculty and staff have worked diligently to move us toward that goal.

With more than 3,300 students, we take pride in being the nation’s largest program accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

We take pride in our comprehensiveness. The College is home to four departments, five baccalaureate programs, and M.A. and Ph.D. programs. We also host a constellation of enterprises: the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, the Don Davis Program in Ethical Leadership, the Institute for Information Policy, the Jim Jimirro Center for the Study of Media Influence, the Dow Jones Center for Editing Excellence, the Media Effects Research Laboratory, the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication, the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment, and the Pennsylvania Journalists Oral History Program.

We take pride in our balance, which is reflected in the strength of our undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as in the rich mixture of academic credentials and professional experience of our faculty.

We take pride in a strong array of special programs, including our Washington, D.C., Communications and Democracy Semester and six endowed lecture or symposium series.

But most of all, we are proud of our student-centered approach. We care about students.

Our student-centered approach is most visible on the second floor of the historic Carnegie Building, which houses our Office of Academic Services, our Office of Multicultural Affairs and our Office of Internships and Career Placement.

The Office of Academic Services (see story on

pages 4-6) deserves the most credit for our campus-leading four-year graduation rate, which in recent years has hovered around 80 percent.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs leads our efforts to recruit, retain and graduate a diverse student body. Last year, we ranked among the top 20 mass-communication programs for the number of minority students earning bachelor’s degrees.

The Office of Internships and Career Placement has placed some 650 students in for-credit internships this academic year. The Office continued this spring to provide extraordinary support to our students and the companies that hire them. Its

From the Dean

13th annual JobExpo.Comm, held in March, drew 58 companies and 120 recruiters to campus. More than 450 students interviewed. Our ninth annual “Success in the City,” held in April at Time Warner Center in New York City, drew a most-ever brandname 60 companies and more than 150 recruiters.

More than 350 of our students boarded buses at Rec Hall in the pre-dawn hours to travel to their interviews.

We take pride in caring for and preparing the students who choose to major in the College—just as we enjoy basking vicariously in their successes.

Possibly in no year in the program’s history have our students fared so well in prestigious national and regional competitions. We take particular pride this spring in our national championship in the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program and in the extensive list of student successes in big-time competitions that are featured in the special section in this magazine.

We are grateful to President Rod Erickson and our loyal alumni base for their contributions to the College’s successes.

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CARNEGIE CLOSE-UP

Strong Support

Assistant Dean Jamey Perry meets with junior Kara Jewell of Wexford, Pa., late in the spring semester. (Photo by John Beale)

Advisers provide important direction, resources for students

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She appreciated the advice and made the most of it.

Now, 10 months from graduation, Crowder plans to leave Penn State with three majors and five different internship experiences.

“I would never have been so successful if it weren’t for working so closely with Kyrie and getting all my classes to count as efficiently as possible,” Crowder said.

“Kyrie also made it extremely easy for me to get credit for a statistics class that I took at home during the summer at a different school. She recommended that I talk to (manager of internships) Colette Rodgers to start working on getting internships, too. There are countless examples of how Kyrie and the advising office helped me achieve success at Penn State.”

Many communications students like Crowder can

eredith Crowder thought she was entering a fairly simple meeting to talk about her future.

She planned to major in public relations and wanted to stay on track academically so she took a proactive approach and scheduled a meeting with an adviser in the College of Communications.

She thought she knew what she was doing.

She found out she had a lot to learn.

During that meeting with adviser Kyrie Harding, Crowder, then a sophomore from Lakewood, Colo., who was still adjusting to college life, learned she had more options than she thought—a series of opportunities that enabled her to succeed in the classroom and become much more marketable when she started looking for a job.

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Carnegie Close-Up

tell similar stories about the confirmation of their plans RISING GRADUATION RATES Office of Academic Services in and maybe a couple of supFour- and five-year graduation rates for stuthe College of porting options. dents entering the College of Communications Communications. The eight“They’re extremely helpful,” since 1996 show a consistent and impressive member team, led by Assistant said Patrick Woo, a journalism rise, thanks in large part to the work of the Dean for Academic Services major from Millington, Md., advising staff.

Jamey Perry, always puts stuwho just completed his freshdents first, providing advice man year. “You can go in there Entering Four-Year Five-Year and guidance on everything and ask anything. Having Cohort Rate Rate from scheduling courses to talked to upperclassmen, I Fall 1996 59.2% 75.5% selecting a major. Or, they think I know what I want to Fall 1997 64.6% 80.8% might simply listen and provide do, and the advisers helped me Fall 1998 65.6% 84.6% Fall 1999 74.5% 84.7% input in regard to topics such craft a plan to get there.”

Fall 2000 74.0% 84.3% as getting along with a roomStill, there are some stuFall 2001 73.1% 82.3% mate, living away from home or dents who only make emerFall 2002 77.5% 86.3% finding a good fit to engage on gency visits to the advising Fall 2003 75.8% 84.3% campus. office. Those visits usually Fall 2004 79.7% 87.5% Sometimes the advisers need come at the start of the semesFall 2005 78.1% 88.8% to simply explain rules or offer ter, when students are trying to Fall 2006 79.9% 88.0% suggestions to the most motivatadjust their class schedule, or Fall 2007 79.4% — ed, proactive students. At other late in the semester, when they times, advisers must nudge are looking for ways to deal harder or scramble more to help students who have with unexpected low grades. waited perhaps a little longer than necessary to seek “At those times of the year, you’re putting out fires. some advice.

It’s never dull,” said Shelley Vukman, who joined the “We can help them and generally fix things if they advising office less than a year ago. She had been pursusee us early enough,” Harding said. “And even if they ing a Ph.D. in education with a focus on cognitive get to us late, we can usually find options for them. development. “Plus, you’re working to help the students They might not be exactly the option they want, but grow, be in the best possible situation and see the we’ll help them find an answer.” results of their actions.”

Every member of the advising office practices that Along with Vukman, Gary Abdullah joined the customer-friendly approach. In fact, the reputation of office less than a year ago. the office has grown to such a level that students in “For me the best part of the job is really working other colleges at Penn State occasionally stop by during with students, coming up with a plan and helping them walk-in hours just to get a little advice themselves. make progress,” Abdullah said. “You get to listen to “It’s rare, but it does happen,” Perry said. them, talk about their goals and put them on a path to During the spring semester, students made 3,204 vis- get there. That’s exciting, and you know you’re doing its to the advising office for scheduled meetings, walk-in well when you start getting referrals—when a student meetings or senior checkout sessions. comes to the office because some other student had a For Perry, a Penn State alumnus who joined the good experience and told them about it.” advising office in 1999 after previous stints in residence BB Muré, who had been a staff member in the life and admissions at the University, the busy pace pro- Office of Multicultural Affairs across the hallway from vides motivation. the advising office for years, recently became an adviser “We all look forward to coming in here every day,” herself.

Perry said. “It’s just great to work with our students.

“It’s really a good mix of people,” Perry said. “We all When I was in admissions, I volunteered for anything have different styles. That works well for students, and that allowed me to not be behind a desk and work for us. It’s a stronger team because of that diversity of directly with people. I had a sense communications stuapproaches and ideas.” dents were special and that’s turned out to be the case.”

Perry believes the location of the advising office Perry estimates 98 percent of communications stuhelps, too, because all of the advisers are in the same, dents visit the advising office at some point during easy-to-find area in Carnegie Building. their careers. Many, like Crowder, have a plan in mind.

That helps in two ways.

Those organized students might just be looking for First, students may stick with one adviser throughout

Carnegie Close-Up Members of the advising office include: (front row, left to right) BB Muré, Shelley Vukman, Brenda Johnson, (back row, left to right) Kyrie Harding, Gary Abdullah, Penny Repsher, Katie Kennedy and Jamey Perry.

their career, or work with whomever they would like from visit to visit. By having the group together, it’s easier for the advisers to know students and serve them better in that atmosphere.

Also, because they work together, the advisers practice a tangible sense of camaraderie and collegiality that rubs off on students who visit the office.

Students may work with the advisers in the office at any point during their college careers, and the use of “major advisers”—faculty members who can give career-related or industry-specific advice—enhances the quality of support services for communications students.

“I tell students they have two advisers, people in this office and their major adviser,” Muré said. “I emphasize that we’re available for them. There’s always help here.”

Longtime Adviser Repsher Retires Penny Repsher, a member of the advising staff in the College of Communications since 1995, retired at the end of the spring semester.

Repsher, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Penn State, led efforts with education abroad, international students and transfer students in the advising office. A popular and respected adviser, she also met regularly with current students.

Along with that respect and trust from colleagues and students, Repsher earned a Deans’ Excellence Award in 2007.

“She played a vital role in the development of new study-abroad opportunities and linkages in London and Costa Rica, and put

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much time into helping develop guidelines for summer internships,” said Barbara Bird, an associate professor in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies who directs study-abroad efforts in the College.

Before joining Penn State, Repsher worked as a director of education and community development for Family Health Services Inc. She also had experience as a proof corrector for Josten’s American Yearbook Company and as a teacher in the Mifflin County School District.

“Penny was the epitome of an adviser. She always had the students’ best interests in mind,” said Jamey Perry, assistant dean for academic services.

Carnegie News

‘On the Media’ Earns Bart Richards Award n the Media,” public radio's “Oweekly, hourlong media criti-

cism show from WNYC and NPR, was selected as the 2011 recipient of the Bart Richards Award for Media Criticism, presented annually by the College of Communications.

The national award recognizes outstanding contributions to print and broadcast journalism through responsible analysis or critical evaluation.

This year’s award honors work produced during the 2011 calendar year. It was presented May 24 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Two major pieces comprised the “On the Media” submission for cohosts Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone, who also serves as the show’s managing editor. A third honoree, Katya Rogers, serves as the show’s senior producer.

One piece, titled “Psychic Tips, Media Frenzies and Texas,” chronicled how an untrue report about a mass grave filled with dismembered body parts attracted global attention—providing a lesson about how great technology and bad journalism make a terrible combination.

The other piece, “Does NPR Have a Liberal Bias?” allowed the show to look closely at NPR during a year when a high-profile NPR commentator was dismissed, an activist conducted a "sting" during a lunch with public radio fundraisers and NPR’s president stepped down.

According to the show’s entry letter: “Our series generated commentary across the political spectrum and across the media. Much of that reaction was surprise that an NPR-distributed program would unilaterally take this on during such a politically sensitive time. Of course, what other time is there?”

Judges for the award appreciated

the timing of the work and also the quality. As a result, they were generous with their praise of “On the Media.”

The three judges were: Peter Bhatia, executive editor of The Oregonian in Portland, Ore.; Steve Geimann of Bloomberg News; and Paul Parsons, dean of the School of Communications at Elon University.

“The story about the bodies being found in Texas was a good example of contemporary reporting,” Geimann said. “It showed just how vulnerable we all are when things are done poorly.”

“They addressed how a falsehood can Judges praised the work of “On the Media” co-hosts Bob spread across the globe Garfield (top) and Brooke Gladstone (bottom) as a large part of the award-winning effort. (Photos by David Waitz) the way it does in a day, and they did it distributed programs, now heard on with good research,” Parsons said. “I more than 300 public radio stations. thought it was a fascinating story.

Its audience has tripled in the past And the topic about bias was treated five years while the show has won in a more substantial manner, which Edward R. Murrow Awards for its was enjoyable and interesting.” feature reporting and investigative Bhatia called the five segments reporting, the National Press Club's addressing bias at NPR thoughtful Arthur Rowse Award for Press and well-reasoned.

Criticism and a George Foster “They were serious about the Peabody Award for its body of work. issue, even though they infused some Garfield, who earned his bachehumor,” Bhatia said. “They did what lor's degree in English from Penn the best of media criticism does— State in 1977, became the first Penn they took it apart and put it back Stater to earn the Bart Richards together again. They came up with Award. Along with his work for “On an answer that was not surprising, the Media,” he has served as a but was well-reasoned and well put columnist for Advertising Age since together.”

1985. He is also a founding contribuSince “On the Media” was retor to the Watchdog Blog of the launched by WNYC in 2001, it has been one of the fastest-growing NPR- Nieman Foundation for Journalism

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Carnegie News RUSSO REMARKS Alumnus Rich Russo (’84), the lead producer for Fox Sports and its coverage of the NFL and other events, offers a critique and praise to students after a weekly broadcast of “Centre County Report,” the College’s half-hour news program that was named this spring as one of the top three all-around student newscasts in the country by the Society of Professional Journalists. Mark Hulsey, vice president of production and executive producer for the Big Ten Network (arms crossed), shared his insights as well.

at Harvard University. He's been a contributing editor for the Washington Post Magazine, Civilization and the op-ed page of USA Today.

Garfield has also written for The New York Times, Playboy, The Guardian, Sports Illustrated and Wired, and has been employed variously by ABC, CBS and CNBC. As a lecturer, he has appeared in 36 countries on six continents, including such venues as the Kennedy Center, the U.S. Capitol, the Rainbow Room, the Smithsonian, Circus Circus casino, the Grande Ole Opry, Harvard University and a Thai Kickboxing ring in Cape Town, South Africa.

He has written five books, most recently “The Human Element” (2012). Others include: “The Chaos Scenario” (2009), about the collapse of mass media and advertising, and “Now a Few Words From Me”

(2004), which has been published in six languages.

He also wrote “Tag, You’re Jim Rainey, Los Angeles Times .............2010 It,” a country song perColumbia Journalism Review.................2009 formed by Willie Nelson, Project for Excellence in Journalism ......2008 and an episode of the PBS “Frontline” .......................................2007 short-lived NBC sitcom Byron Calame, The New York Times......2006 “Sweet Surrender.”

Sydney Schanberg, The Village Voice....2005 Gladstone is the co-host “State of the News Media” .....................2004 and managing editor of Lori Robertson, AJR ...............................2003 “On the Media.” After Allan Wolper, Editor & Publisher ............2002 working in print media, she joined NPR in 1987 as senior editor of “Weekend NPR’s first media correspondent and Edition” with Scott Simon. She then joined “On the Media” when became senior editor of “All Things WNYC relaunched the program in Considered” in 1989. In 1991, she January 2001. She has been the recipispent a year at Stanford University as ent of two Peabody Awards, a a Knight Fellow and then reported National Press Club Award, an for NPR from Moscow during Boris Overseas Press Club Award and severYeltsin’s presidency from 1992 to al others. She also is the author of 1995.

Gladstone served for six years as “The Influencing Machine” (2011).

Recent Winners

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A series of articles about the frequency of concussions in high school sports—a series that outlined the problem and led to legislation addressing it in the state of Pennsylvania—was selected as the winner of the Award for Excellence in Coverage of Youth Sports, presented by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.

“Brain Waves,” six articles by Rob Rossi that appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review from September 2011 through November 2011, was selected from among dozens of entries for the annual award.

Malcolm Moran, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of the Curley Center, and Marie Hardin, professor and associate director of the Curley Center, screened initial entries for the award to a group of three finalists that were then sent to three external judges.

Those judges—John Curley, the former president, CEO and chairman of Gannett Co. Inc. for whom the Center is named; John Jeansonne of Newsday in New York, who teaches sports reporting at Hofstra University; and Vicki Michaelis of USA Today, a former president of the Association of Women in Sports Media—were unanimous in their selection of Rossi’s work.

“Brain Waves” was Rossi’s first assignment as an investigative/enterprise reporter for the sports department at the Tribune-Review. He has worked at the paper for 10 years.

Before tackling the concussion series, he covered the National Hockey League and the Pittsburgh Penguins from November 2006 through July 2011.

Rossi pitched the series after spending six months writing about a concussion sustained by Penguins

captain Sidney Crosby. Numerous conversations with medical experts and Crosby led Rossi to ponder a primary question that fueled the “Brain Waves” series: “If Crosby, with the best care and all the advantages that money can offer, cannot get a handle on this injury, what is it like for kids in our high schools?”

During his tenure with the Tribune-Review, Rossi has served one season as the primary beat reporter for Major League Baseball and the Pittsburgh Pirates (2006) and has handled general-assignment duties in sports, news and features.

Rossi, 33, spent two years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette before joining the Tribune-Review in November 2002. He is one of a few reporters who have worked for each of Pittsburgh’s two major daily newspapers.

A graduate of West Virginia University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Rossi spent three years working as a sports reporter for the daily newspaper in Morgantown, W. Va., the Dominion Post. As a senior at WVU, Rossi, at the request of the School of Journalism, accepted the position of sports editor at the college paper, the Daily Athenaeum.

Rossi’s love for journalism, and newspapers in particular, dates to his childhood fascination with his grandparents’ fondness for reading the morning and afternoon papers.

“There was always somebody reading a paper—over breakfast, before dinner, in bed at the end of the night,” Rossi said. “Reading a newspaper was part of the daily routine, and on some level I suppose I felt like if I could be in the paper somehow then I might become part of that routine for the people I loved and people who didn’t know me at all. I wanted to be in the newspaper before I had heard about

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Carnegie News

Concussions Series Claims Award

Rob Rossi (inset) was honored for his work on a series about concussions and their impact on high school athletes.

the ‘who, what, when, where, why and how’ tenants of journalism.”

Rossi credits his professional success to mentors such as former Associated Press sports reporter Alan Robinson, longtime baseball reporter and current freelance West Virginia columnist Bob Hertzel, former WVU and current Goucher College professor Leslie Rubinkowski and Tribune-Review editor Frank Craig.

For the “Brain Waves” project he is indebted to the work of two particular editors—Jim Wilhelm and Rob Amen, both Penn State graduates.

However, he would not have crossed paths with those journalists if not for the complete support of his parents, Bob and Joanne Rossi, and his sister, Lisa Rossi—the latter of whom he believes missed her calling as a would-be journalist “because she asks the best, hardest-hitting questions of anybody I know.”

Carnegie News

Curley Center Provides an Olympic Opportunity

Five Penn State communications students will provide daily coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games from London as part of an exclusive opportunity made possible by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism.

Competitions at the Summer Olympics are scheduled to run from July 27 through Aug. 12, and the Penn State students will be on site in London throughout the event.

“The United States Olympic Committee has provided the Curley Center with a remarkable opportunity,” said Malcolm Moran (left) will lead a contingent to London for the Summer Olympics that includes (left to right): Christine Newby, Emily Kaplan, Audrey Snyder, Virginia Harrison and Jeffrey Malcolm Moran, the Knight Chair in Sports Lowe. (Photo by John Beale) Journalism and Society Emily Kaplan, 20, from Olympics provides the latest example and director of the Curley Center.

Montclair, N.J., a junior journalism of the Curley Center’s commitment “Our students will have an experimajor; to providing unrivaled opportunities ence that many professionals have Christine Newby, 21, from for its top students, including the to wait 10 years or more to reach.”

Pittsburgh, a senior broadcast jourNCAA men’s basketball Final Four The group will provide as many nalism major; and and the Bowl Championship Series as five stories per day that will Audrey Snyder, 22, from championship game. appear in “USA Daily,” which is dis- Downingtown, Pa., a senior comAlong with exploring issues and tributed to media members, sponpleting majors in journalism and trends in sports journalism through sors, members of the U.S. delegasecondary education/English. instruction, outreach, programming tion for the Games and representaThose five students prepared for and research, the Curley Center tives from non-governmental bodies. their opportunity at the Olympics places an emphasis on internships— The students will write stories to be by covering the Pan Am Games for dozens of communications students posted at USOCPressBox.com the USOC last October. complete sports-related internships online.

During the Olympics, the stuevery year—and facilitating profesStudents covering the games are: dents will concentrate on feature sional opportunities.

Virginia Harrison, 24, from material to supplement articles writAll efforts of the Curley Center, Flourtown, Pa., a graduate student ten by the USOC staff members. In established in 2003, build on an pursing a master’s degree in media addition, their work will be featured undergraduate curricular emphasis studies who earned undergraduate on the Curley Center site that includes courses in sports writdegrees in journalism and history (http://sportsjourn.psu.edu), and ing, sports broadcasting, sports from Penn State in 2008; some of the students plan to find information, sports, media and soci Jeffrey Lowe, 20, from Cedar time to complete assignments for ety, and sports and public policy— Park, Texas, a junior broadcast jour- other news organizations. which is cross-listed with the Penn nalism major; The coverage of the Summer State Dickinson School of Law.

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A leading scholar whose forthcoming book argues the pervasive media culture has changed how people live their lives presented a free public lecture titled “Living in Media = Creating Art With Life” during the spring semester.

The Pockrass Memorial Lecture by Mark Deuze, an associate professor at Indiana University, was co-sponMark sored by the Deuze College of Communications and University Libraries.

Deuze, who also holds courtesy appointments at the Lisbon University Institute and Leiden University, has published more than 50 journal articles and seven books—including “Media Life” (2012, Polity Press).

Deuze’s work has been translated in Chinese, German, Portuguese, Greek and Hungarian. He has served as a research fellow at the Center for International Communications Research of the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom and a visiting Fulbright Scholar at USC. The Pockrass Lecture was named for the late Professor Robert M. Pockrass, a member of the Penn State journalism faculty from 1948 to 1977. He specialized in public opinion and popular culture, served as the graduate officer and taught radio news writing.

Carnegie News

Lecture Addresses ‘Living in Media’

CONFERENCE CONVERSATION Pulitzer Prize winners George Dohrmann (left) of Sports Illustrated and Joby Warrick (right) of the Washington Post talk with students during a reception before their presentations as part of the Foster-Foreman Conference of Distinguished Writers during the spring semester.

(Photo by John Beale)

Scholar Speaks About Sexuality on TV A leading media effects scholar addressed how female television news anchor grooming and sexuality impacts news comprehension during a free public lecture during the spring semester.

Maria Elizabeth (Betsi) Grabe, a professor at Indiana University, presented a lecture titled “Female Anchor Sexuality on Display: Findings of Cognitive Fog and Brewing Cat Fights at the News Reception End.” According to Grabe’s research, female news anchor grooming and dress codes have rapidly evolved from underplaying to displaying sexuality.

Her lecture included a show-andtell aspect about how that trend affects news comprehension. The lecture was co-sponsored by the College of Communications, the Media Effects Research Laboratory and the Pockrass Memorial Lectureship.

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Grabe is a professor in the Department of Telecommunications at Indiana University and a research associate of the Department of Political Sciences at University of Pretoria, South Africa. She completes research at the intersection of news user demography (social class and gender) and message variables to understand information processing and its implications for informed citizenship.

Her book, “Image Bite Politics: News and the Visual Framing of Elections” (2009, Oxford University Press), which she authored with Erik Bucy, received the 2010 Outstanding Book Award from the International Communication Association and the 2010 Distinguished Book Award from the Communication and Social Cognition Division of the National Communication Association.

Carnegie News

Visiting Professional Learns from Faculty, Plans Changes For half an hour each weeknight in Shanghai, thousands of English-language TV viewers watch “City Beat,” the longest-running show of its kind in China.

Fifteen reporters produce segments that focus on arts, culture, entertainment and more. The show’s executive producer, Flora Xu, always looks for stories of interest to viewers, and she invariably works to improve the show at every opportunity.

Her most recent effort to enhance the show came during a two-month visit to Penn State Flora Xu this spring.

“Getting to work with faculty members who have expertise in multimedia journalism and photography was of great interest to me. It was extremely helpful,” Xu said. “The visit allowed me to work with professionals in several different markets and visit classes. Each of those things provided important perspectives.”

Bu Zhong, an associate professor in the Department of Journalism, helped coordinate the visit, which complements internship efforts conducted by the College of Communications that annually send students to work at China Daily, the largest English-language news-

paper in China. Also, beginning this year two interns will work each summer at Xu’s network, International Channel Shanghai.

Xu also worked with senior lecturers Marea Mannion and Will Yurman during her visit.

In addition, she traveled to Altoona and shadowed TV professionals producing nightly newscasts in that market. She made similar visits to New York City and Washington, D.C. Although Chinese TV networks are government-owned operations, Xu said she has a great deal of flexibility in creating “City Beat” and making changes.

As a result of her visit, integrating social media has moved to the top of her list for the show that attracts a mostly male audience. Fifty-five percent of “City Beat” viewers are men between the ages of 18 and 45. The “City Beat” team is developing an “app” for the show and plans to enhance the use of podcasts and online video.

“Shanghai is such a big city with so much going on,” Xu said. “Every reporter has a different beat, and sharing that information with viewers provides an exciting challenge. This visit should allow me to bring some good ideas back to help us do things even better.”

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Some 22,000 students have earned degrees in some area of mass communications since Penn State awarded its first undergraduate journalism diploma in 1932. Of those 22,000, more than 10,000 have graduated in the past 12 years.

Minority enrollment in the College of Communications stood at 17.4 percent during the 2011-12 academic year—the third highest percentage of any college on the University Park campus. Only the College of the Liberal Arts and the College of Engineering had higher percentages. About 120 students of color earn baccalaureate degrees from the College each year, a nearly four-fold increase from 10 years ago.

RABBITS, RELAXING A “Moment of COMM,” conducted the second day of finals week on the lawn in front of Carnegie Building, offered students the opportunity for several calming activities. That included savoring milk and cookies, petting Flemish Giants (a breed of rabbit that can grow to nearly 20 pounds), getting a quick massage or even participating in yoga. Renea Nichols, a senior lecturer in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations, coordinated the event with the help of several of her students. The first-time event attracted dozens of participants.

(Photos by Steve Manuel)

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The ability of communication to make a difference for marginalized and underrepresented groups was the focus of a free public lecture by a visiting faculty member during the spring semester.

Professor Lawrence R. Frey of the University of Colorado addressed topics in a lecture titled “Making the World a More Just Place Through Research: Communication Activism for Social Justice Scholarship.”

The lecture was presented by the Don Davis Program in Ethical Leadership.

Frey, a faculty member in the Department of Communication at Colorado, focuses his research and teaching on communication activism for social justice, communication and community studies, and health communication. He studies how collective communication practice—especially by those who are underresourced and marginalized—makes a difference in the lives of people.

Carnegie News

Notes, Numbers

FACULTY/STAFF CLOSE-UP

Cultural Connection

John Sanchez, an associate professor in the Department of Journalism, teaches media ethics. An American Indian and a member of the Apache Nation, Sanchez also teaches people—from the boardroom to the classroom and beyond—about cultural misconceptions and stereotypes.

Faculty member brings his heritage, which values hard work and listening, to the classroom as vital part of teaching media ethics

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By Kelly Newburg (’13 Adv/PR)

he remains immersed in his culture and works to carry on the traditions of his ancestors.

“I practice the art of our language, pray and cook traditional foods such as fry bread on a regular basis,” Sanchez said. “I also perform traditional ceremonies.

We are preparing an honoring ceremony for my youngest son, who is graduating high school this year.

Our ceremonies are kept humble and will include our spiritual aspect. This is a time for us to thank the creator in our own language.”

Despite some difficulties he has faced throughout his life resulting from being an American Indian, Sanchez says his heritage has shaped him in every way and has formed some of his strongest characteristics.

ehind a desk in 123 Carnegie Building sits John Sanchez, a soft-spoken associate professor in the College of Communications who spends his time teaching aspiring journalists the importance of news media ethics.

Aside from his willingness to help them discern the difference between what may be ethically right and wrong, one thing is evident: his great love for his rich heritage and culture.

Sanchez is an American Indian and a member of the Apache Nation who grew up visiting his “Grampo” on the reservation. Now, many miles and years removed,

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Faculty/Staff Close-Up

“American Indians are great listeners,” he said. “I try als on the often-misunderstood American Indian culto be like my father and grandfather in that sense. I try ture. Just a few weeks ago, his book, “American Indians to listen no matter what. My parents and grandparents in the Mass Media”—co-authored with Meta G. were excellent at the art of listening and hearing. These Carstarphen of the University of Oklahoma—was pubcharacteristics fit very well into being an ethics profeslished by the University of Oklahoma Press. Within the sor. first week, it sold out on Amazon. Sanchez also is work“My work ethic comes from my culture. We believe ing to create an American Indian minor at Penn State in doing our best, but we share. We would never do that will focus on aspects such as literature, cinema, anything to embarrass a person. Why would you intenmulticultural communications, history and education. tionally make someone look or feel bad?”

Aside from his desire to educate people about the Sanchez is passionate about many aspects of his culAmerican Indian culture, Sanchez believes it’s very ture, but specifically mentioned two of his favorite char- important to continue practicing the traditions of his acteristics and traditions. ancestors. He is able to do this each year through the “Many American Indians see the beauty inside of annual “New Faces of an Ancient People Traditional people,” he said. “The way American Indian Powwow,” they listen—they see the which he and his wife, warmth of a person really Victoria, oversee.

“I’ve met professionals, come through.”

The ninth annual New adults and students who He also holds American Faces of an Ancient People think because I’m an Indians’ spirituality in high Powwow, hosted by Penn regard, explaining, “We State and the State College American Indian I wear don’t need to go to church Area School District, was feathers, beads and to pray or need someone conducted over two days in buckskins, or that I live else in-between to talk to mid-April at Mount Nittany God. I can be in my 20-yearMiddle School. Spectators in a tepee and ride a old Dodge pickup truck had the opportunity to view horse.” driving along, passing all the traditional American — John Sanchez Indian drum music and beautiful things outside, and I’ll just start praying. I’ll be songs, dance and foods and driving along talking to visit a marketplace of God. And often, in quiet moments, I’ll think I’m lucky American Indian vendors showing and selling their arts to be alive.” and crafts.

Though very proud and passionate about his “For the people who attend the event every year, it’s American Indian roots, Sanchez admits he has faced a chance for them to see and hear American Indians as many struggles. a people they know very little about,” Sanchez said.

“It often feels like I’m the only one,” he said. “In my “They see us speak our language and practice traditions schools I was the only American Indian in class. I was the from as far back as pre-European contact. The powwow first and only American Indian professor when I taught at helps people dismiss the prejudice and stereotypes they American University and Ohio State. This past fall I took have of American Indians. a sabbatical to teach at the University of Pennsylvania, “Although there is a lot for people to learn at the and I was the first American Indian professor it ever had Powwow each year, that is not our main goal for the on the faculty.” event,” he added. “The Powwow is a way for us to mainIn addition to feeling like and being a minority, tain our culture, especially for American Indians who Sanchez also has had to deal with stereotypes and misare away from our home cultures. It’s a way for us to conceptions that have formed around his culture over hold on to our traditions for ourselves and for our chilthe years. dren. It gives us a few days out of the year when we get “A lot of people don’t understand who American to be who we are as a people.”

Indians are,” Sanchez said. “I’ve met professionals, Of everything that will be heard and seen at the powadults and students who think because I’m American wow, Sanchez believes the drum is the best connection Indian, I wear feathers, beads and buckskins, or that I to the American Indian culture. live in a tepee and ride a horse.”

“The drum is the true heartbeat of our people, the Although it remains difficult at times, Sanchez has heartbeat of Mother Earth,” Sanchez said. “The drums found and continues to find ways to educate individuare what make us feel connected.”

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Faculty/Staff News

Faculty members honored as annual Deans’ Excellence Award winners were (left to right): S. Shyam Sundar (integrated scholarship), Rod Bingaman (teaching), Colleen Connelly-Ahern (service) and Rob Frieden (research and creative activity). (Photo by John Beale)

Faculty Members Earn Awards for Excellence Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, taught our College of Communications faculty members Fand one faculty affiliate member were honored for five different courses: intermediate cinematography and editing techniques; advanced cinematography and lighttheir teaching, research and service with annual Deans'

ing techniques; directing workshops; production and direction; and advanced group production.

He consistently earns strong praise in student evaluations for his courses and frequently makes guest lectures in other Penn State classes. He served during the past year as adviser to the Student Film Organization on campus and serves as co-director of the Penn State Camp for Filmmakers each summer.

“He’s a natural in the classroom, an expert on the subject matter and absolutely committed to student learning,” Anderson said. “He always places his students first.”

Bingaman remains active as a filmmaker and brings nearly two decades of professional experience to the classroom. He was honored by the College of Communications Alumni Society Board for teaching in 2005, and he previously earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Teaching in 2001.

Connolly-Ahern, a teacher and researcher committed to internal and external service, participated on committees at the departmental, college and University level

Excellence Awards that were presented at the end of the spring semester.

Those honored were: Rod Bingaman, who earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Teaching; Colleen Connolly-Ahern, who earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Service; Rob Frieden, who earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Research and Creative Activity; S. Shyam Sundar, who earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Integrated Scholarship; and Jennifer Zeigler, who earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Faculty Affiliate.

“Numerous faculty members were deserving honorees in each category. We were able to narrow the group down to a handful, but it was not easy,” said Dean Doug Anderson, who made the selections in consultation with associate dean Marie Hardin. “In each of their respective categories, our recipients symbolize the full depth of talent we have on this faculty.”

In the past year, Bingaman, a senior lecturer in the

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Taylor Elected to Lead Pacific Telecommunications Council Board Richard Taylor, a faculty member with more than 35 years of experience in the field of telecommunications, was elected to lead the governing board of the Pacific Telecommunications Council.

Taylor, a professor in the Department of Telecommunications and one of the preeminent experts on information technology and economic development in the AsiaPacific region, was elected as chair and president of the PTC board of

governors for 2012. He initially joined the board in 2009 for a three-year term.

At Penn State, Taylor serves as the Palmer Chair of Telecommunications Studies and Law and co-director of the Institute for Information Policy. He also holds an appointment as an affiliate professor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology.

During his career, Taylor has

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directed major research projects and published numerous scholarly pieces on the implications of investment in information technology on economic development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Richard Taylor

Faculty/Staff News

during the past year. She’s a member of Sundar, a respected and rigorous the Faculty Senate and served on the teacher and a world-class researcher who University’s graduate council for the investigates the social and psychological College of Communications. She also effects of technological elements unique served on a task force that examined and to Web-based mass-communication, balrecommended changes to the compreances responsibilities in and out of the hensive exam policy for the communicaclassroom and around the globe. tions doctoral program.

Named a Penn State Distinguished For the past four years she has served Professor in 2009, he serves as co-director as course coordinator of a multiple-secof the Media Effects Research Laboratory tion course—investing significant time housed in the College of working with graduate students who Communications. teach the course to ensure that all secDuring the 2011-12 academic year, tions meet the learning objectives.

Sundar had five articles published in refNationally, Connolly-Ahern—an associereed journals and published a book Jennifer Zeigler earned the ate professor in the Department of Deans’ Excellence Award for chapter. He was the author or coauthor Advertising/Public Relations—served as Faculty Affiliate. (Photo by John of 10 works selected for the proceedings chair of the Public Relations Division of Beale) of various conferences and presented the Association for Education in more than 10 papers at professional and technical meetJournalism and Mass Communication in 2010-11. She ings in the past year. He also delivered invited talks in also served as chair of that division’s nominating comChina, India and Singapore. mittee in 2011-12.

He currently serves as an adviser to 10 communicaFrieden, the Pioneers Chair in Cable tions doctoral students, and as a doctoral degree comTelecommunications, is a leading analyst in the field of mittee member for 10 students in the College of telecommunications and Internet infrastructure and a Communications and across the University. respected legal scholar. He has authored many compreHe also served on the University-wide committee for hensive works on international telecommunications, promotion and tenure, and on the editorial boards of cable satellite television and communications law. more than a dozen respected journals.

In the past year, he published a book chapter, and Zeigler, the editor of State College magazine, has published or had accepted for publication six articles in taught writing and reporting courses in the Department law reviews—including one in the Yale Journal of Law of Journalism for the past five years. She has taught and Technology. He also presented papers at conferbasic news writing and reporting as well as feature and ences in Belgium, China, South Korea and the magazine writing courses.

Netherlands.

Students consistently cite her attention to detail and He balanced those experiences while teaching a full her ability to make the courses relevant through the use load of graduate and undergraduate courses. And, he of classroom discussions, peer editing and useful feedhas become a consistent “go-to guy” for NPR on pieces back on their writing assignments.

about telecommunications and the Internet.

Faculty/Staff News

Best Sites Balance Self-Expression, Functionality

By Matthew Swayne

exactly the opposite of what is intended,” Sundar said. “Users feel overwhelmed when a site offers a lot of gadgets or tools and they seem fatigued by making too many decisions; but we can counter all this by providing them a chance to express themselves.”

The researchers, who presented their findings at the Association for

Oh, Saraswathi Bellur, Haiyan Jia and Hyang-Sook Kim, all doctoral students in mass communications, Giving people the freedom—but not said the researchers designed 12 diftoo much freedom—to express themferent variations of websites that selves may help designers build more either offered or did not offer particiinteractive Web portals and online pants a chance to customize the look communities, according to Penn of their site, to add gadgets and State researchers. applications and write original blog The researchers found that people posts. The version that performed increased their interactivity and the best allowed participants developed a greater sense of a chance to write blog posts community when they could and to change the sites' look, “It was almost like cosmetic cuswrite their own blog posts, well as offer them a limitchange the look of their site tomization just whetted their appetite as ed choice of preselected and add gadgets, such as for self-expression.” gadgets to add to their site. weather and news feeds, to Sundar said researchers — S. Shyam Sundar personalized websites or porrecruited 141 participants for tals. the two-week test.

The group However, the researchers Computing Machinery’s Conference included 108 females and 33 males noted that interactivity and satisfacon Human Factors in Computing with a mean age of about 45 years tion dropped if participants had the Systems, said that self-expression and who said they were not experts option to choose from a large numoften affected how study participants in technology. ber of functional gadgets. interacted with their sites in unexThe participants were sent daily “Interactivity is more about user pected ways.

When participants were emails directing them to perform psychology, rather than the more-isnot allowed to add personal blog tasks, such as investigating gadgets better approach that some engineers posts, they did not interact with the and exploring features. They could and designers choose to take,” said site as much. also check the site on their own. To Distinguished Professor of However, when users were not increase realism, confederates were Communications S. Shyam Sundar, allowed to blog, but were allowed to used to leave comments and to act as co-director of the Media Effects customize the look of their site, they fellow website owners.

Research Laboratory. “We need to increased interactivity in other ways, The researchers sent out questionstrategically use interactive tools to such as by leaving comments on naires at the end of each week to help people interact in ways that are other community member sites. gauge user input and checked combeneficial to both the users and site “It was curious,” Sundar said.

“It puter log data to verify actions, such owners.” was almost like cosmetic customizaas the number of times a user logged Sundar said offering too many tion just whetted their appetite for in and how long sessions lasted. choices may frustrate or fatigue users. self-expression.”

The National Science Foundation “Too much customization does Sundar, who worked with Jeeyun supported this work.

Be Social (Media) with the College Find us, follow us, join us ... http://comm.psu.edu/alumni 18

Technology is helping communication companies merge telephone, television and Internet services, but a push to deregulate may leave some customers on the wrong side of the digital divide during this convergence, according to a College of Communications researcher.

“Moving away from copper lines is an example of abandoning obsolete technology and embracing technology that is faster, better, cheaper and more convenient,” said Rob Frieden, the Pioneers Chair in Cable Television and professor of telecommunications and law. “But the risk is that we may be creating a digital divide—not necessarily a divide between the rich and poor, but between the information rich and information poor.”

Telephone companies are lobbying for government regulators to free them of their traditional role as a public utility, citing the convergence and availability of new communication technologies, such as cellular phones and fiber optic cable, that make copper-based telephone land lines obsolete, according to Frieden. However, not all these alternatives are as affordable and as ubiquitous as copper landlines, a problem that could leave many rural residents underserved, he said.

Frieden said rural customers could replace landline telephones with cellular phones, for example, but most cell phone companies charge a fee for each minute of use—known as “metering”—while most fees for land lines are unmetered and are paid through a fixed monthly charge.

Frieden also doubts that cellular service will be as dependable as landlines.

“Cell phone companies have these colorful maps that show how well they cover areas,” Frieden said.

“But there are lots of places—including places in rural Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York—that do not have cell phone service, or offer limited services not suitable for broadband Internet access.”

Fiber optic lines are glass wires that can carry voice, television and Internet signals. For instance, fiber optic equipment is often used for Voice Over Internet Protocol, a technology that uses broadband Internet to carry services such as voice, texting and fax.

While fiber optic lines are more common now, they usually are not found in rural or remote areas.

“The phone companies are right,” said Frieden. “There are other forms of competition now, but these alternatives are not fair or adequate everywhere.”

As communication technologies merge, telephone companies face stiff competition from cable companies, which are classified as information service providers by the government and face limited regulation. Frieden said that telephone companies, however, are regulated as a utility. As a utility, phone companies—called carriers of last resort— are obligated to provide service to customers. To increase profitability, telephone companies would like to be released from the carrier-of-lastresort designation that binds them to providing high-cost, labor-intensive telephone landline service.

Frieden said that the push to end the phone company's status as carriers of last resort may be the first step toward complete deregulation.

— Mat th ew Sw ay ne

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Conference Seeks Schejter’s Input

A College of Communications faculty member was one of nine experts from around the world invited to participate in an international conference focusing on digital media in Taiwan.

Organizers at National Cheng Chi University hope the conference, “The Digital Media and New Media Platforms: Amit Policy and Schejter Marketing Strategies,” can help boost Taiwan’s media platforms and international competitiveness by sharing ideas about improving digital services, effective inter-industry integration and policy making.

Amit Schejter, an associate professor in the Department of Telecommunications and codirector of the Institute for Information Policy, participated in a panel focusing on new media policy at the conference.

His studies have been widely published in communications and law journals, and cited in congressional and Knesset hearings. His research integrates a comprehensive approach to communication policy and its application to the everyday challenges created by the unequal distribution of resources and the silencing of the public’s voice. Schejter teaches courses on telecommunications regulation, media law, the media and information industries, comparative media systems and media activism.

Faculty/Staff News

Technology Convergence May Widen Divide, Hamper Many

Faculty/Staff News

Grant Supports Research Regarding Broadband Access

Jayakar’s research interests include telecommunications policy with a focus on universal access to telecommunications and broadband.

His research has been published in many journals, including Communications Law and Policy, Telecommunications Policy, Info, Journal of Media Economics and The Information Society.

His papers have been presented at numerous academic conferences, with several winning top honors in paper competitions.

His scholarly efforts have been honored twice by the College of Communications. In 2004, he earned the Deans’ Excellence Award for Integrated Scholarship and in 2002 he received the Deans’ Excellence Award for Teaching.

The Time Warner Digital Research Program is designed to tap into the best minds in the academic and public policy communities and stimulate research into challenges facing the telecommunications industry, according to Fernando Laguarda, director of the program and vice president for external affairs at Time Warner Cable.

The program, now in its second year, awards stipends to generate reports and provide new information, insights and practical advice to policymakers and policy stakeholders.

A College of Communications faculty member earned a $20,000 grant to support research about improving access to broadband for individuals with disabilities.

Krishna Jayakar, associate professor in the Department of Telecommunications, plans to examine the state of broadband access, the availability of accessibility products and services, and ways to identify successful programs and policies that promote adoption thanks to supKrishna Jayakar port from a Time Warner Research Program award.

His proposal, titled “Between Markets and Mandates: Approaches to Promoting Broadband Access for the Disabled,” was one of three winners in the program’s most recent funding cycle.

“Broadband access is vitally important for the 41 million Americans with some form of disability,” Jayakar said.

“My proposal will examine how individuals, advocacy organizations, government, private corporations and nonprofits can work collaboratively to extend broadband access to individuals with disabilities in a costeffective ad sustainable manner.”

Jayakar teaches telecommunications management and media economics.

Grants Bolster Research That Engages Undergraduates

Five faculty members from the College of Communications earned grants from the Office of Undergraduate Education at Penn State for projects that allow undergraduate students to gain research experience.

Four separate research efforts provided hands-on opportunities for 15 students.

The projects were: “Psychophysiological Measurement and User Interaction Analysis for TheoryBased Undergraduate Research on Interactive Media,” conducted

by Distinguished Professor S. Shyam Sundar in the Department of Film-Video and

Media Studies, with four students trained in the theory and utility of physiological data, usability evaluation and user interaction analysis, and participating in data collection, data analysis and report writing; “Comparing Media Coverage of the War in Iraq and Afghanistan,” conducted by Michel Haigh, associate professor in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations, with four students coding newspaper articles, entering data and helping with the coding strategies in a comparison of war coverage; “Undergraduate Digital Scholarship,” conducted by

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Kevin Hagopian, senior lecturer in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, with a student developing a formal training regimen for other students; and “Ripped!” conducted by Rod Bingaman and Maura Shea, senior lecturers in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, with six students working on the set of the featurelength film assisting with camera and lighting as well as the sound and art departments. The students worked with professionals in crew positions, learning established set operations and techniques, and worked with professional actors.

Millennials rarely visit brand pages on Facebook even after they become their “fan.”

That’s what research by Marcia DiStaso, an assistant professor of public relations in the College of Communications at Penn State, Tina McCorkindale, an assistant professor of communications at Appalachian State University, and Hillary Fussell Sisco, an assistant professor of public relations in the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University Marcia DiStaso found.

The results of their work were presented during the International Public Relations Research Conference.

The three researchers surveyed 18- to 29-year-old participants on the three university campuses and found 86 percent of the millennials access Facebook every day and 75 percent have “liked” an organization.

However, while millennials might initially connect with an organization, 69 percent percent of respondents reported they rarely or never visit those pages again.

“And, while building a relationship is difficult, breaking up can come easily,” DiStaso said. “Forty-two percent have left a Facebook group or fan page. This group is particularly difficult for organizations to reach, even if 17 percent admit to accepting friend requests from strangers.”

Among other findings, 57 percent of millennials access Facebook with a mobile device rather than a computer and 44 percent have donated, joined or supported a cause on the social media site. Millennials were more likely to respond to discounts, product samples or invitations from organizations that include “fun” applications or games.

Sports Programs Increase on Campuses A classroom emphasis on sports communication-related fields at colleges and universities across the country has more than doubled in the past four years, according to a survey of those offerings conducted by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.

The survey found the number of schools that report providing a certificate, minor, emphasis or full program in some form of sports communication has increased from 14 in 2007 to 34 during the 201011 academic year.

Graduate students in the Curley Center conducted the telephone survey of 452 programs. The Center compared the most recent survey to a similar study it conducted in 2007.

Along with 34 schools providing a more complete academic emphasis on sports communication, the survey found 215 schools (48 percent of those surveyed) offered at least one course in the field.

That represents a 20 percent increase from 2007.

The most common courses among all schools surveyed were sports writing (62 schools) and sports broadcasting (57).

Other common courses include: sports public relations or publicity (19), sports marketing (14) and sports media production (13).

The John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, a first-of-its-kind center established in 2003, offers a certificate program to more than 150 Penn State students.

The Curley Center’s classroom core includes five courses—introduction to the sports industry; sports writing; sports broadcasting; sports information; and sports media and society.

Along with those courses, the Curley Center stresses the value of interaction with on-campus guest lectures and special events as well as numerous on-campus co-curricular media opportunities and offcampus internships.

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Powerful Presence at UDC Conference

Eleven present or former Penn State students and a member of the College of Communications faculty presented at the Union for Democratic Communications conference in May at Florida State University.

This year’s conference was themed “Climates of Change,” and was the first under the leadership of Michelle RodinoColocino, an assistant professor in the Department of FilmVideo and Media Studies. She also serves as chair of UDC’s steering committee.

Presentations explored issues such as campaign finance reform, cause marketing and deliberative democracy. The conference also included a tribute to former Penn State associate professor Jeanne Hall, who died in December.

Faculty/Staff News

Becoming a ‘Fan’ Does Not Guarantee Commitment

Faculty/Staff News

Moran Honored by CoSIDA for ‘Body of Work’ Faculty member Malcolm Moran, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society, has been named as the recipient of a national award given annually by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Moran was presented with the Jake Ward Award during a June luncheon as part of the CoSIDA Convention in St. Louis. The Wade Award is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the media to the field of intercollegiate athletics.

The award recognized Moran for his “body Malcolm of work supporting intercollegiate athletics,” Moran said Joe Hornstein, who serves as CoSIDA’s first vice president and who nominated Moran for the award.

Moran, director of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, joined the Penn State faculty in 2006. Before that, during a distinguished and diversified career as a sports journaist, he worked nearly 30 years for USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times and Newsday. Moran has covered 26 bowl games with national championship implications, 26 men’s basketball Final Fours, 16 World Series, 11 Super Bowls, several NCAA conventions and two Olympic Games.

In his role as director of the Curley Center, Moran maintains many connections with professional sports journalism constituencies as well as students at Penn State and across the nation.

His work has enabled students to complete hands-on assignments at the BCS Championship Game and the Final Four. He also facilitates on-campus programming featuring nationally known and respected sports journalists who participate in timely panel discussions as well as classroom visits and small-group sessions. Moran teaches sports writing and news media ethics.

Jake Wade was a widely acclaimed sports journalist and national magazine contributor for the Charlotte Observer for 16 years and later served as sports information director at the University of North Carolina from 1946 to 1962. A 1923 UNC graduate, Wade was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1992. He died in 1962.

The Wade Award has been presented annually since 1958. Recent recipients include: Lee Corso of ESPN/ABC, 2011; Pam Ward of ESPN/ABC, 2010; and Tim Brando of CBS Sports, 2009. Other previous honorees include: Dave Anderson of The New York Times, Christine Brennan of USA Today, Dick Enberg of NBC Sports, Keith Jackson of ABC Sports, Dan

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Jenkins of Golf Digest, Dick Vitale of ESPN and Steve Wieberg of USA Today.

“Looking at that list is a humbling experience,” Moran said. “I see friends and colleagues, people whose work inspired me to become involved in the business, and some of the most influential names in the history of the industry. It is an honor to be among them.”

Curley Center advisory board member Jeff Nelson, assistant athletic director for communications at Penn State, was honored by CoSIDA as well.

He received the Bill Esposito Backbone Award. The award is presented to a CoSIDA member displaying sound judgment and unusual courage in taking a stand in intercollegiate athletics contrary to public opinion and sentiment, or, who displays sound judgment and unusual courage in guiding their institution through difficult public relations situations.

Esposito, the sports information director at St. John’s University for 25 years, was elected to the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 1984. He died in 1995.

The Curley Center, founded in 2003, explores issues and trends in sports journalism through instruction, programming and research. Four full-semester core courses (sports writing; sports broadcasting; sports information; and sports, media and society) comprise the undergraduate classroom portion. Complementary sponsored programming for the Center includes oncampus lectures, panels and workshops on journalism and the role of sports in society. The Center also conducts regular studies and surveys about trends in sports journalism.

CoSIDA was founded in 1957 and currently is a 2,700-plus member national organization comprised of the sports public relations, communications and information professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the United States and Canada.

The association is designed to help the athletic media relations and communications professionals at all levels.

It is the desire of the members to have the profession take its rightful place on the decision-making levels of college athletics.

Everything undertaken—the short- and long-term strategic planning and initiatives, year-long professional development opportunities and the annual convention/workshop—is geared to this objective.

Julie Evak, coordinator of undergraduate education in the College of Communications, was named the 2012 Staff Excellence Award winner as part of a University-wide awards program.

Established in 1993, the award recognizes the consistently outstanding performance of a staff member who has demonstrated and practiced the philosophy of Julie continuous quality improvement, team spirit, Evak managerial excellence in the performance of assigned duties and leadership in establishing a quality service orientation, so as to benefit his or her unit and the University.

Evak began working in the College of Communications 12 years ago as a part-time staff assistant. Since then, she has worked in academic services, as staff assistant to the College’s department heads and as administrative assistant to the associate dean of undergraduate education. Her duties include course scheduling, student learning assessment, special projects and cur-

ricular issues.

Associate dean Marie Hardin noted Evak’s key role in the College.

“Julie is the liaison between our advising office and our academic departments, and she deals with every assistant dean and department head on a regular basis,” Hardin said.

“Her judgment is trusted by faculty, staff and administrators.”

In addition to her College duties, Evak also serves on the University’s Academic Scheduling and Reporting System Committee and the Instructional Space Task Force.

“Julie’s worth as an employee in the College of Communications can’t be overstated,” Jamey Perry, assistant dean for academic services, said. “She can be counted on to initiate projects and to encourage others to stay on task to make sure things get done. From the day she was hired to the present, Julie remains a dependable ‘go-to’ person who makes sure ideas and details alike don’t fall through the cracks.”

Faculty Members Lead Presence at ICA

Eight faculty members from the College of Communications led a contingent of 55 Penn Staters (faculty, graduate students or alumni) who participated at the 62nd annual conference of the International Communication Association in Phoenix in May. Those faculty members were: Lee Ahern, an assistant professor in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations; Rob Frieden, the Pioneers Chair in Cable Telecommunications; Matt McAllister, a profesor in the

Department of Film-Video and Media Studies; Distinguished Professor Mary Beth Oliver, a member of the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies; Michelle Rodino-Colochino, an assistant professor in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies; Mike Schmierbach, an assistant professor in the Department of FilmVideo and Media Studies; Distinguished Professor S. Shyam Sundar, a member of the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies; and Bu Zhong, an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism.

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Notes, Numbers Five members of the College of Communications' faculty have been promoted and/or tenured, effective July 1.

Marie Hardin, associate dean for undergraduate and graduate education, was promoted to full professor.

Anthony Olorunnisola, head of the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, was promoted to full professor.

Michael Elavsky and Matt Jordan, members of the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, were promoted to associate professor with tenure.

Bu Zhong, a member of the Department of Journalism, was promoted to associate professor with tenure.

Four instructors or faculty members were honored during a recognition luncheon conducted by the Penn State Office of Residence Life. Those honored were: instructor Lauren DeCarvalho, associate professor Michael Elavsky, associate professor Matt Jackson and professor Matt McAllister.

Two faculty members joined the College of Communications for the 2011-12 academic year. Those additions were: Marty Camden, a lecturer in the Department of FilmVideo and Media Studies, and Cindy Simmons, a senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism.

Professor Jeremy Cohen was named editor of the Journal of General Education: A Curricular Commons of the Humanities and Sciences. His photography was also featured on campus as part of an exhibit titled “Eyes to Sea: Underwater Photography by Jeremy Cohen.”

Faculty/Staff News

Evak Earns University Award for Excellence

Development News

Longtime Penn State and College of Communications supporters Larry and Ellen Foster (left) made their latest gift in the form of a scholarship—the Lawrence G. and Ellen M. Foster Scholarship in Honor of Joseph V. and Suzanne P. Paterno.

Gift Creates Scholarship in Honor of Paternos

F

Building’s lobby, main conference room and student services area; they have created the Lawrence G. and Ellen M. Foster Scholarship Endowment, which has a market value of more than $400,000; they have endowed a $400,000 Trustee Scholarship; and they have provided a lead gift to establish the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication, which is housed in the College of Communications.

In addition to the Fosters’ personal gifts to the College of Communications, which total more than $2 million, Larry has been instrumental in securing contributions from individuals, foundations and trusts for the Page Center.

“Any words to try to summarize the Fosters’ impact would be an understatement,” said Dean Doug Anderson. “Larry and Ellen have, through their personal generosity, supported students, faculty, programs and facilities. The spectrum of their impact is incredible.”

Still, Larry said the latest gift was simply an appropriate way to honor close friends. Not long after Joe died from complications of lung cancer in January, the Fosters knew what they wanted to do.

“We had a lot in common,” Larry said. “We each have five children, we went to all of their kids’ weddings and so forth. We spent a lot of time together and talked about everything—except football. I stayed away from football because everyone else talked incessantly to him about that.”

In fact, Paterno, the legendary Penn State coach

or Larry and Ellen Foster it was a necessary and obvious decision, something so right it needed to be done as soon as possible.

The Fosters, who have spent much of their lives supporting Penn State in a variety of ways, honored their longtime friends Joe and Sue Paterno by creating a scholarship in their names earlier this year.

“Joe and I knew each other for more than 60 years.

That’s a long time to have a friendship,” said Larry Foster (’48 Journ), a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus and Lion’s Paw Medal recipient who retired in 1990 as vice president of public relations for Johnson & Johnson. He has been recognized as one of the 10 most influential public relations professionals of the 20th century. “Both Joe and Sue have done so much for the University that it made sense to honor them, and we wanted to do that in the College of Communications.”

Larry and Ellen (Miller) Foster (’49 AL) have been committed for many years to philanthropy at Penn State.

During the 2011-12 academic year, their scholarship endowment for freshmen and the separate Lawrence G. and Ellen M. Foster Trustee Scholarship supported 32 communications students—and that’s just one example.

The Fosters previously have provided funds to endow the Larry and Ellen Foster Professorship in Writing and Editing and to support the twice-a-year Foster-Foreman Conference of Distinguished Writers; they have contributed more than $500,000 to enhance Carnegie

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“Not for what happened, just because he wanted to put the focus on us.”

What happened?

It was the early 1960s and on a foggy night in the New York/New Jersey area, Larry and Ellen returned home to Westfield, N.J., after dinner.

“Getting home was an adventure,” Larry said. “It was the foggiest night I had ever seen. It was a Saturday night and we were happy just to get in the door and be home.”

But, just as they had started to relax, the phone rang.

“It was Joe,” Larry said.

He was in State College, but had called some alumni in the New York area looking for some help.

A recruit was stranded at the airport in Newark and Paterno was trying to find someone to pick up and house the young man for the evening.

“He said he knew it was really foggy, but he asked if I’d be willing to help out,” Larry said. “So, I went.

“While I was gone, Ellen got our daughter Cindy out of bed and they tacked up a Penn State poster on the wall. Ellen also told Cindy she’d be giving up her bed for the night.”

The player the Fosters helped with, Jim Literelli, was a defensive end who became a two-time letterman and served as the 1967 team captain for the Nittany Lions.

“Joe would tell the story for years afterward,” Larry said. “Whether it was a banquet or an event, he always told it.

“It was embarrassing, because we were just helping out. But, he valued loyalty, so it meant something to him. And it was something that helped start a relationship that lasted all those years and included so many people in both families.”

With their endowment in honor of the Paternos, the Fosters have ensured that even more people will benefit from that relationship for years to come.

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BY THE NUMBERS

17% Number of communications students who received scholarships in 2010-11 from the University or other sources

71% Number of communications students who receive some type of financial aid as undergraduates

$8,933 Average annual unmet need for College of Communications students

$33,378 Average loan debt for College of Communications students when they graduate

79.4% Four-year graduation rate of communications students for Fall 2007 entering cohort, highest on the University Park campus

$25M Value of the College of Communications’ endowment, a record high, thanks to support of alumni and friends

7th, 10th Of the 175 majors offered at Penn State, journalism and advertising/public relations rank as two of the most popular options, with journalism seventh in enrollment and advertising/public relations 10th

Development News

who compiled a record 409 victories, only heard from Foster about football regarding one topic—and that came on several occasions some 30 years ago.

“For whatever reason, I kept telling him that he should use a shovel pass more often. He always told me I didn’t know what I was talking about.

“Then, during the Sugar Bowl against Georgia, we tried one, it was fumbled and the team lost nine yards. That was the last time I ever said anything to him about anything related to football. We talked about our children, grandchildren and politics, how the University was improving academically, anything else.”

The Fosters ensured that both Paternos were named in the scholarship endowment because they wanted to make sure the Paternos were recognized as a couple.

“Most people don’t realize how much Sue Paterno has done for this University,” Foster said. “She’s kept very low key about a lot of that, but her record of service is really remarkable. So Ellen and I wanted to tie the two of them together.”

The scholarship endowment also further ties the two families together. The Fosters first met then-assistant coach Paterno when he was making recruiting trips to New Jersey in the 1950s. At the time, Larry was working for the Newark News.

Through the years, their relationship grew closer and the families eventually crafted unparalleled Penn State legacies. They complement each other in many ways, too.

For example, Larry Foster and Joe Paterno shared a love of good stories and storytelling, and the never-shy Paterno especially enjoyed sharing one particular story about the Fosters.

“It got to the point where he was telling it all the time, and it was a little embarrassing,” Foster said.

Development News

Alumnus Endows Scholarship for LGBTA Students A Penn State alumnus has made an estate commitment to endow a scholarship that will benefit future students in the College of Communications.

Brad Mello, who earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University, has targeted his support to undergraduate or graduate students who advocate for or contribute to the lesbian, gay, transgender and ally (LGBTA) community on campus.

All students enrolled or planning to enroll in the communications program at the University Park campus will be eligible for the scholarship. Potential recipients must have achieved superior academic records or have the potential for academic success at the University, and first preference for the scholarship will be given to students who take an active role in LGBTA issues and organizations at Penn State.

“We’re grateful that Brad has deemed our program worthy of such a generous gift,” said Doug Anderson, dean of the College of Communications. “The endowed scholarship will benefit deserving students in perpetuity.”

As a Penn State undergraduate, Mello served as a Lion Ambassador and earned a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications in 1985; he completed a master’s degree in speech communication at the University in 1987.

Mello received his doctorate in communication from the University of Oklahoma and currently is an associate director for academic and professional affairs at the National Communication Association (NCA) in Washington, D.C. In that role, he works to improve communication instruction at all levels of the educational spectrum. He also serves as the national coordinator for Lambda Pi Eta, the national honor society for communication students.

Brad Mello, an associate director for academic and professional affairs for the National Communication Assocation, completes a zip-line course.

Prior to joining the staff at NCA, Mello was an associate professor of communication at Trinity Washington University.

Family’s Annually Funded Gift Creates Women’s Award

An annually funded award created by alumna Robin Ward Savage (’59 Journ) and her husband Mike Savage—longtime supporters of the College of Communications—has created the May McNeer Women’s Journalism Award.

The award, named for Robin’s mother, is designed to recognize outstanding academic achievement by a female undergraduate student

majoring in journalism.

McNeer wrote dozens of books in a variety of genres—biographies, historical accounts and even fiction—for children from preschool to grade school.

Many of her books were illustrated by her husband Lyn Ward.

A prolific and talented artist, Ward was best known for his wood engraving. He’s also consid-

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ered an American founder of the graphic novel, and worked in brush and ink, oil and watercolor as well.

The couple married in 1926—a week after his graduation from Columbia University.

In 1975, the husband-and-wife team was named as a co-recipient of the Catholic Library Association’s Regina Medal.

Five Penn State degrees in the family (mom, dad and three sisters) might be enough for some families, but Diane and Stevens Kasselman and their daughters have bigger plans.

Those plans—in the form of the Kasselman Kohn Trustee Scholarship—have already helped two College of Communications students on the way toward their own Penn State degrees.

After their third daughter, Victoria Kasselman (’11 Journ), graduated from the University, joining sisters Lora (’96 Sci) and Tracy (’00 Sci), Diane and Stevens made another commitment to their alma mater.

They created the Kasselman Kohn Trustee Scholarship in the College of Communications.

“We really have pride in Penn State and wanted to pay it forward a little bit,” Diane (’65 Lib) said.

Even better, she and Stevens (’65 Lib) envision the endowment as a family fund. “The girls are still young, but as they get established and on their feet, they know we hope they’ll support it, too.”

Diane and Stevens work as attorneys in New York City. Daughter Tracy, also an attorney, works at her father’s firm, where she focuses on estate planning.

Lora, who earned a Ph.D., completed post-doctoral work at Penn State and Harvard University. She holds a faculty research position at Albright College in Reading, Pa. Victoria started her career at WINK-TV in Fort Myers, Fla., and works as a producer at the station.

Diane and Stevens met at Penn State and the University helped shape them and, eventually, every member of their family.

“Growing up for me everything

was ‘Penn State, Penn State, Penn State.’ There was no other place in my mind,” said Diane, who got her love of the University honestly, from her father, Victor Kohn (’32 Sci). She had been accepted at the University of Chicago and Syracuse, but those were not realistic options.

“Even though I was from out of state, it was always Penn State.”

“My story was that I had my choice of schools,” Stevens said. “It was Penn State or Penn State, because that’s what we could afford.”

Their love of the University was transferred to their daughters through the years, and that passion remains a tangible presence in almost all they do. Some family photo albums are almost entirely blue and white. And in one instance they wore their figurative hearts on their sleeves. After Victoria’s graduation, Diane brought everyone together for a photo in matching Penn State shirts—long-sleeve T-shirts that included each alum’s graduation year.

Diane has a soft spot for anything Penn State, and that especially includes letters from the students supported by the family’s scholarship. “We got two letters and it brought tears to my eyes that they took the time to write,” Diane said.

“They were so thankful, and we know it’s not the biggest scholarship but every little bit matters. It’s just nice to be able to help someone.”

Along with the scholarship recipients, the Kasselmans expect a few more degrees in their family, too.

“Both of our grandsons are already wearing their Penn State clothes,” Stevens said. “We’re not done yet.”

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Key Initiatives to Get Support From Estates

Two recent estate gifts from separate donors will provide important support for students and programs in the College of Communications.

First, a bequest from Betty Eggert Havryluk (’62 Journ) will create a scholarship in the name of her parents. The Arthur W. and Gertrude J. Eggert Communications Scholarship will provide support for outstanding undergraduate students.

Eligibility for the scholarship will focus on students with high academic standing and, when possible, those who are among the first generation in their families to attend college.

A similar estate gift from Karen Perillo Hockstein (’84 Journ) and her husband, Steven Hockstein, will provide support for another area in the College of Communications—creating the Karen and Steve Hockstein Dean’s Discretionary Fund.

Such open-ended support will make the funds generated by the endowment available for activities, programs or student awards at the discretion of the dean. If funds are designated for students, College officials will work closely with the University’s Office of Student Aid. “The gifts show the difference donors can make with an estate gift, as well as the flexibility and variety of support that can truly make an impact in areas of need,” said Kevin Musick, director of development in the College of Communications.

Development News

Family Effort Creates Scholarship That Makes an Important Impact

Development News

Page Center Grants Support Ethics Research, Teaching The Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication has awarded 11 grants and named 15 communication researchers and teachers from around the nation as recipients for 2012-13.

For the first time, five of the grants are for the development of teaching modules designed to help students take advantage of the wealth of materials about ethical communication available through the Page Center's website. The lesson plans and guides for teachers will be available for use starting in the fall and will focus on topics such as codes of ethics and corporate social responsibility.

“These modules are designed for undergraduates but with value for communication professionals as well,” said Marie Hardin, director of the Page Center, a research unit housed in the College of Communications. “We are pleased to add this emphasis to our grant awards program even as we continue our tradition of funding important and innovative research into issues of communications ethics.”

The Page and Johnson Legacy Scholars who received grants and the titles for their 2012-13 research projects are: Joon Soo Lim and Cary A. Greenwood (Middle Tennessee State), “The Impact of Stakeholder Engagement Strategy for Corporate Social Responsibility Communication on Organizational CSR Reputation and CSR/Public Relations Goal Achievement”; Michel Haigh (Penn State) and Shelley Wigley (University of Texas at Arlington), “Examining How Practitioners Handle Negative User-Generated Feedback in Social Media”; Lori McKinnon and Jami A. Fullerton (Oklahoma State), “Public Relations Students’ Ethics: An Examination of Attitude and Intended Behaviors”; Laurie Phillips (University of North Carolina), “Investigating Motivations for Corporate Social Responsibility in the ‘It Gets Better’ Project”; Marcia DiStaso (Penn State), “Measuring Public Relations Wikipedia Engagement: An Ethical Dilemma”; and Brandie Martin (Penn State), “To Block or Not To Block: Evaluating Corporate Social Responsibility Principles of Multi-National Information and Communication Companies.”

The scholars who were awarded grants to develop teaching models are termed Page Legacy Educators. They include: Tom Kelleher (University of Hawaii), “Standing the Test of Time and Technology: Principles of Public Relations Management in the Age of Social Media”; Adam Kuban (Ball State), “Rigorous, Responsible

More online http://thepagecenter.comm.psu.edu/ Journalists: Applying Social Responsibility Theory to Media Praxis and Using it to Develop Individual Ethical Codes”; Sheila Webb and Carolyn Nielsen (Western Washington University), “The Ethical Audit: An Examination of News Sources’ Framing of Social and Political Issues”; Christie Kleinmann (Lee University), “Exploring the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Sports Public Relations”; and Emma Daugherty (California State University—Long Beach), “Ethical Dilemmas and Problem Solving in Public Relations.”

“We are excited about the teaching modules which we hope can be used by colleges and universities around the nation,” said Hardin. “Each module will include a set of instructions for guiding students toward clearly articulated and realistic learning objectives.”

This marked the eighth year of grant proposals awarded by the Page Center. Since its founding, the Page Center has funded more than 100 scholars and awarded nearly $395,000 in grants. The deadline for the next round of grant proposals is January 2013, according to Cinda Kostyak, the Center’s associate director.

The Page Center was created in 2004 through a leadership gift by Lawrence G. Foster, a distinguished Penn State alumnus and retired corporate vice president for public relations at Johnson & Johnson.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation also supports the Center through a major grant awarded in 2006 to establish and endow a research and education program in ethical leadership—including support for the legacy scholar program. The Robert Wood Johnson 1962 Charitable Trust, a private philanthropy of Johnson’s heirs, also has made a significant contribution to support the Center’s work in ethics in public communication and the role of public relations in advancing corporate responsibility.

Arthur W. Page, the longtime vice president for public relations at AT&T, is often regarded as the founder of the modern practice of corporate public relations. He also was a noted educator, publisher and adviser to U.S. presidents.

Page was the first person in a public relations position to serve as an officer and director of a major corporation and, in that capacity, was widely known for management according to the “Page Principles,” his guidelines for ethical and effective communication with the public and for responsible corporate behavior.

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Student News

SATISFIED SMILE Public relations graduate Morgan Nixon, who graduated with 789 fellow members of the Class of 2012 on May 5 at the Bryce Jordan Center, poses for a photo near Old Main. A dean’s list student, Nixon served as president of the Diversity Ambassadors in the College of Communications. See pages 44-45 for the text of Stephen Smith’s commencement address. (Photo by Carmen Frost)

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Photo Perspectives: Family Some photojournalism students were challenged to find and photograph twins on campus during the spring semester, and each student in class actually found different siblings.

These are some of the shots.

Triplets Andrew, Ben and Matt Neal (Photo by Lynn Ondrusek)

Kessie and Kalli Osborne (Photo by Stephanie Brus)

Jodi and Jamie Letham (Photo by Steve Osborn)

Bernard and Brandon Bennet-Gree

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Focus

Hannah and Kelsey Pellichero (Photo by Kelly Tunney)

Shawn and Travis Clark (Photo by Shawn Clark)

en (Photo by Lucia Sofo)

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Student News

Veteran Marine Makes Most of Opportunities

A

s a corporal in the Marine Corps, Jennifer Crandell traveled all over the world before she started her academic career at Penn

State.

She was deployed to Iraq in 2006, and traveled with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2007 to Australia, Dubai, Kuwait, Djibouti, Singapore and Tasmania.

As a combat engineer in Iraq, she worked construction and masonry, mostly building bunkers and one-story residences around Fallujah for the infantry and as needed for the base. Her unit also spent nights repairing roadways that had been damaged by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

It was hard work—a life-changing four-year com- Jennifer Crandell used the determined, focused approach that served her as mitment that helped forge her determination and a Marine to succeed as a student in the College of Communications. focus her career aspirations. great to see the growth from when I first started film to “Serving was an opportunity to earn my way to colthe fruition of what both colleges have taught me in my lege,” Crandell said. “For me, the Marines was about most recent work.” the challenge. If I was going to do it, I wanted to be a In terms of personal influences, Crandell credits her part of the best.” father, Bennett Crandell, her late mother, Diana Crandell, 25, practiced that same approach, and that Davidson, and childhood friend Casey Barber. same commitment to excellence, during her time at Of course, the Marines provided a major influence Penn State. The Post 9/11 GI Bill made her education as well. During a time of war, she dealt with the death possible, and she rose to the occasion once she arrived of friends, learned about herself and prepared for what on campus. could happen next—even if she sometimes never really A consistent dean’s list student, she graduated in knew what was next.

May with a double major in film-video and integrative “There are so many experiences I wouldn’t have had arts. She was the college marshal for the College of Arts if not for the military,” she said. “It helped expand my & Architecture. horizons and it gave me perspective. I’m eternally grateShe also worked for the College of Agricultural ful for that.

Sciences as a photography intern, and gained abundant “Plus, I think having that break between high school hands-on experience as a student in the film program— and college helped me value my education even more working on 78 different projects, including 13 of her when I arrived at Penn State.” own productions—in three years.

Her military service also helped prepare Crandell for She completed an internship at Nickelodeon the biggest challenge of all—the post-graduation job Animation Studios (securing one of 30 coveted spots search. from among 3,000 applicants), earned a Creative “There’s a lot of possibilities of what can happen, Achievement Award from the College of Arts & and the job market is a frightening place for me,” Architecture and was accepted to the Phi Beta Kappa Crandell said. “In a way, it’s far more terrifying than honor society. being deployed. When you’re deployed, at some point She believes her double major, focusing on photogra- you come to accept that if it’s your time to go, then it’s phy within the integrative arts major and working your time to go. almost constantly on numerous film-video projects, “But despite the job market’s uncertainty, you just enabled her to make the most of her creative opportuhave to prepare for it as best you can—rise to every occanities. sion and have passion for what you are doing. One of “The two majors really complement each other,” said the greatest things I’ve come to appreciate is that you Crandell, a native of West River, Md., who lives in do only have this one life. So, don’t waste it being misState College. “The photography aspect of one, helped erable, live it doing what you love, what you truly love. out with the cinematography aspect of the other. It’s That’s the key to true success.”

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Six graduating seniors were selected to serve as student marshals for the College of Communications during spring commencement exercises that were conducted May 5 in the Bryce Jordan Center.

The selected students excelled in both academics and extra-curricular activities and were chosen as wellrounded representatives of their respective majors.

Chris Randby, from Richboro, Pa., was the overall marshal. He majored in public relations and completed a minor in sociology.

Randby served as a College of Communications Diversity Ambassador and also co-founded a student-run boutique public relations firm, The Dream Agency. He interned at The Bank of New York Mellon as well as with Penn State football.

Randby was the recipient of the Bunton-Waller Scholarship and the Evan Pugh Scholar Award. He is also a member of the Presidential Leadership Academy and the Kappa Tau Alpha Honor Society.

Bernadette Staino, from Margate City, N.J., was the advertising/public relations student marshal. She majored in advertising and psychology. In addition to her class work, Staino gained professional advertising experience through internships at Saatchi & Saatchi and STICK and MOVE Agency. She also served as a research director for The American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition.

Staino worked as a College of Communications Peer Mentor and was an active member of the Penn State Advertising Club.

Johanna Kirchheimer, from Audubon, Pa., was the film-video student marshal. She majored in film-video and special education

with minors in human development and family studies as well as deafness and hearing studies.

Kirchheimer worked as a film editor for the State College Area Roller Derby Team and the student-produced shows, “304” and “What’s That Fact.” She also worked as a production manager for the Penn State College of Engineering and as part of the tech crew for the No Refund Theatre.

Haley Blum, from Reston, Va., was the journalism student marshal.

She majored in print journalism with a minor in Spanish. Blum completed several internships, including positions at USA Today and Girls’ Life Magazine. She also worked as editor-in-chief and an entertainment editor/writer for Valley Magazine.

Blum was the recipient of The President’s Freshman Award and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Tau Alpha Honor Societies for academic excellence.

Yidi Li, from Hangzhou, China, was the media studies student marshal. She majored in media studies and psychology and was named to the dean’s list every semester. In addition to serving as a research assistant in the Department of Psychology, Yidi worked as an associate editor of ABSENSE, Penn State’s literary and visual arts magazine.

Li is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and the recipient of several honors including: the Chancellor’s Award, the President’s Freshman Award, the President Sparks Award, the Academic Excellence Scholarship and the Evan Pugh Scholar Award.

Carolyn Negri, from Baltimore, Md., was the telecommunications student marshal. She majored in telecommunications and was a

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Chris Randby

Bernadette Staino

Johanna Kirchheimer

Haley Blum

Yidi Li

Carolyn Negri

Student News

Six Standouts Selected to Serve as Student Marshals

member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. Negri received hands-on experience as a producer of the 2012 Penn State Dance Marathon webcast, where she produced her own segment in addition to the last four hours of the webcast.

Negri also worked on PSN-TV’s “What’s That Fact” and “TheU.” During her time at Penn State, Negri worked as a writer for CRITIQUE Magazine and as a stage manager for multiple student theater productions.

Student News Davis Award recipients present at the annual College of Communications dinner were (left to right): Kari Skitka, Lauren DeCarvalho, Shane McGregor, Ricardo Morales and Amanda August. (Photo by Will Yurman)

Davis Award Honors Students for Integrity, Service Six students from the College of Communications were recognized for their commitment to integrity and service by the Don Davis Program in Ethical Leadership.

The Don Davis Ethics Award was established to recognize communications students who exercise ethics, integrity and social responsibility in their professional and personal lives. Students are nominated by faculty members in the College.

“We honor those students selected to receive the award as role models and as the ethical leaders of the next generation,” said Patrick Parsons, the Don Davis Professor of Ethics.

Amanda August, a senior journalism, political science and global and international studies major from Northumberland, Pa., was recognized for her work on the College

of Communications’ student honor code. August served as president of the College Student Council and led the effort to study, draft and promote the code.

Ricardo Morales, a senior journalism and comparative literature major from East Stroudsburg, Pa., was recognized for his commitment to social justice. Morales demonstrated outstanding service while studying abroad in Argentina in 2010 and throughout his career at Penn State by working with several groups that promote activism in the community.

Shane McGregor, a senior journalism and English major from Ebensburg, Pa., was recognized for his stellar professional and spiritual work. McGregor’s work at the Centre Daily Times and the classroom was supplemented by his work

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on campus as president and founder of the Magnificent Rosary Group and as president of the Bread for Life prayer group.

Kari Skitka, a senior advertising major from Hershey, Pa., gained attention for her honors thesis on digital piracy and the illegal downloading of music. Skitka’s research explored consumer behavior and the important ethical dimensions of illegal downloading. She was recognized for highlighting the many dimensions of business ethics in an area that is not often explored.

Danielle Van Gheem, a junior journalism major from Mansfield, Pa., was praised for her commitment to diversity, compassion for others, professionalism and work ethic. Through her work in and outside of the classroom, Van Gheem demonstrated a sincere dedication

Student News

Student Work, Programs Prompt Fashionable Rating on Top-10 List

Penn State was recently named one of the Top 10 Schools for Fashion Journalism, Public Relations and Marketing by Fashionista.com, one of the largest independent fashion news sites.

The honored schools were listed in no particular order, and were praised for emphasizing the skills and experience needed to succeed in the fashion industry.

The College of Communications was commended for internship placement through events such as “Success in the City,” the Collegeʼs annual career fair in New York City, and opportunities such as the 2011 National Student Advertising Competition, during which students worked on a rebranding campaign for JC Penney.

Fashionista also noted Valley Magazine, Penn Stateʼs student-run life and style magazine.

Penn State alumni with a strong presence in the fashion and public relations industries were cited as well.

The article noted Jayne Jamison, vice president and publisher of Seventeen magazine, as well as Margaret Carlson, Time magazine's first female columnist.

Many Penn State graduates work at fashion-industry leaders such as Elle Magazine, Macy's and BPCM Public Relations, among others.

Other schools on the list included the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Syracuse and New York University.

Student’s Design Gets Contest Nod A logo designed by senior journalism major Tom Ruane was selected as the winning design among 49 submissions nationally to serve as the official logo of the 2013 conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The conference will be held in Washington, D.C. Ruane’s entry was forwarded by Ron Smith, a senior lecturer in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations.

models encouraging others to embracing those around “I have no doubt that to do the same,” Parsons her to learn from their difsaid. ferences. in their professional and The mission of the Don Lauren DeCarvalho, a personal lives these stuDavis Program in Ethical student in the mass commudents will continue to Leadership is to promote nications doctoral program professional, academic and from State College, Pa., ‘do the right thing’ and personal integrity within received two faculty nomiserve as role models the community of the Penn nations for her outstanding encouraging others to State College of work raising awareness of Communications. gender issues. Among other do the same.”

The program has a speachievements, DeCarvalho — Patrick Parsons cial focus on the developserves as a member of the ment of responsibility and Academic Integrity integrity among undergradCommittee in the College “I have no doubt that in their uates in the College as part of their of Communications, the professional and personal lives University’s Commission on preparation to be the principled these students will continue to ‘do Women and the Women’s Studies leaders of tomorrow’s media instituthe right thing’ and serve as role Advisory Committee. tions.

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Student News PROUD, PROMISING Five finalists, among the 50 selected nationally, represented Penn State in the Most Promising Minority Students Program conducted by the American Advertising Federation. Students who joined senior lecturer Ken Yednock at the award ceremony in New York City were: Sarah Bellidom of Mechanicsburg, Pa.; Tess Boyer of Oakton, Va.; Kiara Orange of Bronx, N.Y.; Marisa Peal of Philadelphia; and Ed Rather of Windsor, Pa.

Film Festival Again A Success

A variety of works by student filmmakers were featured during the Blue & White Film Festival in April.

The festival, presented by the Student Film Organization, annually showcases the best of student filmmaking at Penn State.

This year 17 films, 11 by seniors and six by juniors, were selected for screening. Seven of the entries are narratives and six are documentaries, with two animated and two experimental films.

AdClub Programming Serves Students With everything from alumni panels to Super Bowl ad parties, the AdClub again put together a strong year of programming to serve its student members.

The annual “Life After Carnegie” panel—when a handful of alumni return to campus to share insights about landing their first job and how to make the most of the educational opportunites while at Penn State—ranks as one of the most popular events of the year.

Panelists this year included: Melissa Bechtold (’10 Adv), a graphic designer for Clark Inc.; Missy Chen (’09 Adv) of McCann Erickson; Leah Donnenberg (’10 Adv), an assistant producer for

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Publicis; Sarah Donnenberg (’10 Adv), a production coordinator for Ogilvy; Karen Hopkins (’11 Adv), an associate manager for FierceMarkets; and Brandon Frese (’11 Adv), an assistant negotiator for Zenith OptiMedia.

Along with that panel, the AdClub coordinated a post-Super Bowl session to discuss advertisments shown during the game.

The AdClub also facilitates practice sessions for the Nittany Group, which represents Penn State in an annual American Advertising Federation competition, as well as a media planning recruitment event that attracted visitors from Katz Media in Dallas.

TOP TEACHERS Two graduate students from the College of Communications were among 10 from across the University recognized with 2012 Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Teaching Awards.

Those honored were Aaron Heresco (left) and Alexandra Nutter-Smith.

Four Selected for MLB.com Internships Four Penn State journalism students—the most from any school in the country—gained the opportunity to cover professional baseball through coveted summer internships with Major League Baseball.

This is the third consecutive year that students from the College of Communications have provided the most interns to MLB.com to cover teams through the program. From the summer of 2008 through this year, Penn State journalism students will have covered 18 teams.

Students selected this year were: Alex Angert of Weston, Fla., who will cover the Los Angeles Dodgers; Jake Kaplan of Ardmore, Pa., who will cover the Philadelphia Phillies; Joe McIntyre of Mullica Hill, N.J., who will cover the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; and Mike Still of Media, Pa., who

will cover the St. Louis Cardinals.

Through the program, interns work as associate reporters and produce daily stories and videos for their assigned team. Each intern is required to work for a minimum of 10 weeks, but may have the opportunity to stay throughout the season and into the playoffs.

“We’re excited for the opportunity these internships provide for our students,” said Malcolm Moran, Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. “Bill Hill of MLB.com, who oversees the selection process, has placed a great deal of faith in our students.”

The John Curley Center for Sports Journalism, created in 2003, explores issues and trends in sports journalism through instruction, outreach, programming and research.

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“Success in the City,” the annual job fair conducted by the College of Communications in New York City, was the largest in the nine-year history of the event. It attracted 60 companies and more than 150 recruiters this past spring.

More than 350 students attended the session that was conducted in the Time Warner Building.

The College conducts two communications-specific job fairs every spring. Along with “Success in the City,” an on-campus complement “JobExpo.Comm(unications)” often attracts a similar number of recruiters and students.

“We’re committed to providing opportunities for students,” said Bob Martin, assistant dean for internships and career services.

“Once we get our students in front of recruiters, their talent shines through.”

Several Penn State students got hands-on experience at toplevel sporting events during the spring semester. Four students served as interns at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. The opportunity was invaluable for Adam Brown, from Franklin Lakes, N.J., Ellen McNair, from Niceville, Fla., Jenn Studer, from Hershey, Pa., and John Tecce, from Eagle, Pa. In addition, four students from the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism provided exclusive online coverage of the BCS National Championship Game and the Final Four. Shane Hennigan of Dunmore, Pa., and Shane McGregor of Ebensburg, Pa., covered the BCS Championship game while Casey Kelley of Maplewood, Minn., and Audrey Snyder of Downingtown, Pa., covered the Final Four. Also, students from ComRadio were the only collegiate journalists who covered every moment of the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Student News

Notes, Numbers

Student News

Scholarship Support Provides $636,453 for Students Thanks to many contributors, the College made 431 awards totaling a most-ever $636,453 during the 2011-12 academic year. A list of awards and recipients follows.

Advertising Franklin Banner Scholarship Jeannette Bordeau Sarah Getkin Marc A. Brownstein Scholarship in Advertising Alissa Strong Donald W. Davis Mass Communication Fund Sarah Darcy Halley Yankanich Harmelin Media Scholarship Maura Klondar Wayne Hillinski Advertising Scholarship Natalie Episcopo Diane Wiley Interstate Advertising Managers Association Scholarship Amy Mastrine Mary M. Meder Scholarship Britani Luckman Jennifer Maughan Sharon Lynn Palaisa Jackson Memorial Scholarship Chelsea Burka Kelly Gambocurta Sharla Kurtz

ComMedia Randy and Maria Yanoshak Technology in Media Award Jillian Hunt Kelley King

Daily Collegian Damon M. Chappie Memorial Award in Investigative Journalism Jake Kaplan Collegian Alumni Hall of Fame Scholarship Danae Blasso Emily Riden Collegian AIG Scholarship Alexandria Belculfine Emily Fischer Ostar-Hutchison Daily Collegian Scholarship Matthew Morgan Emily Riden Kent A. Petersen Memorial Scholarship Emily Rischer Matthew Morgan Lynn Ondrusek

Ethics Don Davis Program in Ethical Leadership/The Davis Award Amanda August Lauren Decarvalho Shane McGregor Ricardo Morales Kari Skitka Danielle Van Gheem

Film-Video Samuel D. Abrams and Lillian K. Abrams Senior Film Endowment Brian Giallorenzo Delores McKay Rolanzo White Carmen Finestra Film Project Grant-in-Aid Kayla Fahy Jessica Gill Kelsey Hoffman Andrew Levis Brendan Willcox

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General Communications Jeanne Chapkovich Communications Award Shawn Conway Jenna Diliberto Caitlin Keller Rachel Wozniak College of Communications Alumni Society Scholarship Carly Hyland Kari Skitka College of Communications Deans’ Excellence Award Tom Hannifan College of Communications General Scholarship Hannah Antonchak Melinda Karth Michelle Karth Tauya Wilson Maguwah Elise Potter Edward Rather Rebecca Welk Patrick Woo College of Communications Scholarship in Memory of Lyn Kohl Amanda Goldstein College of Communications Scholarship in Memory of Terry Leach Jennifer Swales John and Ann Curley Scholarship in Communications Alex Braunbeck Andrew Cass Laura Finley Brian Giallorenzo Renae Gornick Beate Liepina Juliana Lustig Abby Miller Jessica Sever Paige Twillmann Lawrence G. and Ellen M. Foster Scholarship Samantha Agostino Leo Dillinger Anthony Duggan

Student News

PERUSING PHOTOS Visitors to Kern Building study images included in “ComPhoto 2012,� a display of some of the best work from College of Communications photojournalism students during the 2011-12 academic year. (Photo by John Beale)

Laurie Stern Danielle Van Gheem Raymond and Shirley (Gable) Galant Communications Scholarship Meredith Crowder Alyssa Curnow Timothy Heizenroth Matthew MacMurchy Emily Pasi Evan Ponter Jay Grossman Award in Communications Nicole Thomas Daniel Hartman Honors Scholarship Sara Matulonis Kristin Stoller David and Mary Lee Jones Washington, D.C., Scholarship Laura Nichols Sarah Peters Knight Minority Scholarship

Carmen Holland Monica Houston Danielle Trama

Excellence in Communication Doctoral Award Erin Ash

LAMCO Communications, Inc. Scholarship Jennifer Lewis Cristina Recino

Sidney and Helen Friedman Endowed Scholarship Ruobing Li

Shellie M. Roth Honors Scholarship Kristin Winiarski William F. Simmons Memorial Award Danielle Zelinsky James Wiggins and Christine Fleming Honors Scholarship in Communications Kelsey Bonsell Kelly Tunney

Graduate Studies Douglas and Claudia Anderson Communications Scholarship Drew Shade

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Marlowe Froke Graduate Scholarship in Education and Public Affairs in Public Broadcasting Xye Dong Djung Yune Tchoi Memorial Excellence in Teaching Award Katharine Allen Lauren Decarvalho

Incoming Freshmen Lawrence G. and Ellen M. Foster Merit Scholarship Marielena Balouris Amanda Dash Sarah Desiderio Nicole Dunoff

College of Communications Internship Grant Taylor Ferber Jessica Korch Colin Powell

Erik Geffken Rachel Lytle Rebecca Salman

Howard J. Lamade Communications Scholarship Tatum Coffey John Falconi Ashley Smalls

Honora and William Jaffe Scholarship in Communications Lauren Ingeno Jeremy Kahn Heather Panetta Matthew Rappaport Brianna Spadafora

Donald E. Allen Memorial Scholarship Amanda August Lane Borgida Kelsey Bradbury Erica Brecher Anthony Duggan Alexandra Farrell Alex Federman Jake Kaplan Blaire Kelly Ashley Leavens Abigail Machon-Oquendo Alyssa Manware Jessica Uzar Joshua Wimble

Student News

Alexa Lucas Sheridan March Ilana Ruben Taylor Shelly Stephen Shiflett

Journalism

Lipson Family Scholarship Rachel Garman Devan Lombardi Jonathan Wheel Richard and Victoria Mallary Scholarship in Communications Marisa Bippus Michelle Demaio Alexandra Menosky Kelsie Netzer

Internship Endowments College of Communications Alumni Society/Neal J. Friedman Internship Fund Alexandra Angert Paula Broussard Fernando Calderon Meghan Campbell Nicole Colon-Quintana Kaila DeRienzo Dana Griffin Laura Gunderman Carmen Holland Carly Hyland Lee Lawver Amy Mastrine Laura Nichols Kimberly Price Christina Recino Jessica Saddler Ann Sciandra Matthew Sonsalla Stephanie Tabor Rachelle Thompson Kathleen Topham Danielle Trama Andrew Walker Stephanie Williams College of Communications General Internship Award Meredith Zippo

Marvin and Josie Krasnansky Internship Grant Amanda Chaang Brittany Corl Georgina Feghali Daniel Finer Erika Glover Christy Lamberjack Kerry Lichtenstein Taylor McNamara Susan Micsky Charlotte Miller Lexi Schwartz Yu Chung Sze Danielle Van Gheem Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Robert K. Zimmerman Memorial Award Tina DeLuca Morgan Signs/Barash Advertising Internship Calais Clark A.W. (Dude) McDowell Memorial Scholarship Samantha Kramer Ryan Loy Shane McGregor Lynn Ondrusek Gregory Michael Schiff Memorial Scholarship in Communications Sara Costantino Shana Davies Ashley Leavens Kari Skitka Joan Vasiliadis Robert K. Zimmerman Memorial Internship Endowment Alexandria Belculfine Samantha Curti

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Caroline A. Bange Memorial Award Catherine Whitley Quinton E. Beauge Memorial Journalism Scholarship Marcus Correll Mario Di Paolo Louis H. Bell Memorial Scholarship Georgina Feghali Sarah Johnson S.W. Calkins Memorial Award Chloe Elmer Joshua Fink Risa Wallace Winifred Imhof Cook Journalism Scholarship Paula Broussard Brittany Stoner Stanley E. Degler Scholarship Kaila Derienzo Katie Derkits Edward S. Dubbs, Jr. Scholarship Iman McDonnaugh Travis Salters Evelyn Y. Davis Scholarship Alyssa Cornell-Blanco Heidi Kloster David Walkovic

Student News

COMMENCEMENT CAMARADERIE Assistant Dean for Multicultural Affairs Joseph Selden (left) poses with Alexis Morgan (center) and student marshal Christopher Randby during commencement exercises in May at the Bryce Jordan Center. (Photo by Steve Manuel)

Rheta B. Gleuck Prize Jeffrey Sattora Gene and Fran Goodwin Journalism Scholarship Shaira Lundy Maiyani Thornton George E. Graff Journalism Scholarship Eric Shultz William Randolph Hearst Foundation Awards Andrew Colwell Zachary Feldman Jake Kaplan Kelley King Trey Miller Anastasia Orso

International Reporting Class Awards John Andreadis Kyra Nelson Folashade Olasimbo Somer Wiggins Reuben Jaffe Memorial Journalism Scholarship David Amerman Kaylee Cummings Rebecca Grapsy David and Mary Lee Jones Journalism Scholarship Matthew Baumann Matthew D'Ippolito Sarah Foss Lee Lawver

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The Journalism Fund Megan Rogers John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Diversity Scholars Program Ricardo Morales Folashade Olasimbo Knight Diversity Scholarship in Sports Journalism Karam Khosa Marco Ranzi Isadore and Anna Krasnansky Minority Scholarship Cassandra Hom Joseph McIntyre Joncier Sloan Alexandra Williams

Student News

Marvin L. and Josie Krasnansky Undergraduate Scholarship in Communications Maria Kotsikoros Hayley Wildeson Jean Ward Lapton Memorial Award in Journalism Heidi Kloster Natalie Plumb Julia Ibbotson Martin Scholarship in Journalism Kayla Wallace Steinman Foundations and Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. Scholarship Fund Kathy Andrusisin D. Simonds May McNeer Women's Journalism Award Jessica Paholsky Jim Murray Memorial Foundation Award Shane McGregor Joseph F. and Mary P. Loftus Award for Outstanding Writing Alexandria Belculfine Kevin Cirilli Charles M. Meredith Sr. Scholarship Lauren Ingeno Laura Padilla Somer Wiggins John R., Jr. and John R. III and Jayne E. Miller Minority Scholarship Joan Vasiliadis Norman C. and Mollie Miller Journalism Scholarship Samantha Kramer Linda Martelli Memorial Award in Journalism Sara Matulonis Anne Richards

Kyle Patterson Erin Peretti Rebecca Trikur

Warren and Carole Maurer Radio Scholarship Dustin McQuaid Kiersten Shank

George E. Paterno Memorial Scholarship Sarah Greenberg Daniel Smith Penn State Sigma Delta Chi Journalism Award Jennifer Swales Salters Family Memorial Scholarship Nicole Colon-Quintana Chardonnai Johnson Richard and Arlene Small Journalism Scholarship for Sports Writing in Memory of Ridge Riley Michael Breidenbach Zachary Feldman kari Haffelfinger Ryan Konopki Ryan Loy Douglas Marino Frank McAndrew Jeffrey Sattora Audrey Snyder Daniel Zaksheske Jerome Weinstein Journalism Scholarship Sarah Foss Erik Geffken Steven Leech Matthew Trabold Jeanne Stiles Williamson Scholarship Daniel Cronin

Study Abroad Helene Eckstein Study Abroad Scholarship Alexander Angert Jennifer Swales Philip Radcliffe International Scholarship Jillian Hunt

Harold E. Newlin Memorial Award Jessica Uzar

Telecommunications-Radio Bernie Newman Scholarship in Journalism Dakota Debellis Shannon McCormick

Bradford Brian Communications Scholarship Jason Gordon Evan Nelson

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Lou H. Murray Scholarship Meghan Campbell Victoria Grice

Trustee AT&T Trustee Scholarship Terry-Ann Masters Douglas and Claudia Anderson Trustee Scholarship Melinda Karth Michelle Karth Douglas and Claudia Anderson Trustee Scholarship in Journalism Ryan Konopki Anita Oh Heather Panetta Laura and Mary Anderson Trustee Scholarship Hayley Chechatka Emily Riden Marty and John Aronoff Trustee Scholarship Sean Flanery Shane Hennigan Bryan McSorley Molly Sheerer Donald P. Bellisario Trustee Scholarship Scott Anderson Jeremy Bratton Timothy Breswick Marisa Cable Calais Clark Jonathan Craig Paul Daley Mark Dementri Michael Esse Deaven Freed Christine Gabel Andrew Gabriel Eric Hamilton Carmen Holland Yaa Hunt Shannon Isaacs Taylor Kelly Nicholas Laspina Kiu Lau

Marc A. Brownstein Trustee Scholarship Hannah Antonchak Krystal Kenlan Nile D. Coon Trustee Scholarship Christina Cherry Jacquelyne Cohen Meagan Ebmeyer Kaitlin Eckrote Christopher Luperi Kelsey Stratton Stephanie Wain John and Ann Curley Trustee Scholarship Yasemin Baris Leah Blasko Elena Lightfoot Michael Oplinger Jessica Saddler Candace Tilley Fetter Family Trustee Scholarship Nicholas Howe Taylor Shill Gene Foreman Trustee Scholarship Fernando Calderon Shana Davies Alina Gluck Tanadjza Robinson McCray Lawrence G. and Ellen M. Foster Trustee Scholarship Scott Anderson Alexander Angert Junessa Dello Russo J. Gilliland Lauren Henderson

Jillian Hunt Amana Kaskazi Jason Kohler Kyle Lucas Emily Murray Kyra Nelson Jordan Nikolic Cassandra Nissi Dushawn Roberts Katherine Rodriguez Johanna Rojas Eric Waites Andrew Walker Marjorie Mousely French Class of '48 Trustee Scholarship Brett Brenner Ashley Brooks Devin Burke Amanda Coble Natalie Faragalli Casey Kelley Christopher Li Jasmine Rushum Nicole Salerno Kimberly Sargent Hector Vazquez-Mondragon Equille Williams Tom Gibb Memorial Trustee Scholarship Samantha Arcieri Laura Nichols Hayden Family Trustee Scholarship Carl Ballard Maggie Neese Freda Azen Jaffe Memorial Trustee Scholarship Nicholas Dempsey Harold Wagner Kasselman Kohn Family Trustee Scholarship Lindsay Desantis Austin Lederman Warren L. and Carole L. Maurer Trustee Scholarship Wildamie Ceus Folashade Olasimbo Christopher J. and Patricia S. Martin Trustee Scholarship Jacqueline Dinarte Luis Santamaria

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Maralyn Davis Mazza Trustee Scholarship Aryn Tomlinson Qaadir Tunnell John S. Nichols Trustee Scholarship Jessica Garcia Sharon Kim Robert J. O'Leary Trustee Scholarship Adriana Acosta Vanessa Obando Penn State Alumni Association Trustee Scholarship Roby Bradford Jasmine Davis Colin Powell Eric W. Rabe Trustee Scholarship Kiersten Cunnane David Husar Tabitha Rinehart Daniel Zaksheske William Y.E. and Ethel Rambo Trustee Scholarship Mariah Blake Marisa Peal Joshua Wimble Robert L. and Mary Lee Schneider Trustee Scholarship Kaitlyn Knopp Shane McGregor Andrew and Beatrice Schultz Trustee Scholarship Amy Lewis Kelly Riggs Steinman Foundations Trustee Scholarship Dylan Johnson Allison Williams Trustee Scholarship Fund in the College of Communications Alisha Acquaye Frederick Ennette Amanda Vazquez Christopher C. Wheeler Trustee Scholarship Vireta Arthur Stephanie Olmo

Student News

Brittany Ledgin Shamir Lee Nia Nicholson Morgan Nixon Christopher O'Reilly Anthony Pernice William Riccette Roman Rogalla Natesha Rosado Marianna Saucier Kiersten Shank Michael Still Bradley Thomas Michael Vincent Matthew Welfley Bradley Welles Anna Zwolak

Student News

Commencement Speaker Challenges Graduates E d i t o r ’ s N o t e : Stephen Smith, the (E only journalist to serve as a top editor for Newsweek, Time and U.S. News & World Report, delivered the commencement address to the Class of 2012. It included references to “Animal House,” the “Strawberry Generation” and more.

It is reprinted here.)

Good afternoon. Greetings to President Erickson, Dean Anderson, Trustee Hintz, and the faculty and friends of the College of Communications.

Glad tidings to the parents of the graduates. You must be very proud of your sons and daughters—and I’m sure they are exceedingly grateful to you for making this day possible.

And congratulations to the more than 775 young men and women who have the honor of receiving academic degrees. Unlike most 2012 graduates, you are leaving with more than diplomas. You have job skills.

Graduations have always been a source of wonder to me, perhaps because getting my own degree was such a dicey proposition.

When “Animal House” came out seven years after I left campus, I knew exactly what Dean Wormer meant when he said the Deltas were on “double secret probation.” As it happened, I was in the Delta chapter of my fraternity, I had a roommate named Otter, and my GPA during my sophomore year was not much better than Bluto’s.

It is a special honor to return to Penn State, where I spent two days teaching in the College of Communications in November 2010.

I had expected the kind of drill I experienced at several Ivy League schools: Have lunch at the faculty club, teach a class to would-be

journalists who secretly planned to work at Goldman Sachs, then go to a fancy dinner off campus.

Well, was I ever in for a surprise.

I taught eight classes in two days, had five meals with faculty members, and a sit-down meeting with Dean Anderson. By the time I was finished, I had said everything I knew—and a whole lot I didn’t know.

So parents, rest assured: You got your money’s worth sending your children to this great university.

My deal with Dean Anderson back then was a simple quid pro quo: I’d come out to Penn State if he’d get me a ticket to a football game. It turned out I was here for Joe Paterno’s 400th victory, a thrilling comeback win over Northwestern.

For all of you, that must seem like a long time ago.

Since then, you’ve seen up close what happens when a story takes on a life of its own. The abstractions of the classroom become very real and often personal. In effect, you audited a real-life seminar in communications that cut across every discipline in this College.

But we are here today not to dwell on those events, but to salute you for what you’ve accomplished at Penn State—and to consider the challenges ahead.

You hear a lot about 60 being the new 50 or even the new 40, but even more important is that 27 has become the new 22 for many young people.

Alison Gopnik, a professor of psychology at Berkeley, notes that while children are reaching puberty earlier and earlier, they are taking on adult roles later and later.

In the distant past, we learned how to be good hunters and gather-

44

ers through middle childhood and early adolescence, under the supervision of adults. As we spend more time in school, our IQs have risen sharply but our practical skills have atrophied.

For most of history, Gopnik points out, children started their internships when they were seven.

I had a close and happy relationship with my parents, but they weren’t nearly so involved in my life as today’s parents are in the lives of their children—and that includes my wife Sally and me.

My grade school and high school were extremely competitive, but no one worried about my selfesteem if I got cut from a team or got a poor grade. By the time I got to college, I was pretty much on my own, except of course that my parents were still paying most of my bills.

But that was not an open-ended commitment. They made clear that I was off their payroll on the first day of September after my graduation.

It’s amazing how a deadline concentrates the mind. On Aug. 23, 1971, after being turned down by eight small newspapers, I got lucky on the ninth.

Your path to success has been clearly marked from kindergarten to this commencement day, and I bet most of you have not had to deal with much failure or even much serious criticism.

Perhaps you’ve heard the term “Strawberry Generation.” It was coined in Asia to describe young people who bruise easily because they grew up in comfortable circumstances, shielded by their parents.

Now I’m not suggesting that you are “strawberries,” but you are going to need a much thicker skin in the workaday world, where learn-

Student News

ing how to deal with the began blogging. She word “no” is the first was ecstatic when she step to success. reached 7,000 people On the bright side, online. the Internet has opened Then came Twitter— up opportunities that it wasn’t launched until would have been July 2006—and she unthinkable a decade started tweeting. Some ago. It lets you see how celebrities thought she others charted their was funny and re-tweetcareer paths—and it ed her. All of sudden gives you a chance to be she soared into the interested in everything. stratosphere.

Of course it has a At last count, she downside. It’s dangerhad more than 342,000 ously easy to live your Twitter followers. She lives through Facebook also landed a book conor Twitter or Whatever’s tract and a deal for a Next. comedy on NBC. Her Why go to Wrigley advice: “If you want to Field and drink a warm write, just write.” cup of Old Style when That said, I know you can search #Wrigley jobs are awfully hard to on Tumblr and have come by in this jittery hundreds of great photoeconomy. And I know graphs at your fingerthat many of you leave tips? here with a heavy burStephen Smith’s address, especially a reference for parents about You’re doubtless den of student debt. graduates coming “off their payroll,” was well received during familiar with the But don’t give up on commencement exercises. (Photo by Steve Manuel) acronym FOMO, or “Fear your dreams even if you of Missing Out.” Who have to wait on tables When I was your age, there was wants to miss out on the latest while you pursue them. only one path to the top rungs of meme or YouTube video? This is It’s easier to take a risk today journalism. You started in a small or great fun, but you can waste a lot of medium-sized market, moved to a because there are so many people years staying up to the minute. out there doing the same thing. In large regional paper or TV station, As you could tell from Dean other words, don’t let life just hapthen tried to claw your way to the Anderson’s introduction, I’ve had a pen to you.

Times or to Time or maybe to CBS. lot of jobs—and he didn’t even The word “commencement” perToday, thanks to the Internet, include my first two newspapers, a fectly captures our purpose here you don’t need a large institution to brief stint at an arts magazine, and today, for it signifies both the grantfind a large audience. two years at a think tank. ing of degrees and a time for new Or say you want to be a screenA headhunter once called me a beginnings. writer. Until a few years ago, you “grasshopper,” and in fact my As you prepare to go out on first had to get your Hollywood career was different than those of your own, it seems fitting to close MBA—the ironic term for working most of my peers, who tended to with some famous words of advice in the mailroom of a talent agency. work long stretches at the same It’s still a good way to break into the from the great moral philosopher of companies. my generation, Dean Wormer of business, but it’s not the only way.

Your careers are apt to be much Faber College: Take Kelly Oxford. She’s a 34like mine. Without job security or “Fat, drunk and stupid,” he told year-old Canadian, a married mothdefined pension plans, you’ll proba- er of three who never went to colFlounder, “is no way to go through bly work at a lot of places, learning life.” lege. new skills at each stop and moving Thanks for listening—and good She wanted to be a writer, and up the career ladder as you go. luck in a world full of opportunities. when the Internet came along she

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Alumni News

Ganim: No Time to Pause After Pulitzer Prize Award-Winning Alumna Keeps Busy Churning Out Quality Coverage

E

ven a few months after becoming the thirdyoungest person ever honored in the 95-year history of the Pulitzer Prize, earning national acclaim and getting an invitation to attend the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, Sara Ganim remembers one moment the most.

That was April 16, when the Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pa.— driven largely by Ganim’s work— was named as recipient of the Since winning the Pulitzer Prize Sara Ganim has accepted the award in New York City, attended Pulitzer Prize for local reporting. the White House Correspondents Dinner and made several visits to college campuses to discuss “With all that has happened, work. Still, she remains focused on her ongoing work as well. (Photo by Will Yurman) winning was the WOW! ing editor Mike Feeley. “She was at work the next day moment,” Ganim, 24, said. “We were in a category and hasn’t stopped.” with so much competition. This paper in Maine, which That’s been Ganim’s approach throughout her has a staff of three people, single handedly changed career. She started young and has not stopped—and she Maine housing laws. I was convinced they were going insists the pace this spring and summer has been a litto win. tle less hectic than when the Sandusky story first “The fact that we were recognized over an effort like broke. that still surprises me.”

“It seems like every week has a heightened pace Ganim (’08 Journ) became the second Penn Stater compared to this time a year ago,” Ganim said. “But I in her 20s to win a Pulitzer Prize with her coverage of don’t think anything could compare to how things the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal at the University. were happening in November. It was almost minute-byHer reporting led the cycle of news regarding the minute back then, and it was both challenging and Sandusky situation on a daily basis when charges exciting.” against the former assistant football coach became pubGanim began her journalism career while she was in lic on Nov. 5, 2011. She had first reported a grand jury high school in Florida. As an undergraduate at Penn investigation of Sandusky in March 2011.

State, she worked for The Daily Collegian and later for After an initial celebration in the newsroom, Ganim the Centre Daily Times in State College. She graduated and her colleagues later traveled to New York City to in three years and then worked for the CDT for two accept the Pulitzer Prize. They also have been invited to years before joining the Patriot-News in January 2011. visit college campuses and other venues to discuss their “Obviously, to say we are proud of Sara would be award-winning work. understatement. She should serve as an inspiration to There have been no prolonged absences from the aspiring young journalists everywhere,” said Dean daily routine, though. Ganim has consistently followed Doug Anderson of the College of Communications. the Sandusky story and others.

“It seems like only yesterday that, during her senior “When you win the Super Bowl, the next day you’re year in high school in Florida, she visited campus with going to Disney World. When you win the Stanley her parents. She had been accepted to Penn State, but Cup, the next day you’re off,” said Patriot-News managshe wanted to see first hand what our journalism pro-

46

Alumni News

gram had to offer. She was checking things out careful- around the possibilities it provides. We’re doing good, ly even then.” and we’re learning how we can apply those resources to The Pulitzer Prize was the first for the Patriot-News in all of our stories.” its 157-year history. The paper has a circulation of Feeley appreciates the value of such approaches. He 67,000 weekdays and 117,000 Sundays. appreciates even more the work of a talented journalist.

Ganim’s winning entry included nine stories.

“We talk a lot about today’s modern technology, According to the Patriot-News, other writers involved in that’s disseminating the news and it’s important, but it the entry were: Ivey DeJesus, Donald Gilliland and Jeff still comes down to getting people to talk to you and Frantz (’04 Journ). knocking on doors. She does that so well. She’s just a The Pulitzer Prizes, awarded since 1917, honor excel- really good reporter who was chasing a story.” lence in the arts and journalism. There are 21 cateAmong the many discussions Ganim has had about gories, and in 20 of the cather work have been on a egories (including Ganim's panel coordinated by the category) the winners John Curley Center for “We talk a lot about today’s modreceive a $10,000 cash Sports Journalism and an ern technology, that’s disseminating award and a certificate. appearance on the the news and it’s important, but it Only the public service catUniversity Park campus duregory, which is awarded to still comes down to getting people to ing a regional meeting of a newspaper and not an the Associated Press Sports talk to you and knocking on doors. individual, does not come Editors.

She does that so well. She’s just a with a cash prize. The win“We are so happy for ner in that category gets a really good reporter who was chasing Sara. She is a great example gold medal. for aspiring young journala story.”

In addition to a Pulitzer ists,” said Ford Risley, head — Mike Feeley, of the Department of Prize, Ganim’s work with the story has garnered managing editor, P a t r i o t - N e w s Journalism. “Sara’s passion many honors, among them for journalism always a George Polk Award for impressed me. She is Journalism, a Distinguished Writing Award for Local incredibly tenacious.”

Accountability Reporting from the American Society Norman “Mike” Miller (’56 Journ) of the Wall Street of News Editors and a 2011 Scripps Howard Award for Journal also won a Pulitzer while in his 20s. He received Community Journalism. In March, Ganim was named the award for local general or spot news reporting in to a Newsweek magazine list of “150 Fearless Women 1964 with his coverage of a million-dollar vegetable oil In the World.” swindle in New Jersey.

Still, as the honors accumulate they continue to Two other Penn State College of Communications remain unexpected by Ganim and her colleagues at the alumni have earned a Pulitzer Prize during their Patriot-News. careers.

“We never thought of it as a story that would garner In 1993, Rod Nordland (’72 Journ) was part of a awards, especially a Pulitzer Prize,” Feeley said. “She team at The Philadelphia Inquirer that won for local, genwas just investigating and writing a crime story. She eral or spot news coverage of the Three Mile Island was focused on the story, and a story like that can give accident. you 100 bunny trails that you have to chase down. She In 2000, Janet Day (’82 Journ) was part of a team at followed every one of them and just kept talking to The Denver Post that won for breaking news for coverage people.” of the shootings at Columbine High School.

She also leveraged her reporting and enhanced its The only Pulitzer winners younger than Ganim have impact with savvy use of social media. That included been: Stephanie Welsh, who was 22 when she won the using Skype to transmit information from a news con1996 Pulitzer for her photography of a female circumciference to the newsroom in order to make a deadline, sion rite in Kenya that was published by Newhouse and sharing tidbits of information on Twitter to drive News Services, and Jackie Crosby, who was 23 when traffic to stories once they were posted online. she won the 1985 Pulitzer for specialized reporting for “We’ve done a pretty good job with social media,” an in-depth series that focused on academics and athGanim said. “There are still things about it we can har- letics at the University of Georgia and Georgia ness and improve, but our newsroom has rallied Institute of Technology.

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Alumni News

Ad Council’s Fisher Embodies Alumni Achievement

Although she no doubt is too classes. She’s served on a social modest to admit it, Ellyn Fisher is media panel, taken part in mengood public relations for the toring sessions and met with Ad College of Communications.

Club students—both on campus That’s in part due to the PR she and in Manhattan. She is also a does for good causes as vice presimember of the College’s Ad/PR dent of public relations and social Alumni Board and ably co-chairs media for the Ad Council. its social media committee.”

Fisher (’99 Journ) was recogFisher returned to campus for nized on campus in March for her three days to share her expertise professional accomplishments and with students, faculty and adminher myriad contributions to Penn istrators. She was a guest lecturer State and the College. At that in several public relations and time she received the Alumni advertising classes, lunched with Achievement Award, presented by the officers of PRSSA and met the Penn State Alumni with faculty and administrators.

Association to alumni 35 years of At the Ad Council, Fisher age and younger for their noteworworks to promote the non-profit Ellyn Fisher was selected as the most recent thy career successes. organization and its more than 50 Achievement Award recipient representThe award-winners demonstrate Alumni public service advertising caming the College of Communications. to students that Penn State alumpaigns to the advertising, media, ni can succeed in exceptional fashion at an early age. and philanthropic communities, as well as to the camSince the award’s inception in 2005, the College of paigns’ key target audiences and the general public.

Communications is the only Penn State college to have Fisher works with the Ad Council campaign spona winner each year. sors on public relations, press relations and social In his letter of nomination to the Alumni media outreach activities relating to their campaigns.

Association, Dean Doug Anderson heartily endorsed She also develops content for several Ad Council publiFisher as a role model for today’s students. cations, including the organization’s annual report.

“Ellyn embodies the award’s description in both letPrior to joining the Ad Council, Fisher worked at ter and spirit,” wrote Anderson. “In her decade of work Middleberg Euro RSCG, representing such clients as with the Advertising Council, she has advanced the Lending Tree, Western Union and Reuters. She has messages, goals and ideals of dozens of non-profit also worked at Baker Winokur Ryder, a division of organizations and causes to tens of millions of Ogilvy & Mather that promotes celebrity talent, and at Americans. In this way, she has put to their very best USA Networks. use the foundation of education, skills, ethics and civic Fisher serves on the American Cancer Society’s responsibilities that was laid at Penn State and in the Communications and Marketing Advisory Board and is College of Communications. a volunteer with the New York City division of the “Ellyn is very plugged into our College. As a guest National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. She lives in lecturer, she has returned to campus to speak to our Manhattan.

Be Social (Media) with the College Find us, follow us, join us ... http://comm.psu.edu/alumni 48

Tyler Walk is riding a wave of success.

Walk (’06 Film) recently edited two documentaries that have received critical acclaim and are making the rounds at film festivals across the country.

The films, “Code 2600” and “How to Survive a Plague,” both offer insight into social issues that have captivated a generation.

Directed by fellow alumnus Jeremy Zerechak (’06 Film), “Code 2600” examines the information technology age and the ramifications of constant online activity and accessibility on personal privacy and security. The film premiered in March at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, Calif., and has been well received at its screenings.

Most recently, “Code 2600” was named the Best Documentary Feature Film at the 2012 Atlanta Film Festival.

“That was my first leap from assistant editor to lead editor, and it was sort of my big break to be able to put my name on a feature,” Walk said.

Shortly after completing work on “Code 2600,” Walk collaborated with David France, a journalist who covered the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City during the 1980s and 1990s. France was working on collecting footage to be used for a film about the crisis and how different groups worked to change medical treatment for AIDS patients. He hired Walk to cut the trailer for the film and eventually hired him as one of the lead editors.

“That was an amazing project—guiding through 800 hours of people’s old VHS tapes that haven’t been unearthed for 20-plus years and learning about this whole crisis that my generation and younger know nothing about,” Walk said.

Walk ended up co-writing “How to Survive a Plague.” Through historical footage, the film chronicles the movement in New York City and specifically follows two coalitions, ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group), as they petition for effective HIV treatment.

The film was selected for viewing at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by IFC Films

Snider Named to Lead Business Susan Snider (’89 Adv) was named president of Snider’s Elevator Inc.

Alumni News

Film Editor Finds Success With A Pair of Projects

shortly thereafter.

“It’s been fun watching those films get put out into our culture and seeing the buzz that it creates,” Walk said.

Currently, Walk is freelancing and seeking opportunities to edit and produce. He hopes to eventually direct his own pieces, but is enjoying editing documentaries.

“I find it exciting because you don’t know what sort of project you’re going to be on next,” Walk said. “I’m just waiting to see which opportunity strikes my fancy.”

— A l ison Hoac hla nde r (’1 2 A dv/P R)

in Lemasters, Pa. She has worked in the family business since childood.

Snider’s Elevator, established in 1929, is a feed manufacturer and grain-handling facility with a focus on custom dairy formulas.

The company also operates a

49

two-story retail store that features country lifestyle clothing, equine grooming supplies, bird and pet feeds as well as locally made cheese, honey and soap. Snider develops and manages the marketing strategy for the company.

Alumni News

Filmmaker Works to Transform Short Into Feature Filmmaker Andrew Hobson (’07 Film) recently caught his first big break.

Hobson, whose quirky comedy short titled “I’m Dating the Antichrist” earned him top honors from the L.A. Comedy Film Festival in 2011, recently received a call from director Tim Chambers.

Chambers—the brother of Penn State men’s basketball coach Patrick Chambers and best known for his film “The Mighty Macs,” about women’s basketball coach Cathy Rush, who took her Immaculata College women’s basketball team to the national championship— watched a few moments of Hobson’s comedy short and liked what he saw. He liked it so much that he offered Hobson the chance to turn “I’m Dating the Antichrist”

into a feature film.

Hobson said he is currently writing the feature version of the comedy short with Chambers’ help via phone calls and emails.

While he is excited about Andrew Hobson the opportunity, Hobson said the process is ongoing and time consuming.

“I’m Dating the Antichrist” is a story that takes the audience through an unorthodox situation in which a young man discovers that

he is, in fact, dating the Antichrist.

The protagonist of the story then seeks the help of a bizarre Catholic priest and hilarity ensues.

Hobson directed his first short film as sophomore at Penn State.

That film, titled “Rubik,” chronicled a young man’s determination to solve a Rubik’s cube. In 2009, Hobson got his first job as an assistant director to Nick Stagliano working on a modern-day western called “Good Day.” He regards his part in the film as a “wonderful learning experience.”

Hobson plans to direct comedies and has a tangible way to explain his career goal. “Truffaut used to say his goal was to make films that he would’ve snuck into when he was a kid,” Hobson said. “I want to do the same thing.”

Vacation Spot Sparks Author’s Creativity, Books Follow

Becoming an author was not on Ray McAllister’s to-do list, but when he couldn’t find a quality book about his favorite vacation spot, he decided to take the matter into his own hands.

“In essence, I decided to write a book that I wanted to read,” he said.

Now McAllister (’74 Journ) has three books under his belt and is working on others while he serves as the editor of Boomer Magazine in Richmond, Va. The published books all focus on barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina—TopSail, Wrightsville Beach and Hatteras Island—which McAllister describes as “beautiful and romantic, yet treacherous places.” The books combine recent interviews with the historical stories of each place in order to give readers the full experience.

According to McAllister, the book writing process involves a lot of time spent in libraries, conducting interviews, and waking up at 5 a.m. to write for the next several hours. He works to get a couple thousand words down a day, knowing full well that they’ll end up changing later.

“I’ve learned from newspapers that the rewriting is far more important than the writing,” he said.

McAllister polished his writing skills at the Richmond

Times-Dispatch where he worked as a reporter for 14 years. He served as a columnist for the next 19 years, an experience he describes as “being a kid in a grownup’s job. Each day was an entirely new experience, and I got to direct that experience.”

McAllister left the paper to focus on writing books, but ended up taking the editing job at the magazine.

His day-to-day responsibilities include running story and production meetings, assigning pieces, editing, sending stories out to be fact-checked and helping with the layout and production process.

“The magazine editing job is simply fun, and I get to work with a number of talented writers and artists,” McAllister said. “The book writing is far more solitary but offers supreme satisfaction, especially when I get the thing done.”

Besides the personal satisfaction he feels from completing a book, McAllister also enjoys hearing how his books have affected his readers. His interactions with readers at book signings have shown him that his work has influenced a lot of people.“I’ve literally had people come up in tears to thank me for a particular book,” he said. “That’s really touching—although I suppose it’s possible they simply have emotional problems.”

— A l ison Hoac hla nde r (’1 2 A dv/P R)

50

As a College of Communications student, Jerry Rizzo learned a valuable lesson: Don’t be good at one thing; be good at everything.

Now Rizzo (’11 PR) is demonstrating his broad skill set as the social media coordinator for the Philadelphia 76ers. He manages everything regarding the team’s online presence, and he has helped re-energize the Philadelphia basketball community through his work on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Flickr and YouTube.

Rizzo first created a lot of buzz in December 2011 when he landed a job with the Sixers after he and friend, Hunter Coleman, who earned his Penn State degree Jerry Rizzo in kinesiology in 2001, took it upon themselves to promote the team’s new mascot contest.

The contest was offered only on the Sixers’ website, so Rizzo and Coleman created Twitter accounts for two of the mascots in hopes of driving traffic to the site.

Phil E. Moose (@PhilEMoose)and B. Franklin Dogg (BFranklinDogg) became a hit.

“I started tweeting and driving people to the site and having fun with it,” Rizzo said.

Rizzo said he kept the accounts clean and professional and linked everything back to the Sixers’ website. He managed to connect with thousands of fans as well as local television and radio personalities that cover Philadelphia sports.

“I received an overwhelming response,” he said. “A lot of people were into what I was tweeting and getting excited about the voting.”

Eventually, the Sixers realized that it was not an employee helping with the promotion and asked the pair to turn over the Twitter accounts. Rizzo and

Coleman received season tickets, and shortly after, Rizzo received a job offer.

Rizzo said the new team owner, Adam Aron, was looking to engage fans in new ways and was pleased with Rizzo’s background in social media. Now, Rizzo spends his days interacting with as many people as possible. He works closely with Sixers’ public relations, community relations, marketing and ticket sales departments in order to strategize message delivery and to get fans talking about the team.

“My goal is to really open ourselves up to the Philly community and allow them to see inside of our organization,” he said.

Some new approaches include mobile promotions, live tweeting during games and starting conversations on the team’s Facebook page. Rizzo said the page now has 30,000 daily users who are commenting, “liking” posts, asking questions and sharing with other fans. He constantly pulls both positive and negative comments from the page and analyzes them to see how the team can be better.

“One of the most beautiful things about social media is the outsourcing aspect,” he said. “We look to our fans as a resource on the outside and know that they’ll let us know if we’re missing anything.”

Rizzo hopes to help the Sixers become a leader in new media in the NBA and to use those platforms to meet all of the organization’s goals—as well as have a little bit of fun.

“My favorite thing about it is waking up every day and having a new task, a new challenge,” Rizzo said.

“It’s just been really cool.”

— A l ison Hoac hla nde r (’1 2 A dv/P R)

Award-Winning Novelist Hits ‘Paydirt’ With His Latest Book Award-winning novelist Paul Levine has combined two of his lifelong loves— football and writing—in his latest book.

In Levine’s latest legal thriller, “Paydirt,” readers meet Bobby Gallagher, who loses his job as general counsel of the Dallas Mustangs professional football team and also loses his family and self-respect. Left with nothing, Gallagher sets out to reclaim his life by working with his genius, 12-yearold son to fix the Super Bowl.

Alumni News

Rizzo Parlays Assertiveness Into Full-Time Opportunity

Levine describes the novel as “a caper with suspense, thrills, laughs, some football and a touch of romance.”

Levine (’69 Journ) worked as a newspaper reporter, law professor, trial lawyer and screenwriter before finding his ultimate calling as an award-winning novelist.

He is best known for the Jake

51

Lassiter series and the Solomon vs. Lord series. He has also written several critically acclaimed stand-alone novels.

Additionally, Levine was co-creator and coexecutive producer of the CBS televisions series “First Monday” and wrote several episodes of the military drama “JAG.”

Alumni Notes 1940s

Anita Isecovitz Singer ('46 Journ) recently published her memoir, “Making Up One Side of the Bed—A Soliloquy of Prose, Poetry and Photographs,” a personal journey about love and loss and a tribue to her late spouse, Raymond P. Singer (’49 Agr). To order a copy, contact acsinger@comline.com 1970s Carl DiOrio (’74 Journ) was appointed managing editor of the Orange County Business Journal in Irvine, Calif. He lives in Culver City, Calif.

Carl Vogel (’74 Adv) was appointed ISO 9001-2008 representative for Johnson Matthey Co. He serves as quality systems engineer and manages onsite customer and ISO audits. He and his family live in Medford, N.J. Doug Miller (’76 MA Journ), principal at Miller Communications, Inc., a corporate, editorial and creative consulting firm in Beekman, N.Y., has published two books: “Secret Shorts: Stories, Essays and Other Organized Ink Stains,” and “Girl Scouts,” a novel. He also writes a weekly online humor column titled “Jack Pipe, Plumber and Personal Counselor.”

Marilyn Weisser Stemp (’76 Journ) has been named editor of IronWorks Magazine, a nationally circulated enthusiast magazine for Harley-Davidson riders. Marilyn and her late husband, Dennis Stemp, started the magazine in 1989 and she has been acting as executive editor. She lives in Winston-Salem, N.C., and may be contacted at www.ironworksmag.com PJ Lehrer (’79 Adv) was promoted to adjunct assistant professor of advertising at New York University. Her new book, “Does It Make You Want To Buy Something?” is based on what she learned during the 20-plus years she spent working in advertising. It s available at amazon.com online. Her advertising blog, Prof. Lehrer’s Blog, is posted at http://pjlehrer.blogspot.com/ online. She lives in New York City.

1980s

Ron Musselman (’81 Journ) was named editor-in-chief of StateCollege.com in February.

Justin Catanoso (’82 Journ) was named director of the journalism program at Wake Forest University. He and wife Laurelyn Dossett (’84 Lib) live in Greensboro, N.C. Chris Noonan Sturm (’83 Journ, Lib) has been named branch chief for internet and education programs for the United States Mint, Department of the Treasury. She lives in Rockville, Md., and may be found on on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/chrisnoonansturm, and at Twitter @cnsturm Chris Redding (’88 Journ) had three suspense books published in 2011.

More information about the books— “Incendiary,” “A View to a Kilt” and “Blonde Demolition”—may be found at www.chrisreddingauthor.com online.

1990s Paul Kovach (’90 Journ) was named director of marketing and communications for the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

Matthew Lev (’92 Film), an editor at CBS’ “60 Minutes,” won two Emmy Awards this past September. He and several colleagues were honored for their work on “The Blowout,” a segment that focused on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion.

Sean De Simone (’94 Brcab) is the head of casting and talent development at Back Roads Entertainment in New York. Back Roads Entertainment is a full service production company working in film, TV and branded entertainment.

Sean is responsible for acquiring all talent for concepts as well as developing and fostering new potential talent.

Christine Miller Hartz ('96 Journ) and husband Adam welcomed daughter Macy Pearl on Nov. 3, 2011. Macy joins big sister, Ella Sonessa, 2. Christine is

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the marketing manager for National Rehab in Moon Township, Pa. The family resides in Sewickley, Pa. Matt McKinney (’97 Journ) is the new digital communications manager for Cone Health in Greensboro, NC. He oversees online platforms and social media for the five-hospital health system. He and his wife Jamie had their first child, Liam James McKinney, in June 2011.

Treshea N. Wade (’98 Journ) has taken on a new role as the manager of online services for Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business in the alumni relations department.

Prior to Carnegie Mellon, Treshea was the marketing and public relations arm that helped open the August Wilson Center for African American Culture.

Chris Masse (’99 Journ) recently had his first book “Headliners: A Decade of Northcentral Pennsylvania Sports Excellence,” published and it has been critically acclaimed. He lives in South Williamsport, Pa., with his wife Missy and daughter Katie.

Alumni News

2000s Carla Knapp (’01 Journ) is a public relations specialist with the Indianapolis Zoo. Elizabeth (Sarcia) Johnson (’02 Ad/PR) and Gary Johnson (’02 Bus) welcomed son Luke Gary on June 20, 2011.

Elizabeth is director of public relations and content development at integrated marketing communication firm Frost Miller Group, where she manages clients’ PR and social media campaigns as well as writes copy. She blogs about her work at www.frostmiller.com online.

Jason Bartolone (’03 Journ) is an associate regional editor at Patch.com.

Alison Kepner (’03 Journ) is a public relations official with the Delaware Department of Education.

Amanda Modar (’03 Adv/PR, ’08 MEd Edu) married Kyle Wintersteen (’04 Adv/PR ) on Aug. 27, 2011. She is the assistant director for government relations for the National Association of College Admission Counseling. He is senior associate editor of American Hunter magazine. They live in Fairfax, Va. Megan Grote Quatrini (’03 PR) was promoted to senior manager of marketing communications for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Tommy Viola (’03 Journ), who married Angela Wary in September 2011, was named director of public relations/media relations for the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Adam Lardieri (’04 Adv/PR) and wife Elizabeth welcomed daughter Ava, born Sept. 23, 2011. They live in Altoona, Pa. Justine Maki (’05 Journ) is a homepage producer at the Washington Post.

Laura Michalski (’05 Journ) is assistant copy desk chief at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va. She has been at The Pilot since August 2005.

DON DELIVERS Emmy Award-winning “Saturday Night Live” director Don King (’69 Lib) shared insights, and some behind-the-scenes stories, during his presentation at the Penn State Forum.

King, who just completed his sixth season in charge of “SNL,” has directed more live network television than anyone in TV history. He has earned five Emmy Awards for his directing, and has been nominated 21 times as a writer, producer or director.

Susan Field (’06 Journ) earned a master’s degree in education from Bloomsburg University in May. Veronika Medina (’06 Journ, Spanish) is a communications and document specialist with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. She resides in North Bethesda, Md. Steve Strange (’06 Journ) recently published “Fantasy is Reality,” his first book, a reference guide for fantasy sports commissioners. For more information, visit www.strangesports.com online.

Maribeth Magiera (’07 Adv/PR) joined Mintz & Hoke Communications Group as a media assistant. In that role, she supports the agency’s media planners and buyers in all facets of client media programs. She previously worked for CBS Radio as a traffic manager.

Michelle Bixby (’08 Journ) is a photog-

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rapher at the Finger Lakes Times in Geneva, N.Y. Ryan Smith (’08 Journ), an attorney, is an associate at Sherrard, German and Kelly PC. He lives in Mars, Pa. Mark Viera (’08 Journ) of The New York Times, working with Pete Thamel, placed first in the Breaking News category of the annual Associated Press Sports Editors competition for newspapers with a circulation greater than 175,000.

Amy Wadas (’08 Journ) is a reporter and noon anchor/producer for WTRF-TV in Wheeling, W.Va. Scott Ryan Galilei (’09 PR) of WilkesBarre, Pa., was promoted to senior admissions representative for McCann School of Business, of the Delta Career Education Corp.

Angela Haupt (’09 Journ) is an assis-

Alumni News

tant editor at U.S. News & World Report.

William G. McAlpin (’09 Journ) of Phoenix, Ariz., is an account executive with Yelp! Inc. Donavan Hunt Thomas (’09 Ad/PR) resides in Vienna, Va., and is a training officer with Strayer University in Herndon, Va. 2010s

Peter Brockman (’10 Telecm) is president/owner of DJ Pete Butta in Pittsburgh.

Dave Leviten (’10 Media) is a manager for Ron Shapiro Management and Consulting in New York City. In that role, he works with musicians such as Motley Crue, Regina Spektor and Steven Tyler.

Kelly Rippin (’10 Journ) is a reporter and weekend anchor at WBOY-TV in Clarksburg, W. Va. Wendy (Xiang) Shi (’10 Film) is a business associate with ZS Associates in Princeton, N.J. Rossilyne Skena (’10 Journ) is a reporter at the Tribune-Review in Greensburg.

Craig J. Smith (’10 Journ) completed the MBA program at Saint Francis (Pa.) University in May 2012. He was a graduate assistant to the student activities organization.

Wayne Staats (’10 Journ) of the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle finished fifth in the Breaking News category of the annual Associated Press Sports Editors competition for newspapers with a circulation of 30,000 to 75,000.

Veronica Bautista (’11 Journ) is the web site manager for WOR-AM in New York City.

Catala Enjoys Challenging Position

Janice Catala does not ESPN Deportes. have an average work She simultaneously day. earned her master’s As the communicadegree in interactive tions specialist for media from Quinnipiac ESPN’s technology University, which department, Catala sparked her interest in wears a lot of different her current position. hats. She promotes the “This job really department’s products encompassed a lot of and achievements, crethe new things I had Janice Catala ates the departmental learned about,” Catala newsletter, plans intersaid. “I’m not a techninal and external events, edits cal person, so working with the audio and video pieces and even technology group and learning dabbles in graphic and web about that industry has been realdesign. ly cool.”

“I’m always alternating Catala does not travel much, between all of those responsibilibut the job does require her to ties. It never really stops,” she move around the large ESPN said. campus in Bristol, Conn., to Catala (’07 PR) has been with meet with different departments.

ESPN since 2006 when she land“My role is unique in that I ed a summer internship with its work with pretty much everyone mobile division. After completat ESPN,” she said. “I touch ing her degree, she was offered an things that go out to everyone in interview with ESPN’s corporate the company and things that go communications division, which way beyond the company. It’s led to a job promoting the comcool to know that the things I do pany’s international networks like reach thousands of people.” reporter at WBOY-TV in Morgantown, W.Va., and plans to get married in August 2012.

Andy Colwell (’11 Journ) is a photographer at the Erie Times-News.

Mandy Hofmockel (’11 Journ) works for MassLive.com as an associate producer.

Christopher Hush (’11 Journ) is an anchor/reporter for WRTM-TV in Elmira, N.Y. He resides in Horseheads.

Aaron Clark (’11 Journ) is a producer at WFMZ-TV in Allentown.

Kristi Farinelli (’11 Telecm) is an analytics consultant, public sector, for IBM in Herndon, Va.

Andrew Clay (’11 Journ) was hired as a

Heather Schmelzlen (’11 Journ) is a

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page designer for the Pittsburgh PostGazette.

Lexi Belculfine (’12 Journ) is a copy editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Danielle Allegra Ciarlante (’12 PR) is an assistant media strategist for OMD in New York, N.Y. Jillian MacMath (’12 Journ) is an online journalist for AccuWeather.

Anne Richards (’12 Journ) is an associate producer for WINK-TV in Fort Meyers, Fla. Dan Yesesnosky (’12 Journ) is a reporter/videographer at WITN-TV in Greenville, N.C.

Alumni News

H. Eugene Goodwin (1922-2012): A Remembrance

By R. Thomas Berner

Raucous laughter rang through the second floor of Carnegie Building and a colleague I was chatting with a couple of offices from the source said: “You can tell Goodwin’s in the building. You can hear him laugh.”

That was Gene Goodwin. He was infectiously happy and outgoing whether with family, friends old and new, colleagues, poker buddies or students. One former student affectionately recalled him as garrulous. He was generous almost to a fault (he once thoroughly edited a book-length manuscript and was given only a bottle of wine for his hard work) and liberal in the best sense of that word. Politically, he was an active Democrat and often praised FDR, who was president when Gene joined the Air Force in 1943.

I first met Gene in 1968 as a sophomore seeking job advice. He was then the director of the School of Journalism, a job he had gotten in 1956 after his first heart attack because it was less stressful than newspaper work. (He also quit smoking.)

We met again in 1969 at the Pennsylvania Mirror after he had stepped down as director and was preparing to teach editing by reviving his skills on the Mirror’s rim, editing being one of the things he had done in a professional career that included working for the Washington Star, the Associated Press and the Baltimore Sun. In 1971, we renewed our acquaintance when I started grad school and he was my thesis adviser. But it wasn’t until I joined the faculty in 1975 that I finally got to know and appreciate the full range of Gene Goodwin.

The mid-70s was a good time to be teaching journalism. Watergate had pushed journalism enrollments sky high and the faculty I joined was determined to maintain very high standards and prepare students for the real world. Get to class on time, spell names correctly, don’t miss commas, don’t back into stories, get all sides of the story. Alumni might remember faculty from that period: Bill Dulaney, Don Smith, Dan Pfaff, Vince Norris, Bill Gibbs, Bob Farson.

And Gene Goodwin.

“He was tough, he was demanding, he was fair, he was right,” one alum said on Facebook.

Many will recall that Gene became a legendary teacher of ethics and published an award-winning book, “Groping for Ethics in Journalism.” Equally noteworthy, he received the George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching, presented to faculty who have devoted substantial effort to undergraduate teaching.

Gene Goodwin was honored at Penn State as the recipient of the George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching.

That substantial effort was noted by many former students. Said one: “In 25 years as a journalist, the lessons I learned in Gene Goodwin’s legendary journalism ethics class were with me nearly every day. It was one of the hardest—and best—experiences of my time at Penn State.”

Another former student said the ethics course “truly shaped my critical thinking more than any other class I ever took and quite possibly more than any experience since.”

He helped set students on the right path in life.

“This man changed my life as very few have, at a time it needed it,” said another alum who, after chatting with

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Alumni News

Gene, switched from English to ries of their life together and perjournalism (in his 10th term, no haps reverse her decline. less) and began “a career I’ve had a Throughout his life, Gene was love affair with” for life. an especially good poker player It may surprise alums, especially (actually, he liked anything comolder ones who would say the faculpetitive, including, in his later ty thought the alphabet began with years, bridge and bingo). He a C, that when it came to grades, showed up one night for a poker Gene was actually a voice of modgame at my house claiming to have eration. had too much wine with dinner He once noted that journalism and so led us to believe he would students were not among the winbe an easy mark. Instead, he proners of University-wide grade-based ceeded to clean us out and awards. He suggested that we facullaughed all night. ty might think about our students In later years, diminished by in the total university and grade multiple system atrophy (which is accordingly. The next year journalsimilar to amyotrophic lateral scleGoodwin arrived at Penn State in 1957 (above) ism students were winning rosis), he would visit family and and remained a faculty member until 1985. He is friends in Centre County and play University-wide awards. remembered as “tough, demanding, fair and Gene had a life outside of from a high-tech wheelchair with right,” according to at least one alumnus.

Carnegie Building. gadgets on it he loved to show off.

Number one in that life was his wife, Frannie, whom He was, as one player recalled, “just as feisty as ever.” he met at the University of Iowa and who was the subHe would also meet friends for lunch at the Nittany ject of a book he had been working on during the past Lion Inn. One recalls that he “wanted to talk, he wantfew years. Frannie appeared wherever Gene appeared. ed to listen, he always talked about Frannie.”

They were an item.

He talked about the time he and Frannie spent in She used to help him grade the work produced in his Greece and proclaimed it the happiest time of his life, editing class by making sure the headlines fit. She’d declaring that he had never seen Frannie more beauticount the characters. If you ever had to check headline ful. counts in the pre-computer days, you’d know what a His daughters recall that same talkative man in his labor of love Frannie was performing. final days, although his voice was softened so much After he retired in 1985, Gene was glad to move to they had in Gene’s last year rigged an amplifier to his Mount Dora, Fla., to be closer to Frannie’s mother, wheelchair so he could be heard. who was suffering from dementia. And there, as was He suffered a heart attack on a Wednesday and typical of Gene, he took on new activities none of us when told he had but a few days to live insisted that he could have seen coming. When he told his poker budbe returned to Frannie’s side at the nursing home dies back in State College what he and Frannie were up where he and Frannie had been living. During his last to, I recall the reaction as something like this: “Lawn weekend, he got to talk to everyone: Frannie, daughters, bowling?!” sons in Texas, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The very active Unitarian, amateur winemaker, hand- “He just talked and talked and talked,” his daughters ball player and jogger had taken up lawn bowling. And reported. “You couldn’t shut him up.” then, applying their knowledge of editing and design, Gene Goodwin was 89 when he died at 12:02 a.m.

Gene and Frannie started the Mount Dora Lawn Bowler the following Monday. He is survived by Frannie, two newsletter, although now the headline counting was daughters, two sons, two grandchildren, five greatdone on a Mac. And later Gene became the editor of grandchildren.

Bowls USA, the official magazine of the United States And us.

Lawn Bowls Association.

Alas, Frannie’s health declined. She began to suffer a R. Thomas Berner is a professor emeritus of journalism and form of dementia and had several mini-strokes. In American studies. He acknowledges the help of many people 2007, the Goodwins returned to Pennsylvania to live who shared stories about Gene Goodwin, stories he has tried with one of their daughters. Gene, wanting to help to capture in this essay. Another former student, Sally Frannie’s cognitive rehabilitation, solicited old photoHeffentreyer (’78 Journ, ’04 MA Media), also edited the graphs of friends to help revive those many good memo- story.

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Alumnus, Faculty Member Hilinski Leaves a Legacy

Alumni News

IN MEMORIAM

When it comes to the College of with three wins, a second and a Communications and its forerunthird. He also served as the advisners, as well as The Daily er to the Penn State Ad Club.

Collegian, no one wore as many No matter what he did on hats through the years as the late campus, Wayne was very handsWayne Hilinski. on Hilinski arrived on the Penn Hilinski was the business manState campus in the fall of 1958 ager at the Collegian in 1962, and for the next half-century and overseeing all of the newspaper’s more, he was an ardent supportfinancial affairs. Years later, he er of the University in just about was a steward for the paper in every way imaginable—which is another sense, serving as a board quite the achievement, given his member of the Collegian Alumni flair for the creative.

Interest Group. As a member of That was whether he was guidthe AIG, Hilinski played a key ing an advertising agency in role in the alumni group’s Canada, advising the College’s “Collegian Chronicles” Penn American Advertising State history. Wayne did photo Federation’s team or serving on research for the book, and conany one of three Penn State tributed scores of captions as alumni boards. well.

Hilinski, who died Feb. 25, He was a longtime member of 2012 at the age of 73, spent more the College’s Alumni Society Wayne Hilinski came to Penn State as an undergraduthan three decades working for ate in 1958, crafted a stellar career in advertising and Board. He served as co-chair of later returned to the University to share his expertise the board's mentoring program agencies such as McCannErickson and Leo Burnett before as a popular faculty member in the Department of for several years, serving as the Advertising/Public Relations. returning to his alma mater to event’s emcee both on campus teach in 1996. and on the road in cities like New York and “There is no greater legacy for a well-spent profesWashington, D.C. sional life than to unselfishly work to pass on experiHilinski was also a member of the board of the ence and knowledge to the next generation,” said Parmi Nous Alumni Interest Group. In addition, he Robert Baukus, head of the Department of created an endowment to establish the Wayne Hilinski Advertising/Public Relations. “As a teacher at Penn Scholarship in Advertising.

State, Wayne certainly embraced the opportunity to His characteristic creative wit was on display in retirementor our students.” ment, when Hilinski frequently noted that he was a Hilinski’s classes emphasized creative and campaign “freelance writer writing for a non-living.” work.

And, as an undergraduate, engaged alumnus, faculty “Wayne was the central facet of the creative compomember or retireee, Hilinski had one favorite place and nent of our advertising major,” Baukus said. “For nine time of year on campus. years he taught an average of two sections of ‘advertising He enjoyed sitting on the steps of Carnegie Building, creativity’ each semester. Some semesters he went beyond especially during the fall semester, as temperatures the call and taught twice that number. He worked hard cooled a bit and busy students hurried to and from to pass on his knowledge and experience in a manner class. To him, that spot, thanks to the generations of that was intriguing and comfortable for students.” people he met there, was special.

For eight years Hilinski led the College’s AAF disHis impact was special, too. trict competition team. Under his guidance Penn “We will always remember Wayne’s efforts on behalf State’s student team finished in the top three five times, of the college and our students,” said Baukus.

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Alumni News

IN MEMORIAM

Jeanne Lynn Hall, a respected faculty member in the College of Communications, died unexpectedly Dec. 23, 2011, at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College. She was 53.

Hall was an associate professor in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies. She joined the Penn State faculty in 1992 and taught film theory, history and criticism. She received a number of honors as a faculty member, including the College of Communications Alumni Society’s Excellence in Teaching Award.

“Jeanne was a dedicated member of our faculty who always placed her students first. She cared deeply about them—and it showed, whether she was teaching small honors courses to undergraduates; working with graduate students in seminars; or teaching hundreds of students in large lecture formats,” said

Richard Balentine, 88, an accomplished journalist and veteran public relations professional, died March 4, 2012.

A World War II veteran, serving in an anti-aircraft battallion in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, Balentine (’49 Journ) worked as a reporter in Williamsport, Pa., and then moved to Hartford, Conn., and New York City.

He was later one of the first employees for Aviation Week and worked in public relations for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, the International Labor Organization, Texaco and the Aerospace Industries Association.

He also worked for the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

A loyal supporter of the College of Communications, Balentine was also a talented musician who played the piano and organ with considerable expertise.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Johanna. The couple had no children.

Dean Doug Anderson. “Her students thought the world of her and profited greatly from her knowledge and her enthusiasm. She was a wonderful colleague.”

Prior to joining the Penn State faculty, Hall taught at the Ohio University School of Film and edited a quarterly film journal, Wide Angle. She earned bachelor's and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate in film studies from the University of Wisconsin.

She is survived by her parents, Clark and Joyce Hall, West Bloomfield, Mich.; sisters, Kathleen (Frank) Gariepy, and Cheryl (David) Lindsay; brothers, Mark (Jodi) Hall, Thomas Hall, and James (Kristin) Hall, all of Michigan. She is also survived by Jean Stobart Hall, and her former husband, Ron Bettig.

Robert Dale Morgan, 50, a sports communications professional who led organizing efforts for the Olympics, two Super Bowls, one Final Four, the PGA Tour, bowl games and college conferences, died Jan. 29, 2012.

Morgan (’83 Journ) grew up in Canton, Pa., and completed an internship at the U.S. Olympic Training Camp immediately after graduation.

He later worked for the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce—helping create the Chick-fil-A Bowl and organize the Olympic Games and Super Bowl in that city.

Morgan also helped Houston, which had become his home, secure its Super Bowl, and later served as president and CEO of that host committee.

An avid golfer, he also served two years as vice president/championship management for the PGA Tour. He formed his own corporation, was managing director of ProActive Consulting Group and in that role helped bring the Final Four to Houston in 2011.

58

John D. Vairo, 91, the founding executive officer of Penn State Brandywine and a former faculty member in the College of Communications who impacted colleagues, students and every community in which he lived, died Jan. 1, 2012.

A World War II veteran, Vairo worked at newspapers in several Pennsylvania communities before serving as an associate professor from 1956 to 1967.

Because of his many contributions to city planning, Vairo Boulevard in State College was named in his honor.

At Penn State Brandywine, he pushed enrollment from 236 to more than 1,600 and remained active on campus even after his retirement in 1986.

In 1995, the John D. Vairo Library was named in his honor. A library endowment fund was established in his honor, too. Vairo and his late wife created a scholarship that provides aid to campus students who continue their education at University Park.

IN MEMORIAM E. Stratford “Strat” Smith, 95, a College of Communications faculty member and television pioneer, died Dec. 25, 2011. He was 95.

Smith—the man whose legal advice and approach opened the door for the growth of cable television across the country—worked for the Federal Communications Commission, served in the Navy and started his own law firm. He was perhaps best known for a 1968 Supreme Court case, “Fortnightly Corp. v. United Artists Television.”

Led by Smith, the “master antenna” argument was that the typical cable television setup for communities, with one master receiver sharing the signal by cable to many subscribers, did not violate the copyright of those who had created the content.

“Without that ruling, cable might not have gotten off the ground, or might be very different than it is today,” said Matt Jackson, an associate professor and head of the Department of Telecommunications. “Cable TV started in rural areas, many in Pennsylvania, where people could not pick up good TV reception because they were living in a valley.

People were literally sticking a TV antenna on top of a mountain, then running a wire down to the valley to hook up all the houses.”

Smith was born in Brigham City, Utah, and grew up in Utah and Idaho. He studied electrical engineering at the University of Utah before entering law school. In 1941, he transferred to George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In 1988, Smith became the inaugural holder of the Pioneers Chair in Cable Telecommunications, a position he held until his retirement in 2001.

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OFFICE OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS 301 James Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .865-8801 Kevin Musick, Director of Development Janet Klinefelter, Development Assistant Tarynn Herlocher, Administrative Assistant Sue Beals, Administrative Assistant Mike Poorman, Director of Alumni Relations Steve Sampsell, Director of College Relations DEAN’S OFFICE 201 Carnegie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .863-1484 Douglas Anderson, Dean Marie Hardin, Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . .865-3370 ACADEMIC SERVICES 204 Carnegie Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . .865-1503 Jamey Perry, Assistant Dean for Academic Services CAREER PLACEMENT & INTERNSHIP OFFICE 208 Carnegie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .863-4674 Bob Martin, Assistant Dean for Internships and Career Placement MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS 208 Carnegie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .863-6081 Joseph Selden, Assistant Dean for Multicultural Affairs STUDENT MEDIA 101 Innovation Blvd., Suite 213H . . . . . . .865-2802 Thor Wasbotten, Assistant Dean for Student Media and Online Operations WEB SITE http://comm.psu.edu

COLLEGE CALENDAR June 24 ................Second Six-Week Summer Session Begins July 4 ..................Independence Day (no classes) July 8-12 ..............Penn State Film Camp July 8-12 ..............Penn State Multimedia Journalism Camp Aug. 11 ................Summer Commencement Aug. 27 ................Fall Semester Classes Begin Nov. 18-24 ..........Thanksgiving Holiday (no classes) Dec. 17-21 ..........Fall Semester Final Exams Dec. 22 ................Fall Commencement 59

The Communicator College of Communications The Pennsylvania State University 302 James Building University Park, PA 16802

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A celebration of The Daily Collegian’s 125 years of excellence.

Weekend of Oct. 19, 2012 / State College

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Events (open to Collegian friends as well as alumni) will begin Friday evening and end Sunday afternoon. Please contact event co-chair Rossilynne Skena at rossilynne@gmail.com for more information.

Success Stories AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

With a No. 1 overall finish in the William Randolph Hearst

Foundation’s Journalism Awards program and national-caliber efforts in several areas, students from the College of Communications set a standard for excellence during the 2011-12 academic year.

Award-winning photographer Andy Colwell captured everything from the emotion of flag-waving Penn State student Jake Librizzi (above) during an off-campus celebration of the death of Osama bin Laden to 4-year-old Wyatt Fritz (right) helping his father Ash mow the lawn at their home in Shanksville, Pa. Those photos were part of Colwell’s submissions for the photography category of the Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program. He was one of four Penn State students to qualify for the program’s individual national championships in San Francisco. (Story inside.)

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

Standout student efforts lead to No. 1 rank

The College of The William Randolph Hearst Communications, fueled Foundation's Journalism by strong across-theAwards Program, now in its board performances, earned its first-ever 52nd year, often is called “the national championship in Pulitzers of college journalthe overall intercollegiate ism.” writing-broadcasting-phoThe annual competition in tojournalism-multimedia writing, broadcasting, photostandings in the 2011journalism and multimedia is 2012 William R. Hearst open to students from the counFoundation’s Journalism try’s 108 nationally accredited Awards Program.

It draws more than mass communication programs.

1,000 student entries each year.

16th; 2001, 13th; The College also finished first in the com2002, fifth; 2003, bined writing-broadcast standings and the comfourth; 2004, fifth; bined writing-broadcast-photojournalism stand2005, seventh; 2006, ings. ninth; 2007, sixth; “The performance of our students across all 2008, fourth; 2009, categories reflects our overall comprehensiveness 11th; 2010, third; and balance,” Dean Doug Anderson said. “This 2011, 10th; and truly was a special group of students.”

2012, first.

The College captured seven individual top-10 The Hearst student finishes in writing; two top-10 individual Journalism Awards finishes in photojournalism; one top-10 individProgram is conductual finish in radio; and one individual top-10 fin- ed under the ausish in multimedia. pices of the accredThe College earned an additional seven indiited schools of the vidual finishes and two multimedia team project Association of finishes in the top-20 in all four competitions.

Schools of Penn State, Missouri and Florida were the only Journalism and Mass universities to finish in the top-10 in all four Communication and competitions: writing, broadcasting, photojouris fully funded and nalism and multimedia. administered by the The College finished first in writing; fourth in William Randolph photojournalism; seventh in multimedia; and Hearst Foundation. eighth in broadcasting.

The program The College consistently ranks among the top awards up to schools in the annual Hearst overall standings. $500,000 in scholarIts place finishes among the country’s more ships and grants than 100 accredited programs this century: 2000, annually.

FINAL STANDINGS Overall writing, broadcasting, photojournalism and multimedia.

1. PENN STATE 2. Missouri 3. North Carolina 4. Western Kentucky 5. Nebraska 6. Arizona State 7. Florida 8. Indiana 9. Montana 10. Oregon 11. Syracuse 12. Northwestern 13. Ohio University 14. Southern California 15. Kansas 16. Kent State 17. Alabama 18. LSU 19. Central Michigan 20. Kentucky Combined writing, broadcasting and photojournalism.

1. PENN STATE 2. Missouri 3. Arizona State 4. Nebraska 5. Indiana Combined writing and broadcasting.

1. PENN STATE 2. Arizona State 3. Missouri 4. Indiana 5. Northwestern

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

National championship in writing

The College of Communications capTOP 10 tured the national championship in the INTERCOLLEGIATE WRITING 2011-2012 intercollegiate writing competi1. PENN STATE tion of the William Randolph Hearst 2. Indiana Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program.

3. Northwestern The competition, often called “the 4. Missouri Trey Anna Pulitzers of college journalism,” is in its 5. Arizona State Miller Orso 6. Kansas 52nd year.

7. Oregon The country’s 108 nationally accredited 8. Nebraska journalism-mass communication pro9. Florida grams are eligible to compete.

10. Kentucky Schools can submit two student entries in each of the five monthly writing comTwo Penn State petitions: features, enterprise reporting, sports students have capreporting, personality/profile writing and breaking tured the individual news writing. This year’s competition drew more writing crown in the Zack Jake than 500 writing entries.

San Francisco Feldman Kaplan The final intercollegiate standings are calculated championships in based on overall student performances. the past five years: “We are a perennial top-five place winner in the Halle Stockton, now annual Hearst intercollegiate writing standings, but a reporter for the we’re particularly proud of our championship team Sarasota (Fla.) this year,” Dean Doug Anderson said. “We have Herald-Tribune, who established a pattern of success in this prestigious won in 2007, and competition, to be sure, but a No. 1 finish certainly Andrew McGill, adds luster to our tradition.” now a reporter for Brittany Alex Angert Two Penn State students earned first-place finThe Morning Call in Stoner ishes: Anna Orso in breaking news and Trey Miller Allentown, who in sports writing. placed first in 2010.

Six other Penn State students earned top-20 The top-five place winners in individual finishes: Jake Kaplan placed fourth in each of the writing competitions sports writing; Zack Feldman earned fourth in per- earn scholarships, with matching sonality/profile writing; Brittany Stoner claimed grants to the College of eighth place in features; Alex Angert notched Communications. eighth in breaking news writing; Paul Casella The College also will receive a earned ninth in personality/profile writing; and gold medallion and a $10,000 Paul Lexi Belculfine placed 13th in features. award at the Hearst championships Casella Penn State’s Matt D’Ippolito and Paige in San Francisco for its first-place intercollegiate Minemyer scored points in enterprise reporting. finish.

“We are so proud of our students,” Russ Judging the writing competition this year were: Eshleman, associate head of the Department of Jennifer Sizemore, vice president/editor-in-chief, Journalism and co-coordinator of the College’s MSNBC.com and executive producer, NBC News; writing submissions, said. “They tackled tough sto- Ward Bushee, editor and executive vice president, ries and did a wonderful job of reporting and writ- The San Francisco Chronicle; and Marty Kaiser, editor ing them.” and senior vice president, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

Quartet qualifies to compete in San Francisco

Four College of Communications students qualified for the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program national individual championships, conducted in June in San Francisco.

Anna Orso and Trey Miller qualified for the writing championships; Kelley King qualified for the multimedia championships; and Andy Colwell qualified for the photojournalism championships.

Each year, 29 students—from the more than 1,000 who enter the Hearst monthly competitions throughout the academic year—qualify for the championships: eight in writing; five in radio; five in television; six in photo; and five in multimedia.

“It’s a tremendous honor for the students,” Dean Doug Anderson said. “They spend four days in San Francisco, completing on-deadline assignments. It is an invigorating—and stressful—time for them.

“We’re really proud of our contingent of qualifiers. Just think about it: More than 1,000 students entered the various competitions this academic year; 29 qualified for the individual championships from the country’s 108 nationally accredited undergraduate programs; and four of them are from one university—Penn State.”

Orso, of York, Pa., qualified by winning first place in breaking news writing for her story on the grand jury indictment of former Penn State football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

Miller, of Bellefonte, Pa., qualified for the championships by winning first place in sports writing for his in-depth story on how universities are increasingly relying on Internet scouting services and efforts by the NCAA to regulate.

King, of North Wales, Pa., is the College’s firstever student to qualify for the national multimedia individual championships.

Her main project, “Collecting Kids,” focused on a family with eight children—all adopted, and most with serious disabilities. The project combined frank and often humorous interviews with the parents with still and video images of the family at home.

Colwell, of State College, is the College’s first-

San Francisco awaits four Penn State students—the most ever in a single year—to compete in the Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program individual national championships.

ever student to qualify for the national photojournalism individual championships.

Colwell’s major project was titled “Eight Days in November.” His picture series chronicled the arrest of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, the firing of Joe Paterno, the downtown riot and the final home football game of the season against Nebraska. Some of the images in his entry illustrated Sara Ganim’s Pulitzer Prize-winning work at the Patriot-News in Harrisburg.

This marks the first time the College has qualified four students in the same year for the championships.

Prior to this year, the College had qualified eight students for the individual championships this century: Ryan Hockensmith, writing, 2001; Alexa James, writing, 2002; Bob Viscount, radio, 2003; Halle Stockton, writing, 2007; Angela Haupt, writing, 2008; Aaron Patterson, television, 2008; Andrew McGill, writing, 2008 and 2010; and Paul Casella, writing, 2011.

Stockton captured first place in the individual championship writing finals in 2007; McGill finished second in 2008 and won the crown in 2010; and Casella placed third in the 2011 championships.

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

Colwell leads best-ever photojournalism finish

Andy Colwell produced two top-10 finishes, leading a fourth-place team photo performance for Penn State. (Photo by John Beale)

selected to enter the photojourAndy Colwell’s two top-10 TOP 10 finishes powered the College to INTERCOLLEGIATE PHOTOJOURNALISM nalism competition were Kelley King, who scored points in the its highest ever fourth place in 1. Western Kentucky news and feature category, and the 2011-2012 intercollegiate 2. Ohio Krista Myers, who earned a photojournalism standings in 3. Nebraska 4. PENN STATE 15th place tie in the picture the William Randolph Hearst 5.

Central Michigan story/series competition.

Foundation’s Journalism Awards 6. San Francisco State “We had strong entries this Program.

7. Missouri Schools can submit two stuyear,” John Beale, senior lecturer 8. North Carolina in journalism and coordinator dent entries in each of the two 9. Florida 10. Iowa State of the photo entries, said. “I’m monthly photojournalism comso pleased for Andy. His talent petitions: picture story/series and work ethic will set a high standard for our future and news and feature.

The final intercollegiate standings are calculated students. It’s gratifying to see our photojournalism students recognized among the best in the country.” based on overall student performances.

Colwell claimed second place in the picture Judging the photojournalism competition this year story/series competition—the highest individual fin- were: Ken Geiger, deputy director of photography, National Geographic, Washington, D.C.; Steve ish ever by a Penn State photojournalism student.

He also placed ninth in the news and feature cate- Gonzales, director of photography, Houston Chronicle; and Gerri Migielicz, executive director, Story 4, Ben gory.

The other two Penn State students who were Lomand, Calif.

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

Broadcast students earn eighth place in standings

For the 12th time in the past 13 years, the TOP 10 College has earned a top-10 finish in the final INTERCOLLEGIATE BROADCAST intercollegiate broadcast competition in the 1. Arizona State William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s 2. Southern California Journalism Awards Program.

3. North Carolina 4. Missouri The College claimed eighth place in the 20115. Brigham Young 2012 final standings.

6. Syracuse Schools can submit two student entries in the 7. Montana radio competition and two entries in each of the Erica 8. PENN STATE Brecher two monthly television news competitions.

9. Florida started the 10. Maryland The radio competition is for news and features. first The first television monthly competition is for feaSpanish tures and the second monthly competition is for webcast for our College. I could not be prouder of news. their accomplishments.”

The final intercollegiate standings are calculated Bob Richards, the Curley professor of First based on overall student performances.

Amendment studies and coordinator of the radio Erica Brecher earned sixth place in the radio entries, said: “Through concise writing and skillful news and features competition. Equille Williams use of sound, our radio entrants were able to break finished in a 17th place tie. down complex stories into easily understood Rachel Polansky finished 15th in television news. reports for their listening audience. I was extremely Dan Yesenosky scored points in television news, as pleased with the enthusiasm and creativity they did Christopher Hush and Jessica Reyes in televishowed while working within this medium to tell sion features. the story.”

“By almost any measure, 2011 was one of the Judging the broadcast competition this year most successful years for our television students,” were: Edward L. Esposito, vice president, Thor Wasbotten, assistant dean for student media Information Media, Rubber City Radio Group, and online operations, said. “Two of our Hearst Akron, Ohio; Kate O’Brien, senior vice president, entrants covered what CNN called the biggest ABC News, New York; and Fred Young, former sports story of the year (the arrest of former Penn senior vice president for news, Hearst Television, State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky), anothInc., New York. er covered stories in South Africa and another

Student award winners were honored by the College during a dinner late in the spring semester. (Photo by John Beale)

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

Multimedia entries complete strong performance

Kelley King’s stellar work led the College to a TOP 10 seventh-place finish in the 2011-2012 intercolleINTERCOLLEGIATE MULTIMEDIA giate multimedia standings in the William 1. Western Kentucky Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism 2. North Carolina Awards Program.

3. Missouri 4. Nebraska Schools can submit two entries in each of 5. Montana the three individual multimedia competitions: 6. Arizona State narrative/storytelling; the human condition; and 7. PENN STATE news. Schools can also submit two entries in the Kelley 8. Syracuse King team multimedia storytelling-news category.

9. Florida Kahn, 10. Oregon The final intercollegiate standings are calculated King, based on overall student performances.

Knight, King earned fifth place in the human condition Michael Misciagno, Kelsey Morris, Myers, category and a 16th place tie in news. She also was Rodriguez, Tom Ruane, Tyler Sizemore and Joseph a member of both place-winning Penn State team Streb. entries.

Senior lecturer Curt Chandler, co-coordinator Vita McHale placed 16th in the human condiof the multimedia entries, said: “This year, our stution category and Andy Colwell earned a 19th dents greatly expanded the reach and depth of place tie in narrative/storytelling. their work. For the first time, they banded together Becky Perlow earned points in narrative/storyto produce in-depth news coverage; first with telling and Jill Knight earned points in news.

‘Shanksville Revisited,’ then with the ‘Aftershock’ One team, led by Annie Richards, earned 15th place for its comprehensive multimedia project on project that began with the Penn State events of last November.” the 10th anniversary of the crash of United “I was extremely proud to see the work our stuAirlines Flight 93 near Shanksville on Sept. 11, dents produced in a very tumultuous and busy 2001. year,” senior lecturer Will Yurman and co-coordiOther team members were Amanda August, nator of the multimedia entries, said. “Their great Colwell, Allison Hedges, King, Knight, Catherine work reflects what storytelling does best—giving Marvin, Paige Minemyer, Krista Myers, Lynn subjects a voice, while connecting, informing and Ondrusek, Kelsey Penna, Katherine Rodriguez, entertaining us.”

Megan Rogers and Wenqian Zhu. Judging the multimedia competition this year Another team, led by Kirk Dyson, earned a were: Cory Tolbert Haik, executive producer, news 19th place tie for its well-packaged multimedia innovations and strategic projects, The Washington project about the arrest of former Penn State Post; Geri Migielicz, executive director, Story 4, defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and subseBen Lomand, Calif.; and Jennifer Sizemore, vice quent developments at the university. president/editor-in-chief, MSNBC.com and execuOther team members were August, Aaron tive producer, NBC News.

Dunlevy, Chloe Elmer, Dan Hamilton, Jeremy

“This year, our students greatly expanded the reach and depth of their work.”

— Curt Chandler, SENIOR LECTURER

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

Students picked for prestigious Dow Jones program

Four Penn State journalism students were selected for summer internship positions provided through the Dow Jones News Fund Editing Intern Program.

The students were chosen from hundreds of applicants nationwide and will work at media outlets across the country beginning in mid-June. Selected this year were: senior Matthew Baumann of Collegeville, Pa., who will be working at the Roanoke (Va.) Times; junior John Adam Bittner of Bethel Park, Pa., who will be working at the Media General Consolidated Editing Center in Tampa, Fla., which serves the Richmond (Va.) Times Dispatch, the WinstonSalem (N.C.) Journal and the Tampa Tribune; senior Laura Ingrassia of Athens, Pa., who will be working at the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va.; and senior Samantha Kramer of Stroudsburg, Pa., who will be working at AccuWeather in State College.

Selected students attend eight-day training programs on college campuses before completing paid internships for a minimum of 10 weeks. Penn State will serve as one of the training locations, and three of the Penn State students will complete their edit-

ing training on their home campus.

At the end of the full program, interns who return to college as full-time students the following fall receive scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $1,800 from the Dow Jones News Fund.

Students qualify for consideration for the internships by scoring high on a standard editing test designed by the Dow Jones News Fund staff and administered under controlled conditions on the students’ home campuses. Final selections are made by directors of the training programs based on the test, reference checks, an essay and the student’s academic record.

Each of the Penn State selectees has had previous editing experience gained through positions at The Daily Collegian, OnwardState.com and professional internships. Including the new class of interns, 71 Penn State students have been selected as part of the Dow Jones News Fund Editing Intern Program during the past 12 years—second most of any university in America.

The Dow Jones News Fund is a nonprofit foundation supported by the Dow Jones Foundation and other communications companies.

Communications students earned nine different top-three finishes—besting broadcast professionals in several categories—during an annual contest conducted by the Associated Press for radio and television professionals in Pennsylvania.

Students from ComRadio, the Internet-based radio station housed in the College of Communications, and “Centre County Report,” the weekly television newscast produced by communications students, drove the overall performance.

Competing with medium-market radio stations, ComRadio students captured three top-three results. With those performances, students trumped professional counterparts from cities such as Harrisburg, Scranton, Williamsport and WilkesBarre.

The top three finishers in the enterprise reporting category for radio were all Penn State students: sen-

ior Erica Brecher, first place; junior Marco Ranzi, second place; and junior Ryan Smith, third place.

In the medium-market television category, students also competed against professionals and earned one second-place finish and one third-place finish. Individually, Brittany Boyer claimed second place in weathercast for “Centre County Report.”

Also, “Centre County Report” earned third place for regularly scheduled newscast and sports talk program.

The competition also included categories exclusively for students. In student radio, junior Anita Oh finished second and “Centre County Report” swept the category for television. First, second and third places were captured by James Gheradi, senior Dan Yesenosky and senior Rachel Polansky, respectively.

Students compete, shine in competition vs. professionals

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

Communications students who produce “Centre County Report,” a weekly television news program, participate in a regular critique session after shooting an episode of the show. They conduct their award-winning work in state-of-the-art studios.

Two students, two programs earn BEA Festival honors Two Penn State students and two television programs produced by students in the College of Communications were recognized for outstanding individual and collective work as part of a national awards competition.

Their accomplishments were part of Penn State’s most successful performance ever in the Broadcast Education Association’s (BEA) Festival of Media Awards. The competition recognizes the best student broadcast work in the nation.

Penn State honorees were: Ashley Hinson, who won first place in TV Sports Talent (Anchor/Host); “In The Game,” Penn State’s sports magazine television show, which placed second in TV Sports Story/Feature/Show Element/Segment or News Program; “Centre County Report,” a weekly live newscast produced by students that placed second in Television Newscast; and Dan Yesenosky, who received an honorable mention in Television Hard News Reporting for his investigative reporting surrounding Penn State Dance Marathon fundraising.

Hinson, a senior broadcast journalism student from Wexford, Pa., showcased her skills as a sports anchor for both the “Centre County Report” and “In The Game” during the fall semester. She was surprised about her finish in the competition.

“It’s such an amazing feeling to be recognized for all of the long hours put in over the course of the semester,” Hinson said. “It has reassured me that doing what I love is paying off and makes me want to work even harder to accomplish my dream and become a respected reporter for a network television station.”

Hinson said her work with “Centre County Report” was particularly helpful in her growth as a broadcast journalist. She said the professional studio and real-world experience of working on a tight deadline provided her with the practical knowledge she’ll need after graduation.

The BEA is a professional association for professors, industry professionals and graduate students who are interested in teaching and research related to electronic media and multimedia enterprises.

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

Victorious AAF team advances to national competition

A team of Penn State students captured first place in the AAF National Student Advertising Competition district presentation and earned a trip to the national finals in June.

The Penn State team, known as The Nittany Group, finished well ahead of similar student teams from George Washington University, Pace University and Georgetown University during the district event in New York City.

Presenters for Penn State's AAF district-winning team were (left to right): Megan Prucnal, The students’ victory Joseph Spina, Natalie Episcopo, Rachel Williams and Curtis Harrison. means they get to compete against winners of 15 other mobile applications, viral marketing and a microsite district competitions at the national event in for the Nissan brand in the competitive automobile Austin, Texas. category.

“I am extremely proud of the accomplishments The team began its work in the fall semester by of all of the students, our group leaders who conducting extensive primary and secondary worked intelligently, creatively and tirelessly on this research among this diverse target audience. That campaign, and especially the five students who pre- work led to an insightful strategic communication sented in an energetic and professional manner,” plan developed in the spring semester that segsaid Ken Yednock, a senior lecturer in the College mented the target audience by life stage with multiand the adviser for the Donald W. Davis Penn cultural references under a unified tone building on State chapter of the American Advertising “life’s aspirations,” which are shared by millennials, Federation (AAF) on campus. “This was truly a regardless of ethnicity. team effort, from the research, insights and strateThe campaign theme, “Envision Your Journey,” gy to the creative and media executions. Everyone spoke to the target audience and impressed the made contributions.” judges.

The team’s five presenters were all senior adverOther students who served as chairs, but nontising majors—Natalie Episcopo, Curtis Harrison, presenters, for the team’s effort were: Michelle Megan Prucnal, Joseph Spina and Rachel Williams. Asmara, Kara Bergman, Charlotte Miller, Ann Students were challenged to develop an integrat- Sciandra, Bernadette Staino, Kyle Stein and Kelsey ed communication plan for Nissan, targeting 18- to Stratton.

29-year-old multicultural millennials, with emphasis Teams from 19 schools in New York, on African American, Latino and Chinese Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C., American segments. competed.

The Penn State team was organized like a realThe American Advertising Federation is a profesworld advertising agency. Team members conduct- sional organization that represents the advertising ed extensive research, developed a finely tuned industry and works with universities and educational strategy and created a campaign using traditional groups with sponsored events like national advertistelevision and print advertising, online interactive ing competition, multicultural programs and various communication, branded promotions, social media, scholarship and internship opportunities.

AWARDS AND HONORS, 2011-12

Student photojournalist Kelley King earned first place in a monthly contest conducted by the National Press Photographers Association for this shot as Penn State freshman wrestler Morgan McIntosh yells in pain while tangled with Andrew Campolattano of Ohio State. After a break for injury time, McIntosh recovered and won the match in front of a capacity crowd at Rec Hall on campus.

Students earn national honors, dominate regional SPJ With one national champion, two other national finalists and 28 regional placewinners, Penn State crafted an impressive performance in the 2011 Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Exellence Awards for collegiate journalists.

Lexi Belculfine and Jourdan Cole were the national winners in editorial writing. Anna Orso was the program’s other individual national finalist, with her performance in breaking news reporting. The other national finalist was “Centre County Report,” the student-produced weekly television news program, which was cited in the best all-

around television newscast category.

A complete list of Region 1 winners follows:

BREAKING NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY First, Chloe Elmer; Second, Andy Colwell FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY First, Andy Colwell GENERAL NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY First, Andy Colwell; Second, Jill Hunt Knight; Third, Kelley King BEST STUDENT MAGAZINE Second, Valley (Penn State) BREAKING NEWS REPORTING First, Anna Orso EDITORIAL WRITING First, Lexi Belculfine and Jourdan Cole GENERAL COLUMN WRITING First, Brittany Stoner SPORTS WRITING Third, Jake Kaplan BEST AFFILIATED WEB SITE First, The Daily Collegian

ONLINE FEATURE REPORTING Third, Kelley King ONLINE SPORTS REPORTING Second, Chole Elmer; Third, Krista Myers RADIO IN-DEPTH REPORTING First, Adrienne di Piazza RADIO NEWS REPORTING Third, Jordan Pruett RADIO SPORTS REPORTING Second, Marco Ranzi BEST ALL-AROUND TV NEWSCAST First, “Centre County Report” TV FEATURE REPORTING First, Christopher Hush; Second, Heida Kloster and Samantha Hatfield; Third, Anne Richards TV GENERAL NEWS REPORTING Second, Rachel Polansky; Third, Dan Yesenosky TV BREAKING NEWS REPORTING First, James Gherardi TV FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY Second, Anne Richards and Dan Hamilton TV SPORTS REPORTING First, Ashley Hinson; Second, Lauren Reid, Jennifer Studer and Christine Newby

“The performance of our students across all categories reflects our overall comprehensiveness and balance. This truly was a special group of students.”

— Dean Doug Anderson,

COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATIONS