A slider graphic with headshot of all of the 2023 Alumni Award winners.
Grady College announces 2023 Alumni Award recipients
Grady College is proud to announce honorees for its annual Alumni Awards, recognizing alumni who have established a tradition of service and achievement in their careers. Alumni Award recipients will […]
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Grady College announces 2022 Alumni Award recipients
Grady College is proud to announce honorees for its annual alumni awards, recognizing alumni who have established a tradition of service and achievement in their careers. Alumni Award recipients will […]
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Three Grady College alumnae to receive 2020 Alumni Awards
The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication will honor three outstanding alumnae with its 2020 awards. Lindsey Cook (ABJ ’14), recipient of the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award, […]
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Grady College announces 2019 Alumni Award Winners
Grady College is honored to congratulate the following alumni on winning the 2019 Alumni Awards, which will be presented at Grady Salutes: A Celebration of Achievement, Commitment and Leadership on […]
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Sally Yates, Ashley Huston, Polina Marinova and Jisu Huh will be recognized as Alumni Award winners at Grady Salutes on April 27, 2018.
UGA Grady College announces recipients of 2018 Alumni Awards; Sanford Circle honoree
The University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication is pleased to honor four outstanding graduates with its 2018 Alumni Awards, and a beloved Grady College professor who […]
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The 2017 Alumni Award winners include Jane B. Singer, Bonnie Arnold, Jason Kreher and Brooke Beach.
UGA Grady College announces recipients of 2017 Alumni Awards
The University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication is pleased to honor four outstanding graduates with its 2017 Alumni Awards. Bonnie Arnold (ABJ’ 77) receives the John […]
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Grady College names winners of 2016 Alumni Awards
For demonstrated excellence throughout their distinguished careers, four graduates of the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication have been named 2016 Alumni Award winners. Ernie Johnson […]
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Grady College announces recipients of 2015 Alumni Awards
The University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication is pleased to honor four outstanding graduates with 2015 Alumni Awards. “Recipients of Grady's annual Alumni Awards serve as […]
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Grady College honors recipients of 2014 Alumni Awards
, For demonstrated excellence throughout their distinguished careers, four graduates of the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication have been named 2014 Alumni Award winners. Alan […]
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John Holliman Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award

Doreen Gentzler (ABJ ‘79), who retired in November 2022 after a career spanning four decades, received the John Holliman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award for sustained contributions to the profession throughout a career. Gentzler anchored the news on WRC/NBC4 in Washington, D.C. for 33 years. She spent several years honing her journalism skills in Chattanooga, Charlotte and Cleveland, then Philadelphia, before joining NBC4 in 1989. Doreen also filled in on “The Today Show” and “NBC at Sunrise.”

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Mid-Career Alumni Award

Yolanda Taylor Brignoni (ABJ ‘98), the vice president of external affairs and communications at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), received the Mid-Career Award. Brignoni has more than two decades of experience directing strategic communications campaigns for government, corporate and nonprofit clients. Through these campaigns, she works to motivate action and fuel social change; she is passionate about helping others and making a difference in the world around her.

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John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award

Maura Friedman (ABJ ‘13), a senior photo editor at National Geographic, received the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award. Friedman previously worked as the lead photo editor and projects photographer at the Urban Institute, a multimedia reporter at the Chattanooga Times Free Press and an independent visual journalist producing photo and video stories across the Southeast United States.

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Distinguished Scholar Award

George Daniels (MA ‘99, PhD ‘02), an associate professor and Reese Phifer Fellow of journalism and creative media at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, received the Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award. Daniels previously served as assistant dean for administration in UA’s College of Communication and Information Sciences.

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John Holliman Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients
1975 – Tom Johnson (ABJ ’63)
1976 – Jasper Dorsey (ABJ ’36)
1977 – Don Carter (ABJ ’38)
1978 – Eugene Patterson (ABJ ’43)
1979 – Bill Ray (ABJ ’35)
1980 – Aubrey Morris (ABJ ’45)
1981 – Frank Hawkins (ABJ ’33)
1982 – William Ott (ABJ ’49)
1983 – William S. Morris, III (ABJ ’56)
1984 – James G. Minter, Jr. (ABJ ’51)
1985 – Powell A. Moore (ABJ ’59)
1986 – Eugene H. Methvin (ABJ ’55)
1987 – Robert Sherrod (ABJ ’29)
1988 – C. Richard Yarbrough (ABJ ’59)
1989 – Randall E. Savage (ABJ ’72)
1990 – Thomas C. Dowden (ABJ ’62)
1991 – Willie K. Thrower Friar (ABJ ’47)
1992 – Billy Watson (ABJ ’60)
1993 – Connie Stewart (ABJ ’59, MA ’68)
1994 – J. Carrol Dadisman(ABJ ’56)
1995 – Harley Bowers (ABJ ’42)
1996 – James P. Wooten (ABJ ’68)
1997 – Jack Avrett (ABJ ’50)
1998 – Earl Leonard (ABJ ’58)
1999 – John Holliman, Jr. (ABJ ’70)
2000 – Willis Johnson (ABJ ’43)
2001 – Edwin Pope (ABJ ’48)
2002 – Neil Aronstam (ABJ ’65)
2003 – Dennis Berry (ABJ ’66)
2004 – Harry Chapman (ABJ ’67)
2005 – Dan Magill (ABJ ’42)
2006 – Donald Perry (ABJ ’74)

2007 – Millard Grimes (ABJ ’51)

2008 – Carolyn Tieger (ABJ ’69)

2009 – Judge R. Alex Crumbley (ABJ ’64)

2010 – W.H. “Dink” NeSmith, Jr. (ABJ ’70)

2011 – Roger Strauss (ABJ ’80)

2012 – Edward Ingles (ABJ ’58)

2013 – Claude Felton (ABJ ’70, ABJ ’71)

2014 – Alan Griggs (ABJ ’72)


2015 – Joel Babbit
(ABJ ’76)
2016 – Ernie Johnson Jr.
(ABJ ’78)
2017 – Bonnie Arnold (ABJ’ 77)

2018 – Sally Yates (ABJ’82, JD’86) 

2019 – Chris Holcomb (ABJ ’85) 
2020 – Monica Pearson (MA ’14)
2022 – Carolina Acosta-Alzuru (MA ’96, PhD ’99)
2023 – Doreen Gentzler (ABJ ‘79)

Mid-Career Alumni Award Recipients

1995 – Deborah L. Blum (ABJ ’76)
1996 – Michelle Green (ABJ ’75)
1997 – Bonnie Arnold (ABJ ’77)
1998 – Bill Mattox (ABJ ’84)
1999 – Dan Gearino (ABJ ’75)
2000 – Walt Lloyd (ABJ ’73)
2001 – Dawn McCall (ABJ ’77)
2002 – Betty Hudson (ABJ ’71)
2003 – Brenda Hampton (ABJ ’73)
2004 – Lee Duffey (ABJ ’80)
2005 – Randy Travis (ABJ ’82) 
2006 – Bill Dean (ABJ ’83)

2007 – Jennifer Sloan (ABJ ’86)

2008 – Gene Colter (ABJ ’89)

2009 – Josh Jackson (ABJ ’94)

2010 – Justin Gillis (ABJ ’82)

2011 – Col. Bryan Salas (ABJ ’87)
 
2012 – Lisa Ryan Howard (ABJ ’92)

2013 – William Ostick (ABJ ’88)

2014 – Amy Glennon (ABJ ’90)

2015 – Michael Giarrusso (ABJ ’92)

2016 – Michael Abramowitz (ABJ ’90)

2017 – Jason Kreher (ABJ ’00)

2018 – Ashley Huston (ABJ’96). 

2019 – Henry “Hadjii” Hand (ABJ ’98)
2020 – Purvey Farahi (ABJ ’95)
2022 – Julie Wolfe (ABJ ’03)
2023 – Yolanda Taylor Brignoni (ABJ ’98)

John E. Drewry Award Recipients

1977 – Rex Granum (ABJ ’72)
1978 – Roger Ann Jones
1979 – Rodney Allen Smith (ABJ ’71)
1980 – Frank Compton (ABJ ’68)
1981 – W.H. (Dink) Nesmith, Jr. (ABJ ’70)
1982 – Betty Johnson Hudson (ABJ ’71)
1983 – Dennis McClain (ABJ ’70)
1984 – Mary Jo West (ABJ ’73)
1985 – Ernie Johnson, Jr. (ABJ ’78)
1986 – Deborah A. Norville (ABJ ’79)
1987 – Lewis Grizzard (ABJ ’84)
1988 – William R. Jones (ABJ ’77)
1989 – Mary Anne Hill (ABJ ’80)
1990 – Carolyn Carlson (ABJ ’73)

 

1991 – Joel Babbit (ABJ ’76)
1992 – Condace Pressley (ABJ ’86)
1993 – Deborah Roberts (ABJ ’82)
1994 – Hanna Ledford (ABJ ’68)
1995 – Julie Bryan Moran (ABJ ’84)
1996 – Timothy W. Mapes (ABJ ’86)
1997 – Lauran Neergaard (ABJ ’89)
1998 – Chip Caray (ABJ ’87)
1999 – Chris Decherd (ABJ ’90)
2000 – Michael Giarrusso (ABJ ’92)
2001 – Todd Fantz (ABJ ’92)
2002 – Amanda Rosseter (ABJ ’90)
2003 – Christopher Grimes (ABJ ’92)
2004 – Erin McClam (ABJ ’99)
2005 – Tom Lasseter (ABJ ’99)
2006 – Kyle Wingfield (ABJ ’01)

2007 – Jon Gallo (ABJ ’99)

2008 – Jessica Foster Bonner (ABJ ’04)

2009 – Jennifer Rainey Marquez (ABJ ’00)

2010 – Lynssey Gardner (ABJ ’06)

2011 – Kelly Hornbuckle (ABJ ’06)

2012 – Alex Wallace (ABJ ’04)

2013 – Ben Mayer (ABJ ’06)

2014 – Greg Bluestein (ABJ ’04)

2015 – Dawn Brun (ABJ ’04)

2016 – Maria Taylor (ABJ ’09)

2017 – Brooke Beach (ABJ ’11)

2018 – Polina Marinova (ABJ’13)

2019 – Angela Alfano (ABJ ’10)
2020 – Lindsey Cook (ABJ ’14)
2022 – Julia Carpenter (ABJ ’13)
2023 – Maura Friedman (ABJ ‘13)

Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award Recipients