Alumni

Grady Salutes 2026 honorees with Dean Davis (center in black) included (from l.): Eric NeSmith (ABJ ’02), Sarah Karges (ABJ ’15), Wilson Lowrey (MA ’90, PhD ’00), Maureen Clayton (ABJ ’80, MA ’84)
and Tracy Brown (ABJ ’88). (Photo/Sarah E. Freeman)

A group of six adults, wearing Georgia Bulldogs apparel, stands together smiling. One person in the center holds a baby. The bright indoor setting reflects a joyful Grady College Alumni gathering.

Alumni

ALUMNI NEWS

Alumni Newsletter

More alumni in recent news:

Congratulations to Jeremy Redmon (MFA ’19), on his new memoir, “Tell the Kids I Love Them.”
Congratulations to Kendrick Brinson (ABJ ’05), on the publication of her book of photojournalism images called, “Sun Joy.“
Congratulations to Dana E. Davis (ABJ ’91), on the publication of her book, “Call Me Z,” a middle-grade novel.
Congratulations to Diana Keough (MFA ’21) on the release of her new book, “Not From a Nice Family,” which she started when she was a student in the MFA Narrative Non-fiction program. Hear more about the project on this episode of the Hear Tell podcast.
It’s always gratifying to see how our alumni use their UGA experiences in their professional lives. Katelyn Black (ABJ ’14) talks about how her time at UGA prepared her for her job as a marketing specialist with Blend, a company specializing in incorporating AI into the workplace.
Congratulations to Heather Teilhet (ABJ ’98) on being named President/CEO of Georgia EMC. (Aug. 5, 2026)
Caroline Landry Doyle (ABJ ’06) recently launched ImaginaryFriend, a creative agency that helps ambitious brands create immersive brand worlds that extend far beyond logos and guidelines. Imaginary Friend partners with companies to shape every aspect of their brand, from strategy and design to marketing and activations, creating cohesive and memorable experiences that resonate with audiences. (June 4, 2026)
Congratulations to Allison Entrekin (MA ’04), who was just named editor-in-chief of Atlanta Magazine.
We send our condolences to family and friends of Ernest Anderson, Jr. (ABJ ’66) on his death Oct. 27, 2025. A Celebration of Life will take place Jan. 10, 2026. Anderson served on the Grady College Journalism Advisory Board. (Jan. 6, 2026)
We send our condolences to the family of Craig Miller (ABJ ’77) on his death on Oct. 12. (Oct. 27, 2025)
Congratulations to Aungelique Proctor (ABJ ’87) of FOX 5 on receiving the Monica Kaufman Pearson Excellence in Journalism Award during the Rice Awards. Pearson is also an alumna, graduating from Grady College with her master’s degree. (Oct. 27, 2025)
Congratulations to Jack Breslin (MA ’79) for retiring as emeritus professor from Iona University after 23 years. Before his teaching career, he enjoyed two decades in local and national journalism and public relations, including Fox and NBC.
Congratulations to Nicolle S. Praino (AB ’18) for being named editor of the Nashville Post. (June 4, 2025)
Congratulations to Emily Alexander (AB ’23), who has been appointed associate account executive at Parthenon Public Relations in Nashville. (May 27, 2025)
We send our condolences to the family of Dr. Pamela G. Bourland-Davis (PhD ’95) on her death. Bourland-Davis was a faculty member and former Chair of the Department of Communication Arts at Georgia Southern University. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru called her supportive, kind and a real role model. (May 10, 2025)
Congratulations to Brynn Grant (ABJ ’91), Liberty County Development Authority’s CEO, on being named the USA Today Georgia Woman of the Year. (March 4, 2025)
Congratulations to Marie Hardin (PhD ’98), on being named the president of Quinnipiac University. (Jan. 31, 2025)
Congratulations to Michael Giarrusso (ABJ ’92), on his new role as vice president of news strategy for the Associated Press. (Jan. 29, 2025)
Congratulations to The Bitter Southerner and publisher Eric NeSmith (ABJ ’02) on receiving first place in the Canadian Printing Awards. The Bitter Southerner is printed in Canada.

Alumni news from 2022 to 2024:

Alumni News from 2022 to 2024

Want to share some alumni-related news?

Fill out this Google Form and/or contact Diane Murray, director of Alumni Relations and Outreach, at murrayd@uga.edu.

Discover a new Alumni Book or Podcast

Check out our list of alumni authors and podcasters on Pinterest.

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Update

Notable Alumni

Grady College alumni are working in all aspects of the media and include Pulitzer Prize, Emmy and Peabody Award winners. A sampling of our notable alumni include:

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“The biggest thing I remember about the school is the willingness of everyone to make you be your best self. I had wonderful professors who pushed you as hard as they could, but they also loved you and let you know you could accomplish any of your goals if you put in the hard work and effort.”

Maria Taylor

ABJ ’09, MBA ’13 Host for NBC sports and “Football Night in America”

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“The view of the world that I developed and refined as a student at UGA helped me become a successful journalist and person.”

Charlayne Hunter-Gault

ABJ ’63 Award-winning journalist

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“My career ultimately evolved into a different realm of storytelling, filmmaking, but journalism is something I revere. This is why I am so encouraged today to see young people again being galvanized by the news of our time.”

Bonnie Arnold

ABJ ’77 Former president DreamWorks Animation

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“The thing that keeps pulling me back to UGA is the Grady College. I remember sitting in those desks. I love speaking to the kids, and I think that’s part of the responsibility that goes with having a long career in journalism. You want to share the experience with the next generation of broadcasters and raise up that next wave of journalists, especially at the University of Georgia.”

Ernie Johnson

ABJ ’78 Host of “Inside the NBA”

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“I want to inspire another kid…who might be dreaming of doing big things but may not even think it’s possible, and I want to give that kid a possibility of great success.”

Deborah Roberts

(ABJ ’82) Co-Host, 20/20; ABC News National Sr. Affairs Correspondent

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“Professor James Biddle taught me how to make movies in his Advanced Production class. More than any single piece of advice, I remember learning from him that what seemed impossible was always, in fact, achievable. He demystified the technical filmmaking process, and vanquished my assumption that this wasn’t a viable career path.”

Michael Waldron

ABJ ’10 Creator of “Loki”

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“The thing about fiction is that it is always rooted in the truth, and the skills I learned at Grady and the Red & Black, which was my learning lab, I learned to ask important questions…and follow up questions.”

Kathy Trocheck

(ABJ ’76), aka Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times best selling author of more than 20 books

A man in a navy suit and white shirt stands with arms crossed, smiling at the camera. A proud Grady College Alumni, he has short hair, wears a wristwatch, and is set against an indoor backdrop of blurred shelves and framed art.

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“Take what you have learned at UGA into the world. Carry it with you and put it to great and powerful use.”

David Kramer

(ABJ ’90), co-president of United Talent Agency

Brooke Anderson

(ABJ ’00)

Correspondent, Entertainment Tonight

Bonnie Arnold

(ABJ ’77)

President of DreamWorks Animation

Jack Avrett

(ABJ ’50, deceased)

Chairman of Avrett, Free, and Ginsberg, New York. Former Chairman of the American Advertising Federation

Joel Babbit

(ABJ ’76)

Co-founder and CEO, Mother Nature Network

Danny Beard

(ABJ ’74)

Music producer, member of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame

Dennis Berry

(ABJ ’66)

Former President and COO, Cox Enterprises

Deborah Blum

(ABJ ’77)

Pulitzer Prize winning science writer

Ernest Camp, Jr.

(ABJ ’27, deceased)

Founder of the Society of Professional Journalists

Chip Caray

(ABJ ’87)

Sports broadcaster, Foxs Sports South

Maxine Kasselman Clark

(ABJ ’71)

Founder and former CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop

Cathy Cox

(ABJ ’80)

Dean of Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law and former Secretary of State of Georgia

Jackie Crosby

(ABJ ’83)

Winner of a 1985 Pulitzer Prize for their examination of academics and athletics

Donald A. Davis

(ABJ ’62)

Former UPI reporter and White House correspondent. New York Times bestselling author

Steve Dorff

(ABJ ’71)

Award-winning songwriter and music producer

Tom Dowden

(ABJ ’62, MA ’64)

Founder and CEO of Dowden Communications

Lee Duffey, Jr., and Jenny Neal Duffey

(ABJ ’76)

Founders of Atlanta-based Duffey Communications

Justin Gillis

(ABJ ’82)

Climate change science reporter, New York Times

Amy Glennon

(ABJ ’90)

First female publisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2012-2016), publisher vertical businesses – Cox Media Group

Lewis Grizzard

(’84, deceased)

Best-selling author, humorist and syndicated newspaper columnist

Brenda Hampton

(ABJ ’72)

Creator and executive producer, “7th Heaven” and “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”

Krista Harden

(ABJ ’81)

Former deputy secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture

John Holliman

(ABJ ’70, deceased)

War correspondent, CNN

Lisa Ryan Howard

(ABJ ’92)

Senior vice president of advertising, New York Times

Betty Hudson

(ABJ ’71)

Senior vice president of communications at National Geographic Society. Former senior vice president of NBC

Charlayne Hunter-Gault

(ABJ ’63)

Peabody Award winning journalist for PBS, CNN & NPR, one of two students to integrate UGA in 1961

Josh Jackson

(ABJ ’94)

Co-founder/editor of “Paste” music magazine

Tom Johnson

(ABJ ’63)

Retired chairman, CNN

Ernie Johnson, Jr.

(ABJ ’78)

Host, “The NBA on TNT”

Randy Jones

(ABJ ’77)

CEO, Capital Publishing Inc. and founder of Worth magazine

John Kasay

(ABJ ’94)

Retired NFL player, Carolina Panthers

Ashley Kohler

(ABJ ’96)

President and executive producer, Awesome Incorporated

David Kramer

(ABJ ’90)

Co-president of United Talent Agency

Jason Kreher

(ABJ ’00)

Creative director, Wieden + Kennedy

Earl Leonard

(ABJ ’58)

Former senior vice president for public affairs for the Coca-Cola Company

Tim Mapes

(ABJ ’86)

Senior vice president of marketing for Delta Airlines

Dan Magill

(ABJ ’42, deceased)

Sports information director, head tennis coach at UGA, retired

Gene Methvin

(ABJ ’55, deceased)

Former senior editor, Reader’s Digest

Hala Moddelmog

(ABJ ’81)

CEO, President and CEO, Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

Julie Moran

(ABJ ’84)

Host, “Mission Makeover” (Lifetime)

Powell Moore

(ABJ ’59, deceased)

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs

William S. (Billy) Morris III

(ABJ ’56)

Chairman and CEO, Morris Communications Company

Chad Mumm

(ABJ ’08)

Creative director, Vox Media; founder, Vox Entertainment

Dink NeSmith

(ABJ ’70)

President of Community Newspapers

Deborah Norville

(ABJ ’79)

Host, “Inside Edition”

Steve Oney

(ABJ ’79)

Los Angeles-based writer/author

Eugene Patterson

(ABJ ’43, deceased)

Editor Washington Post, St. Petersburg Times, Pulitzer Prize 1967

Don Perry

(ABJ ’74, deceased)

Vice-president of public relations, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Edwin Pope

(ABJ ’48, deceased)

Long time sports columnist, Miami Herald

Deborah Roberts

(ABJ ’82)

ABC News

Randall Savage

(ABJ ’72)

Winner of a 1985 Pulitzer Prize for their examination of academics and athletics

Mark Schlabach

(ABJ ’96)

Reporter and correspondent, ESPN and New York Times best-selling author

Meredith Seacrest

(ABJ ’03)

Executive director and COO, Ryan Seacrest Foundation

Loran Smith

(ABJ ’62)

Columnist and broadcaster for the Georgia Bulldogs