Fellowship
AWARDS and Honors
Established in 2008, the Grady Fellowship honors friends of the college whose accomplishments, friendship and service to the industries they serve have made a positive impact on Grady College.
2024 Fellowship Inductees
Rick Dunn (ABJ ’93)
Rick Dunn (ABJ ’93)
Rick Dunn is the founder of the Athens-Clarke County High School Completion Initiative (HSCI). The 501 c-3 organization empowers youth to overcome their circumstances and grow into positive, productive and prosperous adults. As a hook into the program, youth between the ages of 8 and 18 train in the field of broadcast media. For 38 years, Dunn was the host and producer of the Athens radio talk show, “Community Forum.” He is also the recipient of the 2022 President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award presented by UGA.
Cynthia Graubart (ABJ ’82)
Cynthia Graubart (ABJ ’82)
Cynthia Graubart is a James Beard Foundation Award-winning cookbook author, cooking teacher and culinary television producer. Graubart has enjoyed a long career in media, producing live multi-camera television specials and in-studio culinary television series, including “Nathalie Dupree’s New Southern Cooking.” In 2020, Graubart co-founded, along with Virginia Willis, Culinary Media Training and Productions, helping culinary professionals build the skills and confidence with coaching and training on media skills, cookbook writing and recipe testing. She most recently authored her 13th cookbook, “Zucchini Love.”
Mark Schlabach (ABJ ‘96)
Mark Schlabach (ABJ ‘96)
Mark Schlabach is a senior writer and reporter for ESPN, covering college football and golf. He has worked at the Worldwide Leader in Sports for nearly 18 years, after having previously written for the Washington Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Athens Banner-Herald. Schlabach is the author or co-author of more than two dozen books, including six New York Times bestsellers.
Gyneth “Gy” Waldron (ABJ ’55)
Gyneth “Gy” Waldron (ABJ ’55)
Gyneth “Gy” Waldron (ABJ ’55) is a writer and producer, best known for the original and remake of “The Dukes of Hazzard,” the TV show “Enos” and several made-for-TV movies. His movie “Moonrunners” was the inspiration for “The Dukes of Hazzard,” which was a top Neilson-rated show in the early 1980s. Waldron also wrote episodes for “One Day at a Time,” as a staff writer for Norman Lear. I His son, Jamie, and grandson, Tyler (pictured at right), accepted the honor on his behalf.
Ed Grisamore (ABJ ’78)
Ed Grisamore (ABJ ’78)
Ed Grisamore teaches journalism at Stratford Academy in Macon, Georgia, and writes a weekly column for The Monroe County Reporter. Grisamore was a columnist for The Macon Telegraph for 36 years before retiring in 2015. While there, he covered sports and features, but was most known for his local news columns. He was the recipient of the 2010 Will Rogers Humanitarian Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Grisamore recieved the Grady College Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award, thus was inducted into the Grady College Fellowship.
Full List of Past Recipients
Tony Barnhart (M ’76)
Eddie Garrett (BSA ’94, MBA ’08)
Jeff Gregor
Ernie Johnson Jr. (ABJ ’78)
Jan Jones (ABJ ’80) Monica Pearson (MA ’14)
Hala Moddelmog (MA ’81)
Deborah Blum (ABJ ’76)
Harry Chapman (ABJ ’67)
Jody Danneman (ABJ ’88)
Chris Dixon (ABJ ’89, MMC ’92)
Gretchen Erwin (ABJ ’77)
Amy Glennon (ABJ ’90)
Earl Leonard (ABJ ’58)
Condace Pressley (ABJ ’86)
Remer Tyson (ABJ ’66)
Philip Lee Williams (ABJ ’72)
Scott Williamson (MMC ’92)
Cathy Cox (ABJ ’80)
Ronald Lane* (ABJ ’63, MA ’65)
Melissa Libby (ABJ ’85)
Steve Oney (ABJ ’79)
Jennifer Sloan (ABJ ’86)
Glenn Vaughn* (M ’53)
Glen Finland (ABJ ’74)
Henry Grady III
Jeff Jowdy (ABJ ’83)
Tim Mapes (ABJ ’86)
Greg McGarity (ABJ ’76)
Horace Newcomb
David Adelman (ABJ ’86)
Ed Bastian
Conrad Fink*
Julie Moran (ABJ ’84)
Arnold Punaro (MA ’76)
Bill Simpson* (ABJ ’50)
Julie Winskie (ABJ ’84)
Carolyn Abney
Randall Abney
Phil Gailey (ABJ ’66)
Steve Koonin
Edwin Pope* (ABJ ’48)
Bo Spalding (ABJ ’78)
James H. Tate, Jr.* (ABJ ’42)
Furman Bisher*
Claude Felton (ABJ ’70, MA ’71)
Brenda Hampton (ABJ ’73)
Ray Jenkins* (ABJ ’51)
Gordon Smith (ABJ ’75)
Ruth Estes Trager* (ABJ ’47)
Jimmy Alston (ABJ ’66)
Bill Anderson (ABJ ’59)
Neil Aronstam (ABJ ’65)
Dennis Berry (ABJ ’66)
Conway Broun (ABJ ’70)
Otis A. Brumby Jr.*
Tyus Butler* (ABJ ’35)
Don E. Carter* (ABJ ’38)
Carolyn McKenzie Carter* (ABJ ’40)
Maxine Clark (ABJ ’71)
Frank Compton (ABJ ’68)
Carlton Curtis (ABJ ’72)
Carrol Dadisman* (ABJ ’56)
Tom Dowden (ABJ ’62)
Miriam Drewry
Jenny Duffey (ABJ ’80)
Lee Duffey (ABJ ’80)
Bruce Finland (ABJ ’74)
Rex Granum (ABJ ’72)
Millard Grimes (ABJ ’51)
Bill Hartman (ABJ ’70)
Charles Hayslett (ABJ ’73)
Betty Hudson (ABJ ’71)
Charlayne Hunter-Gault (ABJ ’63)
John W. Jacobs Jr.*
Tom Johnson (ABJ ’63)
Brian Johnstone (ABJ ’68)
Chris Jones (ABJ ’73)
Warren Jones* (ABJ ’41, MA ’42)
Tom S. Landrum (ABJ ’72, MA ’87)
Rebecca Leet (ABJ ’71)
Dan Magill* (ABJ ’42)
Mike McDougald*
Eugene Methvin* (ABJ ’55)
Jim Minter (ABJ ’51)
Pat Mitchell (ABJ ’65, MA ’67)
Frazier Moore Jr. (ABJ ’74)
Powell A. Moore* (ABJ ’59)
Aubrey Morris* (ABJ ’45)
William S. Morris, III (ABJ ’56)
W. H. “Dink” NeSmith Jr. (ABJ ’70)
Deborah Norville (ABJ ’79)
Eugene Patterson* (ABJ ’43)
Donald A. Perry* (ABJ ’74)
Gloria Ricks Taylor (ABJ ’66)
Richard Riley (ABJ ’67)
Deborah Roberts (ABJ ’82)
Don Rountree (ABJ ’63)
Neva Rountree (ABJ ’64, MA ’79)
Tom Russell (ABJ ’63)
Swann Seiler (ABJ ’78)
Bill Shipp* (M ’56)
A. Mark Smith (ABJ ’66)
Jay Smith
Loran Smith (ABJ ’62)
Lessie Smithgall* (ABJ ’33)
Paul Stone (ABJ ’71)
Carolyn Caudell Tieger (ABJ ’69)
Claude Williams Jr.* (ABJ ’47)
Robert M. Williams Jr.
Jim Wooten* (ABJ ’68)
Dick Yarbrough (ABJ ’59)
Neely Young (ABJ ’66)
* Denotes deceased
Alumni awards
Alumni awards
Each year, Grady College graduates are selected as Alumni Award recipients for demonstrated excellence throughout their distinguished careers.
The four Alumni Awards are the following:
Named after the late John Holliman, Grady alumnus and former CNN reporter, the John Holliman Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award honors sustained contributions to the profession throughout a career.
The Mid-Career Alumni Award is presented to a graduate for their professional achievements, influence, and success in his or her field.
The John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award recognizes a graduate of the last decade who has experienced a successful early career.
The Distinguished Scholar Award honors a graduate for excellence and sustained contributions to scholarship in journalism and mass communication education
McCommons Award
McCommons Award
The McCommons Award honors outstanding leadership, innovation and entrepreneurism in community journalism. Supported by an endowment, the annual award was created in 2018 to recognize professional journalists, students or faculty who produce community journalism of consequence. The award highlights the substantial contributions of community journalism to civic life and inspires students to pursue careers in community journalism. It is named for Pete McCommons, editor of Flagpole Magazine in Athens, Georgia, in honor of his outstanding career in community journalism as a leading reporter, editor, publisher and innovative entrepreneur.
