Alumni Award winners and Fellowship inductees honored at Grady Salutes 2024

From left to right: Ed Grisamore, Meredith Dean, Mark Schlabach, Charles Davis, Cynthia Graubart, Rick Dunn, Lianne Sinclair. (Not pictured: Yongjun Sung, Gyneth “Gy” Waldron)
From left to right: Ed Grisamore, Meredith Dean, Mark Schlabach, Grady College Dean Charles Davis, Cynthia Graubart, Rick Dunn, Lianne Sinclair. (Not pictured: Yongjun Sung, Gyneth “Gy” Waldron)

Alumni Award winners and Fellowship inductees honored at Grady Salutes 2024

May 01, 2024

A broad shot of the tent on the Schnitzer Family Media Lawn. Flowers make up the bottom half of the image.
Three Grady College ambassadors pose for a photo together in front of the college.
A medal for the Grady Fellowship.
The Fellowship inductees join for a photo in front of the College.
Alumni Award winners gather for a photo outside of Grady College.

It was a beautiful day on the Schnitzer Family Media Lawn as more than 125 guests celebrated the 2024 Grady Alumni Award winners and Grady Fellowship inductees during the annual Grady Salutes event on April 26, 2024.

Alumni Award winners: 

  • Meredith Dean (ABJ ‘14), the CEO and founder of The Dean’s List, received the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award. 

  • Lianne Sinclair (ABJ ‘01), who currently runs consumer advertising and social at AT&T, received the Mid-Career Award.

  • Ed Grisamore (ABJ ‘78), who teaches journalism at Stratford Academy in Macon and writes a weekly column for “The Monroe County Reporter,” received the John Holliman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award.

  • Yongjun Sung (MA ’03, PhD ’06), a researcher and professor in the School of Psychology at Korea University, received the Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award. Sung was not able to attend the ceremony.

Fellowship Inductees:

  • Rick Dunn (ABJ ’93), the founder of the Athens-Clarke County High School Completion Initiative (HSCI). 

  • Cynthia Graubart (ABJ ’82), a James Beard Foundation Award-winning cookbook author, cooking teacher and culinary television producer.

  • Mark Schlabach (ABJ ’96), a senior writer and reporter for ESPN, covering college football and golf.

  • Gyneth “Gy” Waldron (ABJ ’55), 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. Waldron was not able to attend the ceremony. His son and grandson accepted the award on his behalf.

As the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Grisamore was also inducted into the Grady Fellowship. 

During their acceptance speeches, Alumni Award winners and Fellowship inductees spoke of gratitude, pride, joy, memories, the future and service. 

Dunn quoted President Jimmy Carter by saying, “I accept this not as an honor earned. I accept it as a down payment for work still to be done.”

Graubart challenged professionals and students in the audience. “It is incumbent upon us, as guardians of truth and democracy, to adapt to the ever changing landscape, while upholding the core principles of our profession.”

Grisamore spoke of the value of education, support and community by saying, “I was blessed with teachers who encouraged me and nurtured me. My very first big award in journalism was fifty years ago this month, and it happened a half-block away at Park Hall when I won a state award with the Georgia Scholastic Press Association. So here I am today, 50 years and a half-block away.” 

Also at Salutes, the Rollin M. “Pete” McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism was awarded to Maye Primera and El Tímpano staff for their multi-part series on healthcare access for the Latino and Mayan immigrant population of the San Francisco Bay Area.

A full recording of the 2024 Grady Salutes Ceremony can be found here, and a full album of photos from the event can be found here.

Nominations for next year’s class of Alumni Awards recipients are now accepted and can be submitted on the Alumni Awards nomination form.

Author: Jackson Schroeder, Jackson.Schroeder@uga.edu