Cox Institute students recognized at 2026 Spring Dinner

The Cox Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management & Leadership presented its medal of achievement to 30 journalism students during the Institute’s 2026 Spring Recognition Dinner.

Held March 24 at the University of Georgia’s Special Collections Library, the dinner honored the students’ work as Fink Fellows, Griffiths Innovators and Levin Leaders. The students wrote and reported for professional media, innovated in newsrooms across Georgia, and learned to be leaders. Special guests included Grady College’s Dean Charles Davis and Associate Dean Jonathan Peters, as well as previous Cox Institute Industry Fellows, including Richard Griffiths, Nick Chiles and Marilyn Geewax.

The Fink Fellows are: Betsy Allen, Maia Capuano, Sabrina Felix, Katie Guenthner, Sinta Halilu, Kaitlyn Harvey, Shweta Krishnan, Margaret Pope, Zaire Rushing-Simpson and Avice Smith. The Fink Fellows are part of the Cox Institute’s Writing Lab and are provided scholarships through a fund established by Kent and Parker Middleton, who also were at the dinner, to honor the memory of Conrad Fink, a legendary journalism professor at UGA. Lori Johnston serves as director of the Journalism Writing Lab.

The Griffiths Innovators are: Riley Baugh, Katherine Davis, Nicholas Eriksen, Maya McKenzie, Shad McMillan, Jasmine Milbourne, Derek Oliveros, Maura Potvin, Makenna Reavis and Rachel Sandstrom. The Griffiths Innovators are part of the Cox Institute’s Innovation Lab and are provided scholarships through a fund established by Richard T. Griffiths, a former news executive with CNN. Amanda Bright serves as director of the Journalism Innovation Lab.

The Levin Leaders are: Lily Aldrich, Sophia Davenport, McKenna Edwards, Sophia Eppley, Ansley Gavlak, Taylor Greaves, Clarice Henry, Sidney Josephs, Caroline Newbern and Grant Turnage. The Levin Leaders are part of the Cox Institute’s Leadership Lab and are provided scholarships through funding from Adam Levin, his wife Heather McDowell and the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation. Keith Herndon, the executive director of the Cox Institute, also serves as director of the Journalism Leadership Lab.

Randy Travis, a Peabody Award-winning investigative journalist, who served as the Institute’s 2025-26 Industry Fellow, delivered after-dinner remarks. Known for exposing government corruption and consumer fraud, Travis reported for over 30 years at FOX 5 Atlanta and was a core member of the FOX 5 I-Team.

See a full album of photos from the dinner here.

The Cox Institute also presented four additional scholarship awards during the dinner and one special recognition.

Lily Aldrich and Maya McKenzie received the Todd M. Bauer Memorial Award, a program established by the Bauer family to honor their son by helping young journalists establish themselves in their early careers.

Katie Guenthner was this year’s recipient of the Barry Hollander Award, which was established by former students in memory of the late journalism professor known for his steadfast defense of open meetings and records.

The Institute also presented the Morris Leadership Scholarship to Alexis Derickson for her outstanding work as the Cox Institute’s graduate assistant during her two-year master’s program.

Keith Herndon received a special recognition for his dedication and commitment to the Cox Institute as its executive director. He worked with the Institute for 14 years and will be stepping down from his role after this year. Charlotte Varnum, who co-leads the Levin Leaders with Herndon, gave remarks reflecting on his career and legacy at the Institute as he was presented with a medal of achievement and an Excellence in Service and Leadership Award.

Author: Cox Institute