Tag: Grady Fellowship

Grady Salutes energized by Dean’s Medalist Caroline Edwards and new Athena Studios

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

It was an evening for recognizing former faculty members who made an impact, envisioning the future of production and film at Athena Studios and saluting bravery in defending the U.S. Capitol, as nearly 170 Grady College alumni, faculty, students and friends celebrated honorees at the 2023 Grady Salutes: A Celebration of Achievement, Leadership and Commitment.

The dinner gala took place April 28 thanks to a special arrangement at the new Athena Studios, a 14,000-square-foot creator space that the College shares with Georgia Film Academy for the purpose of teaching production classes to students in Entertainment and Media Studies and the MFA in Film, Television and Digital Media. The studio space is donated to Grady College for five years by Joel Harber, developer of the studio complex, who was also in attendance.

Perhaps the highlight of the evening the presentation of the Dean’s Medal for Leadership Excellence to Private First Class Officer Caroline Edwards (ABJ ’12). Edwards was the first police officer injured during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. She testified to the Jan. 6 House Select Committee on June 9, 2022, where millions of television viewers were riveted by her bravery and calm under pressure.

“Her fearlessness, her courage and her devotion to duty embody the best of us,” Charles N. Davis, dean of Grady College, said in his introductory remarks.

She accepted her award to a rousing standing ovation.

“Bringing an unthinkable story to life, giving words to those who cannot speak for themselves and telling the truth, despite personal costs, is what Democracy’s Next Generation is all about,” Edwards said, tying together her testimony with the motto above the front door of Grady College. “It is what we are called to do every day as journalism majors, despite what career we end up in.”

  • Maura Friedman at the lectern
    Maura Friedman accepts her John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)
Set against the backdrop of house scene used for class productions, honorees accepted their awards. Those receiving awards included Alumni Award recipients:

Fellowship inductees included:

Gentzler, as the Lifetime Achievement recipient, was also inducted into the Fellowship.

Brian PJ Cronin of The Highlands Current also accepted the McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism, recognizing his work including a multi-story series on food insecurity, titled “Hunger in the Highlands.”

Susan Percy at the lectern as Dean Davis looks on.
Susan Percy shares comments after her Fellowship induction. (Photo: Jackson Schroeder)

Each recipient shared brief personal narratives about how their education directed their professional life.

Friedman thanked those who bought a Georgia Lottery ticket and helped fund her education.

“I am very seriously a testament to loan-free, public, quality education and that is a cause and need of support across Georgia,” said Friedman, a senior photo editor at National Geographic.

Many honorees recognized faculty who encouraged them and gave them confidence while they were students. Emeritus professors Bill Lee and David Hazinski, who were in the audience, were mentioned several times, along with Bill Martin.

Hicks, who is a writer, executive producer and showrunner for “The Upshaws” on Netflix, talked about discovering her writing talent while a student at the College. She recalled a conversation with the late Barry Sherman after she turned in a project where she wrote the first 30 minutes of a film.

“’Did you write this?’” Hicks recalled Sherman asking her. “’Because, this is what you should be doing.’ I will forever be grateful for that moment in his office because he led me down this path. The foundation I got from this school has shaped who I am.”

Travis, an investigative reporter at Fox 5, talked about the lasting impact of his education.

“I thank Grady,” Travis said at the end of his acceptance speech. “As all the people who have walked up on this stage tonight can attest, you made our dreams come true. You really are the dream factory.”

Caroline Edwards accepts the Dean’s Medal for Leadership Excellence from Dean Charles Davis

See the UGAGrady Flickr album for the entire set of pictures.

 

Alumni Award Profile: Doreen Gentzler

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

The following is one installment of a series recognizing alumni and friends who will be honored at the 2023 Grady Salutes celebration on April 28, 2023. For more details, please see our posts about our Fellowship honorees, Alumni Award recipients and Dean’s Medalist.

Congratulations to Doreen Gentzler (ABJ ’79), this year’s John Holliman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for sustained contributions to the profession throughout her career. By nature of this honor, Gentzler also will be inducted into the Grady Fellowship.

Gentzler anchored the news on WRC/NBC4 in Washington, D.C. for 33 years before retiring in November 2022. During that time she interviewed presidents; reported from war-torn areas including Bosnia and the Persian Gulf; and, in the words of her colleagues, covered local and regional news with empathy, intelligence and care.

Gentzler won several local Emmy’s and has been long-respected for her award-winning series, “News 4 Your Health,” bringing viewers into hospital operating rooms, sharing medical breakthroughs and explaining the latest technology helping to save lives.

Jim Vance and Doreen Gentzler on the news set
The late Jim Vance and Doreen Gentzler on the WRC/NBC4 set in 2011.

As the late Jim Vance said, “Her compassion for the afflicted and her passion for storytelling…have led her to become the station’s, and indeed the city’s, premiere health reporter. It is a labor of love and in it, she has no fear.”

Gentzler spent her early childhood in Arlington, Virginia, and prior to returning to the area, she held reporting and anchoring jobs in Chattanooga, Charlotte, Cleveland and Philadelphia before joining NBC4 in 1989. Doreen has also filled in on “The Today Show” and “NBC at Sunrise.”

As a student of the broadcast journalism program at UGA, Gentzler had an internship with “Lawmakers,” covering the Georgia State Legislature for Georgia Public Broadcasting.

“This was the best experience and was where I learned about daily deadline reporting, and writing explanations of pending legislation and how it would affect people,” Gentzler said.

The following are responses to an interview with Gentzler:

Georgia College: What class at Grady College did the most to prepare you for your current career?

Doreen Gentzler interviews President Barack Obama
Doreen Gentzler interviews President Barack Obama in 2013 (Photo: Pete Souza)

Doreen Gentzler: I have to say that the classes that made the biggest impact on me were news writing and reporting classes. I worked on my high school newspaper, but never had any news writing training before I started college. But some of the techniques and rules I learned in the J-school writing classes are still in my head 40-plus years later as I write and edit news copy…especially using clear and straightforward language, active verbs and no unnecessary extra words…these all still apply!

GC: What do you miss most about being at UGA?

DG: All the fun I had for four years—of course! The learning experience was wonderful, but all those football game weekends, the parties and the wonderful independence of living on my own for the first time are all still memorable. I made some life-long friends during my time in Athens and today, 40-some years later, they’re still some of my besties.

GC: What advice do you have for today’s Grady College students?

DG: Writing, writing, and writing. Good writing skills are the basis for everything else you’ll do in your professional life. I know everyone’s got a cellphone camera and you can make YouTube and TikTok videos and host a podcast, and learning how to work in front of a TV camera is important. But, without good clear writing skills, you won’t be as effective at communicating on TV, or public speaking, or responding to emails. I’ve worked with a lot of young people with degrees from good journalism programs, and too many of them are writing news copy like text messages. Get your writing act together to lift up everything else. And don’t forget: proofreading is very important, too.

GC: Do you have any other advice for today’s students?

DG: Yes, stay true to yourself. Don’t try to imitate anyone else. Don’t let anyone try to change your self-image to fit their idea of what you should be. Speak up if someone asks you to report something that you think is wrong or inaccurate. Identify a mentor you respect and ask for their feedback. Even if they’re busy, there are a lot of people in journalism who want to help those coming up behind them. In this era of dis-information, you can play an important role!

Tickets to Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 28, 2023, are available for purchase. Register here.  

 

WRC/NBC4 celebrates Doreen Gentzler’s retirement in this special from November 2022

Fellowship Profile: Regina Hicks

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

The following is one installment of a series recognizing alumni and friends who will be honored at the 2023 Grady Salutes celebration on April 28, 2023. For more details, please see our posts about our Fellowship honorees, Alumni Award recipients and Dean’s Medalist.

Hicks sporting her UGA sweatshirt on the set of “The Upshaws.”

Congratulations to Regina Hicks (ABJ ’85, MFA ’90) who has been named to this year’s class of Grady Fellowship inductees.

Hicks is a writer, producer and showrunner, working on some of the industry’s most popular series and made-for-TV movies. She is currently an executive producer and showrunner for “The Upshaws,” a sitcom she co-created that is launching its second season this year on Netflix.

Most recently, Hicks wrote and co-executive produced “The LWord – Next Gen,” a drama about lesbian women on Showtime and “Insecure,” on HBO.  Previously, Hicks was part of the writing staff for the ABC sitcom “The Mayor” and NBC’s sitcom “Marlon.” Her writing credits also include “Girlfriends,” “Sherri,” “State of Georgia,” “Instant Mom” and the recent 2015 TV remake, “Uncle Buck.”

Hicks has co-scripted several made-for-TV movie  including “Jump In,” “Camp Rock” and “Camp Rock 2” for the Disney Channel, as well as the “ Drumline 2 – A New Beat,” for VH1.

Hicks was the recipient of the King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation Fine Arts Award in Savannah, Georgia in 2007, and was nominated for an NAACP Image award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy for “Girlfriends” and“Instant Mom.” She has also served as a governor for the Television Academy.

She graduated with a degree in telecommunications (now Entertainment and Media Studies) and returned to UGA a few years later to earn an MFA in drama.

Hicks is currently scripting the new “Sister Act 3” for Disney.

Following are rapid-fire answers to questions posed about her career journey:

Grady College: What class at Grady College did the most to prepare you for your current career?
Hicks (seated in center), with some of the writers of “Insecure.”

Regina Hicks: Screenwriting

GC: What experience during your time at Grady College had the biggest influence on where you are today?

RH: Dr. Barry Sherman suggested I write for TV.

GC: What skills and/or values and/or circumstances do you attribute to your success?

RH: Tenacity, Determination, Preparedness, Faith

GC: What advice do you have for today’s young professionals?

RH: Be ready. Be prepared for opportunities you may only get one that counts.

GC: What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

RH: Keep doing what you’re doing.

Tickets to Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 28, 2023, are available for purchase. Register here.  

Hicks (with back toward camera) talks with cast and crew on the set of “The Upshaws” in April 2022.

Fellowship Profile: Susan Percy

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

The following is one installment of a series recognizing alumni and friends who will be honored at the 2023 Grady Salutes celebration on April 28, 2023. For more details, please see our posts about our Fellowship honorees, Alumni Award recipients and Dean’s Medalist.

Congratulations to Susan Percy (ABJ ’66) who has been named to this year’s class of Grady Fellowship inductees.

Percy is a journalist based in Atlanta and although she is now retired, she spent several years at Georgia Trend Magazine, serving 12 years as executive editor and editor and eight years as editor-at-large. She wrote an award-winning monthly opinion column for more than 20 years and remains a regular contributor.

Her work has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Alliance of Area Business Publications, the Atlanta Press Club, and the Magazine Association of the Southeast. She was inducted into the MAGS Hall of Fame in 2008 for her contributions to magazine journalism.

Susan Percy interviews Jimmy Carter.
Susan Percy has interviewed many public figures throughout her career including President Jimmy Carter. (Photo: courtesy of Susan Percy)

Prior to Georgia Trend, she spent eight years at Atlanta Magazine as senior editor and managing editor and worked a brief time as managing editor of Arthritis Today. She has worked for newspapers in Louisiana and California, and her freelance work has appeared in numerous publications including USA Today, The Reader’s Digest and Georgia Magazine.

Percy has served on the Grady Alumni Board, and is a member of the Atlanta Press Club and the Emory University Ethics Center Media Advisory Council.

She was married to the late author Paul Hemphill who served as a Grady Journalist-in-Residence in the early 1970s. She lives in Decatur, conveniently close to her daughter, Martha Hemphill Barbieri, son-in-law, and two grandchildren.

Some of Percy’s writing can be found on her website.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Percy which have been minimally edited for length and clarity.

Grady College: What experience at Grady College did the most to prepare you for your career?

 Susan Percy: The whole package. The combination of classes and professors and opportunities, including working on the Red & Black, which was under Grady’s auspices when I was there, but is an independent publication now. I learned how to be a journalist, and even though the profession has changed in ways I could never have imagined, the basic writing, reporting, and interviewing skills I developed and refined taught me to think like a journalist and provided the foundation for accommodating and adapting to the changes—and, in many cases, welcoming them.

When I started college, the conventional wisdom was that young women, whatever their course of study, should get a teaching certificate, “just in case,” even if you weren’t interested in being a teacher. But I never heard that at Grady. I was treated as a serious journalist from Day One and encouraged and supported in my choice of a profession.

GC: What advice do you have for today’s Grady College students?

Susan Percy wrote a feature about the Peabody Awards for Georgia Trend in 2016 and covered the awards ceremony in New York. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

SP: Take advantage of everything that is here. You may never again have such ready access to so many opportunities—publications, labs, technology, innovative projects, mentorships, internships, and dedicated faculty members and fellow students to advise and support you.

Embrace the diversity and inclusion that is now part of Grady and will continue to be; it is enriching the offerings and areas of study available to you as well as the journalism profession itself.

Take a risk. Try something that intimidates you a little and draw on all the people who are ready to help you.

GC: What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

SP: Breathe. Benefit from and learn from all your professional experiences, but try to take the long view, as well. Throughout your career, you will have some disappointments and setbacks. That’s part of it. Even your dream job will have some tough days, but don’t give up and don’t doubt yourself. If you need to make a change, in your job or your career trajectory or even the way you approach your work, do it thoughtfully and gracefully.

GC: What does this recognition mean to you?

SP: It is the most significant—and surprising—professional honor I have ever had.

I have been a working journalist, with a couple of brief detours, for more than 50 years; and I am happy to say I am not done yet. I am still working. I have had an interesting and varied career, with ups and downs and some successes. But I am not a big name. I’ve never won a Pulitzer. I’ve never owned a publication or a media company. I’ve always answered to someone else.

I think there are a lot of working journalists like me—we work hard, but we don’t call all the shots. We care about what we are doing. We do it with dedication and resolve and integrity; we believe our work is important. Yet there are times when we wonder if it matters, if anyone notices.  This recognition from Grady tells me that it does matter, that people notice the effort that so many journalists make. That every fact you triple-check, every word choice you agonize over, every extra effort you make is important. And it does count.

I am very grateful to Grady College for this honor.

GC: What motivates you?

SP: I’ve reached the age where I should probably be knitting afghans or baking cookies for my grandchildren, but I value the opportunity to continue to do the work I love—at a slower pace, perhaps.

I believe the work of journalists and communicators is more important than ever. The changes that have come to our profession have been both challenging and exciting; but the work we do is crucial. And it is so important for us to do it well, to use all the resources we have to communicate with accuracy, honesty, intelligence, and integrity. And to enjoy doing it.

Susan Percy shows her College spirit for the Grady College Centennial celebration in 2015, while Dean John Drewry looks on from a framed portrait. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

Tickets to Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 28, 2023, are available for purchase. Register here.  

 

New Grady Fellowship inductees announced; Dean’s Medal to be awarded

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Grady College proudly announces four honorees who will be inducted into the Grady Fellowship this year.

Grady Fellowship honorees for 2023 include:

  • Regina Hicks (ABJ ’85, MFA ’90)
  • Robin Hommel (ABJ ’96)
  • Susan Percy (ABJ ’66)
  • Randy Travis (ABJ ’82)

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.

The 2023 recipient of the John Holliman Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award, Doreen Gentzler (ABJ ’79), will be inducted into the Fellowship, as well.

Caroline Edwards (ABJ ’12), a U.S. Capitol police officer who responded to the Jan. 6 attacks, has been named the Dean’s Medal for Leadership Excellence recipient, the College’s highest honor.

Private First Class Officer Caroline Edwards, a public relations major and current U.S. Capitol Police Officer, will be awarded the Dean’s Medal at Grady Salutes.

The induction of Fellows and recognition of Edwards takes place along with the presentation of 2023 Alumni Awards on April 28 at Grady Salutes.

Grady College looks forward to celebrating the Fellowship inductees:

Regina Hicks has spent her career writing for television. She is currently an executive producer and showrunner for “The Upshaws,” a sitcom on Netflix that she created. She is also a writer and co-executive producer of “The LWord – Next Generation” on Showtime, and “Insecure,” on HBO. Other writing credits include “The Mayor,” “Marlon,” Girlfriends,” and several made-for-TV movies including Jump In and Camp Rock for the Disney Channel.

Robin Hommel is a three-time Emmy Award-winning producer and showrunner whose career spans network news, daytime talk and primetime programming. She currently serves as the executive broadcast producer of the ABC News daytime talk show, “The View,” where she has worked since 2015. Prior to “The View,” Robin served as co-executive producer of VH1’s “Big Morning Buzz Live.” Hommel was the creator and executive producer of “Grady Greats,” a panel series in collaboration with ABC News featuring Grady College alumni, ABC talent and media leaders offering insight and analysis into and decisions made behind the scenes.

Susan Percy is a Metro Atlanta-based journalist who has spent most of her career in magazine journalism. She was executive editor and editor of Georgia Trend Magazine from 2001 through 2013 and editor-at-large from 2014 through 2022. She wrote an award-winning monthly opinion column for more than 20 years and remains a regular contributor.

Randy Travis is a Peabody Award-winning investigative reporter for FOX 5 Atlanta. Randy joined WAGA in 1990. In 1994 he moved to the station’s distinguished investigative unit, the FOX 5 I-Team.  In addition to the Peabody Award, Randy’s investigative work has earned him two national Edward R. Murrow awards, plus more than 20 regional Emmy awards.  Travis is also the recipient of the 2005 Mid-Career Alumni Award from Grady College.

Dean Charles Davis is also pleased to recognize Caroline Edwards as a Dean’s Medalist. The last Dean’s Medal was presented to Loran Smith (ABJ ’62) in 2017.

Caroline Edwards is a Private First Class Officer with the U.S. Capitol Police. Her law enforcement career started in 2017 and she has served for six years on the Department’s First Responders Unit. On January 6, 2021, Officer Edwards was the first police officer injured by the rioters while stationed on the West Front of the Capitol. She was knocked unconscious and suffered a traumatic brain injury. On June 9, 2022, Officer Edwards testified to the January 6th House Select Committee. She graduated from Grady College with a degree in public relations.

More information about the Grady Fellowship and a list of past inductees can be viewed on the Grady Fellowship webpage.

The registration link for the Grady Salutes celebration on April 28, 2023, will be available in early March. 

2022 Fellowship Profile: Alan Massengale

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Alan Massengale’s Twitter profile provides a glimpse into his character: “In the sports broadcasting world my moniker is — ‘The Legend’ — which means I am old, but well loved. Proud UGA Bulldog.”

He was a legend, well loved, and a proud Bulldog, graduating from Grady College in 1980 with a degree in journalism. He was not, however, old when he died of cancer on March 12, 2022 at the age of 63.

As we celebrate the induction of Massengale (ABJ ’80) into the Grady College Fellowship, we honor an impressive career spanning some of the most watched sports including basketball, boxing, the Masters and the Indianapolis 500, among other sports competitions.

Massengale was a well-known sports reporter in Los Angeles from 1990 to 2007. His award-winning pregame, halftime, and postgame shows covered the Lakers, Angels, Dodgers and Clippers, and established national standards for local sports coverage.

Pat Harvey, an anchor at KCAL/KCBS and former colleague of Massegale, remembered him at the time of his death for his funny colloquialisms and his piano playing. Most of all, he was an “ultimate storyteller.”Massengale was one of the most watched international boxing announcers on television and was voice of the World Series of Boxing from 2010 to 2013. He called the world championships twice in Guiyang, China, and travelled extensively around the globe for Top Rank Boxing.

In 1985, he was an anchor for a new fledging network called ESPN. He was the first Sportscenter anchor to report live from the Masters, Indianapolis 500 and Boston Marathon.

In 1990, Massengale was lured to the nation’s first regional sports network, Prime Ticket. Among his duties, he hosted Press Box, a nightly 30-minute sports report and the first regional sports report of its kind.

In October 1996, Massengale joined Fox Sports Network as anchor for their new network.

Massengale received the Golden Mike Award twice for best sportscast, as voted by a panel of broadcasters in the Los Angeles market. He was also honored four times by the Southern California Sportscasters Association.

He self-reported that “he has a bunch of Emmys but he does not remember how many.“

While a student at Grady College, Massengale interned and was a fill-in reporter for The Atlanta Journal Constitution sports department. He was also on the Dean’s list all four years of his UGA career.

Massengale was aware of his Fellowship honor, which according to his wife, Elizabeth, meant a great deal to him. Family and friends will be on hand at the Grady Salutes event to celebrate this honor when he is inducted into the Fellowship April 29.

This is one in a series of profiles about our 2022 Alumni Award honorees and Fellowship inductees.
All our honorees and inductees will be honored at Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 29, 2022 at Athens Cotton Press.

 

2022 Fellowship Profile: Bob Houghton

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Congratulations to Bob Houghton, a 2022 Fellowship inductee.

The Grady Fellowship is a recognition honoring friends of the college whose accomplishments, friendship and service to the industries they serve have made a positive impact on the college and its students.

“It is a personal honor and career highlight to be named a Grady Fellow at my adopted college, the University of Georgia,” Houghton said.

Houghton has served as president of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters since 2012 and is a part-time instructor of the Sports Broadcast and Production course through the Carmical Sports Media Institute.

During his career, Houghton has served as a play-by-play announcer for college football, basketball and baseball; worked in national radio sales for CBS; and served in a variety of management positions for radio stations throughout the country and in Georgia.

In 1992, Houghton moved to Georgia to serve as general manager WGST Radio, the Georgia News Network and the Atlanta Braves Radio Network, before being moving to Georgia Public Broadcasting as general manager.

For the past several years, Houghton has served on the Grady College Board of Trust.

Houghton earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Illinois Wesleyan University  and a master’s degree in communications from Northwestern University. A retired Navy captain and Vietnam veteran, he was awarded the prestigious Legion of Merit upon his retirement.

A picture of Vivien Houghton, Kimmie Wilson and Bob Houghton at Kimmie's wedding in 2022.
Vivien and Bob Houghton at the wedding of their daughter, Kimberly, on Feb. 19, 2022. (Photo: courtesy of Bob Houghton)

Houghton and his wife, Vivien, have a daughter, Kimberly Wilson.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Houghton:

Grady College: What skills should graduates and young alumni focus on for early success?

Bob Houghton: Be flexible, be curious and be forward thinking. Always do what you were hired to do as your first priority, then find time to do more.

GC: What appeals to you most about broadcasting?

BH: I wanted to be involved in sports and with limited athletic skills, announcing sports was a way to do that. I believe I was a pioneer in sports talk, co-hosting a Saturday morning program in 1975. I soon learned that broadcasting was a business and the importance of sales. While I loved being on the air, I was better at sales and sales was the fast track to leadership in the broadcast industry in the 1970s and 80s.

I also believe that broadcasters continue to serve the communities they live and work in. We continue to be a reliable, trusted resource that a majority of the country depends on. This is especially true in smaller markets. Local broadcasting is more important than ever. We need Grady students and graduates to bring their perspective and their skills to our ensure the future of our most valuable industry.

GC: What does this recognition mean to you?
As president of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters, Bob Houghton helps oversee the E. Lanier Finch Scholarship, of which Grady College student Colin Ochs was a 2022 recipient. Monica Pearson (MA ’14) was the emcee for the GAB awards luncheon. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

BH: As a non-Grady alum, it is hard to put into words how honored I am to be joining the Grady Fellowship. I was at the first induction ceremony in 2008 and never thought I would someday be included in this group of outstanding journalists, educators, leaders and broadcasters. I was introduced to Grady almost immediately upon my arrival in Georgia in 1992. I joined the GAB Board and began attending Career Day and the glory days of the Winter Institute. On 2012, Dean Davis gave us a home and put the prestigious name of Grady College on what I still believe is my most important accomplishment: the seven year run of the GAB Radio Talent Institute.

There are so many professors and staff members I need to thank but I will leave too many out. My one exception is to thank Vicki Michaelis for allowing me to work with the students in the Carmical Sports Media Institute certificate program. To see the development of the program and the students has been a personal honor and accomplishment. Vicki has lots of help from the team, but she is a powerful force who has built one of the crown achievements of the great Grady College.

GC: What are best strategies for keeping up with day to day advancements in broadcasting ?

BH: Self serving plug: be a member of the GAB or take advantage of the member services we provide. We keep you abreast of industry opportunities and challenges.

Bob Houghton talks with students at a game.
Bob Houghton talks with students in his Sports Broadcast and Production. (Photo: Courtesy of the Carmical Sports Media Institute)
This is one in a series of profiles about our 2022 Alumni Award honorees and Fellowship inductees.

 

All our honorees and inductees will be honored at Grady Salutes: Celebrating Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on April 29, 2022 at Athens Cotton Press. Please visit our Grady Salutes registration webpage for more details. 

Grady College announces 2022 class of Fellows

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Grady College proudly announces the newest class of Grady Fellows, a recognition honoring friends of the college whose accomplishments, friendship and service to the industries they serve have made a positive impact on the college and its students.

The 2022 Fellowship class includes:

  • Susan Goodenow (ABJ ’90), executive vice president, marketing & communications for the Chicago Bulls
  • Reggie Hicks (ABJ ’80), president and executive producer of Straight Street Media, Inc.
  • Bob Houghton, president, Georgia Association of Broadcasters
  • Alan Massengale (MA ’80), retired sports broadcaster

“This year’s class of Grady Fellows represents the full breadth and depth of the college,” said Charles N. Davis, dean of Grady College. “From senior leaders in business to broadcast icons and radio legends, it’s a true testament to the quality of the nominations for this, our highest recognition.”

The 2022 recipient of the John Holliman Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award, which will be named later this month, will be inducted into the Fellowship as well.

In a nod to the 2021 National Football Champions, Uga X (Que) is an honorary member of the 2022 class. Que began his reign as the Georgia Bulldogs in 2015, the College’s Centennial year.

The Fellowship induction, along with the recognition of the 2022 Alumni Awards, will take place Friday, April 29 at Grady Salutes: A Celebration of Achievement, Commitment and Leadership.

With the addition of these Fellows, the Grady Fellowship will have more than 140 Fellows who have been inducted since 2008. A full list of Fellows can be viewed on our Grady Fellowship webpage.

Register here for the for the Grady Salutes celebration on April 29, 2022. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

 

Remembering Michael H. McDougald

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

It is with sadness that we announce the death of Michael Hall McDougald: broadcaster, Grady Fellow and friend of the College. McDougald died Dec. 17, 2021, in Rome, Georgia.

Michael McDougald at WSB in 1948.
Michael McDougald got his start in radio while he was a radio and television student at Emory University. He is pictured here in 1948 working at WSB radio. (Photo: Grady College archives)

“Mike was everything a good broadcaster should be,” said Bob Houghton, part-time instructor at Grady College and president of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. “He left the communities he worked in better than they were before he arrived. He didn’t just join organizations to be a member; he joined to serve and lead them.”

Houghton’s remarks were made in a recent GAB newsletter, an organization that McDougald served as a former president and member of its Hall of Fame.

McDougald led a long career in broadcasting serving in employment positions at WWNS/WMCD, Statesboro, Georgia; WRFC, Athens, Georgia; WGBA, Columbus, Georgia; and WSB, Atlanta, Georgia. He was involved in ownership of WCHK, Canton, Georgia; WAAX/WQEN, Gadsden, Alabama; WRGA/WQTU, Rome, Georgia; and WVOV, Danville, Virginia.

Following his 1952 graduation from Emory University where he majored in radio and television and worked at WSB, McDougald entered the Army, serving in the Korean War, and later in military service in Germany during the Cold War. He was a graduate of the Counter-Intelligence Corps School in Baltimore, Maryland, and was a CIC Special Agent with top secret clearance. He was also an instrument-rated licensed pilot.

McDougald started graduate studies at Grady College in the 1950s, but was lured to back to his pre-war job at WSB in Atlanta, leaving his degree incomplete.

McDougald was inducted into the inaugural class of Grady Fellows in 2008, a group recognized for accomplishments, friendship and service to the industries they serve and making a positive impact on Grady College.

He was the recipient of two Marconi Awards and one Crystal award from the National Association of Broadcasters, three Abe Lincoln awards, and seven GAB Station of the Year awards. He served two terms on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, and as chairman of America’s Small Market Committee.  He is a past president of the GAB and past board member of both the Georgia and Alabama Broadcasters Associations. He was named Broadcast-Citizen of the Year in Georgia and Broadcaster of the Year in Alabama and was inducted into the Hall of Fame of both GAB and ABA.

Michael McDougald and Parker Middleton
Michael McDougald was very involved with the Georgia Association of Broadcasters, serving as its board president, on its Board of Directors and in it Hall of Fame. He is pictured here at a GAB dinner with former Grady development director Parker Middleton, in 2015.

During later years, McDougald was vice chairman of the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission which operates Georgia Public Broadcasting, and was chairman of the Foundation for Public Broadcasting of Georgia, Inc.

He was involved with and led many civic organizations including hospital boards, Rotary Clubs and Red Cross organizations. After 18 years service, he was a Board of Director Emeritus of SunTrust Bank of Northwest Georgia.

McDougald came from a family who served the broadcast industry. One of his brothers, Donald McDougald, owned and operated radio stations in Georgia and Virginia, and another brother, Worth, was on the faculty of Grady College, serving as director of the Peabody Awards for nearly 30 years until his retirement in 1991. Michael, Donald and Worth were all inducted into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, proudly housed on the second floor of Grady College.

McDougald’s obituary can be viewed here.

For additional features about McDougald’s legacy, please see the following:

Fellowship Profile: Ken Woo (ABJ ’78)

Posted on by Sarah Freeman
Grady Salutes will be virtual this year. Plan to join our celebration on Facebook and YouTube at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 16.

 Video credit: Atlanta Image Arts
Ken Woo has taken the basic skills he learned in film making, photography and editing at Grady College and created an incredibly varied background in his nearly 40 years of serving as director of photography, cameraman and documentary producer.

“I learned a lot of the basics that I still rely on today in photography, film making, editing, writing, and most important, storytelling,” Woo, a journalism major, said. “The technical knowledge I learned about photography applies to all cameras that I work with even with today’s digital equipment, as well as the editing techniques I developed.”

Woo has an enduring work ethic, something that started when he was in college working in the college’s audio/visual department and bar tending at night. Woo was also a writer and features editor for the Red & Black and a disk jockey for WUOG where he played alternative music and fusion jazz from midnight until 3 a.m.

“The writing I did for the Red & Black and the on-air work I did at WUOG gave me a great insight into a broader knowledge of media that was an important foundation to the work in TV and film that followed,” Woo said. “I especially loved doing the late night radio shows with WUOG. Having a faithful audience that I built up over the course of my stint there was really cool and gave me a lot of confidence.”

Following graduation, Woo’s big break came at CBS where he worked numerous shows like the “Young & the Restless,” “Bold & the Beautiful,” “Price Is Right,” “Archie Bunker’s Place” and “Mama’s Family.” He also worked on freelance shows such the Grammys and Emmys.

In the miscellaneous broadcast category, Woo was one of four cameramen hired by Lionel Ritchie and Michael Jackson in 1985 to shoot the music video “We Are the World” for HBO.

“What a totally amazing night that was,” Wood said.

In 1987, Woo turned to full-time freelance work focusing on live sports, news magazines, documentaries and features. Woo became a director of photography in the early 1990s, working on everything from the Olympic Games, IronMan and Tour de France to several Super Bowls, Final Four Championships and several US Open tournaments for tennis and golf. In total, Woo has filmed 15 Olympic Games.

Woo’s hard work has paid off with accolades through the year. He has 27 Emmy Awards, including three prime time Emmy’s for the Opening Ceremonies at the Salt Lake City, Torino and Beijing Olympic Games and a Peabody Award for his work on ESPN’s “30 for 30” series. In 2019, Woo was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

In addition to Clark, other members of the 2020 Fellowship class include Allison Ausband (ABJ ’83), Chris Clark (ABJ ’61), Eugenia Harvey (ABJ ‘ 82) and Carol Ramos (ABJ ’79) and Dick Helton.

Editor’s Note: The Fellowship induction, along with recognition of the 2020 Alumni Awards recipients, will take place virtually on April 16, 2021 at 7 p.m. on our YouTube and Facebook pages. Visit our Grady Salutes webpage for the latest updates.