Tag: Grady Salutes

Grady College announces 2023 Alumni Award recipients

Posted on by Jackson Schroeder

Grady College is proud to announce honorees for its annual Alumni Awards, recognizing alumni who have established a tradition of service and achievement in their careers.

Alumni Award recipients will be recognized at the College’s annual recognition event, Grady Salutes: A Celebration of Achievement, Leadership and Commitment, on Friday, April 28, 2023. Inductees into the Grady Fellowship also will be recognized at Grady Salutes.

The 2023 Alumni Award recipients include: 

Maura Friedman (ABJ ‘13), a senior photo editor at National Geographic, will receive the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award. Friedman previously worked as the lead photo editor and projects photographer at the Urban Institute, a multimedia reporter at the Chattanooga Times Free Press and an independent visual journalist producing photo and video stories across the Southeast United States. The Young Alumni Award recognizes a graduate of the last decade who has experienced a successful early career.

Yolanda Taylor Brignoni (ABJ ‘98), the vice president of external affairs and communications at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), will receive the Mid-Career Award. Prior to joining EGPAF, she was the head of communications for Axios Media. The Mid-Career Award is presented to a graduate for professional achievements, influence and success.

Doreen Gentzler (ABJ ‘79), who retired in November 2022 after a career spanning four decades, will receive the John Holliman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award for sustained contributions to the profession throughout a career. Gentzler anchored the news on WRC/NBC4 in Washington, D.C. for 33 years. She spent several years honing her journalism skills in Chattanooga, Charlotte and Cleveland, then Philadelphia, before joining NBC4 in 1989. Doreen also filled in on “The Today Show” and “NBC at Sunrise.” Grady College has recognized its Lifetime Achievement recipient for more than 45 years.

George Daniels (MA ‘99, PhD ‘02), an associate professor and Reese Phifer Fellow of journalism and creative media at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award. Daniels previously served as assistant dean for administration in UA’s College of Communication and Information Sciences. The Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award honors a graduate for excellence and sustained contributions to scholarship in journalism and mass communication education. 

More information about the Alumni Awards and a list of past recipients can be viewed on the Alumni Awards webpage.

Register here for the for the Grady Salutes celebration on April 28, 2023. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Grady Salutes

We look forward to honoring our new members of the Grady Fellowship, recipients of Alumni Awards, and our Dean’s Medal recipient during Grady Salutes.

This event is sold out. If you’re interested in being put on the waitlist, contact Karen Andrews (karena@uga.edu).

 

Grady Salutes 2022 honorees celebrated at in-person event

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

There was laughter and tears, but mostly a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to come together for an in-person Grady Salutes celebration April 29, 2022.

The event attracted nearly 125 Grady College alumni and friends to the Athens Cotton Press for the annual recognition of Alumni Award recipients and Fellowship inductees.

Alumni Award recipients included:

Video screen picture of Julie Wolfe
Julie Wolfe accepted her Mid-Career Alumni Award via a pre-recorded taped message. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)
  • Julia Carpenter (ABJ ’13), a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, who received the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award.
  • Julie Wolfe (ABJ ’03), a news director for King 5 Media Group in Seattle, who received the Mid-Career Award.
  • Carolina Acosta-Alzuru (MA ’96, PhD ’99), professor of public relations at Grady College, was named the John Holliman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
  • Pat Curtin (MA ’91, PhD ’96), professor and endowed chair of public relations at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, received the Distinguished Alumni Scholar award.

Wolfe was not able to attend the ceremony, but sent a video greeting noting her appreciation for the award and reflecting on lessons that David Hazinski, emeritus professor, taught her.

“Journalism is a relentless pursuit of facts, a commitment to always do the next right thing and an unwavering belief in the ethical principles of journalism,” Wolfe said in her video acceptance.

Fellowship inductees included:

  • 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

As the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Acosta-Alzuru was also inducted into the Grady Fellowship.

During the Fellowship acceptances, Goodenow reflected on how sports is more than a final score and talked about an experience a few weeks where the Chicago Bulls was able to offer Justin Hardy, a 22-year-old basketball player with cancer, an opportunity to attend a playoff game. Hardy claimed the day was one of the best of his life, and Goodenow reflected on how moments like that reminds her and all involved with sports what a privileged spot they hold.

“I want to thank Georgia and I want to thank Grady for putting me on a path that allowed me to have amazing experiences and meet incredible people, like Justin and his family,” Goodenow said.

Stevie Joe Massengale
Stevie Joe Massengale accepts the Fellowship honor on behalf of her father, Alan Massengale, as Alan’s wife, Elizabeth, looks on. Alan died March 12, 2022. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

Perhaps the most moving acceptance of the night was by Stevie Joe Massengale, Alan’s teenage daughter who was accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth. Alan died of cancer on March 12, after learning he would be inducted into the Fellowship, and his daughter commented about how excited he was about the honor.

“He inspired many and of course, he inspired me,” she said.  “Your legacy lives on because you are larger than life.”

The Rollin “Pete” McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism was presented to Larry Hobbs, a reporter for The Brunswick News. The award, recognizing work in 2020, was presented to Hobbs for his dedicated reporting about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, starting the day after his murder, and continuing throughout the trial.

“Truth more often thrives in communities where newspapers abide,” Hobbs said as he accepted the award. “Those in positions of public trust are held accountable when newspapers simply do their jobs. When an ugly truth hid behind the senseless killing of Ahmaud Arbery, The Brunswick News did its job. We covered this sad story relentlessly from the day it occurred right up until justice was served in both state and federal courts. We owed that to our community, and to Ahmaud and to his family.”

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

  • Larry Hobbs of The Brunswick News accepted the McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism. (Photo: Sydney Fordice)
See our Grady Salutes 2022 Flickr album for more pictures.

Larry Hobbs receives 2020 McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism

Posted on by Jackson Schroeder

Larry Hobbs, a feature writer and reporter at The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Georgia) has been named the recipient of the 2020 Rollin M. “Pete” McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism.

This award, presented during Grady Salutes on Friday, April 29, recognizes Hobbs for his initial and subsequent reporting on the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. 

“I am thrilled that Larry Hobbs is this year’s recipient of the local journalism award endowed in my name by Grady Thrasher and Kathy Prescott,” said Pete McCommons, the publisher and editor of Flagpole Magazine in Athens. “Larry is a great example of the local reporter who doggedly follows a difficult story in spite of all the other assignments that compete for his time and attention.”

A Lower Alabama native and 1984 graduate of Troy University, Hobbs spent the bulk of his early career working for Florida newspapers, including the Palm Beach Daily News and the Palm Beach Post, among others. He started writing for The Brunswick News in 2014, roughly six years before the Ahmaud Arbery shooting. 

“Larry Hobbs and his colleagues at The Brunswick News did what journalists do: they heard of a potential misjustice, they investigated it, they demanded accountability from those in charge, and they ultimately saw one of Brunswick’s, and Georgia’s, most horrific acts to its conclusion. They performed journalism, at its finest,” said Charles Davis, dean of Grady College. 

Larry Hobbs accepts the 2020 Pete McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism on the stage next to Charles Davis, dean of Grady College.
Larry Hobbs (left) accepts the 2020 Pete McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism on the stage next to Charles Davis (right), dean of Grady College. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

Each year, the McCommons Award, sponsored by Grady College, honors outstanding leadership, innovation and entrepreneurism in community journalism. It highlights the substantial contributions of community journalism to civic life and inspires students to pursue careers in community journalism.

In this case, Hobbs began reporting on the Amhaud Arbery shooting the day Arbery died. Hobbs’ relentless reporting was picked up by national media organizations, including Time, CNN and Poynter, among others, and depicted as a catalyst for the Amhaud Arbery trial. 

“Larry’s reporting was important in many ways, and we are glad to have this opportunity to honor him for the work he did,” explained Kyser Lough, the chair of the McCommons Award Committee and an assistant professor in Grady’s Department of Journalism.

“Even before this award, I have been using Larry’s reporting on the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in my classes as an example of the importance of local, community journalism, and I know other journalism professors have been too,” Lough added. “While this year the award went to a reporter in our home state, it’s important to remember that this is a national award and we accept nominations from across the country.”

Larry Hobbs (right) stands nest to Kyser Lough (left), the chair of the McCommons Award Committee and an assistant professor in Grady’s Department of Journalism.
Larry Hobbs (right) stands next to Kyser Lough (left), the chair of the McCommons Award Committee and an assistant professor in Grady’s Department of Journalism. (Photo: Sarah E. Freeman)

In Hobbs’ comments accepting the award, he gave credit to his team at The Brunswick News for fueling their publication. He also made a point that he doesn’t consider himself or his colleagues heroes — just people “doing their jobs.”

“Truth more often thrives in communities where newspapers abide,” Hobbs continued. “Those in positions of public trust are held accountable when newspapers simply do their jobs. When an ugly truth hid behind the senseless killing of Ahmaud Arbery, The Brunswick News did its job. We covered this sad story relentlessly from the day it occurred right up until justice was served in both state and federal courts. We owed that to our community, and to Ahmaud and to his family.”

This sentiment was also expressed by Janice Hume, the head of the Department of Journalism, while introducing Hobbs. 

“It was Mr. Hobbs’ attention to detail and dogged reporting that brought the story of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder first to local and then national attention,” said Hume. “Without the work of a local journalist who understood and cared about his community, there would have been no justice for Mr. Arbery’s family. Local journalism matters, and Mr. Hobbs’ work is a fine example of why. We are grateful for his service to the Brunswick community and beyond.” 

More details and a form to nominate a community journalist for a future McCommons Award can be found on the McCommons Award for Distinguished Community Journalism webpage.

2022 Fellowship Profile: Susan Goodenow

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Congratulations to Susan Goodenow (ABJ ’90), a 2022 Fellowship inductee.

Goodenow is executive vice president of marketing & communications for the Chicago Bulls, where she is responsible for developing and managing the team’s marketing efforts, directing and integrating all team content and communication and overseeing the team’s community engagement efforts.  

Goodenow graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in public relations (ABJ ’90) and continued her education at Georgetown University with a master’s degree in American studies. She also earned an Executive Scholar Certificate in General Management from the Kellogg Executive Education program at Northwestern University.  

Before joining the Bulls in 2012, Goodenow spent four years with the Boston Red Sox as the senior vice president of public affairs and marketing.  She has also worked for Major League Baseball/Office of the Commissioner, the American Red Cross and public affairs firms in Washington, D.C. 

Goodenow continues to serve UGA as a member of the AdPR Executive Committee and the Alumni Sports Industry Council. A resident of Chicago, Goodenow is also a member of the Gilda’s Club Chicago Governing Board, American Red Cross of Greater Chicago Tiffany Circle and the Economic Club of Chicago.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Goodenow:

Grady College: What is it about your field that appeals the most to you?  Why did you decide to enter that field? 

Susan Goodenow: My choice to enter PR was made, in part, after contemplating a role in broadcasting as a sports reporter. Soon after I started down that path, I realized being in front of a camera is not for me – I break out in hives and cold sweats! – so I decided a role behind the camera was a much better fit. I have always loved words, and it oddly brings me joy when someone lands on the perfect word choice or sentence structure. Growing up I was also intrigued by marketing – more specifically advertising – along with business news and current events, so the combination of those interests with my love of words and my aversion to being in front of the camera made PR a good fit.  

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

SG: Ah, that’s easy – walking through North Campus.

Goodenow, pictured at a work-related event, has always had a passion for words.
GC:  What does this recognition mean to you? 

SG: I am a very proud Georgia Bulldog – just ask anyone who knows me, particularly during football season. I’ve been going to games since I was four years old. My sister and I both graduated from Georgia, as did my brother-in-law. My niece is a junior, and my nephew will be a freshman in the fall.  It is an incredible honor to be recognized by an institution that is so much a part of my family and helped shape who I am.  

GC:  What are your best strategies for keeping up to date with industry advancements? 

SG: The world evolves and changes, so it is important to stay current and adapt. While you may be an expert in something right now, some of your go-to knowledge and skills could someday become funny “do you remember when we did that?” topics, so always stay curious and never stop learning. PR is a profession where you provide strategy and counsel to people and organizations spanning industries and interests that can be affected by a number of internal and external factors. Staying up to date on current events and emerging trends prepares you to be ready in a crisis or when an opportunity to create value comes up. It’s easy to scroll through social and feel like you know what’s going on, but that’s just a surface look. Go beyond the “what” and find ways to dig deeper to learn the “why” and “how” by reading articles and books, listening to podcasts and seeking out interesting people and have conversations with them.  

GC:  Is there anything else you would like to share?

SG: Being in PR can mean you’re always on call, so take time for yourself when you can. Develop interests and hobbies that make you happy. Learn this lesson now, not later. It is something I only recently started to practice and am still not very good at it.  I even bought a sign that reads “Don’t forget to go outside and play” that hangs in my house to serve as a constant reminder.  

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. 

 

Alumni Award Profile: Julia Carpenter

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Julia Carpenter (ABJ ’13) is this year’s recipient of the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award, honoring a graduate of the last decade who has experienced a successful early career.

Carpenter is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. She previously worked at both CNN and The Washington Post, and has also written for publications including Glamour, Vogue and New York Magazine.

Covering stories on gender, culture, finance, technology and everything in between, Carpenter has received several awards for her reporting. In 2019, she was honored with the Excellence in Business Coverage Award from The Association of LGBTQ Journalists for her story “When Work Puts You Back in the Closet,” published in CNN Business. In 2020, she received a Front Page Award in the Personal Service category from the Newswomen’s Club of New York for her reporting in WSJ’s “The New Rules of Money” series.

In addition to reporting, Carpenter also publishes a daily newsletter, “A Woman to Know,” and mentors aspiring writers through Girls Write Now.

Following is a brief interview with Carpenter:

GC: What is it about your field that appeals the most to you? Why did you decide to enter that field?

JC: I’m a big talker and an obsessive journaler. As soon as teachers saw those two things, they started recommending I think about studying journalism. In my career now, those two things — my chattiness and my note-taking — are huge strengths of mine. As a student, I loved the idea that journalists could ask anyone about anything and spend all day learning about everything. Even today, I’m still marveled that I will think “I wonder how that’s going to work?” and then I’ll call someone and say, “You’re the expert, and I’m a journalist — can you tell me how that’s going to work?”

Carpenter is currently based in New York City, where she reports for The Wall Street Journal (Photo: submitted).
GC: Looking back at your time at Grady, is there anything you wish you had done (classes you had taken, skills you would have liked to have learned, clubs to be involved with) that would help you with what you are doing today?

JC: As a college student, I was so intent on double-majoring (in English and in journalism) and excelling at the student newspaper. I wish I had taken more classes just for fun! Looking back on my time at UGA, I can truly think of only a handful of classes I took that weren’t fulfilling a requirement or adding to some other part of resume. If I could go back, I like to think I would do that differently. I know I would be a better writer for it, that’s for sure. 

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

JC: There’s no “right way” to build a career and a creative life. Stop trying to find it! Go to Marti’s and eat some pita chips.

Carpenter graduated In 2013 with a degree in journalism (Photo: submitted).
GC: What motivates you?

JC: The day after I publish a piece, I set aside time to read all the tweets, emails and comments responding to it. Sure, some of them are negative, and many require an eye roll or, in bad cases, a block and report. But I save all the emails that say, “you put words to what I was experiencing” or “thank God someone finally said this!” or — this one most of all — “I thought I was the only one.” Those motivate me. 

GC: Is there anything else you would like to share?

JC: I have spent countless hours, therapy sessions and fat baby tears stressing over finding a mentor. Everyone kept telling me “Do you have a mentor? You need a mentor!” and at all these different points in my career, I resolved to find a mentor who (I presumed) could shepherd me to career enlightenment. But here’s the thing: my strongest advocates and best advice-givers and most generous sounding boards have always been people at the same level as me. Some of them I met at The Red & Black, some of them I met at internships and some of them I met during my early days at my first job. But we’ve all come up together, and grown together, and I want future students to know that building those connections is enough. Now, these peers are worth more to me than any idea I had of some “Fairy GodMentor.”

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. 

 

2022 Fellowship Profile: Reggie Hicks

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Congratulations to Reggie Hicks (ABJ ’80), a 2022 Fellowship inductee.

Hicks is president and executive producer of the non-profit Straight Street Media, Inc. where he produces documentaries, podcasts and digital stories that affect change in the lives of the underserved.  His current project, the documentary film “If You Are My Brothers,” chronicles the journey of a UGA fraternity brother who was diagnosed with an advanced stage of prostate cancer.  This documentary hit home when Hicks was also diagnosed three years into filming.

Hicks’ public broadcasting journey began on the campus of UGA at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education while he was a journalism student.  During his junior year, he served as technical director at the Atlanta PBS affiliate WGTV Channel 8.  Since that time, his career has encompassed every facet of public radio and television including roles as general manager and development/fundraising at stations throughout the southeast United States including Georgia, Alabama and Texas, among others.

Hicks created and served as executive producer for “Power Point,” the first weekly national call-in program on public radio addressing issues relevant to the Black community.  The two-hour weekly call-in program aired for seven years on national public radio in 50 markets and on Sirius Satellite Radio (now SiriusXM).

Reggie has also served as the associate development director for the UGA Annual Fund, director of membership for Georgia Public Broadcasting and adjunct professor in mass communications at Clark Atlanta University and the University of Tampa, among others.

Reggie Hicks and his wife, Anita, at the National Championship game in 2018.
Reggie Hicks and his wife, Anita, at the National Championship game in 2018.

Hicks, a native of Savannah, Georgia, is married to Anita Stokes-Hicks, and they have one son, Armondi.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Hicks:

Grady College: What lessons learned from your time as a Grady College student have most helped you succeed in your professional life? 

Reggie Hicks: Of course, the excellent academic training I received at Grady College is first and foremost. It was there that I began to understand the importance of being a good writer. From a more practical perspective, the hands-on opportunities I experienced through Grady College’s internships and part-time opportunities helped hone skills that I have used every day of my career.

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

RH: Spend more time learning about what’s on the horizon for the future. Read more about innovations and trends and use that information to become your own boss. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and don’t be scared to fail. I know this sounds a bit cliché but when you fail, learn from it, embrace it and move on. Live your dreams, and don’t be quick to conform to the norm.

GC: What motivates you?
Reggie Hicks wearing headphones at a sound board as he promotes his documentary, You Are My Brothers.
Hicks promoting his documentary, “You Are My Brothers.”

RH: Being the change that I want to see motivates me every day. That’s why I have worked primarily in the non-profit sector with organizations whose mission it is to make this a better place.

GC: Are there any books or podcasts that you would recommend to young professionals?

RH: Yes, there are two books I would recommend to young professionals: Ray Dialo’s “Principles” and “Leader’s Eat Last” by Simon Sinek. These books are about leadership and understanding that the greatest resource of all is the human resource.

Also, I would find something visual that motivates you, especially during challenging times. As a senior at UGA, I found an unknown author’s poem titled “If.”  I remember buying the poster in a small gift shop on Tybee Island, Georgia. I was going through some real challenges at the time, and looking at the poem helped to keep me motivated. I later found the poem on a plaque, and it hangs in my office today.

GC: What are your best strategies for keeping up with industry advancements?

RH: Read, read and read. Devote time during your week dedicated to reading about innovations in your field. Learn about trends and predictions about what’s on the horizon. Subscribe to digital sources like newsletters and podcasts. Join social media groups to connect you with individuals in your field of interest who effect change in real-time.

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.

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 Alumni Award recipients

Posted on by Sarah Freeman

Grady College is proud to announce honorees for its annual alumni awards, recognizing alumni who have established a tradition of service and achievement in their careers.

Alumni Award recipients will be recognized at the College’s annual recognition event, Grady Salutes: A Celebration of Achievement, Leadership and Commitment on Friday, April 29, 2022. Inductees into the Grady Fellowship also will be recognized at Grady Salutes.

The 2022 Alumni Award recipients include:

  • Julia Carpenter (ABJ ’13), a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, will receive the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award. Carpenter previously worked at CNN and The Washington Post, and her byline has appeared in Glamour, Vogue, New York magazine and other publications. The Young Alumni Award recognizes a graduate of the last decade who has experienced a successful early career.
  • Julie Wolfe (ABJ ’03), a news director for King 5 Media Group in Seattle, receives the Mid-Career Award. Stations where Wolfe has previously worked include WGRZ in Buffalo, New York; WXIA in Atlanta; and WHAS in Louisville, where she led the news team through award-winning coverage of the Breonna Taylor case and launched its Emmy-winning investigative unit, FOCUS. The Mid-Career Award is presented to a graduate for his or her professional achievements, influence and success.
  • Carolina Acosta-Alzuru (MA ’96, PhD ’99), professor of public relations at Grady College, is named the John Holliman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award winner for sustained contributions to the profession throughout a career. Acosta-Alzuru teaches courses in public relations campaigns and cultural studies, among others. She is an internationally recognized scholar on telenovelas and has written several books on the subject. Grady College has recognized its Lifetime Achievement recipient for more than 45 years.
  • Pat Curtin (MA ’91, PhD ’96), professor and endowed chair of public relations at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, receives the Distinguished Alumni Scholar award. Curtin has previously taught at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her research encompasses cross-cultural public relations, public relations history and the development of critical/postmodern approaches to public relations theory. The Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award honors a graduate for excellence and sustained contributions to scholarship in journalism and mass communication education.

More information about the alumni awards and a list of past recipients can be viewed on the Alumni Awards webpage.

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

 

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.