Celebrate our spring 2021 award and scholarship winners!
Each spring the SJMC celebrates students selected for special awards and future scholarships, so join us in congratulating some outstanding students over the next few weeks.
The Joe Patrick Green Eyeshade Award honors former SJMC assistant dean and editing professor Joe R. Patrick and recognizes outstanding copy editors, nitpickers in the Patrick tradition. This year’s award goes to Rachel James.
The Woodward Award for Public Affairs Reporting recognizes reporting excellence and honors Robert D. Woodward, Ellis and Nelle Levitt distinguished professor of journalism. This year’s winners are Sarah Bogaards and Madeleine Leigh.
The Fausch Research Awards are the result of a special gift by David Fausch, a 1957 graduate who worked overseeing corporate public relations as a vice president at Gillette Co. The Fausch Award honors the following PR students for outstanding contributions to research for the senior capstones: Nels Danburg, Kennedy Dockhorn, Ashwin Raj, Kevin Taeyaerts, Delainey Thorud, Maddie Topliff and Elizabeth Weyers.
The following students will receive 2021-22 scholarships:
The Cyril and Lucille Clifton Scholarship, named in honor of former political reporter for The Des Moines Register Cyril “Cy” Clifton, recognizes students for academic achievement. The Clifton Scholars for 2021-22 are Savanna Bous and Victoria Soliz.
The Jim Duncan Memorial Scholarship recognizes a student for outstanding promise in production and performance. It is named after the Drake broadcast professor who was known worldwide as the “Voice of the Relays” and will go to Savanna Bous.
The John Lytle Endowed Scholarship for News Journalism was endowed by SJMC broadcast alumnus Bob Gillies to honor longtime broadcast news professor John Lytle. The recipient is a news major who exemplifies the values and standards that Professor Lytle sought to impart to his students: excellent reporting and writing, a devotion to public service and the profession, a strong work ethic, and the highest of ethical standards. The Lytle Scholar for 2021-22 will be Emma Brustkern.
The Erik Isgrig Advertising Scholarship was established in honor of a distinguished member of the Drake advertising faculty in the 1960s by his former students. Next year’s scholarship recognizes outstanding advertising student Savanna Bous.
The Frank Miller Scholarship is awarded to an SJMC student who has successfully contributed in the area of graphic design. It’s named after a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for The Des Moines Register and will be shared by Savanna Bous and Amanda O’Brien.
The Larry Neibergall Scholarship was established in memory of a longtime photographer for The Des Moines Register. This year’s winner of the Neibergall Scholarship, Autumn Osia, exhibits the same passion for photojournalism and visual communication.
The Tom Norquist Memorial Scholarship was endowed with a contribution from Tom’s friends and employer, the Cowles Syndicate, to honor the 1979 graduate. Next year’s recipient is Elizabeth Hennessey.
The Ted Sell Memorial Award is a scholarship given to an outstanding junior or senior interested in a career in print or broadcasting and will go to Autumn Osia.
The Walters-Peterson advertising scholarship in memory of a 1930s Times-Delphic editor for outstanding work in copywriting will go to Lucy Panfil.
SJMC senior wins Hearst writing award
Carson J.S. Reichardt, a Drake senior news major, has placed in the top 20 in the personality profile contest of the national Hearst journalism competition. His profile of Iowa state auditor Rob Sand appeared in Urban Plains, the multimedia website created by the magazine media, multimedia journalism and digital media production seniors. Reichardt is also the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication academic senator.
Drake University now ranks in the top five institutions in the Hearst competition, after winning three awards in earlier monthly contests.
The personality profile competition drew 114 entries from 64 universities. Judging the writing competitions this year are Dwayne Bray, journalist-at-large, ESPN’s The Undefeated; Larry Kramer, retired president and publisher, USA Today; and Maria Reeve, managing editor/content, Houston Chronicle.
The Hearst Journalism Awards Program is conducted under the auspices of accredited schools of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication and fully funded and administered by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.
SJMC student wins national diversity scholarship
Josh Harris, a digital media production sophomore, has been awarded a scholarship from the Lagrant Foundation, which is committed to diversifying the advertising, marketing and public relations industries. This is the 23rd year of the prestigious scholarship, which includes a multi-day virtual program featuring Nike Vice President KeJuan Wilkins and professional workshops with Procter & Gamble and Marina Maher Communications.
PR Day to feature conference on communication jobs
The Drake chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America will host its annual PR Day on Friday, April 16 with a virtual conference to help students learn more about career paths in communications. The conference will be 9 a.m.-noon. The Zoom link is https://drake-edu.zoom.us/j/82849023720?pwd=VTNwbTJtLzJmUFhQS1JpRTJjaHJoQT09
Agenda:
9 a.m. Keynote Speaker
- Katelin Brown, PRSA Iowa Chapter President
9:30-9:45 a.m. Break
9:45-11:15 a.m. Breakout Rooms (30 minutes in each room)
Public Relations:
- Abby Delaney, APR | AVP, Corporate Communications Officer, Bankers Trust
- Aaron Putze, APR, Senior Director, Information and Education, Iowa Soybean Association
- Marianna Moroz, Public Relations Manager, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Marketing:
- Kramer McLuckie, Digital Communications Manager, Trilix
- Anne Lawrie, Marketing Director, RAGBRAI
- Nicole Lawrence, Marketing Manager, ClaimDOC
Advertising:
- Haley Austin, Digital Media Analyst, Trilix
- Andi (Vance) Fagen, Creative Director, Creative DSM
11:15-11:30 a.m. Break
11:30 a.m.-noon PR Human Resource Panel
HR Professionals:
- Abby Bottenfield, APR, Communications Director, Trilix
- Fern Kidder, Human Resources, Iowa PBS
- Amanda Mulcahy, Account Executive, Palmer Group
- Andrea (Scigliano) Tenborg, Hiring Technical Talent, Meredith
Drake Mag seeks advertisers for spring edition
Drake Mag, the University’s student magazine, seeks advertisers for its spring 2021 edition. If you are an alum who wants to get the word out about your business to an audience of educated and engaged young people, contact editor-in-chief Cheyann Neades (cheyann.neades@drake.edu). The publication is distributed around campus, the Des Moines community and to high school students at college fairs around the country.
Help us by taking the Drake Student Survey
The SJMC uses the results of the Drake Student Survey to inform changes in everything from curriculum to advising and student services. It is one of the most powerful tools that students of all levels have for making their voices heard about their Drake experience. Please fill out your survey today, if you haven’t already.
Retired SJMC prof covers forgotten chapter of Iowa history
SJMC emeritus professor Dr. Herb Strentz wrote about a little known aspect of Iowa history for the local blog Bleeding Heartland: how Des Moines embraced Americans of Japanese descent during World War II. It’s a wonderful and timely piece.
Have a news item for the Memo?
The SJMC Monday Memo (and other days of the week as needed) is a newsletter to keep members of the wider SJMC community updated on School news, achievements, events and opportunities. If you have an item for the Memo, please send it to Dean Kathleen Richardson (kathleen.richardson@drake.edu) or SJMC webmaster and multimedia professor Chris Snider (christopher.snider@drake.edu). SJMC alums and other professionals can also subscribe to the Monday Memo via email here: http://eepurl.com/bPNbxn