Newhouse Student Awards Spring 2025 Roundup

Syracuse Press Club

Newhouse School students and media outlets won 10 first place honors in the professional and college categories at the annual Syracuse Press Club (SPC) Awards on May 3. Public radio station WAER earned another six first place honors. 

Newhouse Students and Media Outlets Win 10 First Place Honors at Syracuse Press Club Awards

Society of Professional Journalists

The Newhouse School won nine Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence regional awards for student work from The NewsHouse, CitrusTV, The Daily Orange, Jerk and NCC News among the 28 finalists for this year’s contest. The winners were announced May 2 in New York City at the SPJ Region 1 conference.

Newhouse School Wins 9 Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards

Graphis

The Newhouse School had an astounding 97 wins among advertising and visual communications students in the 2025 Graphis New Talent Awards, which recognize the best design work among college students worldwide.

This total ranks among the top three for overall Newhouse totals in recent years and exceeds last year’s total of 75 honors. 

Newhouse Stuns With 97 Wins in Graphis New Talent Awards

The Alexia

Newhouse visual communications student Murphy McFarlane was a runner-up in The Alexia grants competition Sports Grant category for her image of a women’s ice hockey player.

2025 Alexia Grant Recipients and Finalists

PRSSA Bateman Case Study Competition

A team of Newhouse School students will represent Syracuse University as a national finalist for PRSSA’s prestigious Bateman Case Study Competition, in which competitors research, plan, implement and evaluate a PR campaign for a real-world client.

Students Eva Aurnhammer, Jack McCarty, Hannah Kim, Teresa Kurkjy, Cici Modin and Mariana Godinez-Andraca will travel to New York City for the final round of judging May 8 in the Public Relations Student Society of America’s premier competition.

Working with faculty advisor Arien Rozelle, an assistant teaching professor of public relations, the Newhouse team is one of three finalists selected from 45 competitors this year from colleges and universities around the country.

The Newhouse team developed its “Libraries for All, Voices for All” campaign for the nonprofit EveryLibrary. They forged partnerships with stakeholders off and on campus, including the Onondaga County Library System, Parthenon Books, the Newhouse School and Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies.

National Press Photographers Foundation

Md Zobayer Hossain Joati, a master’s student in the multimedia, photography and design program, won the National Press Photographers Foundation’s Kit C. King Scholarship. Only graduate students studying photography at a U.S.-based institution are eligible for the honor. The award is named after Kit King, the chief photographer at The Spokesman Review and Spokane (Washington) Chronicle who died in a fishing accident in 1991.

Joati is also the inaugural Alexia Scholar recipient at the Newhouse School.

White House Correspondents’ Association

Luke Radel, a junior majoring in broadcast and digital journalism, earned a White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) scholarship. The program pairs a student interested in pursuing government or political reporting for a year with a volunteer mentor from the White House press corps. Radel, a dual major in political science at the Maxwell School, will attend the annual WHCA dinner Saturday night in Washington, D.C.

Last year, Syracuse University joined WHCA’s roster of partner institutions in the prestigious scholarship program.

Society for News Design

Student designers, illustrators and producers were recognized with Awards of Excellence in the organization’s Best of News Design Creative Competition.

Feature Page Design

• “Buffalo’s Brewing Legacy”: Hannah Saltz, editor; Britney Kirwan, reporter/writer; Amanda Rosenthal, reporter/writer; Gianna Ellison, web and digital media manager; Jeannie Jedlicka, art director. (“Canal Keepers”)
• “Catch Of The Day: The Round Goby”: Grace McConnell, editor/reporter/writer; Gianna Ellison, web and digital media manager; Julia Virnelli, reporter/writer; Jeannie Jedlicka, art director (“Canal Keepers”)

Magazine Cover or Spread

• Jerk cover (December 2024):Megan Radakovich, designer; Abby Johnson, photographer; Sophie Davis, photo assistant
• “Recreating Family Photos”:  Megan Radakovich, designer; Md Zobayer Hossain Joati, photographer (Jerk magazine)

 Original Illustration

• “Election Guide 2024”: Flynn Ledoux, illustration editor (The Daily Orange)

SND 46^th Annual Creative Competition Results

Hearst Journalism Awards

Photography junior Diana Valdivia was named a sixth place finisher in the Photojournalism Picture Story/Series competition of the 2024-2025 Hearst Journalism Awards. Photography minor Kelsey Quinn Leary placed 18th in the contest.

2024-25 Hearst Photojournalism Picture Story/Series Competition Winners Announced

One University Awards

Student-Athlete Award: Charlotte Ebel, Public Relations; German Language, Literature and Culture; Women’s and Gender Studies; Member of Women’s Rowing Team

Seinfeld Scholarship: Claire Ceccoli, Public Relations

University to Honor Those Making a Difference at One University Awards

Associated Collegiate Press

Newhouse students and projects had an impressive showing in the Associated Collegiate Press Clips & Clicks contest for work produced in the Fall 2024 semester.  Among the 14 honorees were four First Place winners and a sweep of the entire Broadcast Features category. 

Newhouse Students Honored With 4 First Place Wins at ACP Clips & Clicks Contest

Syracuse University Scholars

Charlotte Ebel is one of 12 seniors named as the 2025 Syracuse University Scholars, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows. Ebel is a public relations major at the Newhouse School, a women and gender studies and German language, literature and culture major in the College of Arts and Sciences and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program.

2025 Syracuse University Scholars Announced

Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication

Newhouse students, faculty and projects had a fantastic showing with 17 wins, including five Gold Awards, at the Festival of Visual and Interactive Media contest, sponsored by AEJMC’s VISCOM division for the best in design, interactivity, photos, video and advertising. 

Newhouse Students, Faculty Make Exceptional Showing With 17 Honors at AEJMC Festival of Visual and Interactive Media

Intercollegiate Broadcasting System

Orange Television Network (OTN), NCC News and WAER students secured four of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s coveted Golden Mic awards including OTN being named as the Best College/University Television Station. Along with these honors announced in New York City, there were also six finalists in the annual contest. 

Winners:

Best College/University Television Station – OTN – Orange Television Network
Best Sports Update – “9/25 WAER Afternoon Sports,” Ian Nicholas (WAER)
Best News Report – “Chipped Away,“ Newhouse Spotlight Team, John Perik, Lilli Iannella, Finn Lincoln, Julieanne Gilchrist (NCC News)
Best Sports Play by Play – “No. 1 Pitt/Syracuse Volleyball PxP 10/6/24,”  Nico Horning (Syracuse ACC Network Extra)

Finalists

Best Sports Pre-Game/Post-Game Show – “Orange Overtime: UNLV,” Austin Barach  (WAER)
Best Sports Program – “Sideline Squeeze,” Lindsay Arons, Victoria Daly (OTN)
Best Comedy Program – “Floor Four: Episode Two: Smoke Out,” Jamie Christensen, Claire McBride (OTN)
Best Variety Program – “Think Tank,” Truman Lapp, Samantha Rodino, Colin Campbell (OTN)
Best Phone App – OTN – Orange Television Network, OTN Staff and the Lightcast Design Team (OTN)
Best Faculty Adviser – Meg Craig, OTN – Orange Television Network (OTN)

Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s Golden Mic Award Winners

Hearst Journalism Awards

Newhouse visual communications student Murphy McFarlane placed fifth in the Hearst Journalism Awards Innovative Multimedia contest for her interactive video project on girls’ ice hockey, “As Tough as Ice,” earning a $1,000 scholarship prize.

Recent magazine, news and digital journalism graduate Annie Labarca placed 14^th in the contest for her interactive Erie Canal boat tour produced in MND 505. 

Winners

Multimedia Innovation: Fifth Place, Murphy McFarlane ($1,000); 14th Place, Annie Labarca
Broadcast Features: Sixth Place, Moira Vaughan – “Welding with a Purpose” and “Front and Center“
Sports Writing: Eighth Place, Wally McKeon
Multimedia Narrative Storytelling: 13th Place, Jess Van
Photo News and Features: 12th Place, Arthur Maiorella

2024-25 Hearst Multimedia Innovative Journalism Competition Winners Announced

Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad

Newhouse television, radio and film graduate students Asha Breedlove, Anthony H. Smith Jr., Bryson Carter and Stacey Collier entered their streaming idea HBeatzCU into the Afropreneurship Celebration and Business Competition, hosted by Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad, winning a $1,500 prize for their proposal.

Newhouse Graduate Students Win for Streaming Platform Idea in Entrepreneurship Competition

Broadcast Education Association

From 2,285 entries from 300 schools around the globe, Newhouse School students won an incredible 28 awards for their stories and projects at this year’s Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Festival of the Media Arts, one of the top annual college media competitions.

Newhouse Students Set School Record With 28 Wins at BEA Festival of the Media Arts

Graphic Design USA

Eight Newhouse School students have been honored in the annual Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) Design Annual Showcase, winning awards for projects that reflect graphic design’s influence in shaping and serving commerce and culture. The projects were completed in a final capstone course during the students’ senior year.

Eight Newhouse Students, Pixels & Print Team, Honored at GDUSA Design Awards

Newhouse Students and Media Outlets Win 10 First Place Honors at Syracuse Press Club Awards

Newhouse School students and media outlets won 10 first place honors in the professional and college categories at the annual Syracuse Press Club (SPC) Awards on May 3. Public radio station WAER earned another six first place honors. 

Among the 25 winners recognized this year were the NCC News/Spotlight Team,  Driving Force collaboration with USA Today Network-New York and Central Current, Canal Keepers podcast, The Daily Orange, The NewsHouse, NCC News and CitrusTV.

Newhouse also had ties to three of SPC’s top annual honors. First-year broadcast and digital journalism student Ryan Storie was awarded SPC’s Devesty-Williams Scholarship, a $2,000 prize for a top journalism student originally from central New York.

Student

Student Audio News Story, First Place – WAER Syracuse Public Media, “Why a small Adirondack mountain has made big, even Olympic, waves in skiing,” Nate Harrington

Student Podcast, First Place – “Canal Keepers: Eerie Encounters,” Sophia Anastasakis, Gloria Rivera, Dan Klowsowski

Student Best Use of Multimedia, First Place – Canal Keepers, Canal Keepers Staff

Student Print/Digital News Story
First Place – The Daily Orange, “Eroding education: The state of African American Studies at Syracuse University,” Ahna Fleming, Kendall Luther
Second Place – The Daily Orange, “Falk College restructure leaves faculty, students with uncertainty,” Kendall Luther

Student Print/Digital Feature Story
First Place – The NewsHouse, “Forever Young,” Seth Quinn
Second Place – The Daily Orange, “Syracuse Mets host the only minor league baseball game on eclipse day,” Aiden Stepansky
Honorable Mention – The Daily Orange, “Dan Engelstad’s unorthodox journey led him to Syracuse assistant role,” Zachary Wolf

Student Print/Digital Sports Story
First Place – The Daily Orange, “IMMORTAL: Paul Gait’s revolutionary lacrosse life encapsulates jersey retirement at SU,” Cooper Andrews
Second Place – The Daily Orange, “Joey Spallina searching to lead USA Box Lacrosse to 1st-ever gold medal,” Zachary Wolf
Honorable Mention – The Daily Orange, “STILL HERE: Gerry McNamara has remained consistent through promotion to associate head coach,” Henry O’Brien

Student Television/Video News Story
First Place – NCC News, “NY-3: The Special Election to Replace Santos,” Chilekasi C Adele
Second Place – NCC News, “Child Poverty Rate in Syracuse Remains High; How the Community is Responding,” Max Williams
Honorable Mention – Citrus TV, “Remembering Annie Eisner,” Tyler Oldano, CitrusTV News Staff

Student Television/Video Feature Story
First Place – NCC News, “Welding with a purpose: empowering women at Ironwood Studios,” Moira Vaughan
Second Place – NCC News, “Central New York Drive-In Opens for First Time in 40 Years,” Max Williams

Professional

Digital Journalism: Multimedia Story, First Place – Newhouse Spotlight Team, “Chipped Away,” John Perik, Lilli Iannella, Finn Lincoln, Julie Gilchrest

Print/Digital News: Investigative Story/Series, First Place – USA TODAY Network-New York, Syracuse University, Central Current, “Driving Force” series, Maria Birnell, Evan Butow, Kayla Canne, Daniel DeLoach, Anna Ginelli, Jon Glass, Seth Harrison, Nausheen Husain, Hayden Kim, Chris Libonati, Finn Lincoln, Beryl Lipton, Tina MacIntyre-Yee, Peter Pietrangelo, William Ramsey, David Robinson, Kyle Slagle, Eden Stratton, Sarah Taddeo, Jodi Upton, Marili Vaca

Television: Investigative Story/Series, First Place – Newhouse Spotlight Team, “Green Black Market,” Zach Richter, Jamie Korenblat, Josh Feldstein, Nardeen Saleep

Audio Journalism: Human Interest & Features, First Place – WAER Syracuse Public Media, “How Marathon New York is providing relief for Hurricane Helene victims,” Sean Tessler

Audio Journalism: Investigative Story/Series, First Place – Newhouse Spotlight Team, “Green Black Market,” Jamie Korenblat, Josh Feldstein

Audio Journalism: News Features/Series
First Place – WAER Syracuse Public Media, “SU Student fights conduct sanctions over pro-Palestinian protests,” Natasha Senjanovic and Patrick McCullough
Second Place – WAER Syracuse Public Media, “Onondaga County voter registration soars; election commissioners request more staff,” Scott Willis

Audio Journalism: Sports Story, First Place – WAER Syracuse Public Media, “Remembering Syracuse Football Coach Dick MacPherson,” Tyler Aitken

Audio Journalism: Special Series, First Place – WAER Syracuse Public Media, “Syracuse Speaks: A deep dive into the evolving opioid epidemic in Onondaga County,” Scott Willis, John Smith, Kat Kollins, Bob Beck, Natasha Senjanovic

Newhouse School Wins 9 Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards

The Newhouse School had nine Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence regional winners from The NewsHouse, CitrusTV, The Daily Orange, Jerk and NCC News among the 28 finalists for this year’s contest. The winners were announced May 2 in New York City at the SPJ Region 1 conference.

The regional winners now advance to compete against the 11 other regional winners for the national winners, which will be announced this summer.

Winners

Personality Profile Writing (Large)
“Bows up: Freshman Elijah Moore brings signature elbow celebration to SU” — by Aiden Stepansky, The Daily Orange

General News Photography
“A pierce-ing devotion” — by Jack Henry, The NewsHouse

Feature Photography
“The Dollhouse is the ‘most inclusive house’ for CNY bands” — by Lars Jendruschewitz, The Daily Orange

Illustration
“New York Jazz” — by Dorothea Dolan, Jerk

Photo Illustration
“The American Dream” — by Zobayer Joti, Jerk

Podcast (Conversational)
“We the Students:  LGBTQ+ in America” — by Sophia Moore, Alejandro Rosales, Tommy DaSilva, The NewsHouse

Television Feature Reporting
“Welding with a purpose” — by Moira Vaughan, NCC News

Collaborative Journalism
“A Tale of Two Cities: Reclaiming Niagara Falls and Salinas” — by A Tale of Two Cities staff, The Newhouse School, Syracuse University, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón

Retail/Small Business Journalism
“Parthenon Books emphasizes shopping local | Juice and Java” — by CitrusTV staff, CitrusTV

Finalists

General Column Writing
Daily Orange columns — by Sarhia Rahim, The Daily Orange

Best Ongoing Student Magazine
-Baked — by Baked staff, Baked
-Jerk  — by Staff, Jerk

Best Affiliated Web Site
The Daily Orange — by The Daily Orange staff, The Daily Orange

Photo Essay/Slideshow
-“Otto Tunes’ first ICCA semifinals is the result of a close knit brotherhood” — by Cassandra Roshu, The Daily Orange
-“A look inside local recycling” — by Arthur Maiorella, The NewsHouse

Best Use of Multimedia
“Impact unveiled: Wildfire smoke” — by Zach Nemirovsky, The NewsHouse

Feature Videography
“On the Fly diner brings Cajun food to Syracuse with ‘labor of love’” — by Joe Zhao, The Daily Orange

Radio In-Depth Reporting
“The green black market” — by Jamie Korenblat, AudioFiles

Television Breaking News Reporting
“Psi Upsilon hazing allegations” — by Michael Lamorte, Staff, CitrusTV

Television General News Reporting
-“Rumor has it” — by Nicole Aponte, NCC News
-“Child poverty rate in Syracuse remains high; How the community is responding” — by Max Williams, NCC News

Television Feature Reporting
“Central New York drive-in opens for first time in 40 years” — by Max Williams, NCC News

Television In-Depth Reporting
-“CitrusTV Election Night 2024” — by Margueritte Bellotti, Brandon Myers, staff, CitrusTV
-“Green black market” — by Zach Richter, Jamie Korenblat, Nardeen Saleep, Josh Feldstein, Newhouse Spotlight Team

Television Sports Reporting
ACC Women’s Soccer coast-to-coast travel feature — by Nico Horning, ACC Network Extra

Investigative Reporting
“Chipped away” — by John Perik, Lilli Iannella, Finn Lincoln, Julie Gilchrest, NCC News

Regional Political Reporting
“Talking Points” — by Margueritte Bellotti, Luke Radel, Jake Morel, Ben Bascuk, CitrusTV

Science/Environment/Climate Reporting
“Catch of the day: The round goby” — by Grace McConnell, Julia Virnelli, Dan Klosowski, Gloria Rivera, The Canal Keepers

4 Things to Consider If You’re Thinking About Grad School

After I graduated last year, I found myself wondering whether I should go to graduate school or not. Before that moment, it felt like my whole life was mapped out for me. I always had a clear idea of what my next move would be. I kept thinking that if I didn’t jump into graduate school right after undergrad, I might never end up going at all. So I went, and I landed myself at one of the top communication schools in the country, the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications!

I’ve learned a lot from my experiences, and moving across the country for grad school has helped me grow just from being in a totally different environment. I could just list some benefits of going to grad school, like better earning potential, career growth opportunities and more educational opportunities, but I’m sure you’re already aware that grad school can offer all of that. Instead, I’ll share my personal take and experience on grad school, which I hope will makes things a little bit easier for you as you weigh your options.

It’s OK Not to Get A’s

To be clear, I’m not advocating that you fail your classes! You should definitely pass all your classes, and try to earn those A’s whenever you can, but it’s OK if you don’t get straight A’s. In grad school, I had to learn to prioritize events, extracurricular opportunities and experiences, which included writing for school newspapers, participating in a sports team, covering a football game and maintaining a social life. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in grades, but balance is essential, and graduate school allows you to let go of grades a little more than undergrad.

Your Classmates Are Interested in the Same Thing

In graduate school, you and your classmates are all interested enough in the field you’re studying to go to more school for it, so help each other out! There are a lot of smart people around you with different experiences and thoughts on the subjects you’re learning. I have learned a lot from my peers’ backgrounds and experiences, and I’ve grown in the field of journalism because we all approach life differently, shaped by our unique experiences. My classmates have helped make me a better person and a better student. Grad school has also helped me realize that group work isn’t horrible!

Newhouse Stuns With 97 Wins in Graphis New Talent Awards

The Newhouse School had an astounding 97 wins among advertising (ADV) and visual communications (VIS) students in the 2025 Graphis New Talent Awards, which recognize the best design work among college students worldwide.

This total ranks among the top three for overall Newhouse totals in recent years and exceeds last year’s total of 75 honors. This year’s honors were:

• 13 Gold (11 for ADV, two for VIS – listed below)
• 38 Silver (24 ADV, 10 VIS)
• 46 Honorable Mentions (24 ADV, 22  VIS)

Gold Awards

• “Paralympians” by Ita Kim
• “Plastic is a Weapon” by Chon Kei Chan
• “Buzz Off” by Daniel Arougheti
• “Climate AI“ by Juliette Keller
• “Now, Not Later” by Hannah Frydman
• “King of the Jungle” by Maggie Anderson
• “Become One with Nature” by Stella Zimmerman
• “Filthy Fragrance” by Bettina Talento
• “Taste as Good as It Feels” by Kari Marvel and Hank Ihle
• “Jazz Legends” by Jacob Bergh
• “Fresh Vision” by Olivia Riddoch and Anastasia Svetlova
• “Thoughtify” by Remi Tsunoda and Avery Schildhaus
• “Unlaced“ by Catie Rokkos and Anastasia Svetlova

2025 Newhouse School Student Awards

The Newhouse School held its annual student award ceremony on April 28. Congratulations to this year’s honorees!

Class Marshals

Newhouse class marshals are selected by the Newhouse Award Committee from a small group of graduating seniors with the highest cumulative GPA. Marshals represent the Newhouse School at Syracuse University Commencement.

• Charlotte Ebel
• Ryan Myers

Newhouse Scholars

• Daniel Amron
• London Bennett
• Claire Ceccoli
• Charlotte Ebel
• Molly Egan
• Aviya Garg
• Anne Griffin
• Julia Sarah Kahen
• Jada Marie Knight
• Matthew Latvis
• Jordan Matthew Leonard
• Sophia Moore
• Jacob Morel
• Marin Stott

Dean’s Service Award

• Taylor Byrne
• Elizabeth Gelber
• Justin Kumiega
• Sophia Moore
• Isabelle Sareen

Newhouse First-Year Achievement Award

• Sydney Chan

David Rubin First Amendment Prize (*denotes graduate student)

• *Leah Harding
• Bella Tabak
• *Sydney Yorke

Excellence in Web Development and Coding Award

• Claire Cocking
• Nathaniel Harrington

Undergraduate Awards

ADVERTISING

Deborah Fink Green Award

• Molly Egan
• Samantha Levine

Harry D. Meyers Memorial Prize in Advertising

• Polly Hoffman
• Cole Meredith

Most Promising Advertising Student

• Cole Meredith

Newhouse Advertising Department Award for Academic Excellence

• Sierra Zaccagnino

John Philip-Jones Advertising Student of the Year Award

• Samantha Levine

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BANDIER PROGRAM

Bandier Leadership Award

• Tyler Gentry
• Rachel Kelly

Bandier Innovator/Operator Award

• Suryansh Singh

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BROADCAST AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM

Don Edwards Broadcast Journalism Award

• Ronald John Parrillo III

Radio-TV-News Power Producer Award

• Audrey Glynn

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MAGAZINE, NEWS AND DIGITAL JOURNALISM

Bob Heisler Award for Excellence

• Anna Ginelli

Heather L. Fleishman Memorial Scholarship

• Janai Berrocal
• Danielle Blyn
• Arietta Hallock

Henry J. Leader Memorial Prize in Editing

• Emily Bruck
• Karla Perez

Henry J. Wolff Prize

• Nate Harrington
• Julia Kahen
• Finn Lincoln
• Mattea Vecera

Lauretta H. McCaffrey Journalism Prize

• Alejandro Rosales

Maria Riccardi Scholarship

• Cecilia Catalini
• Claire Harrison
• Kendall Luther
• Samantha Olander

Samuel V. Kennedy III Award for Newspaper Editing

• Ahna Fleming
• Stephanie Wright

William Glavin Award for Excellence in Magazine Writing

• Kacie Moschella
• Noah Weinberg

John Mitchell Award for Sports Reporting

• Aiden Stepansky

MND Achievement Award

• Dyana Gales
• Kiran Hubbard
• Mikayla Mello
• Ellie Rockoff

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PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public Relations Department Chair Award for Leadership

• Aviya Garg

Public Relations Public Service Award

• Claire Ceccoli

William P. Ehling Award

• Cara Steves

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TELEVISION, RADIO AND FILM

Armando Doreste Award

• Haiqi Wang

Edward L. Hersh Award

• Isabel Freeland

George Plavocos Radio Achievement Award

• Ilana Epstein

Glenn Steinfast Award for Excellence in Documentary Production

• Gia Armenia
• Evan Blenko
• Maggie Lefebvre
• Erin Pachapa

Gordon J. Alderman Memorial Prize

• Ashley Moran
• Jennifer Pickett

Irene M. Sholkin Prize in Script Writing

• Matthew Deckers
• Sophia Lucina 

Oscar Micheaux Filmmaking Award

• Niah Edwards

Stan Alten Excellence in Audio Award

• Victoria LaFarge 

Zach Trifone Love of Life and Music Award

• Anjali Engstrom

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VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS

The Alexia Documentary Photography Award

• Troy Conner

Bertram J. Davis Scholar Award

• Malcolm Taylor

Dr. Frank Meola Photography Prize

• Abigail Johnson

Kodak Professional Photo Scholarship

• Jack Henry

Society for News Design/Marshall Matlock Designer of the Year

• London Bennett
• Alex Levy

Visual Communications Department Prize in Design

• Patrick Firrell
• Alexandra Ryberg Gonzalez

Visual Communications Department Prize in Immersive Media

• Grace “Ita” Kim

Visual Communications Department Prize in Motion Graphics

• Quinn Carletta

Graduate Awards

Graduate School Master’s Prize

• Maria Cardoso
• Claire Cocking
• Grace DeBoer
• Sarah Draves
• Colette Goldstein
• Daniel Liscum
• Corinn McKenna
• Hannah Melnick
• Michael Perik
• Olivia Peters
• Caleb Spinner
• Tori Thompson
• Ally Watkinson
• Yifan Wu

The Alexia Documentary Filmmaking Award (Multimedia, Photography and Design)

• Maxine  Wallace

A. William Bluem Award (Television, Radio and Film)

• Daniel Liscum

Jeff Licata Photography Award

• Md Zobayer Hossain Joati

Magazine, News and Digital Journalism Graduate Achievement Award

• Jack Belanger
• Ryann Phillips
• Julianna Schwindt

Public Relations Certificate of Achievement

• Baneet Bains
• Corinn McKenna
• Christine Park

William Doescher Outstanding Master’s Degree Student Award (Public Relations)

• Christine Park

Newhouse Graduate Students Win for Streaming Platform Idea in Entrepreneurship Competition

A class project usually doesn’t go any further than a submission and a final presentation. But what if the project could go beyond the classroom and be used in the real world? 

This was the question that Newhouse television, radio and film graduate students Asha Breedlove, Anthony H. Smith Jr., Bryson Carter and Stacey Collier pondered in assistant teaching professor Melissa Martinez’s Industry Forces course about their inventive project: HBeatzCU.

This semester, the group entered their idea into the Afropreneurship Celebration and Business Competition hosted by Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad, winning a $1,500 prize for their proposal.

HBeatzCU is a streaming platform dedicated to showcasing sports, entertainment and original content from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The idea was first developed in class following a prompt that asked students to come up with a business that the media industry lacks. According to Smith, Collier came up with an idea for a music platform, and with the assistance of his group, decided on merging music and sports from HBCUs to shine a light on the culture of these historic universities. 

HBeatzCU has become more than just an idea. Below, the four founders share how they developed this business venture and their goals for the platform. 

What was a challenge and a victory you navigated in preparing for the competition and creating HBeatzCU? 

Breedlove: One challenge was making sure that everything was set – dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s. When continuing a class assignment, you have to make sure everything is up to par and recognize that this is more than a class assignment now. 

All victories are good victories, including winning the competition. Winning was a steppingstone to knowing that this can be a real business in the real world. HBeatzCU is now an idea that is sustainable amongst things that others are doing. The Industry Forces [course] and Professor Melissa Martinez pushed us to do something with this. Anthony pushed us to keep going. All major small businesses started from college ideas, including Facebook. 

Bryson, you said HBeatzCU is “a movement to amplify the culture, talent and stories that make HBCUs so special.” Why? 

Carter: When examining HBCUs, there is a lot of untapped talent and potential that get overlooked by coverage [from predominantly white institutions]. My motto to this is “find a way and make one.” Hustle culture is to get it in any way you can, and there’s no mountain that you can’t climb.  

Arts, people and geniuses don’t get the opportunities at HBCUs and it makes me sad. I wish they had access to these [Newhouse] resources, and they don’t have the funding all the time to do this kind of stuff. You can’t sell anything without an audience. Friends of mine who attend HBCUs have said that this platform would be important to athletes to secure NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals, and provide a grand level of exposure to opportunities. 

Stacey, you described this team as ‘wonderful.’ What made working with each other so impactful? 

Collier: It is great to work with people that want similar things. I wasn’t around media people growing up, and Syracuse has been amazing with its communications community. Anthony pays attention to detail and initiative, Bryson has a creative mind, Asha is a ball of energy and I add what I can to the mix. I always thought about creating a platform for Black entertainment and education, and seeing this birthed in a classroom is amazing. 

How has your Newhouse education and experience guided you in developing HBeatzCU?  

Breedlove: Newhouse has so many opportunities in working and networking. And this project is an example of that. You can take note of what everyone has, similar to gumbo where there’s a lot of different [ingredients] but when put together, it’s good. You can forge your way to success how you see fit.  

Collier: I came in equipped with knowledge already, but Newhouse equipped me with the resources. I was able to be connected with people who want similar things. 

What is next for HBeatzCU?  

Smith: We are working to finalize the project for this upcoming fall. We cannot share everything right now, but we are doing the behind-the-scenes work that we are excited to share eventually. 

Advance Local, Newhouse School Launch Investigative Reporting Fellowship Program

A new collaboration with Advance Local will provide Newhouse School journalism students opportunities to write and report on investigative projects with local impact for newsrooms across the country.

The David Newhouse Investigative Reporting Fellowship program, which launched this year in conjunction with Advance Local, will allow recipients to pursue individual reporting projects, partner with local reporters and take part in national investigative stories. Finn Lincoln, a senior majoring in magazine, news and digital journalism, has been named the inaugural fellow.

The program is named for the late David Newhouse, who led The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to a Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for coverage of the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State University. As editor of The Patriot-News, Newhouse burnished the newspaper’s reputation for tough-minded investigative reporting, publishing work that landed some of Pennsylvania’s most powerful politicians in jail and freed several wrongly convicted people from prison after decades of incarceration.

Later in his career, Newhouse worked as editor at large for The Patriot-News’ parent company Advance Local, where he helped establish a culture of excellence in digital journalism as the newspaper industry grappled with profound changes brought on by the shift to online publishing.

“David was a fearless leader and an enthusiastic champion of the exciting opportunities that digital platforms provide local journalists,” said John Hassell, senior vice president and editorial director at Advance Local. “It is fitting his legacy should be celebrated with a fellowship that recognizes excellent young journalists and work that makes a difference in people’s lives.”

The program is the latest collaboration between Advance Local and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School that provides student journalists with valuable experiences to work alongside professional reporters and editors. Most recently, Newhouse students contributed to Advance Local through coverage of the 2024 election campaign and other investigative reporting projects, along with social media strategy.

The new fellowship program reinforces the Newhouse School’s commitment to partnering with media platforms in support of comprehensive local news coverage, Dean Mark J. Lodato said.

“While exhaustive investigative projects take time to report, they can deliver a lasting positive impact on communities,” Lodato said. “We are proud to partner with Advance Local on this new initiative that supports local news while offering an outlet for our talented journalism students to hone the writing and reporting skills they learn in the classroom.”

The Newhouse School offers several classes that focus on, or include, investigative reporting projects, including an advanced data journalism course that trains students to tell stories with data.

“Until you’ve actually had the experience of requesting public documents, analyzing government data and interviewing the gatekeepers, you can’t really understand what our government is up to or how it works,” said Jodi Upton, Knight Chair in Data and Explanatory Journalism at the Newhouse School.

“Data and document reporting is critical for reporters on beats, enterprise, investigations— any kind of reporting,” Upton said.

As a junior, Lincoln took the advanced data journalism class with Upton. The students worked on an exhaustive data reporting project that looked at the impact of police vehicle accidents on communities across New York State.

Lincoln has already written or contributed to more than a half-dozen stories since February for AL.com, the Advance Local media platform in Alabama.

“We are excited to have Finn helping research some of the larger investigative projects this year, and it’s been good to see him involved in local news as well,” said Challen Stephens, director of investigations at Advance Local. Stephens, who will run the fellowship program, has led an AL.com newsroom team that has won four Pulitzer Prizes in the past decade.

“We expect to see his name on more great work soon,” Stephens said.

University Announces 2025-26 Remembrance Scholars

Thirty-five students, including seven Newhouse students, have been chosen as the 2025-26 Syracuse University Remembrance Scholars.

The scholarships, now in their 36th year, were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the students studying in London and Florence through Syracuse University who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Those students were among the 270 people who perished in the bombing. The scholarships are funded through an endowment supported by gifts from alumni, friends, parents and corporations.

Significant support for the Remembrance Scholarships has been provided by Jean Thompson ’66 and Syracuse University Life Trustee Richard L. Thompson G’67 in memory of Jean Taylor Phelan Terry ’43 and John F. Phelan, Jean Thompson’s parents; by Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus Steven Barnes ’82 and Deborah Barnes; by The Syracuse Association of Zeta Psi in memory of Alexander Lowenstein; and by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation.

The 2025-26 Remembrance Scholars from the Newhouse School are the following:

• Jacqueline Arbogast of Warwick, New York, a television, radio and film major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications;
• Nick Dekaney of Syracuse, New York, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School;
• Olivia Fried of Clinton Corners, New York, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S and magazine, news and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School;
• Nico Horning of El Dorado Hills, California, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School;
• Joy Mao, of Cary, North Carolina, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a television, radio and film major in the Newhouse School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;
• German Nolivos of Miami, Florida, a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a public relations major in the Newhouse School;
• Jacquelyn Trotman of Edison, New Jersey, a retail management major in the Whitman School, an advertising major (creative track) in the Newhouse School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program;

From Capitol Hill to C-SPAN and CNN: The Newhouse DC Experience

Newhouse DC is a one-semester off-campus program that provides students with the opportunity to live, work and learn in the heart of the nation’s capital. Students, like television, radio and film junior Niah Edwards and broadcast and digital journalism junior Alek Harasim, gain hands-on professional experience as interns at media companies, take classes, meet with mentors and build their network by engaging with accomplished Newhouse alumni.

Below, Edwards and Harasim reflect on their experience this spring semester in Washington, D.C.

Why did you apply to the Newhouse DC program?

Edwards: I decided to apply to the Newhouse DC program because I’ve always been interested in nonfiction and documentary storytelling, especially stories about social justice issues, and figured DC was the perfect place to explore that. I knew that coming to DC at a time when the country was transitioning to a new administration would be pivotal in my own understanding of politics and the systems that make America function. I was drawn to the idea of being “in the room where it happens” and witnessing firsthand how people react to policy changes. 

Harasim: I chose the Newhouse DC program because of my interest in politics and public policy. I wanted to leave the Syracuse University campus for a semester and the DC program offered interesting topics and the chance to do an internship in broadcast journalism. Networking is another plus as I have met so many people and heard their experiences. It has helped me get more specific with where I want to go after graduating.

What has been one of your favorite experiences during the program so far?

Edwards: Visiting the United States Capitol for a class trip. While there, we got to watch representatives vote and had the chance to speak to and see Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Jasmine Crockett, Maxwell Frost and Jared Moskowitz. Later that day, our group also had a discussion with David Hogg, an activist and leading organizer for the March of our Lives Movement. The whole day was so amazing because I never imagined that I would be seeing these people face to face, let alone talking to them about the issues in our country.

Harasim: The site visits. We have been to Lockheed Martin and CBS’s DC newsroom. We also visited CNN and NBC, where we watched the live broadcast of “Meet the Press” and met with moderator Kristen Welker and executive producer David Gelles.

Hearing from alumni and other professionals about the paths they took to their current position is very interesting. Figuring out how to apply our skills in different occupations is another benefit to these visits.

What is your DC internship?

Edwards: I’m currently interning at the DC Independent Film Festival and AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) in their video department. Working at the film festival has been a great experience for me as a TRF major. I’ve had the opportunity to meet filmmakers from around the world and watch their work, which has been so inspiring. 

Working at AFSCME has been incredibly interesting given the changes in our political atmosphere. My job has consisted of gathering footage of any news coverage on the firing of federal employees and incorporating them in video campaigns aimed at encouraging union members to advocate for themselves and their colleagues.  

Harasim: I’m currently interning at C-SPAN in their studio operations and newsroom systems departments. I floor direct for “Washington Journal,” C-SPAN’s morning news program. I get there at 6 a.m. to prepare the studio. After the show finishes at 10 a.m., I work on behind-the-scenes things like closed captioning the weekend programs so people don’t have to be in the master control room over the weekend. I get plenty of hands-on experience and learn about how newsrooms actually work.

What Newhouse DC class has been your favorite?

Edwards: COM 509 – Communications Law for Public Communicators. Professor Alia Smith is a first amendment lawyer, and the class teaches journalists to investigate and report stories without running into legal issues such as defamation, media regulation or IP theft.  

Harasim: Psychology of Political Communications, taught by Professor Emily Sydnor. The class focuses on political conversations and conversations in general. Two of our classes focused on holding a deliberation focused on certain topics, the first on abortion and the second was “sportswashing.” It was eye-opening to hear how other people think and reach their positions.

How is the program preparing you for your future career?

Edwards: Participating in Newhouse DC is preparing me for my future career because I got to meet so many people who genuinely want to help me advance. During class trips to NBC, CBS and Lockheed Martin, there were so many SU alumni that wanted to connect and who were so quick to respond to any emails I sent. The program also just has so many networking receptions, breakfasts and panels where you get the chance to meet alumni and professionals working in journalism or some realm of politics. At my own internship with the DC Independent Film Festival, I was offered an extended position for the summer, which I gladly accepted! 

Harasim: The program has helped me be more specific in what I want in my future career, and the pathways I can take to get there. I wouldn’t have given these thoughts a second chance if it wasn’t for the professional development events that the DC program hosts with both Newhouse and Maxwell students. If I stayed in Syracuse, I wouldn’t have met all sorts of people and learned more about my potential career path.

What would you say to a Newhouse student who was considering this program?

Edwards: You should absolutely apply if you have any sort of interest in politics or history. As a TRF major, I struggled to see a place in the program where I fit in, but everyone encouraged me to go and I am so happy that I did. Even now I am helping program director Beverly Kirk brainstorm different opportunities and classes for TRF majors who are interested in participating.

Harasim: There are fun things to do in DC along with being at the center of U.S. politics. Go to certain areas at the right time and you will see politicians and other notable people. Going in the spring of a new presidential administration is certainly an experience and I would recommend coming to DC when the new Congress is elected in two years. Having classes with students who have Congressional internships makes it interesting to hear about how the politics are happening around them.