LA Story: New Space, Sports Program Expands Experiences in Los Angeles for Newhouse Students

A celebratory toast and ceremonial cutting of a ribbon marked the formal opening of the new home of the Newhouse School’s program in the entertainment capital of the world.  

Joined by family members of the late Dick Clark ’51, students, faculty, staff, leadership, alumni and friends gathered to dedicate the new Syracuse University Dick Clark Los Angeles Program location in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Newhouse LA will be based in the University’s new home. 

The gleaming new space housed in the shiny, glass-enclosed office building is the result of an extraordinary gift from the Kari and Dick Clark Foundation to significantly expand the University’s presence and impact in the entertainment field. 

“We’re celebrating a truly transformative, generous gift from the Clark Family, so that’s number one,” said Robin Howard, director of the Newhouse LA program. “What the gift allows us to do is really provide expanded programs, to be very creative with the programs that we offer now, to offer students from the school the most robust, experiential learning opportunity that we possibly can. That’s what we’re celebrating today.” 

The new location is a hub for all things Syracuse in Los Angeles and offers Newhouse LA students a fresh space filled with innovative classrooms, offices, studios and more. It’s a short walk to the Metro station, and a bustling neighborhood filled with restaurants, theaters and housing options, adding to the student experience. 

Students in the Newhouse LA program take classes taught by entertainment industry experts while also getting valuable experience through internships and networking events.  

“By coming out to Los Angeles, [students] are not only able to take courses that relate to their own industry, as well as what’s happening here in L.A., but they are also exposed to wonderful job and internship opportunities that often lead to full-time jobs after graduation,” said Newhouse School Dean Mark J. Lodato. 

The Spring 2024 semester also marks the launch of the Newhouse LA sports media communications program. The program provides production and marketing classes tailor-made for students working to become sports media professionals. It will also offer internship opportunities at a sports media company.  

The sports media communications program is open to broadcast journalism, public relations or television, radio and film majors. The goal is to expand access and connections in Los Angeles to a new set of Newhouse students.  

For broadcasting and digital journalism junior Vincent Zakian, one class alone made the cross-country trip more than worth it. He’s taking a sports production class at Newhouse LA with Jeff Proctor, a veteran sports media producer.  

“We’ve gotten a lot of great experiences,” Zakian said. “Professor Proctor has introduced us to [a lot of] different people that can help us in our careers. That’s been amazing. It’s been really career focused which I appreciate.”