Class Notes

Alumni Class Notes: Awards! Accolades! Achievements!

Paying it Forward Part II

Tara Brown (‘05), Megan Coppersmith Szerwo (’04) and Lucas Mack (’04) (seen above at right) recently went that extra 5 miles for Communication students and young alumni (seen at left in the middle). Lucas agreed to meet with a new grad who attended his Professional Development talk and that new grad now works for hisv company. Now that is a networking success story! Tara and Megan generously donated time to host job shadows – allowing students to follow them during typical work day events. This sort of one-on-one experience is invaluable to students, just ask Kai Amaral:

I learned a lot about what it's actually like to be in charge of running an event, rather than just helping with one aspect, or attending one, as I have done in the past. It was an extremely valuable experience, for the contact I've now made in Tara, as much as what I learned. Thanks for the opportunity, I'm so happy to be a part of a department that is always working to help its students succeed.

Timeless Awards/Seattle’s most influential

There are 13 Department of Communication alumni on the list of 150 distinguished living alumni receiving the Timeless Awards , and three of the past winners now folded into the Timeless awards list are also from the Department. We could not be more proud of our incredible alumni. Read more >>

And congratulations for making Seattle Magazine’s most Influential People of 2011 list: Hope Solo (’04), The Honorable Norman B. Rice (’74), Chad Clibborn (’00), and The Honorable Chris Gregoire (’71).

Recent updates:

Dr. Vanessa Au (’12) successfully defended her dissertation: Contemporary Popular Culture and the Politics of Asian American Representation, Resistance, and Cultural Production
Dr. Madhavi Murty (’11) is a postdoctoral fellow at Yale, and beginning in the Fall of 2012 she will be a tenure track assistant professor in cultural theory in Yale’s Department of Religion and Culture and the interdisciplinary program in Social, Political, Ethical and Cultural Thought.
Jessi Libbing ('09) recently completed a two year job as an English teacher in Azerbaijan. Read more >>
Michelle Labuwi (‘07) is a legislative correspondent for OR Senator Ron Wyden.
Cammie Croft (‘05) is a Senior Advisor and Director of New Media and Citizen Engagement in the Office of New Media at the Department of Energy. Croft married Joshua Hendler in January and the wedding was listed in the NY Times.
Glenn Kuper (’90; ’98) is a consultant at Tsongas Litigation Consulting in Seattle.
Wendie A. Wilson (’98) is President of Universal City North Hollywood Jaycees, a not-for-profit organization helping young people make a difference in their community.
Angela King (’95) received an Emmy for her KCPQ segment: “What would you do?”
Lee Cowan (’88) returned to CBS News as a national correspondent based in Los Angeles, last fall. He contributes to CBS News broadcasts and platforms across the division and he is a substitute anchor for "CBS Sunday Morning."
Meeghan Black (’86) received an Emmy for her work as host of Evening Magazine
Ken Baldwin (‘84) launched Season on the Edge (www.seasonontheedge.com/), on NBC Sports last December. The show runs until June, 23rd. 2012. Baldwin, the writer and host, has this to say about the production of his show:
We've worked really hard at making a show that will appeal to a wide audience and not just the fishing enthusiast. We've hired talented film makers to document our travels to exotic and extreme locations, sample the local food, explore the outdoors and have a few adventures. Our goal is to entertain regardless if you fish or not. Read more >>
Steven Shelton (’84) is a photojournalist covering international social, political and environmental issues. Read more >>
Robert Burns (‘77) credits his participation in the Olympia Legislative Internship program 36 years ago as launching his career with the Associated Press (AP). He interned in Olympia for The AP, was hired after graduation, and never left. His first stop was Jefferson City, MO, to cover the state legislature. He worked in the AP's St. Louis and Brussels, Belgium bureaus, the New York City world headquarters, and is now in his 24th year at the Washington, D.C. bureau. He is their national security writer based at the Pentagon and covering the military.
Devon O’Brien (’76) is a consultant/trainer/mentor/coach for a Chinese College Counseling team in Shenzhen Foreign Languages School. Read more >>
Before retiring in 2000, Arnold Ismach (’75) was a tenured professor and co-director of graduate affairs in the journalism program at the University of Minnesota and dean of the journalism school at the University of Oregon.
Jean Godden (’73) brought back her column, post-campaign: Visit www.jeangodden.com for news and commentary about Seattle and the Puget Sound Region.