2005 McCORMICK TRIBUNE SCHOLARS SELECTED
Medill Students Chosen for Leadership Potential in News Media Careers
Media contact:
Kyle Bradbury
312-222-3188
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CHICAGO, June 29, 2005
The McCormick Tribune Foundation and the Medill School of Journalism (Medill) at Northwestern University announced the first six students chosen for the McCormick Tribune Leadership Scholars program. These special scholarships are part of the foundation’s 50th anniversary celebration.
The McCormick Tribune Leadership scholarships continue a long tradition of support from the foundation for journalism-related programs at Northwestern, to which the foundation has awarded almost $32 million in the past 50 years.
The scholarships, which will be used for graduate students at Medill and at Kellogg School of Management (Kellogg), are designed to educate a new generation of leaders in the news media. Eighty one-year, full-tuition merit scholarships will be awarded over the next ten years; sixty are slated for Medill students and twenty for Kellogg students. The first Kellogg scholars will be selected in early 2006.
“The McCormick Tribune Foundation has created these scholarships to prepare journalists and news business leaders to meet the challenges the profession will face in the coming years,” said Richard Behrenhausen, president and chief executive officer of the foundation. “We understand what vital roles news professionals play in preserving democracy and want to give them the best tools to take the field to the next level.”
Scholars were chosen for their leadership potential and commitment to news media careers. The students selected to attend Medill’s graduate program, starting in the fall of 2005, are:
- Catherine Andrews, a Washington, D.C. native, graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia and holds a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature. She currently works as an editorial assistant for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges in Washington. Andrews will study New Media at Medill.
- Jessica Bernstein-Wax, originally from San Francisco, graduated from Stanford University and holds a bachelor’s degree in modern thought and literature. She is currently employed in freelance work for foreign and independent films and is based in New York. Bernstein-Wax will pursue Broadcast Journalism at Medill.
- Janet Liao, born in Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China, holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Cornell University. Liao was named Beat Writer of the Year in 2003 by the Cornell Daily Sun and received a Chinese Cultural Scholarship in 2004. She will study Magazine Publishing at Medill.
- Carlos Roig-Franzia, a native of Los Gatos, Calif., holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of California at Berkley and master’s degree in Spanish and Hispanic literature from New York University. Riog-Franzia currently works as a production intern for a public affairs radio program in San Francisco, and is also a freelance journalist. He will pursue Reporting and Writing at Medill.
- J. Brenner Thomas, originally from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania. He has editorial and writing experience from various publications including Provincetown Magazine and In Style. He is also a freelance journalist. Thomas will study Magazine Publishing at Medill.
- Emily Udell, a Chicagoland native from Evanston, Ill., is a graduate of the University of Chicago, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English. Udell is currently employed in a number of capacities that include radio production, advertising, editing and research. She will pursue Reporting and Writing at Medill.
“We are delighted by the extent and the quality of the experience offered by the first six McCormick Tribune Leadership Scholars in Medill’s history,” said Loren Ghiglione, dean of the Medill School of Journalism. “Having come from across the country and having such varied backgrounds, the students will bring the school a diversity of talent and perspective.”
About the McCormick Tribune Foundation
The McCormick Tribune Foundation is one of the nation’s largest charitable organizations, with combined assets of close to $1.5 billion. In 2004 the foundation approved the distribution of more than $109 million to invest in communities, address human needs and promote the ideals of a democratic society through innovative partnerships. The foundation, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2005, was first established as a charitable trust upon the death of Col. Robert R. McCormick, longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune.
The foundation provides assistance in four program areas — communities, education, journalism and citizenship — and funds a special initiatives program. Through its grants, the foundation seeks to improve the social and economic environment; encourage a free and responsible discussion of issues affecting the nation; enhance the effectiveness of American education; and stimulate responsible citizenship. For more information, visit
http://www.mccormicktribune.org/
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