by Emily Ko
As the School of Journalism and Mass Communications gathered to celebrate the achievements of five alumni and a professor, one sentiment was shared by all: the support of the faculty and staff is a driving factor in students’ success.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner on Oct. 22 at the Capital City Club in Columbia, S.C. honored three distinguished alumni and two outstanding young alumnae.
“It’s a full circle for the faculty as they see the fruits of their labor with the outstanding careers of their students,” opened Director Carol Pardun.
Faculty members introduced their former students and shared why these alumni are so deserving of their awards.
Dr. Ken Campbell began by commending Dr. Brad Hamm for his contributions to collegiate journalism, saying, “His knowledge is indispensable.” Dr. Hamm earned his Master of Arts degree in 1990 and is now the Dean of Indiana University’s School of Journalism.
Dr. Hamm recalled how his diverse learning experience at USC helped him determine his professional goals. “I came to Columbia as a newspaper person and expected to leave as one, but I learned about history and agenda setting and left as a teacher,” he said.
Dr. Hamm’s twin brother, Benjy Hamm, is editorial director of Landmark Community Newspapers, LLC and earned his MMC degree in 1991. Professor Jay Bender named the former Associated Press reporter the “newspaper man.”
Hamm spoke these motivating words: “Journalism is a special calling to inform, enlighten, awaken and inspire. We have so many opportunities to meet interesting people and learn new things, and our only work is to tell people what we observe.”
Dean Bierbauer introduced Mari Maseng Will, whom he has known since the 1980s when she worked for the Reagan administration. Will earned a bachelor’s degree from USC in 1975 and is now president of Maseng Communications in Washington, D.C.
Will shared many words of wisdom and praised the J-school for its influence. “In a world where journalism is splintering, we must maintain freedom of speech that leads to freedom of thought. I learned that from the professors at USC,” she said.
Associate Professor Ernie Wiggins recalled his relationship with 2003 graduate Mary Hartney, who is the director of audience engagement for The Baltimore Sun. Wiggins remembered her strong presence on campus and her fearless attitude.
Hartney added that as her personal mentor, Wiggins pushed her to stay inquisitive. “In the halls of USC, I learned to challenge conventional wisdom. There was a set of values to rely on.”
As Wiggins described, Hartney showed her innovation as she discussed the issue of charging on newspaper Web sites. She advocated that online newspapers should be free. “Our work is meaningful when someone reads the story and then acts on it,” she said.
Outstanding Young Alumni recipient Pushpa Gopalan earned an MMC degree in 1999 and now serves as vice president of Leo Burnett USA. Though she was unable to attend the dinner, she was still honored. Dr. Erik Collins praised her achievements, saying, “Look out, world, there’s no telling how high she can go!”
Associate Professor Bonnie Drewniany received the School’s Excellence in Service award. Please read more about her achievements in the accompanying story.
SJMC’s Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner was truly a chance for the honorees to come home to the SJMC family they care about so much. Dr. Brad Hamm expressed these feelings as he closed his acceptance speech:
“When I look at these tables, these are the people I care about. When I come back to Columbia, I’m interested in how the streets have changed and the new journalism building, but I care about the people. I want the people to know how much they’ve changed our lives.”
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