2 MEDILL NEWS MEDILL / FACULTYSTUDENTS NEWS 3 FEATURES 10 27 talentQ Leading the way 22 The fourth annual exposition Karen Crotchfelt (BSJ92), the focused on the need for creativity publisher at the Indianapolis Star, DAY IN THE LIFE and passion. CALL FOR ENTRIES is changing the face of business at On Oct. 4, Mike Greenberg (BSJ89) brought his metro dailies. Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism popular ESPN sports talk show “Mike & Mike” This annual award is given to the individual or team of journalists, workin g for a U.S.-based to Northwestern, where he broadcast live from 31 media outlet, who best displayed moral, ethical or physical courage in th e pursuit of a story Deering Meadow beginning at 5 a.m. Take a Love story or series of stories. The contest is open to journalists from newspapers, television stations, behind-the-scenes look at the memorable day. online news operations, magazines or radio stations. The story subjects may be local, national Jason Methner (IMC09) saw his or international in scope. proposal to Molly Lipsitz (BSJ08) Contest period: 2013 calendar year go viral. Now the two are set to be Deadline: Postmarked by Feb. 28, 2014 married in April. For application information, prize amount and contest rules, visit www.medillmedalforcourage.com 33 19 Medill MOOC Destination: Vegas Eleven Northwestern faculty John Bartlow Martin Award ON THE COVER Learn about four alumni who work members team up to teach a massive This annual award honors outstanding professional public interest m agazine journalism, at At the LinkedIn oice with and live in “Sin City.” open online course about content strategy. which Martin was so adept himself. During his 10 years on the Medill faculty, M artin coached Daniel Roth (BSJ95). students to excel as reporters and writers. See story on page 14. Contest period: 2013 calendar year Deadline: Postmarked by Feb. 28, 2014 5 Alumni Quote 9 Student News 34 Class Notes For application information, prize amount and contest rules, 6 Medill News 12 Club Events 35 Obituaries PHOTO BY visit www.johnbartlowmartinaward.com ARMANDO SANCHEZ 7 Faculty News 13 Events 36 Keep Reading ... WINTER 2014 4 MEDILL NEWS MEDILL / FACULTY NEWS 5 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ALUMNI RELATIONS Belinda Lichty Clarke (MSJ94) GUEST EDITORIAL ALUMNI EDITOR/ EDITOR/ LETTER STAFF MANAGING EDITOR ART DIRECTOR QUOTE Marc Zarefsky Jessica Parker (BSJ07) Gilbert very time I walk into Fisk Hall, a familiar feeling CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jasmine Rangel comes over me, but not because the place has barely changed since I was a student here nearly 15 FACULTY ADVISER E Charles Whitaker Be flexible years ago. It’s because there’s still an energy – a sense of (BSJ80, MSJ81) possibility and ambition and discovery – that emanates PHOTOS from the students here today. Armando Sanchez “ EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS and be ready Students come to Medill because they want to change the Mallory Busch Jamie world, and what they learn here can launch them toward (BSJ16) to make changes if an (Schwartz) Strait Chelsea Sherlock success. What these students may not know is that they (BSJ98) (BSJ16) will be part of Medill for life. Director of CONTRIBUTORS Development, Beth Geraci I returned to Medill last August after 10 years reporting in (MSJ98) Medill Tallahassee, Fla., Nashville, Tenn., and Minneapolis, and Erin Golden opportunity nearly ive years working in Northwestern’s New York oice of Alumni Relations (MSJ07) and Development. But I never really left Medill. As a reporter, I tapped the Matt Paolelli (BSJ05, MSJ06) comes Medill network for jobs and mentors. As an alumna, I cheered as my classmates Elliott Smith became leading voices in their ields. As the new Director of Development (BSJ97) Cynthia Wang for Medill, I’m inspired every day by the generosity and thoughtfulness of our (BSJ93) your way.” alumni, parents and friends. Adam Wren (MSJ10) Deborah Zif The Marcus Lowes Scholarship is the perfect example (page 6) Marcus (MSJ95) (MSJ06) died far too young, but his family and friends honored his memory and legacy by endowing a scholarship for students who share his passion for sports journalism. RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Nicole Bowling The most meaningful gifts come from personal experience and a desire (MSJ11) Marguerite McNeal — relected in our students and demonstrated by our alumni — to make a (MSJ12) diference. Dean Brad Hamm and our faculty are committed to providing life- changing experiences for Medill students and are focused on advancing Medill as the best school of its kind in the world. Members of the Medill community are stepping forward to partner with us to realize these ambitions. Every gift to Medill is a vote of conidence in this vision and an acknowledgment of the role our school has played in your life. Thank you for supporting Medill, whether you give money, hire graduates, PLEASE SEND 1845 Sheridan Rd. mentor students or, ideally, all three. My job, along with Senior Associate STORY PITCHES Evanston, IL AND LETTERS TO: 60208 Director Cherie Richardson and our many development colleagues, is to connect b-clarke@ you to Medill in the way that’s most meaningful to you. Together, we can make northwestern.edu the Medill experience even more extraordinary. CARLOS ZEPEDA (IMC98) And if you’d like to start by helping to renovate Fisk, give me a call! • VP Marketing, Havaianas USA • Named one of “40 under 40” brand innovators in 2013 by BrandInnovators.com • Former senior marketing director at PepsiCo Coming soon: Read a Q&A PRINTED BY: UniqueActive with Zepeda in the tablet 5500 W. 31st St. + edition. Cicero, IL 60804 uniqueactive.com COPYRIGHT 2014 MEDILL PHOTO BY ARMANDO SANCHEZ WINTER 2014 6 MEDILL NEWS MEDILL / FACULTY NEWS 7 By Beth Geraci (MSJ98) MEDILL NEWS By Deborah Zif (MSJ06) Medill and the National Association of Black A LASTING LEGACY Journalists selected Sheila Solomon, former WHITAKER cross media editor and senior editor for recruitment at the Chicago Tribune, as the A GROUP OF FRIENDS BANDED TOGETHER TO HONOR THEIR FRIEND THROUGH A MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP. 2014 recipient of the Ida B. Wells Award. PROMOTED TO Solomon, who is also an adjunct faculty n every group of friends, there’s always one person who draws says. “Marcus’s is a powerful story, a tale of life cut too short. I hope I member at Columbia College, was inducted everyone together. For Kappa Sigma Fraternity brothers at do his legacy justice through my reporting.” into the Hampton University Journalism and FULL PROFESSOR Northwestern from 1988 to 1992, Marcus Lowes (MSJ95) was The generosity of the Lowes scholarship afords more talented Communications Hall of Fame in 2012. The Ida I B. Wells Award is given to a media executive that guy. students the chance to attend Medill, Director of Development Jamie Lowes, a Greencastle, Ind., native, loved Hoosiers basketball, but Strait (BSJ98) says. “All of us at Medill are really grateful that they’re or manager who has made outstanding efforts hroughout the course of his career, Charles Whitaker has also rooted for the Los Angeles Dodgers —although no one knew choosing to honor their friend in this way.” to make newsrooms and news coverage sailed the Caribbean with Morgan Freeman, delved into the why. He had a wry sense humor, a penchant for lively debate and a Ultimately, Vedder and Ullery hope that the scholarship helps more accurately relect the diversity of their weird and wild of Louisville, followed Jesse Jackson on the communities. T passion for sports that powered his magnetic personality. But it was students achieve their goals, just as Lowes helped them achieve presidential campaign trail and covered the installation of the irst his universal acceptance of others that drew people to him most. theirs. black members in the British Parliament. “Once you became friends with Marcus, you stayed friends with “Marcus crystallized our lives,” Ullery says. “We owe him so much.” The 2013 McAllister Fellowship presentations Whitaker was recently promoted to full professor in recognition of Marcus,” says Brian Ullery, Lowes’ former roommate. “As a person, were given in October and November by his more than 20 years of teaching at Medill, he tended to be the epicenter for everybody.” BETH GERACI IS A CLEVELAND-BASED EDITOR WHOSE PASSION FOR Matthew Weinstock, assistant managing editor as well as his professional achievements and Fifteen years after his passing from gastric cancer at age 28, STORYTELLING HAS TAKEN HER EVERYWHERE FROM CHICAGO TO INDIA. of Hospitals and Health Networks (Top Editor public service. Lowes’ vivacity still resonates with those who loved him and want presentation) and Don Pazour, CEO of Access A native Chicagoan, Whitaker got the his legacy to live on in perpetuity. Intelligence (Top Manager presentation). journalism itch when his fourth grade MARCUS LOWES The Marcus J. Lowes Memorial Scholarship, established by his McAllister fellows are awarded to bring teacher encouraged his writing. Around friends and fraternity brothers as an endowed gift, will be awarded business-to-business media leaders to Medill the same time, he read a story in Ebony annually to a Medill graduate journalism student who shares Lowes’ to advise classes and speak on the state of the magazine about jazz musician Duke passion for sports journalism. B2B industry. Ellington’s appearance at the White House. Lowes, who worked as an online sports copy editor at the Chicago “After picking up that story, I thought, Tribune, loved writing, Ullery says. That was one reason why his Medill was involved with Social Media Week WHITAKER people go out and get to do cool stories like friends chose Medill for the scholarship. — a biannual global series of events — for the this,” he says. “People who receive the scholarship will never know Marcus, but second consecutive year.