September 2026 Newsletter |
As fall began, we celebrated three leaders in journalism and strategic communication with the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service. Jon Cook, Alberto Ibargüen and Judy Woodruff each delivered master classes to students on the day of the ceremony, creating unforgettable opportunities for students to engage with some of the best in their respective fields. But that’s not all that has been happening at the J-School — read on for the latest highlights.
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Spotlight on philanthropy | |
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Endowed by Ursula Liu, widow of journalist and editor Robert F. Youngblood, MA ’15, right, the new Robert F. Youngblood Investigative Fellowship honors Youngblood’s legacy of meticulous fact finding. Its inaugural recipient is master’s student Laiba Khan Zai, left, who will receive a $9,000 stipend and advanced mentorship to support long-term investigative and data-driven journalism projects.
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Scott Diener, BJ ’87, has returned to his alma mater as the new general manager of KOMU-TV. With more than 30 years of experience leading news organizations in major broadcast news markets, he has amassed a collection of accolades including a Peabody Award, a duPont-Columbia Award, a National Edward R. Murrow Award and more.
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Dani Wexelman, BJ ’11, is a host and reporter for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. Follow along on Instagram as she presents an on-the-ground view of the team and the world of sports.
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| Leading the Murray Center and the industry
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Sebastián Martínez Valdivia, BJ ’13, MA ’17, is the new executive director of the Murray Center for Documentary Journalism, leading the center less than a decade after becoming part of its first graduating class. This promotion coincides with another milestone for the center: Filmmaker-in-Chief Robert Greene’s latest documentary, “Too Much Sugar,” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September and featured hands-on involvement from students.
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Taking advantage of a widening array of sports-related opportunities for aspiring journalists and strategic communicators at the J-School, junior Bella Morgan spent her summer thriving in both fields. She anchored sports broadcasts for KOMU-TV and produced a multimedia athlete marketing campaign, helping her gain an impressive breadth of experience.
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The J-School recently appointed two professors to prestigious endowed chair positions. Fred Anklam is now the Curtis B. Hurley Chair in Public Affairs Reporting, advancing hands-on journalism covering politics and government. In addition, First Amendment expert Jared Schroeder is the Lee Hills Chair in Free-Press Studies, dedicated to defending global press freedoms against modern threats.
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Joy Jenkins, PhD ’17, will now spearhead major, solutions-oriented research projects for the Reynolds Journalism Institute as its new research director. Less than four years after joining Mizzou’s faculty, she will lead RJI’s efforts across three primary research areas: sustainability, community-centered journalism and press freedom.
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Join the Mizzou Alumni Association |
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Want to come together with other alumni to make a positive impact on the University? Now is the time to join the Mizzou Alumni Association! Please visit mizzou.com/join to become a member today!
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