Alumni Awards

William D. Taylor Award

The William D. Taylor Award Journalism Alumnus of the Year is the most prestigious award given by the School of Media and Journalism. It is presented at Homecoming to an alumnus/alumna who is well established and well respected in the media and communication industry and has given back to our students and/or the School. Since its inception in 1957, more than 65 distinguished alumni have become Taylor Awards winners.

This award was last awarded in 2019. 

YEAR NAME TITLE/COMPANY
2019 Tom Jennings Executive Producer, 1895 Films
2019 Carolyn Robinson Region Director, Solutions Journalism Network
2018 Kristen DelGuzzi Managing Editor, Politics, Government and World, USA TODAY
2017 Laura Gordon General Manager, Edelman
2016 Diane Laney-Fitzpatrick Author
2015 Christine Plonsky Director of Women's Athletics, University of Texas
2014 Wayne Dawson Co-Anchor, Fox 8 News in the Morning
2013 Sam Roe The Chicago Tribune
2012 Elizabeth Z. Bartz President and CEO, State and Federal Communications, Inc
2011 Stephanie Danes Smith Central Intelligence Agency (Retired)
2010 Tom Jordan Hoffman York
2009 Earl Jones Jr. Founder Chairman and CEO of Jones Broadcast Group LLC.
2008 Bob Circosta President, Bob Circosta Communication Inc.
2007 Richard Ramhoff President and Publisher, Lansing State Journal
2006 Brooke Spectorsky President and General Manager, WKYC-TV
2005 Connie Schultz Columnist Plain Dealer
2004 Jim Nash Managing Partner, Marcus Thomas Associates
2003 Hal McCoy Sports Writer, Dayton Daily News
2002 King Hill President, Digiknow Inc.
2002 Cynthia Vrsansky Schulz Senior Managing Director, Dix and Eaton
2002 Mark Nylander Vice President, Liggett-Stashower Public Relations
2002 Thomas Welsh Vice President, First Energy Corp.
2002 Lynne Dragomier Vice President, The Hoover Company
2002 William Oliver Vice President, AT&T
2002 Richard Edwards Consultant
2001 Paul Tople Akron Beacon Journal
2000 Ronald Clark Editorial Page, Editor, Paul Pioneer Press
1999 Brian Tucker President, Plain Communications
1998 David McGrail Director, Live with Regis & Kathy Lee
1997 Walt Seifert Professor Emeritus, Ohio State University
1997 Frances Waterbury International Educator and Journalist
1997 Stanley Mouse Retired CEO, Cox Broadcasting
1997 John Scott New York Broadcasting and Executive
1997 Adelaide Snyder Broadcast News Pioneer
1997 Kenneth Goldstein Professor Emeritus, Columbia University
1996 Nancy Lee The New York Times
1995 Alice Weston WKYC Television
1994 Anthony May Nieman May Communications
1993 William Girgash APCOA
1992 Thomas Litwiler Executive Assistant to the Chairman Westinghouse Electric
1991 Carl Grant Senior Vice President, Chamber of Commerce
1990 Ron Sustana Public Relations Consultant
1989 John Filo Photographer, Sports Illustrated
1988 Ted Henry Co-Anchor, News TV Channel 5
1987 Charles Conconi Columnist, Washington Post
1986 Maynard Buck, Jr. Newspaper Publisher, Cadiz/Carrollton
1985 J. Ross Baughman President, Visions Photo Group
1984 Robert McGruder ME/NEWS Plain Dealer
1983 David Meeker President, Meeker-Mayer Agency
1982 Max Brown Publisher, Columbus Magazine
1981 Kenneth Halterman WAKR
1980 Luella Cordier Record Courier
1979 W. Thomas Duke B.F. Goodrich
1978 Donald Deer American Standard Inc.
1977 William Miller Industry Week
1976 O Louis Mazzatenta The National Geographic
1975 Robert Baumgardner Griswold Eshleman Co.
1974 Robert Burdock The Plain Dealer
1973 Albert Fitzpatrick Akron Beacon Journal
1972 Robert West WJW Radio
1971 Frank Quine Associated Press Institute
1970 Donald Kirkman Scripps Howard Newspapers
1969 Edward Cliney E. Edu Poul de Nemours
1968 Ann E. Gray Akron City Hospital
1967 John W. Mine Associated Press
1966 William Schlemmer Akron Beacon Journal
1965 August W. Quattrochi General Electric Company
1964 Russell N. Baird Professor of Journalism, Ohio University
1963 Paul P. Haney Public Affairs Officer, NASA
1962 Clement C. Scerback U.S. Information Agency
1961 Kenneth F. Cole Akron Beacon Journal
1960 Loris C. Troyer Kent Ravenna Record-Courier
1959 John Lewis Stage Freelance Photographer                             
1958 Frances E. Murphey Akron Beacon Journal
1957 Helen Wescott Dix First President, Journalism Alumni Association

Fast-Track Award

The Fast-Track Award recognizes a recent alumnus/alumna who has been a significant early achiever in his/her field. Since its inception in 2009, the following alumni have earned this honor.

This award was last awarded in 2019. 

YEAR NAME TITLE/COMPANY
2019 Jinae West National Geographic, Washington D.C.
2019 Isaac Versaw Senior Creative, RYOT Studios (NYC)
2018 Phylicia McCorkle Manager of Diversity and Inclusion, MLB
2018 Brooke DiDonato Freelance Photographer
2017 Brianne Kimmel Zendesk
2016 Tyler Pina The Verge
2016 Natalie Pasquarella NBC 4 New York
2015 Danielle Wiggins WKYC-TV
2015 David Lawson Miner & Co. Studio
2014 Christina Stowers U.S. Department of Energy
2014 Kyle Michael Miller TODAY.com
2013 Jenn Yokley The Cleveland Cavaliers/Quicken Loans Arena
2013 Shannon Lanier Arise Entertainment 360
2012 Haraz N. Ghanbari University of Toledo
2012 Mandy Jenkins Digital First Media
2011 Kirk Yuhnke News Anchor, ABC15, Phoenix
2011 Andy Alt GuitarTV.com
2010 Brian Handler Blue Sky Studios/Fox
2010 Elaine Murphy McKesson Corporation
2009 Lauren Harper Crispin Porter & Bogusky

Sharon Marquis Friend of MDJ Award 

This award was last awarded in 2019. 

YEAR NAME
2019 David Hrvatin
2019 Ryan Dunn
2017 Edwige Winans
2016 Gary and LuEtt Hanson
2015 Gary Harwood
2014 Marianne Warzinski
2013 Chris Hallahan, Jen Kramer
2012 Gary Harwood
2011 Steve Savanyu
2010 Rita Andolson

The Sharon Marquis Friend of MDJ Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated remarkable support to our mission and its students.