Virtual Speed Networking event allows students and alumni to connect
A Virtual Speed Networking event sponsored by Newhouse NYC provided the program’s 17 students with an opportunity to connect with 16 Syracuse University alumni for a series of six-minute meetings.
The evening served as a culminating event for the Newhouse NYC program, which was offered in a remote format for the fall semester due to COVID-19.
“I’m looking forward to the confidence boost the students get coming out of this event,” said Newhouse NYC program adviser Marisa Bardach Ramel ’04 prior to the event. She said she often sees students transform from being intimidated to “mastering connection-making.”
Cheryl Brody Franklin ’04, director of Newhouse NYC, invited alumni participants from a wide range of fields, including Andrew Siciliano ’96, sports broadcaster at NFL Network and DIRECTV’s Red Zone; Dwight Caines ’88, co-president of marketing at Universal Pictures; Deidra Maddock ’96, vice president at The Walt Disney Company; and Madina Touré G‘13, reporter at Politico. After brief introductions, the alumni opened up their virtual meeting rooms and students started their one-on-one meetings.
At the end of the 90-minute session, the participating students and alumni expressed enthusiasm for the experience.
“This was a blast!” Julie Kosin ’14, senior culture editor at Elle.com, posted in the chat. “Blown away by the talent of these students, though not surprised.”
Christopher Cicchiello, a junior magazine, news and digital journalism major, called it an “amazing experience that granted me the opportunity to bolster [my network] with an array of alumni so willing to help guide and mentor us.”
After the event, students said the conversations were genuine, insightful and sometimes even a little goofy. Natalie Dascoulias, a senior broadcast and digital journalism major, said she was surprised when her conversation with Eric Gurian ’04, president of Tina Fey’s production company Little Stranger, turned into a discussion about the culture in Cyprus after she told him she applied for a scholarship that would take her there.
“The main thing is finding common ground,” said Eric Vilas-Boas ’12, entertainment editor at Observer Media. “You want to find something to connect you to the person you are talking to. Make it organic, fun and enjoyable.”
Jaime Sasso ’09, producer for NBC Olympics, noted that when she was invited to the event, she thought two hours was going to be a long time, but once she completed several six-minute conversations with students, she wished she’d had longer to connect.
Advertising senior Jiaman (Maggie) Peng agreed, writing in the Zoom chat: “I never knew six-minute calls could be so productive.”
“We got such a positive response to this event from both students and alumni, so it makes me even more motivated to plan innovative and creative virtual events this spring,” says Franklin, who notes that even though Newhouse NYC may return to a residential format for the spring semester, social distancing will prohibit that many people to gather in one room. “An event like this would have to be virtual, and as we showed with this event, virtual is just as valuable as in-person.”
Gina Trejo is a senior with dual majors in television, radio and film and English. This semester, as part of the Newhouse NYC semester, she is interning at Gigantic Pictures. She will graduate next month.
Winners announced in the 30th annual Alexia Grant competition
The Newhouse School today announced the winners in the 2020 Alexia Grant competition. Now in its 30th year, the grant program supports student and professional visual journalists, helping them produce projects that inspire change by addressing socially significant topics.
Professional Grant
Photographer Cornell Watson of Durham, North Carolina, is the recipient of the $20,000 professional grant for his project, “Behind the Mask.”
The project “visually explores the stories of Black people and the various ways we wear the mask,” Watson says. “My hope is that it inspires Black people to be their true authentic selves in white spaces, and that it inspires white people to look within themselves to see how they contribute to a society that forces Black people to wear the mask.”
Watson says receiving the grant is a win for both himself and his community. “What Alexia stands for—its mission and purpose of bringing social injustices to the forefront—could not be more aligned with what I intend to do with my work. I have an important story to share and winning the Alexia helps give me the freedom and resources to visually share that story with the world.”
Watson plans to use grant funding to continue collecting stories of the experience of being Black in America.
Second place recognition went to Amber Bracken of Edmonton, Canada, for “Generations,” an examination of how the harm from Canada’s Indian Residential Schools has manifested in successive generations.
Third place went to Isadora Kosofsky for “Permanent and Known,” which documents the impact of COVID-19 on senior citizens and adults with disabilities inside and outside facilities in the American West.
Student Grant
Leonidas Enetanya, a student at the Photographic Center Northwest in Seattle, is the recipient of the student grant for his project proposal, “The Monét Archives.” Enetanya will create a series of intimate portraits capturing candid moments in the lives of queer and transgender people of color who participate in ballroom culture. The main subjects will be members of The House of Monét, where Enetanya lives and which he describes as a place he feels “embraced, appreciated and understood” after having spent six years in foster care. With the portraits, he hopes to draw a contrast between subjects’ lives behind the scenes and their personas at the balls.
“Society needs to see our humanity. Too many people are blind to it. Someone has to show them. Who better than me?” Enetanya says. “Through my camera and writing, my subjects will be able to see themselves and be seen in a way they couldn’t otherwise… with this project, I can raise awareness of our perennial plight, promote empathy and fight transphobia during this revolutionary chapter in Black/LGBTQ history.”
As the student grant recipient, Enetanya will receive a fellowship for tuition and fees to enroll in three courses during a semester at the Newhouse School, as well as a $1,000 stipend and paid position as the research assistant to Mike Davis, director of The Alexia.
“This is the first competition I’ve won, and perhaps the first time in my life I’ve made a sincere effort towards a goal and achieved it,” Enetanya says. “It’s surprising. It’s like becoming aware of a power I didn’t know I had, that was in my hands all this time.”
Second place went to Zilan Imşik, a student at Istanbul University, for “Where is Home?” The project is a visual quest to find the home she had never known and rediscover her identity as a Kurd and member of the world’s largest stateless nation.
Third place went to Newhouse student Michele Abercrombie for “we live(d) in our heads,” a project about child abuse and having navigated childhood with an abusive parent.
Judging was held remotely Nov. 6 and 7, moderated by Davis. Judges were Noelle Flores Théard, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn and Joshua Rashaad McFadden.
“This year’s panel of judges brought a great depth and range of experience and knowledge to the process of determining who receives the grants,” Davis says. “Among the judges’ considerations were the photographers’ degree of connection to the stories they are telling, whether they thought the visual storytellers were capable of achieving what was being proposed, whether the work shown touched the issues addressed in the proposals, how much the grant would benefit the entrant and the combined strength of the proposal and work presented.”
About The Alexia
The Alexia began as the Alexia Foundation, created with the mission to promote the power of photojournalism to give voice to social injustice, and to support photographers as agents for change. It was established in 1991 by Peter and Aphrodite Tsairis in memory of their daughter, who was a photography student at Newhouse when she was killed in the bombing of Pan Am 103 in 1988. Since its founding, the Alexia Grant program has awarded more than $1.7 million to 166 photographers.
The Alexia Foundation became part of the Newhouse School and was renamed The Alexia earlier this year.
Newhouse visual artists honored in College Photographer of the Year competition
Three Newhouse School students have earned honors in the 75th annual College Photographer of the Year competition (CPOY).
Jessica Ruiz, a graduate student in multimedia, photography and design, won silver in the Documentary category for “Poison in our Homes.”
Dan Lyon, a senior photography major, won bronze in the Interpretive Project category for “Sweet Ground.”
Laura Oliverio, a senior photography major, won an Award of Excellence in the COVID category for “Peeper Season.”
This year’s CPOY competition drew nearly 10,000 images and multimedia projects from 569 student photographers at 129 colleges and universities in 29 countries.
Luttrell co-authors journal article on artificial intelligence in communication education
Regina Luttrell, assistant professor of public relations, co-wrote the article, “The Digital Divide: Addressing Artificial Intelligence in Communication Education,” for the Journalism and Mass Communication Educator. One of the co-authors is Jiyoung Lee G’19, a former Newhouse Ph.D. student.
Grygiel interviewed by CNN about Facebook ruling on Bannon call for beheadings
Jennifer Grygiel, assistant professor of communications, was interviewed by CNN for the article, “Zuckerberg: Bannon’s beheading comments aren’t enough to ban him from Facebook.”
“Steve Bannon has proved that he abuses the platform. I would really like Mark Zuckerberg to show some accountability in not letting people harm the public and society in such a way.”
Jennifer Grygiel
Grygiel interviewed by San Francisco Chronicle about Facebook under Biden presidency
Jennifer Grygiel, assistant professor of communications, was interviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle for the article, “As misinformation spreads online, will Biden crack down on Facebook?“
Finalists announced in the 2020 Alexia Grant competition
Finalists were announced today in the 2020 Alexia Grant competition for student and professional visual journalists. This is the 30th year for the competition.
“Each project is a testament to the power of visual storytelling,” says Mike Davis, director of The Alexia at the Newhouse School, which administers the grants. “It is an honor to have had the opportunity to review such outstanding work.”
Winners and runners-up will be announced Nov. 17.
Professional Grants
Finalists for the professional grant are:
Lys Arango, Spain, “Until the corn grows back”
Laura Boushnak, Bosnia Herzegovina, “Bosnia’s unfinished journey”
Anna Boyiazis, U.S., “Finding Freedom in the Water”
Amber Bracken, Canada, “Generations”
Scott Brennan, Mexico, “Indigenous Autonomy and Resistance in México”
Ben Cleeton, U.S., “The Town”
Chris Donovan, Canada, “The Cloud Factory”
Israel Fuguemann, Mexico, “Letters from a Distance”
Antonio Faccilongo, Italy, “Habibi”
Fabiola Ferrero, Venezuela, “I Can’t Hear the Birds”
Kiana Hayeri, Afghanistan, “The Fruits and The Gardens Are Inside The Heart”
Gabby Jones, U.S., “Roommates”
Isadora Kosofsky, U.S., “Permanent and Known”
Matjaž Krivic, Slovenia, “Coming Clean”
Jon Lowenstein, U.S., “The Advocate” (feature documentary film)
Catalina Martin-Chico, France, “On the edge of the jungle”
Fred Ramos, El Salvador, “The Dark Triangle”
Nicoló Filippo Rosso, Colombia, “Exodus”
Farshid Tighehsaz, Iran, “The new name of death”
Cornell Watson, U.S., “Behind the Mask”
Student Grants
Finalists for the student grant are:
Shirin Abedi, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hannover, Germany, “Invisible Students”
Michele Abercrombie, Syracuse University, U.S., “we live(d) in our heads”
Sumi Anjuman, Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, Bangladesh, “Somewhere Else Than Here”
Michael Blackshire, Ohio University, U.S., “Down in the Delta”
Hadley Chittum, George Washington University, U.S., “Sean and Lashonia”
Leonidas Enetanya, Photographic Center Northwest, U.S., “The Monét Archives”
Rebecca A. Fudala, International Center of Photography, U.S., “After Incarceration”
Zilan Imşik, Istanbul University, Turkey, “Where Is Home”
Louise Johns, University of Montana, U.S., “A New Kind of Tough: Ranch Culture Transforms in the American West”
Stephan Lucka, University of Applied Sciences Dortmund, Germany, “Something only we know”
Fayzul Mowla, VOHH Photography Institute, Bangladesh, “Climate Survival Island Kutubdia”
Fawaz Oyedeji, University of Lagos, Nigeria, “Yours In Arms”
Md. Masood Sarwer, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India, “Unintended Consequences”
Farhana Satu, Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, Bangladesh, “Leukemia Fighters”
Subhrajit Sen, Counter Foto- A Centre for Visual Arts, Dhaka, India, “Death Valley”
Faiham Ebna Sharif, Uppsala University, Bangladesh, “Cha Chakra: Tea Tales of Bangladesh”
Maranie Staab, Syracuse University, U.S., “This is America: In defense of democracy, 2020”
Mouneb Taim, Self-Taught, Syria, “War Notes”
Fuxuan Xin, International Center of Photography, U.S., “Eight Out of Ten”
Ashima Yadava, International Center of Photography, U.S., “Front Yard”
“We are at a unique juncture of events globally, and this year’s finalist selections reflect a deep experiential connection with and understanding of these matters of great importance,” says Davis. “This group of finalists also includes a great range of story forms, an expansion of our profession’s visual vocabulary to be able to more broadly address and talk about the issues of today.
“Expanding the range of voices and forms of expression is essential to sustaining the profession, with the outcome of connecting with ever more diverse and abundant audiences, which is also at the heart of The Alexia’s mission.”
The professional grant competition drew 250 entries from 38 countries, while the student grant competition garnered 76 entries from 23 countries. The winner of the professional grant will receive $20,000 in funding. Student grant recipients receive a fellowship for tuition and fees to enroll in three courses during a semester at the Newhouse School. They also receive a $1,000 stipend and serve as the research assistant to The Alexia director, a paid position.
Prejudging was conducted by a panel of 10 industry leaders, including Zun Lee, Lauren Steel, Elizabeth Krist, Sandra Stevenson, Aidan Sullivan, Eileen Mignoni, James Dooley, Ed Kashi, Mike Davis and Yue Ren.
Judges were Noelle Flores Théard, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn and Joshua Rashaad McFadden.
The Alexia began as the Alexia Foundation, created with the mission to promote the power of photojournalism to give voice to social injustice, and to support photographers as agents for change. It was established in 1991 by Peter and Aphrodite Tsairis in memory of their daughter, who was a photography student at Newhouse when she was killed in the bombing of Pan Am 103 in 1988. Since its founding, the Alexia Grant program has awarded more than $1.7 million to 166 photographers.
The Alexia Foundation became part of the Newhouse School and was renamed The Alexia earlier this year.
Holmes co-authors visual effects article for Association of Computer Machinery
Shaina Holmes, assistant professor of television, radio and film, co-authored the publication “Bringing VFX to the Table” in the Association for Computer Machinery (ACM) Digital Library after presenting at SIGGRAPH 2020.
Temple Northup G’08
Temple Northup graduated from Newhouse in 2008 with a master’s in media studies. He currently works as the director of the School of Journalism & Media Studies at San Diego State University.
“From theory to research, the courses at Newhouse set me on the right path to become an effective researcher, which is what led me to getting tenure at my first university.”
Temple Northup, G’08
How did you obtain your current position?
I just started this position in July 2020 after being at the University of Houston the previous nine years. At the University of Houston, I was director of the Valenti School of Communication, a position I held for the last five years I was there. Before that, I was at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, which is where I got my Ph.D. after graduating from Syracuse with my M.A.
What’s an average day like for you on the job?
These days, average days are a bit different as I spend so much time on Zoom. But, ignoring that component of it, I would say it’s hard to describe an “average” day as they are almost never identical. As the administrative head of the school, my first and most important task is to make sure everything is running as planned—all our classes are happening, faculty are supported in their needs and our students are getting the help they need to graduate on time. Beyond those tasks, which take up a lot of time, I also work hard reaching out to alumni of the school in order to build stronger relationships with them, and to find new sources of revenue for our program. I also like to spend time thinking strategically about what we as a media school need to be doing to position ourselves as a leader in the field and what changes we need to make in order to keep our students prepared for the workforce.
How do you feel Newhouse prepared you for your current job?
Newhouse absolutely prepared me for my role—and frankly continues to help me in this position. It did this in a few ways.
First, being a graduate of the Newhouse M.A. in media studies, I got really well trained in some of the most important and core aspects of the communication discipline—from theory to research, the courses at Newhouse set me on the right path to become an effective researcher, which is what led me to getting tenure at my first university.
Second, getting to be a student at Newhouse meant I got to see some of the best faculty in action. As a future faculty member, and then administrator, I know what great teaching looks like, and I know what it looks like to be a great mentor to students. Those lessons I have carried with me in all aspects of my career.
Finally, being part of Newhouse meant I got to see some of the most innovative programs in the country—and that is something I continue to do. As the leader of a different school, I keep an eye on what Newhouse is doing because I know it will always be leading the field. I have such respect for all aspects of the Newhouse School, if I can lead our program to be anywhere near as strong, then I am doing great things!
Did Newhouse open your eyes to new professions or aspect of your field you may have not considered when applying?
When I applied to Newhouse, I honestly did not anticipate what it would truly be like or where my career would go. In that sense, it absolutely opened my eyes to becoming not just a teacher, which is what I had thought about doing after I graduated, but also an engaged researcher. The enthusiasm of the faculty and their research agendas was contagious, and although I entered the program thinking about teaching one day, I left wanting to do much more—I wanted to conduct research.
What unique features of your graduate program drew you to it in the first place?
The main thing that drew to Newhouse was its reputation. There are only a handful of programs in the US that everyone knows from its name, and Newhouse was one of those. That is unique—and the benefits pay off after you leave as I am constantly meeting people who went to Newhouse, and the network it provided me has been very beneficial during my career.
What moments in your career have been most exciting or defining thus far?
Some of my research has gotten a lot of attention within the media—with one of them getting so much coverage, I actually ended up flying to New York City to appear on Fox & Friends (a place, for many reasons, I never thought I would be). That was quite an experience and certainly one of the more exciting things that have happened! I’ve also gotten to interview many high-profile media personalities including Anderson Cooper, which was really fun.
What advice do you have for current or incoming students?
I think it’s super important to connect with faculty early and get to know them. They are your best resources whatever your career goals, and so the better they know you, the more they will help you after graduation.
Grygiel interviewed by CNN Business about social media and election misinformation
Jennifer Grygiel, assistant professor of communications, was interviewed by CNN Business for the article, “How Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are handling election misinformation.”