ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Michelle Wilson (Valiquette)

Michelle Wilson (Valiquette) graduated from AU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Television Broadcast Production and Professional Video.  Michelle is currently the Executive Producer of a nationally syndicated health and fitness show entitled Peter’s Principles with Peter Nielsen.  She is in charge of all aspects of the show’s production from producing, writing, managing crews, contacting sponsors and booking guests.

Name:  Michelle Wilson (Valiquette)

Degree Received upon graduation: Bachelor of Arts in Television Production and Professional Video

Graduation Year: 1992

Current Job: Executive Producer: Peter’s Principles Health and Fitness Show

Brief description of your duties:  I coordinate all aspects of production for a nationally syndicated health and fitness show including producing, writing, managing crews, contacting sponsors and booking guests.

How did AU and the broadcast/journalism department help you receive this job?  Ashland gave me hands on experience that was vital to succeed in the Television business. Through Ashland, I was able to secure an internship in a newsroom and by the end of the internship I was producing their 5pm newscast, all because of the knowledge and experience I learned at Ashland.  That same internship led to a full time news producing job, which lead to a health producer job in a larger market where I met Peter Nielsen and was hired as his Executive Producer.  It all started with knowing what to do in a newsroom from producing, writing, editing, shooting and even running scripts.  When you know the skills, you have the confidence and it can take you anywhere.

What is your favorite aspect of the job?: I am able to reach out and help people all across the country.  There is no greater joy than hearing from someone that you changed their life and in some cases, saved their life. 

The Collegian is the best in state

Collegian managing editor Justine Ackerman, design guru Tyler Remmel and adviser Matt Tullis traveled to Cleveland Saturday to pick up the newspaper's award for Best Non-Daily College Newspaper in the state. The award was given by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists.

This is the second time in as many years that The Collegian has won an SPJ award. Last year, then-managing editor Katie Ryder received a second place award for Best College Feature Writing.

One more note: Ashland University journalism and sport communication grad Eric Frantz won first place for Best Trade Publication Web Site. Frantz is the owner and editor of Miami Valley Sports. Frantz graduated from AU in 1998.

Collegian staffers attend law conference

Four Collegian staff members attended the Ohio State Bar Association's annual Law and Media conference in Columbus on Friday.

(From left) Videographer Dan Shade, Sports Editor Chris Bils, Managing Editor Justine Ackerman and Entertainment Editor Glenn Battishill attended sessions on everything from editorial cartooning and the First Amendment in the digital age to social media and the law in the day-long conference. 

More than 150 lawyers and journalists from all over the state attended the conference. 

JDM to Offer First Ever AU Course on Social Media!!

One need not look any further than how social media tools shaped and reshaped the Arab spring to know how powerful they've become on a global scale.

JDM's Dr. David McCoy will be teaching our newest course offering, Global Impact of Social Media next semester. Dr. McCoy is excited to explore with students why social media has the power to bring people closer together from all parts of the world. Dr. McCoy also notes that it will be interesting to study where the future of social media might lead us all.

And the best part? JDM 405 fulfills a Social Science requirement in the AU core!

Course Facts:
JDM 405 – Global Impact of Social Media
Pre-req - junior and senior status only.
Offered: T/TH, 1:40 – 2:55, or T/TH, 3:05 – 4:20

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Tom Walters

At A Blog Converged, we're excited to launch a new segment as a companion to our very popular Intern Spotlight, called Alumni Spotlight! Mr. Walters, you're in the leadoff spot!
 

Tom Walters graduated from Ashland College in 1985, and has worked as a news photojournalist for over 25 years. Originally from Syracuse, NY, he started at the ABC station (where he interned as part of an Ashland College internship), and worked his way up to Chief Photographer. In 1993, Tom moved to Tampa, Florida to work at the CBS station. Then, in 1995 it was off to Indianapolis, where he worked at WRTV, the ABC affiliate for four years. Tom moved back to Tampa, and returned to WTSP for another three years, before heading back home, to help start up News 10 Now (now YNN), a 24 hour local news station, owned by Time Warner. Tom has been the Senior Photojournalist at YNN Syracuse for the last 8 years. Part of his job is to help in the training of all the new One Man Bands or MMJ’s that work at the station.

Name:  Tom Walters

Degree Received upon graduation: Radio/TV Production

Graduation Year: 1985

Current Job: Senior Photojournalist, YNN Syracuse

Brief description of your duties: Shoot and edit daily news and sports stories, and statewide franchise pieces, run microwave/satellite truck, and train all VJ’s and photogs in use of their cameras.

How did AU and the broadcast/journalism department help you receive this job?  My degree at Ashland was instrumental in getting me into a career in television news. Ashland’s influence reached to WIXT, where they helped me to get my foot in the door with a summer long internship. The people at WIXT were impressed with my knowledge of TV production, and it was the multitude of opportunities at Ashland’s radio and television stations that gave me the skills and confidence, which I applied at the station.

What is your favorite aspect of the job? The best aspect of the job is that every day brings something new, and no day is ever boring. This job has allowed me access to people and places I would normally never get to meet or see. One day, you could be in the same room with the President of the United States, while the very next day, you could find yourself shooting inside of a C-130 transport plane. For someone who enjoys professional sports, I have been lucky enough to be in the middle of a Super Bowl, multiple NBA playoffs, Major League baseball games, college bowls and I even got a chance to shoot in a pace car on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with golfer Greg Norman as my personal driver. All of these things were possible because of Ashland University.

We look forward to featuring as many of our talented AU media alums as we can in the coming days! Given JDM's bloodlines and rich history from the R/TV days, we should complete this project in the year 2050!

JDM Professor Selected to Attend Television Academy Seminar

Tim McCarty, interim chair of the Journalism & Digital Media Department at Ashland University, has been selected as one of 20 individuals nationwide to attend the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation's 2011 Faculty Seminar in Los Angeles next month.

“This is great recognition of Tim's professional background -- he has won three Emmys, as well as recognition of our new Journalism and Digital Media program,” said Dr. Dawn Weber, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.