Dr. Gary Rice, an associate professor of journalism at Fresno State who coordinates the annual San Joaquin Valley Scholastic Press Association conference for high school students, received the California Journalism Education Coalition’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Rice was honored on Saturday, March 3, during the 81st edition of the conference at Fresno State where Clovis West High School won the newspaper sweepstakes trophy for the second time and Lodi’s Tokay High prevailed in yearbooks. The event is sponsored by Fresno State’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism.
More than 100 students from 17 high schools competed in 25 newspaper and yearbook categories.
Tokay High topped Selma and Sanger in yearbook competition, while Clovis West edged Stockton’s Amos Alonzo Stagg High by two points in the newspaper contest. Sanger, Tokay, Selma, Fresno’s San Joaquin Memorial and Madera followed Stagg.
Rice’s Lifetime Achievement Award in the four-year college division is recognition by peers of broad work with a positive impact on students, campus and industry.
The coalition lauded Rice’s commitment to preparing student journalists to become reporters through his community journalism program and its students’ award winning work for several Valley newspapers. Rice also was recognized for supporting high school journalism through the conference held the first Saturday each March and for promoting his program on a national basis.
“Gary represents the commitment that many teachers make to training tomorrow’s journalists,” said Richard Cameron, the coalition chair who presented the award to Rice. “His example is a model to all of us.”
The California Journalism Education Coalition draws membership from high school and college journalism education organizations and professional organizations interested in journalism education and in better communication between education and industry groups.
