The Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ) Department at Fresno State will host the MCJ Innovation Celebration Open House at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13 in the television studio (Room 172) in the Speech Arts building.
The MCJ Alumni and Friends Chapter will honor alumni with its Hall of Fame induction of retired public relations practitioner Gary Simpson. The Hall of Fame will also induct fellows: Shirley Melikian Armbruster, associate vice president of university communications at Fresno State; Robert Gauthier, photojournalist at the Los Angeles Times; Victor Hernandez, former news futurist with CNN Worldwide; Peter Robertson, Fresno State Alumni Association’s director of engagement and marketing; and Michelle Von Tersch, vice president for corporate communications at Community Medical Centers.
Thirty-two students will be honored and presented with scholarships. “Being selected as a scholar means more than showing up to class and earning good grades. It means showcasing leadership and dedication by doing more than you’re required to do,” said Mia Villarreal, this year’s Dr. Roberta Asahina Scholar.
The evening is also a celebration of Fresno State’s remodeled television studio, which now features new HD cameras, teleprompters, tripods, computers, monitors, TVs for playback, and audio mixers. The equipment, studio and control room upgrades were made possible through private donations from alumni.
“I am excited about our partnership and bringing together the members of the community and our students, which allows us to enhance the academic program at Fresno State and further benefit the community,” said Candace Egan, assistant professor of digital media.
MCJ students collaborated with the College of Arts and Humanities and the Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC) to plan the event.
“Our mission is to honor our VIPs and attendees and raise money to fund future scholarships so the Fresno State legacy lives on,” said student Natalie Granados.
For more information, contact Natalie Granados at nataliegranados@yahoo.com or 559.349.5424.
(University Communications news intern Akyia Westley contributed to this report.)
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