2000s

Nicole Berner Kauffman, BAJ’00, is a fiction writer and freelance columnist. She wrote for newspapers for 10 years before the birth of her children, after which she did freelance writing for magazines and the web. Now, she enjoys writing fiction, particularly mysteries for children ages 8 to 12. Most recently, she authored a column on guns and school safety in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. (March 2018)

Louis Bubala, BAJ’00, is a volunteer counsel for the Student Press Law Center and was recently named outside counsel for the Reno Gazette-Journal. (July 2018)

Alice Budisatrijo, BAJ’00, graduated from Oxford University with a master’s in diplomacy and international studies. She is the senior producer for the BBC World News in Southeast Asia. (August 2016)

Dan Crowley, MA’00, is the Pioneer Valley executive editor overseeing the Gazette, Greenfield Recorder, Athol Daily News, Amherst Bulletin and Valley Advocate. (January 2022)

Reggie Dotson, BAJ’00, joined Cardinal Health in March of 2022 after serving as director of communications for AutoZone for nearly three years. He has worked in communications for more than 20 years for gaming companies, such as Harrah’s Entertainment and Pinnacle Entertainment, and for Boeing. (February 2023)

David Johnson, BAJ’00, is vice president of membership and volunteer engagement for the Association for Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, a professional society focused on promoting the health of women and newborns. Johnson has previously helped advance the missions of nonprofit associations including the American Society of Interior Designers, Drug Information Association, National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association and the American Society of Association Executives: The Center for Association Leadership. In 2013, he was named one of Association Forum’s “40 Under 40” exemplary association executives and one of Association Trends Magazine's "Young & Aspiring Association Professionals.” (March 2019)

Aaron Krause, MA'00, operates a theater news and reviews blog. (March 2022)

Christin Nance Lazerus, BAJ’00, was named the metro editor of The Post-Tribune. (December 2022)

Zach Neumeyer, BA’00, is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker. He recently directed, produced, and edited “Smelly Little Town,” a project detailing the relationship between Bay City, Michigan, and Madonna. (October 2021)

Sia Nyorkor, BAJ’00, is an anchor and multimedia reporter for Cleveland 19. (October 2020)

Lathay Pegues, BAJ’00, is the president and founder of JohnTom’s Barbecue, a barbecue sauce company that offers specialty products. Pegues, as well as Terrell Cooper, BA’05, and Rodney Robinson, BS’98 (Kelley School of Business), founded the company in 2006. The company’s retail and wholesale footprint includes shelf space in Kroger, Target, Fresh Thyme, IU Health Methodist Hospital, Ball State University, Indiana State University and more. In July 2019, IU Dining awarded JohnTom’s an exclusive partnership for catering across the IUB campus. (October 2019)

Jessica Petelle, BA’00, is producer/editor of “Reburn,” an independent comic created by an all-female team. (July 2021)

LaMond Pope, BAJ’00, covers the White Sox beat for the Chicago Tribune. He previously contributed to the Tribune with coverage of Notre Dame football and basketball. (July 2019)

Dawn Reiss, BAJ’00, was named a fellow at the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. As a recipient of a fellowship on gun violence, she will work on projects in the Midwestern United States for nine months. Reiss, an award-winning Chicago-based freelance journalist, has written for more than 40 media outlets including U.S. News & World Report, The Atlantic, TIME, USA Today and the Chicago Tribune. (August 2017)

Adam Rubenstein, BAJ’00, is the guitarist for the band Chamberlain. The band will release its first album since 1998, “Red Weather,” on Nov. 20. (October 2020)

Mark Zalewski, BA’00, is the director for all the Echelon Racing Promotion broadcasts. He has worked in professional cycling for nearly two decades, first as a journalist and then more in marketing. In the past six years, Zalewski has worked in the TV production of the sport, which is what he originally studied at IU. (March 2022)

Katherine (Lewis) Albers, BAJ’01, was hired as a content strategist for external communications at Arthrex, a global medical device company based in Naples, Florida. She was previously public information coordinator for Collier County, Florida. (October 2017)

Courtney (Irwin) Chazen, MA’01, joined the International Center for Advanced Renewable Energy and Sustainability at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. In her role as communications specialist, she finds and shares stories on research and collaboration efforts in the areas of energy, environment and sustainability. (December 2016)

Scott Fleischer, BAJ'01, has started a new role as director, digital sales for Monumental Sports and Entertainment in Washington, D.C. (the parent company for the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, and Washington Mystics). He has joined the company as part of the launch of Monumental Sports Network in conjunction with the 2023-2024 NHL and NBA seasons. (October 2023)

Jennifer Gibb Hall, BAJ’01, is a lecturer in the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University. She was awarded Purdue’s 2021 Excellence in Instruction Award for Lecturers. (March 2021)

Briant Hartz, MA’01, is a business reporter for the St. Pete Catalyst. Previously, he served as the Tampa Bay editor for the Sarasota-based Business Observer, wrote and edited for New Zealand’s leading boating magazine, wrote for trade publications in Canada, served as editor-in-chief of a monthly business magazine based in Victoria, British Columbia, and is co-author of the novel Harly C.I.: A Detective Story. (January 2021)

Stephanie Hinshaw, BAJ’01, will serve as the inaugural executive director of the Butler University Transformation Lab. She will lead all operational aspects of the Transformation Lab, from fiscal and team management, to oversight of the management of projects, programming and events that advance the unit’s mission. Previously, Hinshaw worked as the chief academic officer and provost for American College of Education. She also has held leadership positions with Orbis Education, Medtech College and Harrison College. (October 2021)

Mary Beth Ikard,BAJ’01, is the Chattanooga city director of communications. Ikard was formerly the director of sustainability for Mayor John Cooper and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and has worked in positions related to transit and transportation, communications and marketing, health and sustainability. (August 2021)

Kara Kenney, BAJ’01, won a regional Emmy for “Kara Kenney Investigates” for WRTV. (August 2022)

Erin Murphy, BAJ’01, will serve as Gov. Eric Holcomb’s press secretary. 

She most recently served as communications director for the Indiana Department of Child Services. Prior to joining DCS, Murphy served as communications director for the city of Westfield, where she was the media relations advisor and spokeswoman.

Between 2002 and 2013, she worked as a reporter and anchor for several television stations, including WTHI in Terre Haute and WISH-TV in Indianapolis. (June 2021)

Jeff Schogol, BA’01, is the Pentagon reporter for Task & Purpose and is president of Military Reporters & Editors. (April 2021)

Lindsey Seavert, BAJ’01, co-directed a documentary titled “Love Them First: Lessons from Lucy Laney Elementary.” The film has won a number of honors, including Columbia University’s 2020 Alfred I. duPont Award and “best feature story (large newsroom)” at the Education Writers Association’s 2019 National Awards for Education Reporting. (May 2021)

Lori Wilson, BAJ’01, has joined WSB-TV in Atlanta, where she anchors the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. weekend news. Wilson previously was an evening anchor at WISH-TV in Indianapolis. (January 2017)

Tiffany Benjamin, BAJ’02,will be the CEO of Humana Foundation beginning January 2022. Benjamin previously served as president of the Lilly Foundation and senior director of social impact. (December 2021)

Sidney Bosley, BA’02, MS’04, works in creative strategy for West Marketing and Advertising in San Francisco. He was previously the associate creative director at Wielden and Kennedy, where he worked on building global and European brands. (December 2015)

Guy Cipriano, BAJ'02, was selected to The 2018 Folio: 100 list. Cipriano is the senior editor of GIE Media's Golf Course Industry magazine. The list honors "the best and brightest minds in the magazine media industry today." Earlier this year, Cipriano was honored by the Golf Writers Association of America for his series "When the creek rises," about the devastating West Virginia flood of 2016 and the inspiring recovery of The Greenbrier's golf course maintenance team. (December 2018)

Priya Desai, BAJ’02, is a digital correspondent at Time Inc., including Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine and People in New York City. She previously worked as a reporter and host at NY1 News, The Daily and Verizon Fios 1 News. (March 2018)

Christina Jewett, BAJ’02, a prize-winning investigative reporter who has dedicated her journalism career to health care, will be The New York Times’ Food and Drug Administration beat reporter. Previously, she has worked for the Sacramento Bee, ProPublica Kaiser Health News and the Center for Investigative Reporting. (December 2021)

Heather (Coon) Lissner, BA’02, is public information manager at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. She received a master’s degree in communications from Johns Hopkins University in August. (February 2017)

Sheila B. Lalwani, BAJ’02, is a doctoral student at the Moody College of Communication. She has reported from Austria, Thailand, India, Germany, Indonesia and Singapore for major publications, including the Seattle Times, Die Presse, Associated Press and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  

She earned a master's in public policy from Harvard University and was an ICFJ Fellow, Fulbright Scholar and McCloy Fellow. (January 2022)

Charity Moos Farber, BA’02, works at the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, a consortium of the Big Ten universities plus the University of Chicago, as a manager for academic and international programming. Before working at CIC, she was an assistant director of student organizations and activities at Ball State and a leadership development specialist at Illinois State University. (December 2015)

Tolu Jegede, BA’02, MFA’05, teaches English composition courses at North Florida Community College in Madison, Florida. His writing has been published in Heartlodge Journal, Rockhurst Review, and the Bitter Oleander. In 2005, his book What The Ears Said to the Feet, was published by IU Press. (December 2015)

Steve Rosen, BA’02, is vice president of CreateOn, a startup toy company that has formed a strategic partnership with a product called Magna Tiles. CreateOn has signed licensing agreements with The World of Eric Carle, Sesame Street, Crayola, Dr. Seuss and most recently The Beatles. The group is reimagining one of the original STEM toys. (February 2021)

Rebecca Shomair, BAJ' 02, is the vice president of communications at Dataiku. Dataiku is an AI platform with the mission to make the use of data and AI an everyday behavior. Rebecca is also vice chair of the board of directors at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, California. (October 2021)

Jim Stinson, MA’02, is the Business Observer's Tampa Bay business reporter and editor, having previously written about business and policy in Washington, D.C.; Rochester, New York; Gary, Indiana; and Daytona Beach. (November 2023)

Shawn Touney, BAJ’02, is Executive Director of Marketing and Communication at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. He manages all staff working with branding, marketing and communications initiatives for the entire university.  (July 2019)

Nathaniel Beaver, BA’03, is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker. He worked for several years capturing behind-the-scenes footage for the recently released, ultra-low-budget indie anthology film, “The Mortuary Collection,” starring Clancy Brown. He has also been filming and editing live-streamed concerts for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. (May 2021)

Robert Clift, MA’03, PhD’11, is co-director of Making Montgomery Clift with his wife, Hillary Demmon, BA’07.  The film focuses on the various narratives that defined the late Montgomery Clift’s legacy as one of the most influential actors in the history of cinema. Robert Clift, Clift’s youngest nephew, includes family interviews and unreleased archival materials to present a different story about his famous uncle. The film has been shown at various film festivals, including the LA Film Festival and OUTshine Film Festival. Robert Clift and Demmon will attend IU Cinema’s screening of the film on Jan. 28. (January 2019)

Christine Lafave Grave, BAJ’03, is executive editor for Winsight Grocery Business covering Midwest U.S. grocery retailers and wholesalers. Prior to her role at WGB, she was managing editor of Putman Media’s Plant Services, a leading print and digital publication covering the manufacturing and industrial production sector. (February 2022)

Shannon Gregory, BAJ'95, MIS'03, works as a certified pharmacy technician and enjoys the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of administering COVID vaccines by working on a roving clinic team traveling in the Las Vegas and southern Nevada regions. If the pandemic is ever under control, he anticipates entering the Guinness World Records with the most negative COVID test results given that being tested thrice weekly is part of the position. He revels in finally having discovered his professional passion by serving humanity in this delightfully unexpected and rewarding capacity. (February 2021)

Bennett Haeberle, BAJ’03, has been awarded Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Awards in two categories: Investigative Report-Series, for coverage of Ohio’s parole and re-entry systems, and Reporter-Investigative, for composite work. (August 2018)

Haeberle is chief investigative reporter with 10TV, based in Columbus, Ohio. He has also worked at WISH-TV in Indianapolis and WDRB-TV in Louisville. (August 2018)

Alyssa Loveall, BA’03, is an assistant editor for Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She has also worked on Thank You For Smoking, Shadowhunters and The Blacklist, among others. In 2019, was editor and producer for the short film Guest Artist, which won this year’s Heartland Film Festival. (July 2019)

Kristy McClain, BAJ’03, is an account coordinator at Vera Bradley. She has worked at Vera Bradley for 12 years in a variety of roles, including digital traffic specialist, marketing manager and project manager. 

She is interested in freelance writing/editing opportunities. (October 2019)

Angela Patterson, MA’03, currently serves as the director of communications for First United Methodist Church Dallas. She also works as adjunct faculty in the master’s program for Organization Development and Leadership at Fielding Graduate University. Patterson earned a doctorate in media psychology from Fielding, where she studied how media and technology affect cultural institutions. She also holds a master’s degree in media psychology from Fielding, a master’s degree in journalism from IU and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi. (December 2022)

McKinzie Roth, BAJ’03, was hired as WISH-TV’s Entertainment Insider, the state of Indiana’s first-ever television personality dedicated exclusively to covering the entertainment industry. She went to WISH-TV from Indianapolis’ No. 1 morning radio show on RadioNow 100.9FM and Houston’s new RadioNow 92.1FM. Previously, she was a lifestyle and entertainment reporter on KGW-TV, Portland, Oregon’s NBC affiliate. Before that, she was an emcee for the NBA Indiana Pacers. Roth is also known in Indiana as the Andy Mohr spokesperson. (March 2020)

Lisa Seidenberg, BAJ’03, is vice president, media relations, for GreenTarget Global Group. She was involved with the company’s second annual research report, Fake News 2020: Combating Misinformation & Disinformation In a Polarized World. (November 2021)

Emily Shirden, BA’03, was named a partner at Finn Partners Public Relations and Communications in October. Shirden studied journalism and public relations at IU and now lives in Ferndale, Michigan. (December 2015)

Aaron Sharockman, BAJ’03, is vice president of sales and strategic partnerships at the Poynter Institute. (April 2022)

Mike Benner, BAJ'04, has joined the Portland Police Bureau as its public information manager. He previously worked as a reporter at KGW-TV reporting on law enforcement-related matters across the metro area. He has also worked as a reporter at WGBA-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and an anchor at WJFW-TV in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. (October 2023). 

Mitchell Blacher, BAJ’04, is an investigative reporter with ABC 7News. (December 2021)

Kylie Conway, BAJ'04, was part of a WISH-TV team that won a regional Emmy for the morning newscast News 8 Daybreak. She is the lead co-anchor for the show, a newscast she has co-anchored for the last three years, in Indianapolis. Conway began her broadcast career as an intern at WISH-TV. She worked in the Hopkinsville, Kentucky; Toledo, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; and Salt Lake City, Utah, markets prior to joining WISH-TV five years ago. (August 2022)

Christie Griffin Authier, BAJ’04, published her first children's book. She has served as web manager of digital production with the Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that funds Sesame Street, senior web editor at Cosmopolitan Magazine, editorial digital director at Fitness Magazine and as digital project editor at Mattel Inc.  (February 2022)

Julie Gurovitsch, BAJ’04, is a talent executive for music on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” (March 2021)

Lauren Hartelius, BAJ’04, has been named the behavioral support systems coordinator in Downers Grove Elementary District 58. She will support students, staff and families who participate in the district's Behavioral Emotional and Social Training program. She has 12 years of experience teaching students with emotional disabilities in Kendall County, Illinois. (August 2020)

Chris Hintz MA’04, MPA’04, started his own company, iSee Communications, in 2016 after more than a decade in marketing and public relations. He helps businesses and nonprofits tell compelling visual stories. (January 2019)

Casey Holsapple, BAJ’04, JD’07, has been promoted to general counsel and vice president of governmental affairs at Kinetrex Energy in Indianapolis. He will lead the development of renewable natural gas products, manage federal and state government relations strategy, and oversee human resources, in addition to his legal duties. Previously, Holsapple worked for Duke Energy as an associate general counsel and with Bingham McHale LLP (now Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP) in its energy and utilities practice group. (March 2019)

Allison Karns, BAJ’04, JD’08, was named to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 2018 Forty under 40 list. Karns is the legislative director for the office of Gov. Eric Holcomb. She was previously a legislative correspondent in the office of U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola, assistant majority council for the Indiana Senate, legislative director for the Indiana Public Retirement System, general counsel for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and policy director for public safety under Gov. Mike Pence. (February 2018)

Lauren Kay, BAJ’04, is executive director of marketing and media relations at IUPUI. She was previously the director of communications at the Indiana Court of Appeals and executive director of marketing and communications at Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana. (March 2018)

Jackie (Aguirre) Morales, BAJ’04, was named to the Indiana Business Journal’s “40 Under 40.” Morales is vice president of communications and public affairs at the Indianapolis-based staffing agency the Morales Group. (April 2017)

Julia Nissim, BAJ’04, is senior communications manager at the American Dental Association in Chicago. She specializes in health and wellness content marketing. Prior to joining the ADA, she worked for Edelman Public Relations for nearly eight years. (December 2016)

Cory Schouten, BAJ’04,has been named editor-in-chief of Crain's New York Business.

Schouten previously worked for the Wall Street Journal, where he led a team responsible for newsletters, email alerts, a live Q&A platform, rankings and e-books. Schouten is also an adjunct assistant professor in the Columbia University School of Journalism. (June 2021)

Ericka (Andersen) Sylvester, BAJ’04, published her first book, "Leaving Cloud 9: The True Story of a Life Resurrected from the Ashes of Poverty," "Trauma and Mental Illness," with HarperCollins Publishers. Sylvester is a digital marketing director for the Independent Women’s Forum, a politically conservative nonprofit organization focused on gender-specific economic policy issues. (July 2018)

Rachel Degraw Thexton, BAJ’04, is founder and principal of Thexton PR. (September 2022)

Chelsea Wald, MA’04, received a grant from the European Journalism Centre to support her study on the connection between organic waste and food security in developing countries. The Innovation in Development Reporting grant was awarded to six finalists selected from 155 pitches. Wald’s project, titled “Waste Not: Salvaging Food Security from the Rubbish Bin,” will be conducted in Indonesia, Haiti and South Africa. (February 2018)

Parker Wittman, BA’04, is an information management specialist working for Aspect Consulting in Seattle, Washington. He specializes in GIS and information systems. He lives with his wife, Angela Lynch Wittman, BA’04. (December 2015)

Lindsay Allen, BAJ’05, is a reporter at WDRB News. (August 2022)

Drew Blair, BA’05, was part of a WISH-TV team that won a regional Emmy for the morning newscast News 8 "Daybreak." She has anchored the show's weekend newscasts in Indianapolis for the last eight years. Blair started at WISH-TV station as a general assignment reporter. Before joining News 8, she worked for six years at WANE-TV in Fort Wayne. (August 2022)

Matt Booker, BA’05, started his own insurance agency under American Family Insurance Company. (April 2022)

Jo Beth (Bender) Bootz, BA’05, serves as the instructor of the Media Communications and Broadcasting Program at the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center. She also works as the general manager of 90.7 WPSR and does freelance voiceover work, particularly with iRead2Know on iHeartRadio. (October 2022)

Joshua Budd, BA’05, is a school coordinator in Tanzania. As a young man from rural Indiana, Budd struggled with the foreign language requirement of his IU degree. He pursued Swahili in hopes of smaller classes and close relationships with professors, which led to an African Studies minor. Budd moved to Chicago after graduation to pursue filmmaking, and now enjoys his work in East Africa. (March 2018)

Lindita Camaj, MA’05, PhD’11, has been named the director of graduate studies at the University of Houston’s Jack J. Valenti School of Communication. (August 2020)  

Lucretia Cardenas, BAJ’05, is editorial director at KPC Media Group in Fort Wayne. She was awarded Editor & Publisher’s 25 Under 35 honor in 2018, which recognizes future generation newspaper professionals for their passion and leadership. (April 2018)

Terrell Cooper, BA’05, is an account director at the advertising agency BBDO Worldwide. Previously, he was an account director at Mediabrands Society, and has worked in a variety of other jobs in advertising. 

Cooper is also a co-founder of JohnTom’s Barbecue, along with Lathay Pegues, BAJ’00, and Rodney Robinson, BS’98 (Kelley School of Business). The group founded JohnTom’s Barbecue in 2006, and has grown the company’s retail and wholesale footprint in Indiana and beyond, with shelf space in Kroger, Target, Fresh Thyme, IU Health Methodist Hospital, Ball State University, Indiana State University and more. In July 2019, IU Dining awarded JohnTom’s an exclusive partnership for catering across the IUB campus. (October 2019)

Rebecca Drolen, BAJ'05, is an artist, the program director of studio art, and an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas. Her work playfully explores the expansive nature of photography in contemporary art as it incorporates built spaces, assemblage, and performance. Drolen was the recipient of a 2022 Innovate Grant, and her work has been shown in group and solo exhibitions within noteworthy venues such as The Huffington Post, Oxford American, the Springfield Art Museum, the Oklahoma State Museum of Art, the CICA Museum, and Filter Photo in Chicago. (May 2023)

Jim Kendrick, PhD’05, is an associate professor in film and digital media at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He is the author of three books: "Darkness in the Bliss-Out: A Reconsideration of the Films of Steven Spielberg"(2014), "Film Violence: History, Ideology, Genre" (2009) and "Hollywood Bloodshed: Screen Violence and 1980s American Cinema"(2009). He lives in Waco, Texas, with his wife Cassie and their children, James and Lily. (December 2015)

Lori Orlinsky, BAJ’05, will publish her first children’s book, “Being Small (Isn’t so Bad After All),” an illustrated picture book about a little girl who is scared to go to school because she's the shortest kid in the class and can’t do the same things her classmates do easily, such as play basketball or go on rides. Over the course of the story, the girl’s mother teaches her about the good things about her height and the things only she can do because of it, making the girl excited to go to school again. The book will be available on April 16. (April 2019)

Larra Overton, BAJ’05, is the producer and on-air talent for the Colts.

Previously, she worked at Fox59 WXIN/CBS 4 WTTV as a sports anchor. She has also worked with the Colts as a preseason sideline reporter and as host of the weekly news magazine Colts Up Close. (June 2019)

Lesley (Surdi) Powers, BA’05, is a freelance director, producer, and actor. She lives in Sherman Oaks, California. (August 2017)

Tim Pritchett, BA’05, MA’07, is public relations and information officer for the Monroe County Community School Corporation. (December 2015)

Rob Schmitt, BAJ’05, has a nightly program on Newsmax TV. He was previously an anchor on Fox and Friends First. (February 2022)

Josh Weinfuss, BAJ’05, has been a staff writer at ESPN since 2013. He covers the Arizona Cardinals as part of ESPN’s NFL Nation. He also writes about the WNBA, PGA Tour, and a variety of other sports while contributing to "SportsCenter" and ESPN Radio. (February 2023)

Erica Anderson, BAJ’06, is the co-founder and CEO of The New Savant (TNS), a modern scent studio based in Brooklyn, N.Y. Born in the midst of the pandemic, TNS develops original olfactory experiences that encourage people to smell something new. In their first two years of business, TNS has sold more than 20,000 candles with zero ad spend. They were recently welcomed into the prestigious Fragrance Foundation for their groundbreaking scents in Mixed Feelings, California Christmas, and Witching Hour. Previously, Anderson spent 15 years on the forefront of technology’s impact on media. Her catapulting moment came when she worked at the CBS Evening News and introduced Katie Couric to Twitter (2009), which led her to five years inside Twitter in San Francisco, followed by a venture with Google in New York, where she championed cross-functional, global efforts to fight mis- and disinformation. (May 2023)

Megan Custodio, BAJ’06, is vice president and partner at Dittoe Public Relations in Indianapolis. She is on the board of directors for the Humane Society for Hamilton County. (October 2020)

Sherhara Williams Downing, BAJ’06, is founder and master trainer at Level Communications LLC in Houston, which she founded in 2014. Downing teaches customized communication practices to improve performance, productivity and involvement. (January 2019)

Cordell Eddings, BAJ’06, is supervisory analyst and deputy compliance officer for Capstone, a policy analysis and regulatory due diligence firm. (October 2020)

Deanna Fry, BAJ’06, was promoted to supervising producer of CBS News' Face the Nation, America's premier Sunday morning public affairs program. The broadcast is one of the longest-running news programs in the history of television, having debuted November 7, 1954, on CBS. (July 2021)

Eboni Griffin, BAJ’06, is a producer for “Good Morning America." (September 2020)

Aishah Hasnie, BAJ’06, is the Congressional correspondent for the Fox News Network. She most recently served as FNC’s New York-based correspondent, reporting from the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, she was named a New York Woman of Impact by Variety. Prior to her reporting role, she served as an overnight anchor for the network. (August 2021)

Shannon Howard, BA’06, is vice president, comedy development, at Warner Bros. TV. (March 2021)

Jennifer Hurtubise, BAJ’06, is vice president, marketing and communications, at Bloom Insurance Agency in Bloomington. She was previously vice president of the Indiana Hospital Association. She is also a member of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, Hoosier Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and Indiana Society of Association Executives. (January 2020)

Andrea Kelley, MA’06, PhD’15, is an associate professor of film and media studies at Auburn University. (November 2023)

Asma Khalid, BAJ’06, joined ABC News's political team as a contributor. She is a White House correspondent with NPR and the co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast." She was named the "Star to Watch" as part of the Washington Women in Journalism Awards. The awards recognize outstanding reporters and editors for their work across all forms of media. . (August 2023)

Courtney Kincaid, BAJ’06, Cert’11, MPA’13, is president and CEO of the Indiana CPA Society. Kincaid joined the staff in 2006 and has served as communications specialist, membership and volunteer manager, senior manager – member services, director – membership and engagement and vice president - strategic initiatives. (June 2021)

Michael Malik, BAJ’06, MPA’13, is director of development for Kiwanis Children’s Fund. (August 2021)

Jason Martin, MA’06, PhD’11, is an associate professor and chair of the journalism program in the College of Communication at DePaul University. He was selected to receive a 2017-18 Wicklander Fellowship to pursue research on professional journalism ethics. His project will examine how changes spurred by the proliferation of social and mobile media have influenced journalists’ ethical practices in holding public officials and other societal powers accountable. (August 2017)

Nick McLain, BAJ’06, is communications manager for the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance . McLain was previously communications manager for the Indiana Library Federation. (June 2022)

Lindsay Owens, BAJ’06, has been named editor of the Washington Times Herald, where she will be in charge of news and opinion content for the online and print publications. She previously worked as a news editor for the paper. (August 2020)

Jennifer Rauch, PhD’06, had her book "Slow Media: Why Slow is Satisfying, Sustainable and Smart" published by Oxford University Press in September 2018. Rauch’s book focuses on how people use and produce media and aims to help readers better understand relationships between slow philosophy, journalism, e-waste, media mindfulness and Luddism, as well as social and environmental sustainability. She is a professor of Journalism & Communications Studies at Long Island University Brooklyn. (September 2018)

Amanda Robert, MA’06, is a legal affairs writer at the ABA Journal. She previously worked for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer as an assistant editor and staff writer and for Legal Newsline as a contributing writer. She also handled communications for a national intellectual property law firm and was a reporter for Illinois Times and the Centralia Daily Sentinel in Southern Illinois. (December 2021)

Sandro Sato, BA’06, accepted a position at United Airlines in Chicago right after graduation. He left the job to accept a position at Dow Chemical. After earning his master of science degree in sustainable development from Oxford University, Sato worked his way up to the country manager for Dow Chemical in Qatar. He was previously a marketing specialist for the company in Brazil. (December 2015)

Kara Seward, BAJ’06, has moved home to Indianapolis after working in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.  She recently joined the Indiana State Teachers Association as communications specialist, reporting to IU alumna Kim Clements-Johnson, BAJ’09. Kara serves as lead writer and editor for the ISTA’s publications and focuses on member communications. (December 2015)

Ashley Sloboda, BAJ’06, received an Education Writers Association Reporting Fellowship in June for adata-driven project exploring how the national debate over how schools should approach diversity, equity and inclusion is playing out in Allen County, Indiana’s school districts, which have seen their diverse student populations grow in recent years.The projectpublished over four Sundays beginning Oct. 30. (December 2022)

Heidi Tebbe, MA’06, is the collections and research librarian for engineering and data science at North Carolina State University. Previously, she was an NCSU Libraries Fellow working with large scale video walls in the James B. Hunt Jr. Library and a senior media developer at GP Strategies. (April 2018)

Brittany Terwilliger, BA’06, is the author of "The Insatiables” (Amberjack Publishing 2018), a satire about a young woman's climb up the corporate ladder and the irrevocable choices she must make to survive. After graduating from IU, Terwilliger lived and worked in Europe for many years. She is an alumna of the Tin House Writers Workshop and her short fiction has appeared in Pithead Chapel and New Pop Lit. She was a guest at the Oct. 2018 First Thursdays Festival on the IU Bloomington campus. Terwilliger is communications manager in the Office of the Bicentennial at IU. (January 2019)

Aaron Waltke, BA’06, wrote for the Wizards and Trollhunters portions of Guillermo de Toro’s Tales of Arcadia universe. He has also written for the show Unikitty!(July 2019)

Koran Addo, MA’07, is director of communications for the Office of the Mayor in St. Louis, Missouri. He was previously city hall reporter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. (October 2017)

Rishi Bhilawadikar, MS’07, is writer and producer of the film "For Here or To Go?"This film discusses the issues facing those who leave their home country to pursue a career in the San Francisco tech industry. The film has been screened at festivals across North America, India and Australia and recently screened at the Seattle Asian American Film Festival. (March 2016) 

Carly Birnbaum, BAJ’07, is senior director of integrated marketing for MTV at Viacom in New York City. She was previously senior sales development manager at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and an activation manager at Starcom MediaVest Group, where she managed sponsorships and brand integrations for Coca-Cola. (March 2018)

Ashley Brown, BAJ’07, is Director of Research Services at Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Carrboro, NC. Brown’s role includes project management, research and analysis, and student engagement at the institute. She first joined the Kenan Institute as an intern. (January 2019)

Kirk Butts, BAJ’07, was appointed grants and research manager of Barton College by the school’s president in December 2015. Before accepting this position, Butts was the public relations staff writer for the school in Wilson, North Carolina. He also works as a freelance writer and spends his free time in Raleigh. (March 2016)

Candice Crane, BA’07, is the founder and CEO of beverage company Petal, which makes sparkling botanical drinks with floral flavors. (June 2019)

Stephen Crane, MA'07, is the editor of the Martinsville Reporter-Times, the Moorseville-Decatur Times and the Bloomington Herald-Times. (May 2020)

Paige Dufour, BAJ’07,is a freelance writer and editor. (March 2021)

Molly Erman, BAJ’07, has been named director of corporate public relations at L’Oréal USA, based in New York City.

Erman brings to L’Oréal more than a decade of experience in legacy publishing, including Vanity Fair, Knopf and The New Yorker, as well as in emerging technology and startup culture. She is the author of Work Life, a survival guide for the modern office, published in 2017. (August 2018)

Katie Farrer, BAJ’07, is a social brand strategist and agile content lead for IBM in Denver, Colorado. Farrer and her team recently were awarded PR Daily’s Real Time Video Award for IBM’s strategic use of Facebook. (April 2017)

Hannah Fidell, BA’07, is a writer, director and producer in Brooklyn, New York. Her latest feature film, "The Long, Dumb Road," was featured at Sundance Film Festival. (February 2018)

Brittany Hite, BAJ’07, is the director of newsroom tools and project management for the Los Angeles Times. She previously worked at Barron’s, where she oversaw a website launch while training a 50-person staff on a new CMS; and the Wall Street Journal as a news assistant in New York, online editor in Hong Kong, multimedia editor in Beijing and mobile editor for Asia in Hong Kong, before becoming senior mobile editor in New York in 2016. 

She was a member of the 2018 Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media. (December 2020)

Adam J. Hoelzel, BA’07, is an independent screenwriter and a production supervisor for Walt Disney Studios, producing a variety of projects including trailers for Disney’s home entertainment division.

Hoelzel’s latest screenwriting project, “Beast of Burden,” stars Daniel Radcliffe. The movie debuted in select theaters nationally and on iTunes and Video on Demand. The story is centered around Radcliffe’s character, a pilot, who gets involved with a drug cartel making deliveries across the U.S./Mexico border. (March 2018)

Rory Kramer, BA’07, is a visual artist who has worked with many big names in the music industry. Kramer filmed Avicii’s “The Nights” music video and has worked with Justin Beiber for the past seven years, including filming his wedding to Hailey Baldwin in 2019. (August 2022) 

Ashley Lawyer, BA’07, is the director of research and development for the program Extra TV and a segment producer for Crime Watch Daily. She was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment News Program in 2014. (December 2015)

Ashley Lang, BAJ’07, is senior manager of communications at Gatorade. Previously, she held several positions at Fleishman-Hillard and was the first public relations professional at Trunk Club, a Nordstrom company. (November 2018)

Kim Leduff, PhD’07, is vice president of the new Division of Academic Engagement and Student Affairs at the University of West Florida. She has worked at UWF since 2013 in a variety of roles, including chief diversity officer, associate vice provost for equity, diversity and international affairs, and vice president for the Division of Academic Engagement. (September 2019)  

Paige (Ingram) Lieberman, BAJ’07, was recently promoted to acting director of stakeholder engagement for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water. She writes speeches for the office’s leadership and strategically engages with stakeholders on proposed rulemakings. (July 2018)

Erica (Nochlin) Mandy, BA’07, is the founder and host of theNewsWorthy, a daily podcast providing listeners with the day’s news in less than 10 minutes. Since its launch, the podcast has been featured on Apple Podcasts, Salon.com and RadioPublic. Previously, Mandy was a staff reporter at CBS News in Los Angeles. (March 2018)

Miranda McCage, BAJ’07, is associate director of client service at IBM Interactive Experience (IBM iX), a digital agency network and global design business partner. McCage is based in Austin, Texas. She was previously associate director of client service for Resource/Ammirati, part of the IBM iX network, in Columbus, Ohio. (October 2017)

Amy Mills, BAJ’07, MA’13, is a statistical research manager for the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Before joining LPGA, Mills was a statistical analyst at ESPN Stats and Information Group, where she provided scores, statistics and analysis to all ESPN platforms. In her role at LPGA, she is using data to tell stories and enhance the visibility of LPGA’s golfers and the organization as a whole. (March 2016)

Jessica Gall Myrick, BA'05, MA’07, is the Donald P. Bellisario Professor of Health Communication at Penn State University. She had previously been a full professor at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications and an assistant professor at The Media School. Myrick received her Ph.D. in communications from the University of North Carolina in 2013. She was presented with the 2022 KCHC Lewis Donohew Outstanding Scholar in Health Communication Award at the biennial Kentucky Conference on Health Communication. (May 2023)

Matthew (John) Pickel, BA'07, was promoted to SVP, development and current, of Critical Content, the production company behind Netflix's "Ginny and Georgia" the Sylvestor Stallone documentary "Sly." He was previously creative director for Critical and worked on series including Netflix's "Buy My House" and USA Network's "Austin Dillon's Life in the Fast Lane." He also worked as creative director at T Group Productions on series such as A&E's "Ozzy and Jack's World Detour" and "E!'s Very Cavallari." (October 2023)

Jennifer Rettig, BA’07, is a freelance television producer who has worked on shows across multiple networks and genres, including MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show,” TNT’s “Boston’s Finest,” CNBC’s “The Deed” and A&E’s “LivePD.” She has overseen many aspects of making television, including development, production and post-production. Rettig is the creator of HGTV show “UnSpouse My House,” premiering summer 2019. (May 2019)

Dana Robinson, BAJ’07, is an assistant account executive at FleishmanHillard in Chicago. She joined the agency as a retail practice group intern in 2007 and celebrated her 10th anniversary with the company in 2017. (December 2017)

Michael Rubino, MA’07, has been named editor-in-chief of Indianapolis Monthly. The Jasper, Indiana, native is known for his award-winning longform articles on everything from tragic childhood illness to Andrew Luck’s beard. (September 2016)

Rachel Sorvig, BAJ’07, has been named communications director, Lilly Bio-Medicines, at Eli Lilly and Company. Previously, Sorvig worked at Bose Public Affairs Group in Indianapolis as public relations manager, public relations director and most recently as vice president. Sorvig led several award-winning campaigns at the firm, including a project recognized with a Diamond Award from the Public Relations Society of America’s East Central District. (March 2019)

John Wustrow, BS’07, was named Idaho Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. He is assistant sports editor at the Idaho Press. (January 2021)

Lindsy (Wise) Argenti, BAJ’08, has been named marketing manager for Coastal Pet Products Inc. in Alliance, Ohio. She manages an eight-member team that covers merchandising, social media, packaging and other creative services, and market insights. Before stepping into the role, Argenti worked for Moen Incorporated and Cook Medical. (October 2018)

Jodi Baker, BAJ'08, is the digital content manager for The Media School. She was previously the marketing and communications director at the Monroe County YMCA for five years and the communications manager at Author Solutions for eight years. She also serves on the board for a local non-profit, CanopyBloomington. (September 2022)

Matt Beuoy, BAJ’08, graduated with a BS from the IU School of Nursing in 2018. He passed his licensing exam and is officially a nurse at IU Health’s University Hospital, where he works in the Krannert Unit. The Krannert Unit specializes in care for gynecological oncology and reconstructive urology patients. Beuoy says he loves the new job. “It was definitely meant to be for me,” he said.

Matt also takes photos, which he shares online: https://mattbeuoy.photoshelter.com/ (July 2018)

Trevor Brown, BAJ’08, was named newspaper Writer of the Year in the Great Plains Journalism Awards contest. Brown is an Oklahoma Watch investigative reporter whose 2020 work included an examination of Oklahoma hospitals suing patients over unpaid bills amid the pandemic and state politicians who promoted misinformation before the November elections.

The Great Plains Journalism Awards is a regional contest honoring print, web, TV and magazine journalists for outstanding stories, photography and design. The newspaper category is open to entries from organizations in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. (May 2021)

Christopher Booker, MA’08, is a correspondent and producer for PBS NewsHour Weekend in New York City. He also teaches at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Before joining PBS, Booker worked as a video journalist with the Financial Times.

Prior to that, he was an assistant professor at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism and spent two years on its campus in Doha, Qatar. He started his career as a video and multimedia journalist for the Chicago Tribune and adjunct professor with Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. (September 2019)

Brian Buckey, BA’08, is the University of Toledo beat sports writer for The Toledo Blade, his hometown newspaper in Toledo, Ohio. Buckey will focus on the Rockets’ football and basketball programs. (September 2016)

Alyssa Templeton Campbell, BAJ’08, is a senior public relations coordinator with the Kohl’s Corporation in Milwaukee. She was previously a senior media relations specialist at The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies Inc. in Oak Brook, Illinois. She married her husband DJ in Indianapolis in November. (March 2016)

Yanis Chakars, PhD’08, is a professor at Neumann University. He worked with Ukrainian punk rock musicians to create a collaborative album with proceeds to benefit the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis. (April 2022)

Shae (Peppler) Cornette, BAJ’08, is an NFL radio host for Sirius XM. She co-hosts ESPN Radio’s “Game Day” with her husband, Jordan. Since joining ESPN, she has become a regular on "Get Up" and "SportsCenter," and has now featured on "First Take." (July 2023)

Spring Serenity Duvall, MA’08, PhD’10, published an article, “Too Famous to Protest: Far-Right Online Community Bonding Over Collective Desecration of Colin Kaepernick, Fame, and Celebrity Activism,” in the Journal of Communication Inquiry. (June 2020)

Stephanie Dybel, BAJ’08, is marketing manager at ORIG3N, a Boston-based biotechnology company. She previously worked as an account manager at Chicago-based Idea Booth. (August 2017)

Amy Goetz Koch, BAJ’08, is celebrating seven years as a public relations lead on the communications and public relations team at Target, leading the Minneapolis-based retailer’s holiday and design partnerships programs. She was previously a senior account executive at Edelman. (April 2019)

Dan Goldblatt, BAJ’08, and his wife, Sarah recently welcomed their first child, a little girl named Dorothy. Goldblatt is a media literacy instructor at Paramount Brookside, a public charter school in Indianapolis. (November 2023)

Priscilla Hernandez BAJ’08, manages engagements and special projects for the United Arab Emirates Minister of Climate Change and Environment in Dubai. Previously, she served as head of communications for the UAE Consulate General in New York City. She also served as associate director of APCO Worldwide’s Chicago office. Hernandez is also completing a master's degree in international relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. (August 2019)

Seong Choul Hong, MA'08, PhD'13, of Kyonggi University in Seoul, South Korea, has published an article in the July 2020 issue of Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism. The article looked at determinants of sports news coverage in NBC and the New York Times with co-author Kyong-Soo Oh of the Institute for Public Media in Korea. (June 2020)

Jayne Jeffries, BAJ’08, MA’09, completed her Ph.D. at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (August 2017)

Jessica Kelley, BAJ’08, started her own business in October 2014. She runs The Garden Table, a cold press juicery and daytime eatery focused on locally sourced and seasonally influenced breakfast and lunch. The shop is located in Broad Ripple in Indianapolis and was named one of Indianapolis Monthly’s 15 Best New Restaurants of 2015. It was also deemed Indianapolis Monthly’s Best New Juice Bar of 2015. The store plans on opening a second location in downtown Indianapolis on Massachusetts Avenue in May 2016. Kelley credits IU and the journalism school with equipping her with a wealth of knowledge and the confidence to accomplish whatever she wants. (December 2015)

Maria Kelly, MA’08, is now a content marketing manager for 7Park Data in San Francisco. Previously, she was manager of evaluation, marketing and special projects at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. (April 2016)

Ashley Kirklen, BA’08, was hired as a news anchor and reporter at WLWT Cincinnati. She previously worked as a morning anchor and reporter at WGXA in Macon, Georgia. (August 2018)

Amy Koch, BAJ'08, is communications director for Target Corporation in Minneapolis. She previously worked at Edelman. (May 2020)

Lucia Kramer, BS’08, is vice president at Weber Shandwick in New York. Previously, she worked at Marina Maher Communications and Cohn & Wolfe, also in New York. (November 2019)

Marsha Lovejoy, BAJ’08, is the global manager in external corporate communications for Cook Medical in Bloomington, Indiana. Lovejoy oversees the company’s global public relations, social media and other media efforts. (July 2019)

Michelle Maros, BAJ'08, co-hosts the podcast “Barb Knows Best,” with her mother, Barbara Schmidt. The show is an intimate, family-room style conversation about all-things mental health, wellness, and inner peace. Maros teaches workshops and seminars on mindfulness, meditation, and personal empowerment at the Boca Raton Regional Hospital and Florida Atlantic University. (July 2023) 

Diana (Biette) Nolting, BAJ’08, is a director of product at Anvl, an Indianapolis-based computer software company. In 2019, she was named one of Indianapolis Business Journal & Techpoints’s Tech 25 for her work in Tech Product/R&D.  

Previously, Nolting was a product analyst at Indianapolis-based cloud computing company Bluelock. (September 2019)

Stephanie Poehner, BA’08, is digital program director for DWA Healthcare Communications Group. (September 2021)

Lauren (Bristow) Rapp, BAJ’08, is assistant to the president, strategy and special projects, at Simon Youth Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, which helps at-risk teens graduate high school. She was previously the director of communication for Simon Youth Foundation, and before that, she was manager of development and communications for the Chicago Public Education Fund. (February 2020)

Sandy Reitman, BAJ’08, published an illustrated children's book. “One Grillie” is about a young female grilled cheese trying to find her way in the world, learning what makes her special along the way. The inspiration comes from her hometown frozen custard shop that makes the world's greatest grilled cheeses, plus her own life experiences of not moving with the pack. After graduating from IU, Reitman went to the New School in New York City, where she earned a master’s degree in Media Studies and Media Management. (October 2022)

Carrie Ritchie, BAJ’08, is digital and engagement lead for the IBM Institute for Business Value. (October 2020)

Ranveer Singh, BA’08, is a prominent Indian film actor. He has received many awards, including Filmfare awards, and is one of the top actors in India. Singh is also known as an Indian style icon. Singh stars in the upcoming movie Padmaavat, which has sparked much attention and controversy prior to its release. (February 2018)

Spencer Striker, MS’08, is associate professor-in-residence for communication, specializing in digital media design at Northwestern University in Qatar. (July 2020)

Ben Weller, MA’08, is a journalist who has lived and worked in east Asia for 15 years. Based in Nagoya, Japan, since 2015, Weller has had recent work published in National Geographic Traveller. He is an adjunct faculty member with Trine University Online. (June 2021)

Lacy Whitaker, BA’08, MA’14, married IU alumnus Justin Whitaker in November 2016. They welcomed their first child, Jace Alan, in April 2019. (August 2019)

Anne Zelek, BAJ’08, left her position as director of optimization at The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones in New York City for a role at Apple Inc. She is now subscription manager for the App Store and lives in San Francisco. (April 2017)

Michael Zennie, BAJ’08, is now senior editor for Time in Hong Kong. (January 2020)

Riya Anandwala, MA’09, is the senior communications manager at the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools in Washington, D.C. She had previously been a media relations specialist at St. Louis University. (April 2016)

Haley Bakker-Arkema, BAJ’09, is launching Whirlaway Marketing, an Indianapolis-based public relations and marketing agency. 

Before moving to Indianapolis earlier this year, Bakker-Arkema worked as Nike’s global communications manager, based in Portland, Oregon, where she developed and supported the company’s global communications strategy for women’s running, training and lifestyle apparel. She began her career at Golin in Chicago, working as an intern, assistant account executive, account executive and media manager. (November 2018)

Casey Baksa, BAJ’09, has been named marketing manager at Amazon in Seattle. He will plan and execute marketing campaigns for Amazon’s credit card marketplace. He formerly was communications director at SmarterHQ in Indianapolis. (August 2016)

Ellis Latham Brown, BA’09, is a graphic designer for Starbucks. (June 2020)

Cayla Chiddister, BAJ'09, is content manager at AgriNovus Indiana. (May 2020)

Kim Clements-Johnson, BAJ’09, is director of public affairs for the Indiana State Teachers Association. (January 2020)

Ana Livia Coelho, BAJ’09, is a senior communications manager at Quartz in London. She was previously a senior publicist at ESPN in New York City. In June 2018, she and her now-husband, Nick Jardine, exchanged wedding vows at Nick’s parents’ home in Portugal. The two will live in London. (June 2018)

George Drake, BA’09, is a freelance audio and radio producer based in Dayton, Ohio. His podcast, “Fifth & Ludlow,” was named Best Local Podcast by Dayton.com. (February 2020)

Kim Estess, BAJ’09, joined O’Diam & Stecker Law Group in Beavercreek, Ohio, as an associate attorney. She handles business planning, real estate work and comprehensive elder law planning, among other things. Estess and her husband, Adam, have two daughters. (August 2017)

Austin Francalancia, BA'09, is an award-winning producer and film executive, and has produced or overseen the production of films such as "Chef," "Nightcrawler," "The Mars Generation," "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," and Academy Award-winner "Spotlight." Francalancia is currently producing a limited series on Ethel Rosenberg, a limited series on Belle Gunness, a feature film based on a true story of two Marines who fell in love during the time of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” and a feature on the life and death of Ernie Pyle. (May 2023)

Rorye Hatcher, BAJ’09, is an in-house copywriter with Flocksy, a remote-based agency providing copywriting, graphic design, voiceover, animation and more services to companies around the world. (October 2022)

Samantha Weiss Hills, BAJ’09, is now Home and Design Editor at HearstMade, the content studio at Hearst Magazines. She works with titles like House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Elle Decor, Popular Mechanics, and more. (February 2020)

Tara Hewit, MA’09, was part of a team that won a regional Emmy in the long-form promotional sports category. She was a producer on the Cleveland Guardian’s “Guardians Unveil.”

Ana Jardine, BAJ’09, is European Marketing Director at The Lovie Awards, which are awarded to internet and digital media creators. She is located in London. (July 2019)

Lydia Cox Kaiser, BAJ’09, is a marketing manager at McGuire Sponsel, an Indianapolis-based tax consulting and accounting firm. She was previously a marketing manager at industrial equipment supplier Essco Indy from 2010-2017. (December 2017)

Kyla King, BAJ’09, MS’13, is associate director of client services at Emory University in Atlanta. She has been with Emory since 2013. (February 2018)

Nadia LaMantia, BAJ’09, completed a documentary, Badante Straniere: Eastern Europe Comes to Italy, which was funded by the Hazeltine Travel Scholarship. (August 2016)

Rashad Mammadov, MA’09, PhD’18, is an assistant professor of communications at University of the Fraser Valley in Canada. (June 2020)

Shawn Mikus, BAJ’09, is communications manager- Americas for Hilton. In his job, Shawn will oversee public relations efforts for the Midwest region spanning across Chicago, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and St. Louis. Previously, he was the head of public relations at LEGOLAND Florida Resort in Orlando.

He has also worked as an account supervisor at Chicago-based Wagstaff Worldwide, where he developed and implemented marketing and communications plans for luxury hotels. (September 2019)

Rorye O’Connor, BAJ’09, is a reporter at the Daily Reporter in Greenfield, Indiana. Previously, she worked her way from staff reporter to associate editor at the Mt. Vernon Register-News in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. (March 2016)

Nick O’Gorman, BA’09, is content operations lead at Jukin Media, a digital video licensing and production company. Jukin acquires the rights to internet videos and distributes them among various platforms. O’Gorman manages the accounts of new syndication partners such as AOL and The Chive. (August 2016)

Zach Osterman, BAJ’09, MA’11, is the IU sports reporter for the Indianapolis Star. As IndyStar’s IU Insider for men’s basketball and football, Osterman covers the Hoosiers in a competitive beat setting year-round. His job takes him to every IU men’s basketball game. (December 2017)

Lindsay Pollack, BAJ’09, is change management and communications specialist, enterprise resource planning, at Chemonics International, a Washington, DC-based international development consulting firm. (January 2020)

Mary Reisert, BAJ’09, is social brand strategist for IBM Watson in Austin, Texas. She worked in social media and public relations for the Chicago Cubs from 2009 to 2014. (October 2017)

Michael Reschke, BAJ'09, has been the higher education reporter for the Herald-Times since 2014. He formerly was news editor and education reporter in Martinsville. (October 2019) 

Michael Sanserino, BAJ’09, is the director of communications and strategy for the Radio Television Digital News Association.(August 2021)

Anna Schilawski Spitzer, BA’09, is director of public relations for Maybelline Worldwide, a L'Oreal brand. Previously, she was director of brand communications for Essie in New York City. She has also held roles at L’Oréal, Hyatt Hotels and Victoria’s Secret. (January 2020)

Jay Seawell, BAJ’09, is a photographer based in Los Angeles. He earned his MFA in photography from Columbia College Chicago, and his photographs have been included in numerous exhibitions in the United States and the Pingyao International Photography Festival in China.

Seawell is a two-time nominee of The Baum Award for An Emerging American Photographer. He is also the 2016 recipient of the Award for Innovation in the Documentary Arts from the Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University, and the winner of the Magenta Foundation Flash Forward competition in 2018. (November 2019)

Conor Shea, BAJ’09, is head of U.S. marketing for Chicago-based IG, a global leader in online trading with offices in 14 countries. He received his MBA through Notre Dame's intensive executive program. Shea formerly worked as manager, global marketing, at Discover Financial Services. (July 2019)

Ryland Sherman, MA’09, PhD’17, is the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s lead researcher on broadband accessibility and affordability in underserved communities. (July 2020)

Jenna Shives, BAJ’09, JD’13, joined Katz Korin Cunningham as a member of the business law practice group. (January 2021)

Rachel Skybetter, BAJ’09, is a lead copywriter for Lipman Hearne, a marketing and communications agency for nonprofit organizations and higher educational institutions. Her clients include Juilliard, Caltech, University of Minnesota and Notre Dame. She married Kyle Thoms (BA’06) in July. (December 2016)

Alison Stang, BAJ’09, is vice president, for business development, at HL Group/KWT Global. (December 2020)

Nicole St. Pierre, BAJ’09, was named vice president at Edelman in Atlanta. St. Pierre previously had been a senior account supervisor at Edelman’s New York office since 2010. (August 2017)

Kevin Weaver, BA’09, was executive producer on a crew from Blueline Media that won a Gold Addy for Film Trailer from the Indianapolis American Advertising Awards. The trailer is for “Worth the Wait,” a feature documentary about IU men’s soccer head coach Jerry Yeagley. Weaver is co-owner/executive producer at Blueline Media. (March 2020)

Rosalyn Wells, BA’09, is a marketing and communication coordinator at the University of Notre Dame. (August 2017)

Emily Wilson, MA’09, was appointed to the board of directors at the Alzheimer's Association Greater Indiana Chapter. She has also served on the board of directors at the Starfish Initiative, a college access mentorship program for economically disadvantaged students in Marion County. Wilson is also vice president at Bose Public Affairs Group and a member of both United Way Emerging Leaders and Women United. (August 2019)