On April 13, 2016 students, faculty, alumni and friends celebrated Awards Night at School of Media and Public Affairs. Director Frank Sesno and Professor Steven V. Roberts presented students with $122,700 in awards and fellowship prizes, the most SMPA has ever awarded. The prizes are part of SMPA's commitment to enhance students’ educational and career goals and recognize them for their achievements. Congratulations to all the winners (listed below)!
Essary Prize
SMPA's oldest prize, created in 1948 to honor the memory of Jesse Frederick Essary, the award is for "a student who has given promise of sound citizenship and ability in 'forthright reporting'." This prize is open to all SMPA students and awarded based on published news articles.
WINNERS
Colleen Murphy
Honorable Mentions
Elissa Nunez
Ellie Smith
Freedman Family Scholarship
An endowed award from Michael Freedman, a former vice president of GW and SMPA professor, who is also the father of an SMPA graduate. Preference for this award is given to freshmen, sophomore and junior students with financial need who want to become a professional journalist.
WINNERS
Daniel Rich
Gillian Horn
Philip L. Graham Fund Scholarship for Diversity
Named for the late publisher of the Washington Post, these awards give preference to students from underrepresented groups including, but not limited to, women and individuals of diverse backgrounds.
WINNERS
Koralie Barrau
Elissa Nunez
Gridiron Foundation Scholarships
Created in 1975 by the Gridiron, a long-standing organization of Washington-based journalists. All freshmen, sophomore and junior majors are eligible to apply for these merit-based awards, but financial need and minority status is considered.
WINNERS
Emily Creighton
Robin Eberhardt
Sophie Kaplan
Eric Marter
Scott Nover
Sherman Page Allen Scholarships
Open to all freshmen, sophomore and juniors majors who display a passion for journalism, the scholarships were endowed in 1966 through a bequest from the estate of Violet B. Robinson.
WINNERS
Sophie Ota
Madison Pontz
Eleanor Smith
Jacqueline Thomsen
Dorothy and Will Roberts Prize
Created by Professor Steven Roberts in the name of his parents, this prize is awarded to graduating seniors who have demonstrated academic achievement, professional promise and community service.
WINNERS
Chris Evans
Molly Hogan
Alayna Treene
Honorable Mentions
Nana Agyemang
Jaggar DeMarco
Sam Gubitz
Colleen Murphy
Eaton Foundation Scholarship
This merit-based scholarship provides support for SMPA seniors in the dual degree program.
WINNERS
Molly Bowman
Jaggar DeMarco
Madison Forker
Eaton Service Awards
Winners
Molly Hogan
Mike Falco
Joanne Zalatoris
Hoberman Prize
Created by the family of a recent graduate, this a merit-based award is open to all SMPA students who have produced original and meaningful journalism. That work can take any form — print, video, audio, photography or a combination of multimedia platforms. The prize will honor reporting that demonstrates depth, originality and a connection to either local or global community.
WINNERS
Andrew Desiderio
Blair Guild
Larry King Scholarships
Created by the former CNN personality who never attended college, the scholarship is awarded to rising seniors with demonstrated financial need and superior academic records.
WINNERS
Clare Hymes
Guillermo Martinez
Martin McSherry
Gabriella Morrone
Jenna Spoont
Emily Harrison
Diana Wilkinson
Manheim-Sterling Undergraduate Research Prize
Named in honor of two legendary SMPA faculty members, the Manheim-Sterling Undergraduate Research Prizes are designed to support and encourage outstanding mentored undergraduate research and creative activity in the School of Media and Public Affairs. The School awards two prizes each academic year, one for a political communication major and one for a journalism/mass communication major.
WINNERS
Molly Hogan
Farida Fawzy
Alejandro Garcia
Schneider-Taylor Scholarship
Established by the parents of a recent graduate, the scholarship provides need-based aid to a freshman, sophomore or junior in SMPA.
WINNER
Lilliana Byington
J. Michael Shanahan Internship Fund
Created in the memory of beloved SMPA faculty member J. Michael Shanahan, the prize is awarded to rising JMC seniors to fund unpaid summer internships at established media organizations.
WINNERS
Teniola Ayoona
Bo Erikson
Deepa Shivaram
Kwittken Internship Award
Part of SMPA Career Access Network, this award supports undergraduate and graduate students in the field of media and strategic communication with support for unpaid or low paid summer internships.
WINNERS
Shanil Jiwani
Santiago Luna
Gabriella Morrone
SMPA CAN Internship Fund
The SMPA Career Access Network Internship Fund permits SMPA undergraduates to pursue and benefit from enriching summer internship experiences that they otherwise might not be able to afford. The fund is awarded in the spring to rising SMPA seniors and graduate students. It supports an internship experience in the summer. Recipients are selected for demonstrated merit, professional promise and need.
WINNERS
Mary Grace Braun
Danielle Noel
Jenna Spoont
Robert and Christine Staub Faculty Excellence Award
The award recognizes a full or part-time faculty member for outstanding achievement in effective teaching, advising, mentoring and service roles. Any member of the SMPA community can nominate an SMPA professor for the award.
WINNER
Kimberly Gross