June 16, 2006

Five honored by broadcast news, educators groups

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Members of the radio-television department and the Broadcasting Service at Southern Illinois University Carbondale recently received awards for outstanding work from professional organizations.

Jennifer Fuller, an FM producer at WSIU radio news, won a second-place award from the Associated Press for her series documenting the controversy on the Williamson County Housing Authority Board. The AP also awarded Fuller a second-place award for feature program on a baseball league for developmentally and physically disabled people. A native of Carterville and graduate of SIUC, Fuller joined WSIU in 2003.

The Broadcast Educators Association honored the following SIUC faculty during its Festival of Media Arts Faculty Awards ceremonies.

Scott Hodgson, associate professor in the radio-television department, won awards for best of festival (educational/instructional), best of competition (educational/instructional) and special technical merit for "Suddenly on an Average Day," an earthquake preparedness program. Hodgson also won the best of competition (commercial/public service announcement) and special technical merit awards for commercials for Banterra Bank, including one that aired in Southern Illinois during the Super Bowl.

Cory Byers and Justin Francese, lecturers in the radio-television department, won the award for best documentary (short form) for a program on Illinois tractor pulling competitions.

Jacob Podber, assistant professor in the radio-television department, won the new faculty research grant award.

Seeking and celebrating faculty excellence is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint the University is following as it approaches its 150th anniversary in 2019.