After an unprecedented year, Reynolds School of Journalism graduates received a long-awaited in-person commencement ceremony in Mackay Stadium. Join Reynolds School Dean Al Stavitsky as he highlights the student and faculty accomplishments and school events from the past semester.
Al Stavitsky: It is my great pleasure to present to you these talented and resilient students who will lead the renaissance of American journalism.
[Crowd cheering]
Al Stavitsky: What a time it was! We closed out an academic year, unlike any other, with a joyous in-person commencement ceremony for the class of 2021 at Mackay Stadium. And we also welcomed back members of the class of 2020 for the in-person celebration they missed last year. Hi, I'm Dean Al Stavitsky. Welcome to the Reynolds School Spring 2021 Semester in Review.
As in fall semester, our faculty taught a mix of small in-person classes along with larger classes taught online. Whatever the instructional mode, Reynolds School students thrived. Vanessa Ribeiro won first place in sound engineering and production at the Broadcast Education Association's Festival of Media Arts. Jordyn Griffin placed among the top students nationally in the Hearst Awards TV Features category. Student teams performed well in national competitions that were held virtually. The 2021 IMC team placed second in the region for the National Student Advertising Competition and our Bateman Public Relations team developed an innovative campaign encouraging civil discourse.
Our stellar Reynolds School faculty achieved as well. Professors Ben Birkinbine, Laura Crosswell and Patrick File were all awarded tenure. Professor Myrton Running Wolf won Best in Competition for Narrative Video for his film "Black Warrior" at the BEA Festival of Media Arts, and professors Ezequiel Korin and Paromita Pain published this important book on the censorship of Venezuelan media.
The president of PBS, Paula Kerger, delivered our 56th Annual Ted Scripps Lecture. We marked five years of the Our Town Reno street reporting project with a live community conversation about Reno's housing affordability crisis. Our annual First Amendment Forum addressed the tension between First and Second Amendment rights. The Next Generation Radio Nevada program, in partnership with NPR, returned to campus for an eighth year to train students for careers in public media.
And we wrapped up the semester by celebrating student success at a lively Savitt Awards event. Who knows what we'll accomplish, back in person, in the fall! Until then, be well and know that you are always welcome at the Reynolds School.
[Music]
