Posted October 16, 2015
Photo: Maddy Foust Kassel, Vicky Free, Drew Brooks, Caroline Love and Kelly Davis.
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications presented awards to five recipients at the annual Alumni Awards on Thursday, October 15, 2015. The awards recognized exceptional graduates whose careers represent significant professional achievement.
The Distinguished Alumni Award honors graduates of the school who have demonstrated a history of exemplary work in their professional careers and who have been out of school for at least 10 years. The 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are:
- Kelly Davis, '98, Director of Public Relations at Riggs Partners
- Vicky Free, '92, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer for BET Networks
The Outstanding Young Alumni Award honors graduates who have been out of school for 10 years or less but have already demonstrated great professional accomplishments early in their careers. The 2015 Outstanding Young Alumni Award Recipients are:
- Drew Brooks, '07, Military Editor at the Fayetteville Observer
- Maddy Foust Kassel, '08, Associate Producer and Director at ESPN
- Caroline Love, '06, Vice President of Operations for Hampton Creek
Dr. Andrea Tanner, interim director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, believes shaping successful students and alumni is one of the school's fundamental objectives. She sees the awards as a way to acknowledge and celebrate our graduates' many achievements.
“Our students, both past and present, are what our school is all about. We are thrilled to be able to recognize this year’s outstanding alumni for their extraordinary accomplishments in journalism and mass communications."
Photos and Videos
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Photo Gallery
The 2015 award recipients were honored at a dinner held in the new School of Journalism and Communications. View a gallery of photos from the event
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Kelly Jackson Davis
Kelly is currently the public relations director at Riggs Partners in West Columbia. She has received more than 50 industry awards.
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Vicky Free
Vicky is the executive vice president and chief marketing officer for BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. She is active in organizations for multicultural communicators.
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Drew Brooks
Drew is military editor for the Fayetteville Observer. He has won awards from state press associations and the Society for Professional Journalists.
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Maddy Foust Kassel
Maddy is an associate directer for ESPN, where she has covered sports in 35 states and four countries. Earlier this year, she was nominated for two Sports Emmy Awards.
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Caroline Love
Caroline is a founding member and vice president of operations for Hampton Creek. The San Francisco technology company pioneering in healthy and sustainable food is valued at $1 billion.
