Tickets are available for the April ceremony to honor four graduates of Marshall University’s W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications (SOJMC) who are being inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.
Katherine L. “Kitty” Dooley, Caryn Schafer Gresham, Jason Pheister and Mark Truby make up the Hall’s Class of 2023-24. WSAZ-TV anchor Tim Irr will be the emcee for the evening.
“It’s always a great evening when we are able to have everyone together to properly celebrate even more exceptional graduates of our program,” said Chris Dickerson, president of the SOJMC Alumni Advisory Board, which handles the nomination and selection process. “This year’s class of inductees is another perfect example that proves Marshall has one of the best journalism and mass communications programs in the country.
“We’re fortunate to have such a rich pool of candidates that represents successes in varied aspects of the field locally, regionally and nationally.”
The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. The doors will open at 5 p.m., and hors d’oeuvres will be served. The event will take place in the John Marshall Room of the Memorial Student Center.
Tickets for the event are $50 per person, which includes the appetizers. Tickets can be purchased online at http://bit.ly/sojmc24.
Full tables, sponsorship opportunities and advertising opportunities also are available. For more information regarding sponsorships, contact Dickerson at dickerson38@marshall.edu.
The Hall of Fame was established in the 1970s, and the latest honorees bring the number of inductees to 85. The annual induction ceremony attracts more than 200 guests.
Inductees need to have a connection to the SOJMC, such as being a graduate or a faculty member, and should meet at least one of two major criteria to be nominated:
* A graduate of Marshall’s JMC program who has contributed to Journalism and Mass Communications as a profession. The nominee has made a contribution to the profession of journalism or has made a positive impact upon the profession.
* Contribution(s) to Marshall University’s SOJMC. The nominee, either through talent, treasure or activity, has made an outstanding impact upon the school.
More about the 2023-24 inductees:
· Dooley, a 1980 SOJMC graduate, has practiced law in Charleston for more than 30 years. She served in the U.S. Army before obtaining her law degree. She has volunteered with Charleston YWCA’s Committee for Racial Equity and Inclusion as well as the Charleston-Kanawha Housing Authority. She’s received numerous awards for her civil rights work and has served in various capacities with the West Virginia State Bar and the Mountain State Bar Association.
· Gresham, a 1974 SOJMC graduate, enjoyed a 45-year career in public relations and communications that included work at Union Carbide, Columbia Gas Transmission, West Virginia Division of Tourism and the state Division of Culture and History. She and her teams were responsible for internal and employee communications, public and media relations, community relations and crisis communications.
· Pheister, a 2001 SOJMC graduate, is vice president of news and content for Spectrum News from Charter Communications. He leads teams across six states that are regularly honored by the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards, Emmy Awards and the Society of Professional Journalists. He was awarded more than 25 Emmy Awards for his work as a program producer and executive producer of documentaries. He also worked as an executive producer, producer and reporter at WSAZ-TV and WOWK-TV.
· Truby, a 2012 SOJMC graduate, is chief communications officer of Ford Motor Company. He worked at the Charleston Daily Mail, The Herald-Dispatch, USA Today and the Detroit News and won several national journalism awards before joining Ford in 2007. He started his current job in 2017, and he recently was named to PR Week’s Power List of the 50 most influential public relations leaders in America.