UFCJC Alumni, Faculty, Staff and Students Honored at 2025 College Awards Banquet
The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) annual Awards Banquet on April 2, 2025, celebrated the achievements of students, faculty and staff and honored four new alumni Hall of Fame members.
To download the Awards Banquet program, click here. For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
- Alvin J. Cowans, B.S. Public Relations 1977
- Rena Callahan Langley, B.S. Journalism 1991
- Richard “Rich” Preuss, B.S. Telecommunication 1996
- Dawne Widener-Burrows, B.S. Journalism, Public Relations 1976
Faculty and Staff Award winners:
- Teacher of the Year: Cynthia Barnett, senior lecturer and Environmental Journalist in Residence; Climate and Environment Reporting Initiatives director
- Outstanding Doctoral Mentor Award: Benjamin Johnson, director, STEM Translational Communication Center and Advertising professor
- Faculty Research Award: Rachel Grant, Journalism assistant professor
- 2024 Faculty Research Award: Huan Chen, Advertising associate professor and department chair
- Faculty Service Awards: Mickey Nall, Public Relations senior lecturer and Professional-in Residence
- Adjunct Teacher of the Year: Larry Krutchik, Public Relations
- Faculty Mentor of the Year: Harrison Hove, Journalism interim department chair and senior lecturer and Innovation News Center interim director
- Professional Advisor of the Year: Thomas Garvey
- Staff Superior Accomplishment Award: Thomas Garvey, academic advisor
Inaugural CJC Legends inductees:
- Faculty: Debbie Treise
- Staff: Jody Hedge
Graduate and Research Award winners:
- The Julie Dodd Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award: Brittany Shaughnessy
- Outstanding Online Master’s Student: Vineeth Patel
- Outstanding Student Research Award: Sophie Xiaofan Wei
Advertising Award winners:
- Outstanding Advertising Scholar: Nicole Knowles
- Joseph R. Pisani Service Award: Erica Ford
- Robert Glafcke Award: Madison Calvert
- Richard W. McGinnis Professional Promise Award: Michelle Anders
- John Sutherland Great Ideas Award: Jake Tabor
- Marshall Respess Award: Khalida Clark
Journalism Award winners:
- Outstanding Journalism Scholar: Luena Rodriguez-Feo Vileira
- John Paul Jones Jr. Award: Lauren Brensel
- Elmer Emig Award: Ashleigh Lucas
- H.G. “Buddy” Davis Award: Vivienne Serret
- Jean Chance Service Award: Brooke Davidson
- Jon Roosenraad Society of Professional Journalists Award: Ella Thompson
- WJXT-TV Award: Bailey Korinek
Media Production, Management, and Technology Award winners:
- Outstanding Scholar: Katherine Batteese and Andrea Landa-Cruz
- Major Garland Powell Award: Alexander Bobadilla
- May Burton Award: Sophia Abolfathi
- Leslie Smith Management Award: Stevencia “Stevie” Estime
Public Relations Award winners:
- Outstanding Public Relations Scholar: Katherine Anderson
- Frank F. Rathbun PRSSA Award: Maria Caballero
- Charles Wellborn Service Award: Rebecca Weinstein
- Jack Detweiler Professional Promise in Public Relations Award: Grace Moffett
- Florida Public Relations Association Award: Ceci Edelberg
Media Properties Award winners:
- Kenneth A. Christiansen Award: Bianca Smith
- Frank Counts TV Award for Outstanding Television News Production and Creative Services: Daniel Haviv
- Jon Quattlebaum Award: Kirsten Maselka and Charlize Ramos
- Ralph L. Lowenstein Broadcast News Award: Ailee Shanes
- Doris Bardon Award for Overall Excellence in Broadcasting at WUFT-FM: Sofia Zarran
- Walter “Red” Barber Award: Ethan Eibe
- Excellence in Digital Media Award: Valentina Sandoval
- Excellence in Media Leadership: Gracey Davis and Jessica Cuenca
- Excellence in Multimedia Meteorology Award: Matthew Clark and Benjamin Gancarz-Davies
- Excellence in Spanish-Language Media Award: Isabella Rivera
College-Wide Student Award winners:
- Dean’s Cup for Professional Promise: Bailey Korinek
- Dean’s Cup for Scholarship: Kathy Anderson, Katherine Batteese, Nicole Knowles, Andrea Landa-Cruz and Luena Rodriguez-Feo Vileira
- Dean’s Cup for Service: Stevencia “Stevie” Estime
- Ruth and Rae O. Weimer Award: Sophia Abolfathi and Ceci Edelberg
The 2025 awards were presented at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium’s Champions Club in Gainesville, Florida.
Category: Alumni News, College News, Student News
Tagged: Benjamin Johnson Brittany Shaughnessy Cynthia Barnett Harrison Hove Huan Chen MIckey Nall Rachel Grant Sophie Xiaofan Wei Thomas Garvey Vineeth Patel
Subscribe to our News Digest
