On Tuesday, April 30, 2024 the SC&I Journalism and Media Studies Department hosted the annual JMS Showcase to honor and recognize outstanding student work completed during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Held at Rutgers’ Alexander Library, this year’s event honored 25 students who received awards, having been nominated by the faculty who teach courses within the Journalism and Media Studies major and within the Master of Communication and Media program. Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Khadijah Costley White, who created, designed, and launched the first JMS Showcase in 2015, hosted this year’s event.

"I am always grateful that the department celebrates the hard work of our incredible students - we learn more about both our colleagues' work in their classes and these brilliant young people who share more about their world and lives," Costley White said.

During the showcase the students described their experiences putting together their stories or videos. This year the work students showcased ranged from news articles written by students in the SC&I study abroad program; to mock “newscasts” of students doing a summary of happenings around campus (for example, How’s the food?  What is Greek life like?); to a feature on why Rutgers received a record number of applicants for the coming year (answer: the common app).  

 “One of the things I love best about the JMS Media Showcase,” said Chair and Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Amy Jordan, “is seeing how students see the world.  They take great leaps beyond the classroom and apply what they’ve learned to reorient how questions are asked, highlight and prioritize issues that are important to them, and creatively seek solutions when confronted with obstacles. I could not be prouder of their work!”

The annual JMS Showcase provided “an opportunity for the students to share their visual and written work with their peers in other classes,” said Professor of Professional Practice and Director of the Undergraduate Program in Journalism and Media Studies Steven Miller. “It was wonderful to see not only what the students are doing but how they have grown in this essential area of journalism and media. The investigative reporting skills demonstrated by our students portends well for the profession.”

JMS Showcase Awards 2023-2024

Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Regina Marchi honored students from her Global Journalism: Travel Writing and Irish Media, Politics and Cultural Survival classes:

Excellence in Gender and Equality Reporting Award

Alyssa Chierchia, Amanda Clark, and Abigail Walton 

Title: Women’s library key to advancing feminism

Excellence in Politics and Social Justice Reporting Award

Priscilla Senger, Lilly Tea, and Jacob Anthony Amaro  

Title: Young activists pave the way to a unified world

Excellence in Innovative Travel Story Reporting Award

Dario Maya, Nynoshka Vazquez Suazo, and Brooke Stewart 

Title: Diving into underground Bologna

Excellence in Explanatory Journalism Award

Kiran Sojan and Pamela Rodriguez 

Title: How the English erased Irish

Excellence in Decolonial Journalism Award

Nick Wrate

Title: The lingering impact of British rule

Professor of Professional Practice and the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Rutgers University Department of Journalism and Media Studies Steven Miller honored the team that received the Best News Story Award from Television Reporting: 

Best News Story Award

Title: Common Application

Madison Brooks, Briana Disla, Heta Flowers, and Genesis Garcia. 

Associate Professor of Professional Practice Mary  D’Ambrosio  honored student work from her “Writing about Social Issues” class:

Best Storytelling Award

Naaima Abd-Elhameed 

Title: From a bombed-out Damascus home to a New Jersey one-bedroom

Best Economics Reporting Award

Ashley Medrano

Title: Navigating the post-COVID gig economy (not linked) 

Professor of Professional Practice Steven Miller presented awards to students in Neal Bennett’s Digital Media Production and Editing Multimedia classes:

Excellence in Global Journalism Award

Andy Tonato

Title: Spain Study Abroad 

Best Promotional Video Award

Cameron Carroll

Title: JMS Promo for Study Abroad

Excellence in Sports Journalism Award

Eda Taskaya

Title: Rutgers Club Field Hockey

Excellence in Corporate/Event Journalism Award

Erin Burke

Title: The Newest Olympian

Excellence in Community Journalism Award

Ragini Subramanian

Title: Cooke’s Market at Rutgers Garden

Excellence in Art Journalism Award

Yazan Mohammad

Title: Shahid

Best Digital Media Production Newscast Episode Award

Jack Rabenhorst, Kunal Yeolekar, Eloise Glantz, Haeun Bang, Ellis Gordon, Michael Einiger, Brendan Kelly, Emily Steele, Brianna Phillips, Andy Tonato

Title: Rutgers Rundown Episode 3 

Excellence in Corporate Media Production Award 

Gianna Ruocco, Rachel Castria, Steve Jean, Liam Oakes, Roma Mitra, Jennifer Aizprua

Title: R&J 

Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies Department on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.

Photos and Captions: Courtesy of Associate Dean for Programs and Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Susan Keith:

In order of appearance: Journalism and Media Studies Showcase at Alexander Library’s fourth-floor teleconference center, with awards for student work from 2023-24.

Host Associate Professor Khadijah Costley White gets a photo of JMS student Erin Burke, (with Professor of Practice and JMS Undergraduate Director Steven Miller).

Miller introduces the team — Madison Brooks, Briana Disla, Heta Flowers, and Genesis Garcia — that received the Best News Story Award from Television Reporting.