Alumni Newsletter

MARY COFFMAN CHOSEN FOR HALL OF FAME

Since 1979, the faculty has inducted one distinguished professional to the Kappa Tau Alpha Hall of Fame. This year’s inductee to this group of BGSU alumni is Mary Coffman.

Currently, Coffman is an associate professor of broadcast journalism and video storytelling in Medill’s Washington Program, the Medill News Service, based in Washington, D.C.

The Cleveland native earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from BGSU. She began her broadcast career as a reporter in Columbus and later moved up to be an anchor and producer. She won an Emmy award while working in Columbus.

She worked as news manager and correspondent for Capital Broadcast News, where she covered Washington stories for local television stations across the country, then went to Post-Newsweek television bureau in Washington.

As assistant bureau chief, she ran the daily operation serving five network affiliated stations and coordinated special projects such as coverage of political conventions and presidential inaugurations. She went to Medill in 1994. [Link to profile]

STRACK NAMED CURRIER YOUNG PROFESSIONAL

Jordan Strack has come a long way from the days when he sat beside his dad at Toledo Storm games and called hockey play-by-play from the stands.

The department is proud to honor this 2008 graduate with the outstanding young professional award for 2010.

Today Jordan Strack is the weekend sports anchor at the Toledo CBS affiliate WTOL, Channel 11 and co-host of the 90-minute T-Sports report on cable.

His sports-broadcasting career is longer than the two years since he left BGSU.

In fact, Jordan graduated from Maumee High School and was hired at Buckeye Cable Sports Network when he started his college career here.

For three seasons, Jordan produced and hosted a pre-game Mud Hens baseball show, and he worked as a sideline reporter.

During his career he has hosted the Ohio Cable Telecommunications Association award winning hockey show “Ice Check.”

Jordan is connected to the community that he serves as a broadcast journalist. In addition to his work as a sports broadcaster, Jordan also volunteers his time to coach Little League Baseball in Maumee.

OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARDS

Waugh Trophy for top graduating journalism student: Gina Potthoff

Outstanding public relations sequence student: Chrissy Madison

Outstanding print sequence student: Andrew Harner

Outstanding broadcast sequence student: Sarah Farley

DEPARTMENT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS: