Unit 16 | DEV College of Media

Ebertfest to Celebrate 40th Anniversary of ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ and Adds ‘His Three Daughters’ and ‘Touch’ to 2025 Lineup

Actress Rosanna Arquette and Directors Azazel Jacobs, Baltasar Kormákur, and Susan Seidelman will attend this year’s festival

February 3, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, IL (February 3, 2025) — Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as Ebertfest, announced today the addition of three new films to this year’s festival:

40th Anniversary Screening of Susan Seidelman’s DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN starring Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn, and Madonna
Azazel Jacobs’ HIS THREE DAUGHTERS starring Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen
Baltasar Kormákur’s TOUCH starring Egill Ólafsson, Kōki, and Palmi Kormákur

The Virginia Theatre will be partying like it’s 1985 when Susan Seidelman’s DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN celebrates its 40th anniversary with a special screening and Q&A with director Susan Seidelman and actress Rosanna Arquette. Originally released theatrically on March 29, 1985, the film was highly successful at the box office grossing $55.3M in the U.S. and becoming the 31st highest grossing film of the year. DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, which features an all-star cast including Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn, Madonna, John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurie Metcalf, and Steven Wright, received two film awards including a BAFTA Award and six nominations.

DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN tells the story of New Jersey housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette) who spices up her boring life by reading personal ads, especially a series of them being placed by a mysterious denizen of New York City named Susan (Madonna). When one of Susan’s ads proposes a rendezvous with her suitor (Robert Joy) at Battery Park, Roberta secretly tags along. But when her voyeuristic jape ends in permanent memory loss and a new jacket, Roberta begins to gather a lot of unwanted attention from some unsavory characters.

“What I liked in Desperately Seeking Susan was the cheerful way it bopped around New York, introducing us to unforgettable characters, played by good actors,” said Roger Ebert in his 3-star review.

“We are thrilled to welcome Susan Seidelman and Rosanna Arquette to Champaign to celebrate this trailblazing movie about women,” said Chaz Ebert, co-founder and producer of Ebertfest.

HIS THREE DAUGHTERS will feature a post-screening conversation with director Azazel Jacobs, who returns to the festival for a three-peat following screenings of TERRI in 2011 and FRENCH EXIT in 2022. The critically-acclaimed film received 10 awards including wins at the Gotham Awards and Film Independent Spirit Awards and is Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh with a 98% score.

From writer-director Azazel Jacobs (French Exit, The Lovers), HIS THREE DAUGHTERS is a bittersweet and often funny story of an elderly patriarch and the three grown daughters who come to be with him in his final days. Katie (Carrie Coon) is a controlling Brooklyn mother dealing with a wayward teenage daughter; free-spirited Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) is a different kind of mom, separated from her offspring for the first time; and Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) is a sports-betting stoner who has never left her father’s apartment—much to the chagrin of her stepsisters, who share a different mother and worldview. Continuing his astute exploration of family dynamics in close-knit spaces, Jacobs follows the siblings over the course of three volatile days, as death looms, grievances erupt, and love seeps through the cracks of a fractured home.

“As a father of three daughters, this film resonates with me on a deeply personal level,” said Festival Director Nate Kohn. “Azazel is masterful at balancing a delicate story with comedic elements when appropriate. Like his other screenings in previous years, I have no doubt that the Ebertfest attendees will appreciate seeing this film and hearing from Azazel immediately following.”

Baltasar Kormákur will make his Ebertfest debut for a Q&A to discuss his critically-acclaimed TOUCH, which received the coveted Audience Award at the 2025 Tromsø International Film Festival in Tromsø, Norway. Additionally, the film was chosen as Iceland’s official entry for Best International Film at the 97th Academy Awards where it was named to the shortlist and is currently Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh with a 92% score.

A romantic and thrilling story that spans several decades and continents, TOUCH follows one widower’s emotional journey to find his first love who disappeared 50 years ago, before his time runs out. “Touch is just flat-out romantic, and so grown-up in its execution,” said Chaz Ebert. “Sometimes we say they don’t make them like this anymore; well, Kormákur proves that they do. This is the kind of movie that takes its time to allow your heart to soar.”

As previously announced, the 2025 Roger Ebert’s Film Festival will open with a new 70mm print of the Western classic THE SEARCHERS (1956), starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood, on Wednesday, April 23. Additionally, Guy Maddin’s RUMOURS will screen and Todd Phillip’s THE HANGOVER will close out the festival on Saturday, April 26.

Additional updates to the festival program will be announced in the coming weeks.

Ebertfest passes are currently available to purchase online or by calling the Virginia Theatre box office at 217-356-9063. Individual festival passes to see all films cost $200, which includes reserved seating.

Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native.

Chaz Ebert is also the author of the indie bestseller It’s Time to Give A FECK: Elevating Humanity through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness.

Ebertfest is hosted by Chaz Ebert and Nate Kohn, the festival director since the very beginning, in collaboration with the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

For additional information, please visit ebertfest.com and follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ebertfest/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebertfest/

To become a supporting Festival Sponsor please contact Molly Cornyn, the Festival Coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.

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PRESS CONTACTS:

Molly Cornyn
mcornyn2@illinois.edu
217-333-1590

Lee Meltzer
Lee@LeeMeltzerConsulting.com
551-208-8617

Tingyu Chen

Email: tingyuc3@illinois.edu

Research Interests

Tingyu Chen is a Ph.D candidate at the Institute of Communications Research with a focus on cinema and media studies. Her research interests include gender and screen cultures, women’s cinema, Chinese cinema, VFX, globalization and cultural modernity. She is also interested in the application of digital tools in humanities research. One of her current explorations is videographic criticism, through which she explores the different ways in which videographic work could complement and combine with moving image studies.

Recent Publications/Presentations

“The Use of Special Effects and Its Political Implication in Main Melody Blockbusters,” presentation at Society of Cinema and Media Studies 2024 (Boston, MA)

Courses Taught

MACS 260 Film Production: Teaching assistant
MACS 150 Introduction to Digital Media Production: Teaching assistant
MACS 101 Introduction to Media: Instructor of record
MACS 100 Introduction to Popular TV & Movies: Teaching assistant

New album by journalism alum Professor Emeritus Jay Rosenstein makes ‘Illinois Entertainer’ Top 10 lists

January 22, 2025

Jay Rosenstein (BS ’82, Grainger Engineering; MS ’98, journalism; MFA ’17, FAA), professor emeritus of media and cinema studies, recorded and released a new album with his band the Woke Mountain Boys titled Afraid of Leaving Home.The album was recently selected for two top ten Best Albums of 2024 lists from Illinois Entertainer.

Rosenstein plays guitar and harmonica on the 6-track album, in addition to singing vocals, and mixed and produced the album with Alex Poeppel.

The album was ranked #4 for Local Albums as selected by Illinois Entertainer staff and #10 for journalist Jeff Elbel’s top picks for 2024.

Read Illinois Entertainer’s review of Afraid of Leaving Home.

Todd Phillips’ ‘The Hangover’ to close 26th annual Ebertfest

January 15, 2025

Guy Maddin’s Rumours gets set for this year’s lineup

Producer Scott Budnick and Director Guy Maddin to attend this year’s festival

CHAMPAIGN, IL (January 15, 2025) — Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as Ebertfest, announced today that Todd Phillips’ The Hangover starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, and Justin Bartha will close the 26th annual festival on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the historic Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL. There will be a Q&A with producer Scott Budnick immediately following the screening.

In his 3.5/4 stars review, Roger Ebert called The Hangover “a funny movie, flat out, all the way through…a movie that deserves every letter of its R rating…. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, especially after you throw up.”

In The Hangover, Doug (Justin Bartha) and three friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis) drive to Las Vegas for a wild and memorable stag party. In fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can’t remember a thing; nor can they find Doug. With little time to spare, the three hazy pals try to retrace their steps and find Doug so they can get him back to Los Angeles in time to walk down the aisle.

“In 2009, a cult phenomenon was born when Scott Budnick, Todd Phillips and the entire team involved with The Hangover unveiled this offbeat comedy classic,” said Chaz Ebert, Co-Founder and Producer of Ebertfest. “This film made me realize the amazing flexibility of all the actors, but especially Bradley Cooper. Shortly after the film debuted in America, I ran into Bradley in Cannes and was surprised to see him speaking perfect French while being interviewed on French television, a far cry from his ‘Hangover’ character. Both Roger and I enjoyed the outrageousness of the movie, and I look forward to hearing the laughter and excitement from the packed house in the Virginia Theatre!”

The festival is pleased to share that Guy Maddin’s Rumours, released in 2024 and starring Cate Blanchett, will officially screen as part of this year’s lineup. Director Guy Maddin will be returning to the festival following a well-received screening of My Winnipeg at the 2009 event.

In his review of Rumours, RogerEbert.com’s Brian Tallerico says, “[Maddin is] A filmmaker that Roger admired so much has once again burst his imagination onto the big screen in what will surely be one of the highest-profile projects of his career (Cate Blanchett can do that)…. After all, Roger’s statement is still true: Few filmmakers obviously love movies as much as Guy Maddin.”

Rumours follows leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies who gather for the annual G7 Summit to draft a provisional statement regarding an unnamed global crisis. They soon become spectacles of incompetence, contending with increasingly surreal obstacles as night falls in the misty woods and they realize they are suddenly alone.

“The ‘Rumours’ are true…Guy Maddin’s work of art is officially slated for our incredible Ebertfest audience!” said Festival Director Nate Kohn. “As a festival that not only celebrates the very best in film, but also the creative geniuses that masterfully tell these stories, it is only fitting that Guy Maddin be honored at this year’s event.”

As previously announced, the 2025 Roger Ebert’s Film Festival will open with a new 70mm print of the Western classic The Searchers (1956), starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood on Wednesday, April 23.

Additional updates to the festival program will be announced in the coming weeks.

Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native.

Chaz Ebert is also the author of the indie bestseller It’s Time to Give A FECK: Elevating Humanity through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness.

Ebertfest is hosted by Chaz Ebert and Nate Kohn, the festival director since the very beginning, in collaboration with the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

For additional information, please visit https://ebertfest.com/ and follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ebertfest/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebertfest/

To become a supporting Festival Sponsor please contact Molly Cornyn, the Festival Coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.

###

PRESS CONTACTS:

Molly Cornyn
mcornyn2@illinois.edu
217-333-1590

Lee Meltzer
Lee@LeeMeltzerConsulting.com
551-208-8617

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Jenny Oyallon-Koloski’s piece makes 2024 best video essays by ‘Sight and Sound’

December 18, 2024 | Sight and Sound

Why did I choose the most explanatory chapter from Oyallon-Koloski’s videographic book Storytelling in Motion? Because I think that her visualizations of Laban Movement Analysis using the stylized acting of Hollywood musicals should be mandatory viewing for character animators.’

Oswald Iten, Film Scholar

Jenny Oyallon-Koloski, assistant professor of Media & Cinema Studies, had a video essay from her book, Storytelling in Motion: Cinematic Choreography and the Film Musical, featured in Sight and Sound’s best video essays of 2024.

Oyallon-Koloski’s video essay, Seeing Movement in Cinema: An Introduction to Laban Movement Analysis, comes from chapter two of her book, which provides a videographic introduction to Laban Movement Analysis and the taxonomic principles that guide Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies.

Using examples from Singin’ in the Rain, An American in Paris, Top Hat, Stormy Weather, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Meet Me in St. Louis, Oyallon-Koloski breaks down the core categories of this movement system: Body, Effort, Space, and Shape. She also explains the intersections between elements through specific examples that illustrate how the performers in these films deliberately combine and isolate aspects of figure movement to convey their characters’ intentions.

The annual poll, which gives contributors the chance to share their personal highlights of videographic criticism, included 47 voters from 17 countries, drawn from the varied fields of videographic criticism, including academia, online publication and film festivals.

Film scholar Oswald Iten, who voted to include Oyalllon’s Koloski’s video essay on the list, said it should be considered “mandatory viewing for character animators.”

Watch her video essay:

Read full article

College of Media spaces for faculty, staff in Gregory Hall undergo renovations

November 7, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood

College of Media faculty, staff, and students can see notable changes at Gregory Hall after several major remodeling projects that began in May 2024 have been completed or are scheduled to wrap up this fall semester.

Thanks to a sizeable investment from campus, the college has been able to focus on facility as well as technology improvements, including a new administrative suite for the academic departments and a unit-reservable event space.

“We are grateful to the Office of the Provost for support in pursuing these projects, which are reflecting of the confidence campus has in our departments and units. These updates will enable us to accelerate our momentum even further,” said Tracy Sulkin, dean of the College of Media.

Facilities & Services staff have completely overhauled the space for the academic department suite (pictured at right), combining a classroom and adjoining office to create three new offices and a large lobby area, adding new walls, floors, lighting, doors, and transom windows that will allow natural light into the lobby.

The new suite will be the administrative home for the college’s three academic departments, with offices for the heads of the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, the Department of Journalism, and the Department of Media & Cinema Studies, and their administrative support.

The College of Media main office in 119 Greg Hall will house the Office of the Dean, the college’s business office, and a small reservable meeting space adjacent to the administrative suite.

Room 225 on the second floor that formerly housed Media Tech—which has been relocated to a set of offices on the east wing of the first floor, convenient to the Media Technology Center on the lower level—has been remodeled to serve as a unit event space for departments and units for talks, faculty meetings, workshops for students, orientation and prospective student events, and more.

This new event space (pictured at top) is designed to accommodate about 25 people. Additions to the room include fresh paint, new flexible meeting furniture, a large-screen display, Owl webcam, and Apple TV.

Conference Rooms 231 (Peterson Room) and 336 (Sandage Room) have also been outfitted with new displays, Owl webcams, and Apple TVs.

Upgrades to the foyer in the suite of faculty offices on the second floor include removal of cubicles, additional furniture for informal gatherings, new paint, and the creation of a copy room with network and electrical upgrades.

Gregory Hall will see more changes in the summer of 2025 when the lower level will undergo renovations and create a new hybrid, flexible classroom, thanks to a generous gift from Richard and Leslie Frank. Read more about those plans.

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College of Media Career Week

Join us for the College of Media’s 2026 Career Week, organized by Media Career Services. Events are scheduled on Monday, Feb. 23, through Friday, Feb. 27, featuring workshops, guest speakers, and media professionals who will offer great insights for students as they prepare for their post-graduation career!

Monday, February 23

Rapid Resume Review

1:30-3:30 p.m.
18 Gregory Hall
Presented by Media Career Services

Conquer career fair season by visiting Media Career Services and getting your resume reviewed during our Rapid Resume Review drop-in hours. Experienced media professionals, including a Broadcast Creative Director, Digital Media Associate Director, and Communication Coordinator will be participating and meeting with students.

This event will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to bring a printed copy of your resume.

Media Career Night: Young Alumni

5-6 p.m.
213 Gregory Hall
Register here to attend
Presented by Media Career Services

Join us for Media Career Night where College of Media alumni share stories about their career path and offer career advice. Students will have the opportunity to hear about their career journey and ask them questions. We are excited to have the following alumni panelists participating in the event:

Penny Bradford (BS ’25, journalism)
Marketing & Digital Content Manager at Parkland College

Carson Gourdie (BS ’23, journalism)
Sports Reporter at WICS News Channel 20

Olivia Moffitt (BS ’21, media and cinema studies)
Influencer and Founder & Tour Guide at A Girl About Champaign-Urbana

Tuesday, February 24

Pop-Up Headshot Lab

11 a.m.-1 p.m.
29 Gregory Hall
Brought to you by The Career Center and Media Career Services

Get career ready by getting FREE professional headshots. Join us on a first-come, first-serve basis as you prepare for the job and internship market. Each session should take 3-5 minutes. Students are encouraged to come early as the cut-off will be 15 minutes prior to closing. Professional dress suggested.

Student Internship Panel Showcase

4-5 p.m.
31 Gregory Hall
Register here to attend
Presented by Media Career Services

Panelists include:

Aaron Anastos, senior in journalism and anthropology
Reis Glover, senior in advertising
Shirley Ma, senior in CS + advertising
Ella Yoder, junior in media and cinema studies

Join your fellow Media peers as they share stories about their past internship experiences, including at business such as Ogilvy and GE Appliances. The student panelists will discuss internship search tips, the interview experience, skills they learned, and much more!

Wednesday, February 25

Resume Print and Go Drop-Ins

2:30-4 p.m.
13 Gregory Hall
Presented by Media Career Services / Sponsored by College of Media Student Services

College of Media students are invited to print up to 10 copies of their resume in preparation for the Hire Illini Career and Internship Fair. Resume paper will be provided by College of Media Student Services Center. This is a FREE event for College of Media students.

Resume Revamp: AI Strategies to Level Up Your Resume

5-6 p.m.
Gallery of Siebel Center for Design
Presented by Media Career Services / Sponsored by American Advertising Federation

Join our interactive workshop to learn practical strategies for using AI tools to revise and enhance your resume. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing resume, you will learn how to leverage AI platforms to create a strong, results driven resume that highlights your skills.

Thursday, February 26

Hire Illini Career and Internship Fair

1-5 p.m.
Illini Union
Presented by The Career Center

Unlock your future and join us at the Hire Illini Career and Internship Fair. This is an excellent opportunity for you to explore a vast array of career and internship opportunities at 100+ of the nation’s leading employers (and the list is still growing). Open to Illinois students of all majors and class levels, this event promises to connect you with recruiters who are eager to engage with talent like you! Whether you are seeking an internship, a full-time position, or just eager to expand your network and knowledge of your chosen field, this fair is the perfect platform for you to kickstart your professional journey. Registration is encouraged but not required.

On the day of the fair, feel free to stop at the Career Coaching Corner (located in the Pine Lounge of the Illini Union) for any last-minute advice. Our expert career coaches will be available to assist you with any last-minute questions you may have as you navigate your career fair experience.

Friday, February 27

Frank Center Student Workshop: Q&A with Alum Joe Sargis, Senior Producer at Fox News

12-1:30 p.m.
Frank Newsroom at Richmond Studio
RSVP to Colleen King, cck@illinois.edu, Frank Center Director
Presented by the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media

Learn more about the career journey of Joe Sargis (BS ’13, journalism) and his time at Fox News as a senior producer.

During his time at U of I he was an on-air personality at WPGU-FM, an active member at UI7 News, and a Student U broadcaster for the Big Ten Network. Sargis worked at WCIU-TV in Chicago as a production assistant, associate producer, and then line producer. He began his career at Fox News as an associate producer for Special Report with Bret Baier and is currently the senior producer.

New experiential learning opportunities for Media students include international, domestic trips

January 13, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood

Three experiential learning opportunities are being offered to students this spring including two new trips—one to the nation’s capital and another to two Scandinavian countries—as well as a return visit to the West African country of Sierra Leone.

Washington, D.C., March 19-22

Colleen King, clinical assistant professor of journalism and director of the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media, will be taking eight students to Washington, D.C., to visit news outlets and key government locations.

In addition to participating in newsroom tours, students will receive journalism advice for coursework and career planning; learn to identify local journalism beats; and understand the basics of how professional newsrooms and control rooms operate.

The trip is designed to help students gain invaluable knowledge about U.S. history and the First Amendment to better cover politics, campaigns, and elections, as well as the day-to-day workings of the U.S. government.

Some of the sites the students will visit include the NBC News/MSNBC Washington bureau, the CBS News Washington bureau, Politico, the Albritton Journalism Institute and its website NOTUS (News of the United States), a tour of Capitol Hill, and a visit to the National Archives.

(Update: See photos from their trip to DC.)

Sierra Leone, West Africa, March 14-22

Charles “Stretch” Ledford, associate professor of journalism, and Alison Davis, lecturer in journalism, will lead a return trip back to Freetown, Sierra Leone, with six students in the “Globally Focused Advanced Documentary Filmmaking” class.

Under the supervision of Ledford, Davis, and Dr. Francis Sowa, dean of communications, media, and information studies at the University of Sierra Leone’s Fourah Bay College, Illinois and Fourah Bay journalism students will continue production of the documentary film Uman Tok: Tailoring Hope, Reclaiming Futures. An early cut of the film won first place in the 2024 Illinois Broadcasters Association Student Silver Dome Award for Television Photojournalism.

The multi-year international reporting project tells the story of Uman Tok, a small, woman-led nonprofit in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital city. Uman Tok (“woman talk” in the local language) employs 15 marginalized women at a living wage to produce reusable, washable menstrual pads for schoolgirls around the country who otherwise would not have a means of managing their monthly periods.

In addition to collaborating on the documentary film, students will be working on a virtual reality experience, a podcast, and an ink-on-paper comic book for readers of any level.

The media the journalism students produce will be used in an advertising campaign for Uman Tok created by students in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising’s capstone course this spring.

This year, both Illinois journalism students and their peers from Fourah Bay College will not only work together in the field, but also live together on the same compound, in an environment designed to foster organic collaboration, shared learning, and more authentic and deeply reported stories.

Scandinavia Tour, May 26-June 4

Marisa Peacock, senior lecturer in advertising, is planning a 10-day study abroad trip for 21 students to Copenhagen, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden.

Designed to give students a deep dive into the branding, advertising, and cultural strategies of major global companies, the trip will also provide a broader exploration of Scandinavian design, architecture, and culture.

Students will visit corporate headquarters of iconic companies like LEGO, IKEA, H&M, and UNIQLO to understand their global marketing strategies and meet with alumni working with these brands in fields of design, marketing, and communication.

Additionally, the itinerary includes visits to renowned cultural and design sites such as the Swedish Museum of Architecture and Design, Nyhavn harbor, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

Peacock said she pitched the idea of visiting the area due to an interest in Scandinavian design, which blends functionality with simplicity and modernity, and because brands like IKEA, LEGO, and UNIQLO incorporate corporate responsibility with a dedication to diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, which is also an important hallmark of brand building.

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Journalism alum Nicole Anderson Cobb shares experience with historical research and theater-making in new book

Nicole Anderson Cobb (MS ’16, journalism) shared her experience with historical research and theater-making in the newly released edited volume Dramaturgy & History: Staging The Archive.

Dramaturgy and History provides a practical account of an aspect of dramaturgical practice that is often taken for granted: dramaturgs’ engagements with history and historiography.

Anderson Cobb’s chapter centers on her time as an artist-in-residence at Allerton Park & Retreat Center in Monticello, Illinois, in collaboration with Latrelle Bright.

“I hope my essay ‘Beyond Land Acknowledgement: Rendering Central Illinois History along the Potawatomi Trail of Death’ will be useful for other scholars, and theater-makers and those interested in remembering complex histories in their local spaces,” she said.

Journalism alum Stuart Lieberman named head of communications at SailGP

Stuart Lieberman (BS ’10, journalism; BA ’10, LAS) was named head of communications at SailGP, overseeing media, public relations, and communications in North and South America.

SailGP is an international sailing competition that features high-performance F50 foiling catamarans, where teams compete across a season of multiple grands prix around the world.

Before Lieberman joined SailGP, he spent 10 yeas as a freelance writer for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

Lieberman also co-wrote a book with U.S. Paralympian Melissa Stockwell, The Power of Choice: My Journey from Wounded Warrior to World Champion.