The Wisconsin Newspaper Assocation Foundation awarded multiple SJMC students first place awards, along with Annika Bereny as Collegiate Journalist of the Year
Awards
SJMC Students Win 2025 WBA Student Awards for Excellence and 2025 Howard Gernetzke Scholarship
The 2025 Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) Student Awards for Excellence winners were announced, with SJMC students winning multiple titles.
Professor Young Mie Kim Receives Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship
SJMC Professor Young Mie Kim has been awarded the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship for her research in digital media, politics, and democracy.
Graduate Student Highlight: Laila Abbas
PhD student Laila Abbas earned an ICA Top Dissertation Award Honorable Mention for her research on how emotionally charged TikTok content can inspire political identity and collective action. In a Q&A, she reflects on the impact of her research and offers advice for aspiring scholars.
Associate Professors Chris Cascio and Kathryn McGarr Receive Vilas Associates Award
Associate Professors Chris Cascio and Kathryn McGarr are the recipients of the 2025 Vilas Associates Award.
Spotlight on Graduate Student Award Winners
This year, four TAs were awarded campus-wide and college-level awards for their work both in and out of the classroom. They shared what these awards mean to them and what they find most rewarding about teaching.
Q&A with Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Excellence Award Winner, Professor Young Mie Kim
Professor Young Mie Kim, recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Excellence Award, shares how she inspires critical thinking, brings research into the classroom and prepares students to engage with today’s civic challenges.
Q&A with Distinguished Teaching Faculty Stacy Forster
Teaching Faculty Stacy Forster was awarded Distinguished Status, the highest honor for teaching faculty at UW–Madison, for her outstanding contributions to the SJMC and her dedication to her students.
Graduate Student Highlight: Tahereh Rahimi
Ph.D. student Tahereh Rahimi won ICA’s Top Student Paper Award in the Communication History Division for her research on press control in Iran during the Qajar Era. She shares what the award means to her, the value of staying true to your academic interests and her favorite memories from the SJMC community.
Graduate Student Highlight: Abby Qin
Ph.D. student Abby Youran Qin won AEJMC’s Top Student Paper Award for her research on democratic attitudes and the role of right-wing media in the United States. She reflected on the award, shared insights from her academic journey and offered advice for future scholars.