Illinois Journalism Alumni

10/12/2026

Students are invited to a workshop and lunch with Derrick Burson (BS ’99, journalism), senior associate director of athletics, on Monday, Oct. 19, from 12-1:30 p.m., in 336 Gregory Hall.

Now in his fourth year leading the Fighting Illini Athletics Communication office, Burson is spokesperson for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) and coordinates all strategic communication efforts for the athletics department and DIA administration initiatives.

Lunch will be provided; please RSVP to Colleen King, clinical associate professor of journalism and director of the Frank Center, at [email protected].

10/09/2026

University of Illinois journalism alum David McCraw (BS '76), lead ...

10/03/2026

Former Richmond Studio lab assistant Erica Horvatin, a TV meteorologist in Phoenix, was recently married to Colin Kreager. Erica, a 2015 U of I atmospheric sciences graduate, does weather at KSAZ Fox 10 in Phoenix. She previously worked in Albuquerque, South Bend and Rapid City.

10/01/2026

Loren Tate (BS ’53, journalism) was named the recipient of the 2026 Illinois Alumni Lou Liay Spirit Award and will be honored at the UIAA’s Alumni Awards Gala tonight, along with nine other awardees.

Tate has covered Fighting Illini athletics since 1966, when he became a sportswriter, sports editor, and columnist for the The News-Gazette in Champaign. Although he’s been technically retired for nearly three decades, he continues to work for the paper as a contract writer and appears regularly on the local station WDWS to discuss Illinois athletics.

Read more: https://buff.ly/PECDEOV

10/01/2026

Congratulations to U of I Journalism alumnus Patrick Li and his fiancée Alexandra Childs on their engagement. Patrick, a 2018 graduate, is a senior customer service representative at CT Corporation in Chicago. In college, he worked at The Daily Illini.

09/29/2026

As press freedom and the First Amendment dominate news headlines, join the College of Media's Frank Center for an online Q&A with David McCraw, lead newsroom lawyer for The New York Times, this Thursday, Oct. 1, at 5 p.m. CT.

▶ Register to join via Zoom: https://buff.ly/yU7IKqj

McCraw, a journalism alum (BS ’76), is author of "Truth in Our Times: Inside the Fight for Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts" (St. Martin’s, 2019), a first-person account of the legal battles that helped shape The Times’s coverage of Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein, national security, and the rise of political partisanship in America. McCraw is senior vice president and deputy general counsel at The New York Times and is one of the nation’s most prolific litigators of Freedom of Information cases.

The conversation will be led by Colleen King, director of the Frank Center and clinical associate professor of journalism.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/tUU9toq

09/29/2026

U of I Journalism alumna Keri Carpenter is marking five years as a producer at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Keri has an undergraduate and master’s degrees from Illinois. She previously worked for Warner Brothers and E! Networks.

“I don't know where the years have gone/ where they are hiding, but this month marks my 5-year-anniversary producing at the Grand Ole Opry
Currently feeling all the
feels because it's the job - well, dream - that brought me to Nashville. To deep-dive into Music City with this team, these artists, these stories, this legendary venue - there really aren't enough pictures or words to capture what these years have represented to me. My little ole creative heart is so grateful to get to live in the worlds of production every day that I love most. Interviews, video, television, and storytelling are my absolute favorite and what an incredible reminder when things get just a tinnnnnnny crazy that I am actually living out the dreams I once prayed for, while also getting to watch so many people and artists live out *their* dreams as they come through our venues. Cheers, hugs, high-fives and a puddle of tears to everyone who has made this country music ride a sweet one.”

09/28/2026

UPDATE:

The individual found deceased Monday morning near the Alma Mater statue has been identified as 29-year-old Alex C. Rodriguez. Rodriguez was not affiliated with the University of Illinois.

Preliminary information indicates there was no foul play involved, and the death is believed to be accidental. There is no ongoing threat to the campus community.

UIPD and the Champaign County Coroner’s Office are investigating the circumstances surrounding Rodriguez’s death.

Additional information: police.illinois.edu/university-of-illinois-police-investigating-death-on-campus

ORIGINAL POST:

The University of Illinois Police Department is investigating after a deceased individual was found this morning at approximately 6:42 a.m. near the Alma Mater statue at Green and Wright streets, Urbana. Preliminary investigation suggests that there is no ongoing threat to the campus community. Additional details will be released when they are confirmed.

09/27/2026

The U of I magazine program “The Quad” wins an Emmy Crystal Pillar.

09/26/2026

Journalism alumna Hayley (Lockwood) Siefert makes the Forty Under 40 list by the News-Gazette. In fact, the 2014 U of I graduate was chosen as the “Woman of the Year” for 2026. She has been a real estate broker nearly a decade. She interned at WCIA.

Headlining Class No. 19, powered by Hickory Point Bank & Trust: Woman of the Year Hayley Siefert and Man of the Year Luke Esteppe, who'll be honored with 38 other