UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four Penn State alumni, a faculty member and a longtime television news anchor in central Pennsylvania were recognized as award winners by the Alumni Society Board of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.
Awards were presented on campus this week. Those honored were:
Dejanae Gibson (class of 2019), operations manager, Time Studios
Emerging Professional Award
Gibson started her career with Warner Brothers Discovery, advanced there and joined Time in 2022. She has been honored by Cable Fax among its Diversity Thrivers Under 30, and her understanding of leadership and responsibility have shaped her approach — and early career path. The award recognizes an outstanding graduate from the past 10 years. Acceptance Speech
John C. Powell (class of 1965), professor emeritus
Alumni Achievement Award
Powell was selected for the award that recognizes contributions to the profession and the Bellisario College. Powell was the founding director of the Sports Business Program in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State. Before that, he was an associate athletic director for marketing and development at Penn State and a vice president for AT&T Consumer Services. His impact has been wide-ranging, including providing the foundation and inspiration for a popular sports media and society course in the Bellisario College. Acceptance Speech
Krishna Kishore (class of 1996, doctoral degee), senior director, PriceWaterHouseCoopers LLP
Outstanding Alumni Award
Kishore has expertly leveraged his Penn State education and research expertise, applying industry trends and creating a path of success in a hyper-competitive industry. He was one of the first members of the doctoral communications program at Penn State, providing a foundation of excellence on which subsequent students have built their success. The award is presented to a Bellisario College graduate who has demonstrated excellence in the field of communications, contribute significantly to their profession and gained an exemplary reputation among colleagues and students within their community. Acceptance Speech
Dana O’Neil (class of 1990), senior writer, The Athletic
Outstanding Alumni Award
O’Neil, a Hall of Fame selection and former president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, has covered 18 Final Fours, the Kentucky Derby, Super Bowls, the World Series, the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. She has authored three books, including one, “Long Shots: Jay Wright, Villanova, and College Basketball’s Most Unlikely Champion,” that was named to Book Authority’s list of Best College Basketball Books of All Time. The award is presented to a Bellisario College graduate who has demonstrated excellence in the field of communications, contribute significantly to their profession and gained an exemplary reputation among colleagues and students within their community. Acceptance Speech
Christopher Ali, Pioneers Chair and Professor of Telecommunications
Excellence in Teaching Award
Ali was nominated by students in his large lecture introductory telecommunications class. He’s also a highly respected expert about telecommunications policy and regulation, especially rural broadband. Students, though, pointed to his accessibility and expertise in the classroom for this award, which recognizes Bellisario College faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, contributed significantly to the growth of students’ learning and gained an exemplary reputation among colleagues, students and alumni. Acceptance Speech
Marty Radovanic, news anchor and managing editor, WTAJ-TV
Douglas A. Anderson Communications Contributor Award
Radovanic earned the award for contributions to the commonwealth and Penn State based on his long tenure with WJAC-TV and, more recently, with WTAJ-TV. In those roles, Radovanic has consistently focused on people and the impact events and stories have on them. He called the award the highlight of his career. Acceptance Speech