ACP Pioneer Award

2024 Pioneer inductees

March 9, 2024

Jim Rodenbush
Indiana University

Emily Sendin
Miami Dade College (FL)

Arvli Ward
California State University,
Northridge

Friend of ACP & Collegiate Media

Rick Green
Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)


Associated Collegiate Press announces
its first class of Pioneer Awards

Sept. 19, 2022

In honor of its 100th birthday, Associated Collegiate Press will celebrate 101 journalism educators and advocates with its inaugural ACP Pioneer Awards at the Fall National College Media Convention.

Pioneers are distinguished journalism educators and advocates who have provided exceptional leadership for collegiate media programs and made exceptional contributions to collegiate journalism and to the association in its service.

The Pioneer is the only award ACP presents to journalism educators. 

The inaugural class will be recognized on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Washington, D.C., convention — first at an 8 a.m. awards breakfast at the National Press Club (by invitation), and then during the convention’s awards ceremony, at 3:30 p.m., at the Grand Hyatt Washington. 

“We wanted to recognize 101 great journalism advisers and educators in this first class,” Laura Widmer, ACP executive director, said, “and these Pioneers represent a Who’s Who of collegiate journalism.”

A six-member committee of retired and active advisers from across the nation reviewed and selected the honorees.

“These educators and journalists have been supportive of ACP and believed in our mission of training and honoring collegiate journalists. They have gone above and beyond their own distinguished careers to nurture the future of journalism. We look forward to celebrating them in DC.”   

ACP will maintain a composite plaque of Pioneers and display it at its headquarters, in Minneapolis. 


ACP Pioneer Award winners

March 9, 2024

David Adams
Fort Hays State University
Kansas State University
Indiana University 

Robert Adams
Western Kentucky University 

Ann Akers
Associated Collegiate Press 

Chuck Baldwin
University of South Dakota 

Bob Bergland
Missouri Western State University 
Northwest Missouri State University

Paul Bittick
California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo 

Robert Bohler
Texas Christian University 

Karen Bosley
Ocean County College (New Jersey) 

John Boyd
Indiana State University 

Max Branscomb
Southwestern College (California) 

Bob Bullard
Michigan State University 

Stacia Campbell
Northwestern University (Illinois) 

Steven Chappell
Northwest Missouri State University 

Jan Childress
Texas Tech University 

William Click
Winthrop University (South Carolina) 

Jolene Combs
El Camino College (California) 

Mona Cravens
University of Southern California 

Jenny Tenpenny Crouch
Middle Tennessee State University 

Albert “Flip” DeLuca
James Madison University (Virginia) 

William D. Downs Jr.
Ouachita Baptist University (Arkansas) 

Bill Elsen
The Washington Post 

Stacy Sparks England
Dodge City Community College (Kansas) 
St. Mary of the Plains College (Kansas) 
Southwestern College (Kansas) 

Dorothy Estes
University of Texas at Arlington 

Vince Filak
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh 

Annette Forbes
Iowa State University 

Beth Francesco
University of Texas at Arlington
National Press Club

Joe Gisondi
Eastern Illinois University
Valencia College (Florida)

Mark Goodman
Student Press Law Center 

Lloyd Goodman
University of Texas at Arlington 

Nancy Green
University of Kentucky
University of Texas 

Laura York Guy
Garden City Community College (Kansas) 

Gerry Hamilton
Pennsylvania State University 

Jay Hartwell
University of Hawai’i at Mānoa 

Mike Hiestand
Student Press Law Center 

Chet Hunt
San Antonio College (Texas) 

Louis Ingelhart
Ball State University 

Eric Jacobs
University of Pennsylvania 

Ron Johnson
Fort Hays State University
Kansas State University
Indiana University 

Michael Jordan
Pepperdine University (California) 

Rachele Kanigel
San Francisco State University 

Fred Kildow
Associated Collegiate Press 

Doug Kirchberg
Madison Area Technical College (Wisconsin) 

David Knott
Ball State University 

Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver
Florida International University 

Kelley Lash
Rice University (Texas) 

Ira David Levy
Wilbur Wright College (Illinois)
Kansas State University 

C.W. Little
Santa Ana College (California) 

Frank LoMonte
Student Press Law Center 

Gary Lundgren
University of Arkansas 

Richard “Dick” Lytle
Southern Methodist University (Texas) 

Wayne Maikranz
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 

Kate McCarty
University of Alabama
University of Texas 

C.J. Medlin
Kansas State University 

Gary Metzker
California State University Long Beach 

Harry Montevideo
University of Georgia 

Reid Montgomery
Florida State University 

Bill Neville
University of Alabama at Birmingham 

Linda Owens
University of South Carolina Aiken 

Pat Parish
Louisiana State University 

Erica Perel
University of North Carolina 

Marilyn Peterson
Midland College (Nebraska) 

Tom Pierce
Valencia College (Florida) 

Mark Plenke
California State University, Chico 

Dario Politello
University of Massachusetts 

Linda Puntney
Kansas State University 

Jose Quevedo
Miami Dade College (Florida) 

Sara Quinn
Poynter Institute of Media Studies
Kansas State University
University of Minnesota

Mark Raduziner
Johnson County Community College (Kansas) 

Judy Riedl
University of Oregon 

Jim Rodenbush
Colorado State University
Penn State University
Webster University
Indiana University

Tom Rolnicki
Associated Collegiate Press 

Nils Rosdahl
North Idaho College 

Ken Rosenauer
Missouri Western State University  

Arthur “Sandy” Sanderson
University of Iowa 

Charles Savedge
yearbook consultant 

Laura Schaub
University of Oklahoma 

Kevin Schwartz
University of North Carolina 

Al Scroggins
University of South Carolina 

Emily Sendin
Miami Dade College (FL)

Michael Serino
Ithaca College (New York) 

Trum Simmons
Harrisburg Area Community College (Pennsylvania) 

Susan Smith
South Dakota State University 

Ron Spielberger
College Media Association
University of Memphis 

Randy Stano
University of Miami 

Richard “Dick” Sublette
University of Illinois
University of California, Los Angeles
Florida State University

Edmund Sullivan
Columbia Scholastic Press Association 

Sherri Taylor
Syracuse University (New York) 

Ann Thorne
Missouri Western State College 

James Tidwell
Eastern Illinois University 

Al Tims
University of Minnesota 

Terry Vander Hayden
Franklin College (Indiana) 

Pete Waack
Colorado State University 

Arvli Ward
UCLA
California State University,
Northridge

Bruce Watterson
yearbook consultant 

David Wendelken
James Madison University (Virginia) 

Nancy White
Hillsborough Community College (Florida) 

Ron White
Louisiana Tech University 

Laura Widmer
Northwest Missouri State University 

Ed Williams
Auburn University (Alabama) 

Bradley Wilson
Midwestern State University (Texas) 

Mark Witherspoon
Iowa State University 

Ruth Witmer
Indiana University 

Mark Woodhams
University of Arizona 

Paul Wright
University of Alabama