Robert Varner, BJ ’49

Robert Varner, BJ ’49, died May 8, 2012, in New Castle, N.H. During his career he worked for several radio stations, including KFEQ in St. Joseph, Mo., covering news and play-by-play sports. He pursued a career in public relations, working first in St. Louis for Southwestern Bell, and later for AT&T and Western Electric in … Continued

Justin Heckert, BJ ’02

Justin Heckert, BJ ’02, was named “Writer of the Year” during the 27th Annual National City and Regional Magazine Awards competition. He is a freelance writer based in Indianapolis. Heckert has written for Atlanta magazine, ESPN the Magazine, Esquire and Men’s Journal. This is the second time he has won the award. [See Related]

Lauren (Brannan) Yarger, BJ ’80

Lauren (Brannan) Yarger, BJ ’80, received three 2012 awards from the Connecticut Press Club: first place for editing of website (The Connecticut Arts Connection), first prize theater reviews (Spider-man Turn Off the Dark and A Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo) and second prize feature writing for the Web (Playwright’s Real-Life Drama and Journey of … Continued

John Sullivan, MA ’99

John Sullivan, MA ’99, was part of the Philadelphia Inquirer team that won a 2012 Pulitzer Prize for public service for its “Assault on Learning” series. The citation reads: Awarded to The Philadelphia Inquirer for its exploration of pervasive violence in the city’s schools, using powerful print narratives and videos to illuminate crimes committed by … Continued

Nikhil Deogun, MA ’93

Nikhil Deogun, MA ’93, received a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree during Muskingum University’s 175th anniversary commencement exercises. He is the senior vice president and editor in chief, Business News, CNBC, overseeing “Business Day” content, coverage and production. Deogun joined the network in 2010.

Gwendolyn Heasley, MA ’09

Gwendolyn Heasley, MA ’09, is the author of “A Long Way from You,” which will be available on June 5. A companion novel to her first novel, “Where I Belong,” the book is the story of a country girl, Kitsy Kidd, living in the big city.

Rick Desloge, BJ ’73

Rick Desloge, BJ ’73, died May 14. He spent nearly three decades as a journalist with the St. Louis Business Journal. [More]

Ernest Baker, BJ ’48

Ernest Baker, BJ ’48, (right) received a bronze statuette of a combat infantryman mounted on a base with an inscription thanking him for serving as the commander of North Oakland, Mich., VFW Post 334 for the past five years. Baker was a combat infantryman with the 96th Infantry Division in the Philippines during World War … Continued

Chris Hamby, MA ’10

Chris Hamby, MA ’10, is a finalist for the 2011 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists in the national reporting category for his series “Model Workplaces, Imperiled Workers.” The story examined deaths and safety violations at industrial plants exempted from regular inspections because of their participation in a government program. The Livingstons, the nation’s largest all-media, … Continued