Archives: Class Notes
Shraddha Sankhe, MA ’14
Shraddha Sankhe joined the Toronto-Dominion Bank in 2022 as Manager, Cloud FinOps in Toronto, Canada. Prior to joining TD Bank, she worked at Canadian Institute for Health Information as a Program Consultant for Cloud Business Office and Stakeholder Engagement.
Marcia Chatelain, BJ ’01
Marcia Chatelain (B.A., B.J., Magazine ’01) published a new book in January 2020. “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America” tells the history of fast food’s migration from the suburbs to the inner-city after Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968. The book, published by Liveright Publishing Corporation, tells a hidden history of race, civil rights, … Continued
Ransdell Raphael Pierson, MA ’78
New York City – Ransdell Raphael Pierson of New York City, New York passed from this life on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. Ransdell was born on December 31, 1953 to Lee Slagle Pierson and Robert Hunter Pierson. Originally from Alexandria, Louisiana, he graduated from Bolton High School in 1971. He attended Louisiana State University and … Continued
Anna (Comstock) Braunsdorf, BJ ’07
Anna (Comstock) Braunsdorf, BJ ’07, is the director of educational content at Elevate Labs, the company behind the Elevate and Balance mobile apps. Elevate is a brain-training app that won Apple’s App of the Year award and Balance is a highly-personalized meditation program.
Dan O’Brien, BJ ’77
“Rube,” a screenplay by Dan O’Brien, BJ ’77, has won the Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Screenplay at the Film Invasion Los Angeles Festival.
Ken Wells, MA ’77
Ken Wells, MA ’77, recently published his third work of narrative non-fiction, “Gumbo Life: Tales from the Roux Bayou.” The culinary memoir from W.W. Norton and Co. is equal parts history, travelogue and biography as it chronicles the evolution and global spread of Cajun and Creole Louisiana’s favorite comfort food. Wells retired from daily journalism … Continued
Dean E. Nelson, MA ’84
Dean E. Nelson, MA ’84, recently published a book with HarperCollins about conducting great interviews, called Talk To Me: How To Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers, and Interview Anyone Like a Pro.
Elizabeth Llorente, BJ ’84
Elizabeth Llorente, BJ ’84, senior reporter for Fox News Digital, serves as a board member and juror for the George Polk Awards in Journalism and manages the Twitter account, which she launched last year. The Polk Awards, one of the most prestigious in journalism, are named after George Polk, a CBS correspondent murdered while covering … Continued
David Corder, BJ ’84
David Corder, BJ ’84, was recently named “Most Valuable Newsroom Player” by his newsroom colleagues at The Villages Daily Sun, The Villages, Florida. Corder was honored for his commitment to innovation, community and excellence, and especially singled out for his mentorship of other developing journalists. A perennial winner in statewide journalism writing contests, Corder has … Continued
Aaron Bennett, BJ ’06
Aaron Bennett, BJ ’06, recently accepted a position as senior marketing communications specialist at the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business. Bennett writes: “My 12 years in broadcast journalism were amazing, and I give so much credit to my journalism education at Mizzou for preparing me to jump into a new career. M-I-Z!”