Alumnus Jon Franko carves his own path to success

By Jerry Duggan (Feb. 25, 2020) — Jon Franko, BJ ’05, may have grown up on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, but he’s always been a Mizzou guy. Franko, whose grandfather, Keith Parker, played fullback for MU under esteemed football coach Don Faurot, bled black and gold when his friends bled orange and … Continued

Marcia Chatelain, BJ ’01

Marcia Chatelain, BJ ’01, recently published “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America,” which 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, and the social origins of today’s … 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.

Marlene Neill, MA ’07

Marlene Neill, MA ’07, was promoted to associate professor and graduate program director at Baylor University in the department of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media.

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!”

Aurora Meyer, BJ ’05

Aurora Meyer, BJ ’05, BA ’05, of Columbia, Mo., is the marketing and public affairs coordinator at the Missouri State Teachers Association. On Sept. 21, 2018, Meyer successfully completed the examination for Accreditation in Public Relations.

Michaella Anne Thornton (Hammond), BJ ’00

Michaella Anne Thornton (Hammond), BJ ’00, is a staff writer for The Common Reader, a publication of Washington University in St. Louis. Thornton’s “true, personal story about science” will air Nov. 23, 2018 via the national podcast series, The Story Collider.

Kathleen Strand

What do you do? I am the head of external relations for McKinsey and Company. What is the best professional lesson you learned at the J-School? I learned how to talk to people from all walks of life during my time at the Columbia Missourian and the importance of telling their stories, not just reporting … Continued

Cristina Daglas, MA ’09

Cristina Daglas, MA ’09, was listed as one of “40 Under 40: Behind the Scenes in Sports Media” by The Big Lead. Daglas is a senior editor for the ESPN website.