Location: United States
Jane Di Leo
Evenings at the Di Leo household were times of storytelling. Jane Di Leo, BJ ’05, MA ’06, and her sister listened to their dad regale them with tales about his childhood in a Chicago orphanage or make-believe stories about the rights and wrongs in life. When Di Leo wasn’t listening to her dad’s stories, she … Continued
Linda Geist
“You will never be the same as the rest of the world from now on. You will always think differently and process things differently than every one else you know. Welcome to the University of Missouri School of Journalism.” So went the speech professor Hal Lister gave to his introductory news students on the first … Continued
Patrick Farrell
On the desk of Patrick Farrell, BJ ’77, sits a framed photo taken in April 2013 that captures one of his favorite University of Missouri memories. He stands beside then-MU Chancellor Brady Deaton and two members of the founding family of Enterprise Holdings Inc., where Farrell serves as chief marketing and communications officer. Deaton formally announced the … Continued
Steve Doyal
Steve Doyal, BJ ’71, came to the University of Missouri with a taste for journalism after working a couple of summers at the suburban newspaper group where his stepfather was production manager. It wasn’t until covering a horrific accident on Highway 63 as a student reporter for KOMU-TV that he realized that the journalist lifestyle … Continued
Bob Donaldson
It was Bob Donaldson’s first story for KOMU-TV, and it was an important one. KOMU wanted to be the first to break the story over a strike in Columbia, Missouri. A jittery Donaldson, along with staff photographer Brow Lester, shot video at the scene and pushed through a crowd of angry boisterous citizens. Back in … Continued
Katie DeSplinter
Katie DeSplinter, BJ ’05, was fresh out of college when she decided to pack up her car and move from St. Charles, Missouri, to Los Angeles. Without an apartment or a single job interview lined up, DeSplinter drove 1,500 miles across the country simply to follow a dream. Her heart was set on a career … Continued
Lisa Griffin
Lisa Griffin, MA ’02, always has had an inquisitive mind. When her mother would read her a bedtime story, Griffin would stop her every few seconds to ask an in-depth question about the characters or plot, which were often so complicated that her mother couldn’t even come up with a sufficient answer. Before Griffin could … Continued
Fred Bruning
Fred Bruning, BJ ’64, often told his Stony Brook University students of the influential mentors, peers and teaching style that inspired him during his time at the Missouri School of Journalism and who shaped him into journalist he is today. Bruning’s professors taught the importance of deadlines and the ethical implications involved. “We must be as … Continued
Emily Ann Brown
When Emily Ann Brown, BJ ’08, graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism, she had only the slightest understanding how significantly those formative four years would impact her life. Now the director of media and analytics at Elasticity, an integrated marketing agency in St. Louis, Brown gives credit for her early career success to her … Continued
Lt. Col. (Retired) Noel Tomas
Lt. Col. Noel Tomas, BJ ’59, followed a self-created path to find inspiration and passion throughout his life. His years of service in four different military branches, multiple news outlets and public service gave Tomas experience in combat, communication and career training. After high school, Tomas studied electrical engineering at Iowa State College in Ames, where … Continued