Republished from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ)
Legacy Award (Posthumously) — Rev. Dr. Timothy Lamar Tooten, Sr.
This award recognizes a Black print, broadcast, digital or photojournalist of extraordinary accomplishment who has broken barriers and blazed trails. Honorees have contributed to the understanding or advancement of people and issues in the African Diaspora. Rev. Dr. Tooten, Sr. shared Maryland’s stories as a journalist for WBAL-TV 11 News in Baltimore for 35 years. For much of that time he was the city’s only full-time education reporter, gaining the respect and trust of parents, educators, students, elected leaders, and advocates alike. While his career focused on education, he also covered the Million Man March in Washington, D.C., and the night when President Ronald Reagan was shot. Dr. Tooten earned an Emmy Award for his half-hour documentary shot in Liberia, West Africa, “Africa’s Maryland,” and a National Headliner Award for his “East is East” documentary, which profiled life as an African American growing up on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He also earned an Associated Press award for his undercover investigative series of reports on the history of discriminatory practices in the private clubs in West Virginia. For 25 years, he also helped educate a new generation of journalists and media professionals as an adjunct professor of communication and media at Loyola University Maryland. A proud husband, father, and grandfather, he later founded and served as the pastor of a nondenominational church, Harvest Christian Ministries. After retirement in 2003, Dr. Tooten shared his knowledge through media training and performance seminars and was inducted into the Emmy Silver Circle Hall of Fame in 2024.
Alex Way: Winner of Graduate Medal for Academic Excellence in Emerging Media
Alex Way is the winner of this year’s Graduate Medal for Academic Excellence in Emerging Media for completing a capstone project demonstrating how social media integration has become integral to radio programming. She successfully collected and analyzed social media data across three morning shows in the Baltimore area and implemented it into effective social media strategies for Huber in the Morning on 100.7 The Bay.
Makayla Cropper and Johanna Husena received honorable mentions for this Award.
Dr. Hoplamazian won Faculty Excellence Award in Digital Teaching
Emerging Media program's academic director Dr. Greg Hoplamazian is the winner of this year's Faculty Excellence Award in Digital Teaching. His teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels has led him to constantly incorporate new technologies into course activities and push students to learn how to adapt to emerging technologies. Learn more about this award in digital teaching.
EM research presented at BEA Convention
Emerging Media alumnus Max Verheyen ('24) had his capstone research presented at the 2025 BEA conference through a poster presentation co-authored with Dr. Hoplamazian. In his project he conducted a social media audit of three university swim team Instagram accounts in order to identify best practices for recruitment and community building by athletic programs.
The inaugural Communication and Media Advisory Board held its second in-person meeting on campus on April 11. Prior to the meeting, Board members visited the office of student-run newspaper, The Greyhound, and campus radio station, WLOY. During these visits, the Board interacted with students to learn about their news reporting, news publishing and audio production.
A group of communication and media majors also received career advice from the Board members over lunch. Simultaneously, Board members also learned about student work and their experiences at Loyola.
Sports Media & Broadcasting Students Covered O's Game
Students in Sports Media & Broadcasting class (taught by Prof. Noah Frank) visited the Ballpark on April 15 to cover the Baltimore Orioles' game. Students recorded innings from the stands and enjoyed the rest of the game from the Press box. Advisory Board member Jackie Harig helped organize this visit for sports media students.
Loyola Students Participate in National Leadership Symposium at U.S. Air Force Academy
This February, three students from Loyola’s Communication and Media Department traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to attend the 2025 National Character and Leadership Symposium hosted by the U.S. Air Force Academy. The symposium is one of the premier national forums for leading voices in ethics, leadership, and public service.
Accompanied by one of our affiliate faculty members, Joe Winter, the students had the opportunity to engage with senior military leaders, public affairs professionals, and thought leaders from across the country. In addition to attending keynote sessions, panel discussions, and cadet-led programs, the group spent time exploring how strategic communication shapes national narratives and builds trust within institutions.
The trip offered an unforgettable, hands-on learning experience that connected classroom theory with real-world application at the intersection of media, leadership, and civic engagement.
Journalism capstone projects published in Baltimore Fishbowl
Baltimore Fishbowl published multiple stories on vacant housing by journalism students, who worked on this project in Prof. April Newton's senior capstone class in Fall 2024. Learn more about the impact of this capstone class in this Loyola News piece by Liam Davis.
Skyhound: Weather News
Students interested in weather reporting launched “SkyHound,” a weather broadcast segment entirely operated by students on WLOY. The group is planning for recruitment and club activation status in the fall. A student, Eisa Abu-Sbaih, designed the logo.
Prof. Robey's students visited CBS Baltimore
Students interested in broadcast as well as Professor Robey’s Practical Meteorology course went on a field trip to WJZ in February 2025. Students received a tour of the newsroom and television set. They also heard from professionals in the industry and watched the 4 p.m. newscast on set.
Wildfire Donation Drive
Students in Professor Robey’s Media Writing, Multimedia Storytelling, and Practical Meteorology courses organized a Wildfire Donation Drive on campus for those recently impacted by wildfires in California. The students created promotional materials, posted on social media platforms, connected with clients in California, and shipped collected materials. This was an exciting and engaging project-based learning initiative that connected multiple classes.
In Spring, students in Senior Capstone in Digital Media worked on web and graphic design, video production, animation and web content strategy deliverables for four clients -- Chase Brexton, Cool & Associates, LLC, Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, and PIVOT Baltimore. These clients serve a diverse community in Baltimore and beyond. Dr. Mas Biswas was the instructor of this capstone class.
Below is a sample of student work in the digital media capstone class. Sam Gonzalez ('25) created this animation video for the Chase Brexton Health.
