Journalism Hall of Fame introduces 2009 class
Six Central Michigan University graduates are being inducted into the CMU Journalism Hall of Fame in November. Induction ceremonies will be held Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Soaring Eagle Inn and Conference Center, 5050 E. Airport Road.
Jeffrey R. Caponigro
Caponigro serves as president and CEO of Caponigro Public Relations, Inc., and graduated as a member of the class of 1979.
Caponigro served six years on the CMU Board of Trustees, including two terms as president, and funded the Caponigro Multimedia Lab on the fourth floor of Moore Hall.
Matt Dobek
Dobek serves as vice president of public relations for the Detroit Pistons and graduated in the class of 1981.
In 1983, Dobek became the youngest director of public relations in the National Basketball Association when he assumed the position for the Detroit Pistons. Dobek has also received numerous state and national awards.
Terry Foster
Foster works as a Detroit News reporter and Valenti and Foster radio show broadcaster, class of 1981.
Foster joined The Detroit News in 1988 after reporting in Grand Rapids and at The Detroit Free Press. In addition to reporting, Foster is also the cohost of one of the highest rated sports radio shows in Detroit- he is "Foster" from Valenti and Foster.
Monetta Richey Harr
Harr is a retired staff writer for the Jackson Citizen Patriot, and graduated in the class of 1971.
After starting out her career as the first female sports editor at a daily paper in California, Harr spend 35 years at the Jackson Citizen Patriot writing about food and religion. She retired in January.
Rick McKay
McKay is the deputy photo editor for the White House in Washington, D.C., and graduated with the class of 1976.
McKay has specialized in photojournalism around the globe including in Russia and Vietnam. His work has been featured in Newsweek, Time, World Report, Esquire and U.S. News. His photos were part of a 1998 news series that won the Pulitzer Prize.
Betsy Pollard Rau
Rau is a retired high school journalism educator from H.H. Dow High School in Midland, and graduated in the class of 1975.
Last year Rau received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the national Journalism Education Association and is considered one of the most innovative high school journalism teachers in the nation. She currently serves as an adjunct professor in the journalism department.
Caponigro, Dobek, Foster, Harr and McKay did extensive work at Central Michigan Life throughout their college careers.
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