Medill inducts 6 alumni to Hall of Achievement

Erica Snow, Assistant Campus Editor

The Medill School of Journalism will induct Pulitzer Prize winners, a TV show creator and other alumni into the school’s Hall of Achievement in May, according to a news release.

The six alumni will be inducted at a ceremony May 18. The Hall of Achievement, established in 1997, honors alumni who’ve excelled in their fields, even if it’s not journalism.

The inductees include R. Bruce Dold (Medill ’77, ’78), the publisher and editor in chief of the Chicago Tribune; Edith Chapin (Medill ’86), the executive editor of NPR News; and Jonathan S. Addleton (Medill ’79), the former U.S. ambassador to Mongolia.

“These alumni truly represent the best of Medill,” Brad Hamm, dean of Medill, said in the release. “They have distinguished themselves in their fields and are a credit to their alma mater. We are proud to recognize their outstanding achievements.”

Mara Brock Akil (Medill ’92) created TV shows “Being Mary Jane,” “Girlfriends” and “The Game.” She also wrote and co-produced the 2012 movie “Sparkle” starring Whitney Houston. She contributed to the entertainment industry by “adding an authentic African-American female voice to television offerings,” according to the release.

Other inductees Mary Baglivo (Medill ’81), the chief marketing officer and vice president of global marketing at Northwestern. Before working for the University, Baglivo worked as a top executive in various advertising and communications companies including Saatchi & Saatchi.

The sixth inductee, Kai Bird (Medill ’75), won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize with his co-author for his biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb.” He also wrote New York Times-bestseller “The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames” about the CIA’s former Near East director.

All but Akil will participate in an open panel discussion May 18 in the McCormick Foundation Center Forum.

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