Alumni Notes

1998 Journalism

was named head of the Scripps Journalism Journey Initiative.

The initiative, funded by Google, aims to help print journalists make the transition to video. Iovino most recently was visiting assistant professor of media innovation at West Virginia University.

Before joining West Virginia University, Iovino was managing editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting covering the Tree of LIfe synagogue shooting.

Previously he was senior news editor of operations for NBC-owned stations’ digital properties. He also served as a digital editor for TV stations in Washington, D.C.; Columbus, Ohio; and PIttsburgh. Iovino started out as a sportswriter.

Note Posted: August 31, 2022

1998 Film-Video

was appointed chief product officer at SkyShowtime, a new European streaming video service jointly owned by Comcast and Paramount. Snow and his family recently moved to Amsterdam from Los Angeles.

Note Posted: August 30, 2022

2105 Journalism

joined PennLive.com as a Penn State football beat reporter.

He most recently covered Pitt football and athletics for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Here's an excerpt from a PennLive subscriber newsletter about McGonigal's hiring ...

Sports Editor Chris Hopkins wanted to complement the firepower reporters Bob Flounders, Dave Jones and Dustin Hockensmith, and photo editor Joe Hermitt, already bring to our coverage. Sorting through a wealth of applicants for the job, he turned to a standout at a great Pittsburgh paper with lots of Happy Valley cred.

"I hired Johnny because of his vast knowledge of the game that he has gained from almost a decade’s-worth of experience covering D1 football," Chris said. "He’s a Penn State grad and covered Penn State for years at the Centre Daily Times before moving on to the Post-Gazette and Pitt football. He’ll be able to not just report on the news right in front of him, but take Penn State fans one step further with expert analysis and features that we haven’t told before."

We tossed some questions at Johnny before this week's unusual Thursday opener on the road against Purdue.

Johnny, our guys say you’ll be a great fit for this reporting team. Why were you eager to cover the Lions?

"Penn State is where it all started for me. Growing up in the Philly area, I fell in love with college football watching Penn State games as a kid. I began my journey in journalism at The Daily Collegian, Penn State's student paper. I covered the Nittany Lions for the Centre Daily Times in 2016, 2017 and 2018, chronicling Saquon Barkley, Trace McSorley and a Big Ten title. I enjoyed my three years covering Pitt for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But coming back and joining PennLive was a natural decision for me."

You’re the only Pennsylvania journalist with a vote in the AP College Football Poll. What’s that experience like?

"I have to admit, it's really cool. Ultimately, the College Football Playoff rankings matter most. But when I was asked to be a voter, I was honored. From my understanding, the AP likes to rotate writers in every handful of years to get different perspectives. Last season was my first as a voter, and I took a lot of pride in that. While I'm obviously committed to watching Penn State on Saturdays, I put an extensive amount of research into my ballot every weekend to make sure it's as accurate as possible."

So what’s your take on the Lions starting the season unranked?

"I understand the hesitancy. This is a program that has fallen short of both external and internal expectations recently. You can't go 11-11 in a two-year stretch and command the benefit of the doubt. However, I do think this is a top 25 caliber team. James Franklin has recruited well enough that the future is bright. But with a veteran quarterback healthy and ready to go, there's still potential in the present."

You're a bit of a legend - I hear you were the only local reporter at a certain Panther's draft party.

"Over the course of my time covering Pitt, I got to know Kenny Pickett and his inner circle pretty well. Ahead of his draft party in New Jersey, I asked his dad if there would be any media availability, and they welcomed me down. From the first pick until the Steelers' selection at 20th overall, I stood to the right of ESPN's cameras watching the night unfold. It was a unique experience, one I'll never forget."

Any other words for your new PennLive readers?

"Just that I'm excited to get this season started. The Purdue game off the bat, followed by Auburn two weeks later, is one hell of a way to kick off the campaign. We're going to learn a lot about Franklin's program in his ninth year. I'm ready for every game, series and snap — and I'm sure our readers feel the same way."

Note Posted: August 30, 2022

2001 Journalism

was one of three reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle who earned National Headliner Awards in April 2022.

Fagone won first place in the feature writing category for “The Jessica Simulation,” a three-part narrative about a young man who used cutting-edge A.I. technology to seek closure with a chatbot simulation of his dead fiancee.

“Science fiction comes to life in this jaw-dropping entry,” the judges said of the story. “Well written and constructed and imaginatively presented.”

The 88th annual National Headliner Awards program, founded in 1934 by the Press Club of New Jersey, is one of the oldest national journalism contests in the country.

That was the second national award for “The Jessica Simulation”: Earlier in April, Fagone was awarded the prestigious Deborah Howell Award for Writing Excellence from the News Leaders Association.

In August of last year, The Chronicle sold film/TV rights to “The Jessica Simulation” to Universal Television to develop a limited series, after seven Hollywood production companies bid for the story.

Note Posted: August 29, 2022

2014 Journalism

conducts PR and internal communications for a tech consulting company.

His husband works in the marketing department at Johnson & Johnson.

They met at Penn State 10 years ago this October. They We live in Philadelphia and own a beach house at the Jersey shore.

"Our niece is 17 years old and is starting to look for colleges—we took her to main campus because we love it in Happy Valley and without Penn State, we would be where we are today," Herman said.

Note Posted: August 29, 2022

2020 Film-Video

has decided to combine his prior interest in psychology and his love for entertainment by becoming a therapist for entertainment professionals.

He is attending Columbia University in pursuit of his MSW. He previously worked in the entertainment industry (in New York City and in Los Angeles).

Note Posted: August 28, 2022

1989 Journalism

won first place, 2022 Professional Keystone Media Award for Business or Consumer Story, for “Trapping and Rapping: Wildlife control expert starts podcast to help local businesses,” an article in the May 6, 2021 edition of the Centre County Gazette.

Note Posted: August 26, 2022

2020 Advertising/Public Relations

has accepted a new role as an art director for The Wonderful Company. She will be working within their in-house advertising agency, The Wonderful Agency.

The Wonderful Company is known for their wide array of brands including: Fiji Water, Wonderful Pistachios, POM, Halos, Teleflora, and JUSTIN Vineyards.

Note Posted: August 25, 2022

2015 Journalism

joined The Baltimore Sun as a member of the government and politics team.

A southeastern Pennsylvania native, Janesch joined the team in mid-April. At Penn State, he served as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case.

After a summer interning with a series of Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents’ Association reporters in the state capital, Sam has spent the last seven years covering politics and government for LNP, a newspaper in Lancaster County, and for The Caucus, a watchdog publication in Harrisburg that focuses on accountability and transparency stories within the state Capitol.

His investigative work, both individually and as part of a small team that collaborates with Spotlight PA, received several awards through the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association and beyond, including a 2021 Freedom of Information Award from Investigative Reporters & Editors for a years-long investigation into state lawmakers’ expenses.

His political experience includes coverage of presidential campaign events, the 2016 Republican and Democratic national conventions, redistricting and Pennsylvania congressional, state, county and municipal races.

Note Posted: August 15, 2022

2019 Print Journalism

was recently hired as a junior reporter on the Insider! She will be covering lifestyle, entertainment and digital culture news and trends on Insider's life weekend team. She began as a fellow on the same team in January 2022 and transitioned to my new position this August.

Note Posted: August 5, 2022

2008 Broadcast Journalism

was promoted to director of featuring programming and original content for the New York Jets.

Bradley, a seven-time Emmy award winner, joined the team in 2014. During his tenure, he has helped develop and grow the Jets brand by telling the stories of the players, coaches and fans. He led the production of award-winning docuseries and has helped to transform 1JD Films into one of the best storytelling units in the NFL.

Note Posted: July 22, 2022

2001 Journalism

serves as director of inclusion and audience growth for the American Press Institute. He's the first person to hold that role for the organization.

Along with his bachelor's, he also earned a master's degree in media studies from Penn State in 2006.

In his role, he builds upon API’s work in the area of organizational and cultural change and deepens the organization’s focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. He strives to both catalyze and partner with organizations already working in the DEI/B space.

Crittenden joined API from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, where he was program director and assistant professor of communication. At Jefferson, he ​​helped revamp the program’s curriculum and served as the inaugural Diversity Advocate for the College of Humanities and Sciences. For his efforts inside and outside the classroom, he received the university’s 2021 Provost’s Award for Service to the Profession.

He has also been a fellow with the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University and the Media and Inequality Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Crittenden earned his Ph.D. in communication from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His doctoral dissertation focused on the history of the National Association of Black Journalists, of which he is a member.

Prior to his academic career, Crittenden was a police and government reporter and is a veteran practitioner of community journalism. He is editor and co-researcher for the Germantown Info Hub, a collaboration with Temple University designed to provide better news coverage of the city’s Germantown neighborhood. He has also consulted for API on diversity-related issues as part of our community listening work.

Note Posted: July 22, 2022