Moody excellence
Moody College faculty, students and alumni take home A-list awards

Texas Speech 2025 National Champions for the fourth consecutive year
The University of Texas Speech Team, housed within Moody College’s Department of Communication Studies, was presented with the National Team Championship by the American Forensic Association at this year’s competition. Held at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, this was the fourth consecutive year that Texas Speech has been awarded the team championship. The team has won the overall championship 11 times since 1994.

Korey Pereira and Jessica McGehee named Texas Exes’ Outstanding Young Alumni
The Outstanding Young Texas Ex Awards were created by the Texas Exes in 1979 to recognize the achievements of alumni 39 and younger who have made significant achievements in their careers, community and service to The University of Texas at Austin. In 2024, the Texas Exes recognized Korey Pereira and Jessica McGehee. Pereira earned his B.S. in Radio-Television-Film in 2011 and then joined the faculty at Moody College in 2018. In 2023, he became an Assistant Professor of Practice and Area Head for Audio. McGehee is a bestselling author writing under the pseudonym J. Elle.

Three Moody College alumni receive 2025 Pulitzer Prizes
Moody College of Communication alumni Cassandra Jaramillo, Brianna Tucker and Lisa Falkenberg were awarded Pulitzer Prizes for covering impactful news stories and history-making breaking news.

Friends of the College Awards
Moody College of Communication honored some of its most revered community members at the 2024 Friends of the College Awards Ceremony.
The Robert C. Jeffrey College Benefactor Award, which is named for the college’s third dean and goes to people who have given time or resources to the college, was given to The University of Texas at Austin Vice President and Lois and Richard Folger Athletics Director Chris Del Conte.
2024 Outstanding Alumni Award went to Dina Gerson, who earned her bachelor’s in advertising from UT Austin and worked for the Coca-Cola Company for 30 years, including heading up their Olympic marketing.
The Jay M. Bernhardt Award for Staff Excellence, which honors a staff member who has gone above and beyond to make a significant impact at the college, was given to Christie Hodge, the director of graduate programs. Hodge helped launch Moody College’s Option III program, which includes a certificate and master’s degree.

Dan Rather Medals for News and Guts
Every year, the School of Journalism and Media awards the Dan Rather Medals for News and Guts to reporters who go the extra mile to hold people and institutions accountable.
This year, the school recognized multiple reporters for their work. The 2025 First Place Professional Winner was to Nick Gerda for his reporting for the LAist. Amelia Ferrell Knisely was the 2025 Second Place Professional Winner. The 2025 First Place Student Media Winner was Garrett Shanley. Shanley and the Independent Florida Alligator, the student newspaper at the University of Florida, exposed a tripling of executive spending, much of it to political allies, by the university president. The Arizona State University Cronkite News received the 2025 Second Place Student Media Winner.

Moody College Staff Impact Award winners
The Staff Impact Award recognizes staff members who go above and beyond their regular duties to make a significant impact at Moody.
Lauren Castro
Media Technology Coordinator
Mark Rogers
Senior Media Support Technician
Julie Campos
Director of Pre-Award Research Administration
Rheanne Pecsenye
Program Coordinator, The Lab

Outstanding faculty achievements
Brad Love received the 2025 Friar Centennial Teaching Fellowship.
Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez received a Texas Exes Texas 10 faculty award.
Chester Slimp was presented with a James W. Vick Award for Academic Advising.
Dave Junker received the Dads’ Association Centennial Teaching Fellowship.
Gerald Johnson was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his support of The Daily Texan and student media.
Mary Bock received an Outstanding Graduate Advisor Award.
Keri Stephens was named a 2024 International Communication Association fellow.
Rene Dailey received the President’s Associates Graduate Teaching Excellence Award.
Raymond Thompson received the Moody College Creative Achievement Award for his book, “Appalachian Ghosts”.
Courtney Byrd received the Ellen A. Wartella Distinguished Research Award for her article, “CARE Model of Treatment for stuttering: Theory, assumptions, and preliminary findings.”
