School of Communication alumni and friends enjoy annual reception
GREENVILLE, N.C. (June 23, 2010) – Former students, current faculty and others were able to reminisce about the past and catch up on what's new, when The School of Communication alumni and friends group, CommCrew, held its fourth annual reception Saturday, April 24 at the Emerge Art Gallery in downtown Greenville.
John Beard, ECU alumnus (BFA '75), was the guest speaker. Beard is an Emmy-award winning TV journalist with 26 years of experience as a reporter and anchor in Los Angeles.
“This year's event was dynamic and entertaining,” said Dr. Linda Kean, Director of the School of Communication. “I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Beard's tales from the field.”
Kean added that she was also quite pleased to see Michael Aho receive the first Distinguished Alumni Award.
“I had Michael as a student and he embodied then, and does still now, the ECU motto `servire,'” Kean stated.
Aho (BA '02), who is a former CommCrew president, is employed by the Federal Government as an analyst covering United Nations peacekeeping around the world.
The School of Communication's Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes alumni with outstanding and uncommon achievement in one's profession, in civic affairs, and/or politics.
Mary Schulken (BA '79), current CommCrew President and Associate Editor of The Charlotte Observer, presented Aho with the award.
"This reception set a record for attendance and set a high bar for alumni achievement by honoring Michael Aho, whose integrity, professional accomplishments and service to East Carolina University reflect the core values the School of Communication embraces," Schulken stated.
Forty-four alumni, faculty members and friends of the School of Communication attended the event, which has been held in Mendenhall on ECU's campus in previous years. Emerge Art Gallery is a non-profit organization dedicated to education about and promotion of the arts eastern North Carolina.
