J-School's D'Aria wins an Emmy

The MSU J-School scored a Michigan Emmy Award for lighting for adjunct faculty member Louis A. D'Aria, executive producer of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism's television program "Environment."

D’Aria received his 2008 Emmy award from the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on Saturday, June 7 for "Dying to be Heard."

"Dying to be Heard" tells the story of Michigan State University professor Dr. George J. Wallace, who discovered a link between DDT and dying birds on the MSU campus. His work was highlighted in Rachel Carson's book, "Silent Spring," which helped launch the modern environmental movement.

The 30-minute film, produced by students and faculty in the J-School’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism was aired on WKAR-TV in June 2007 and was picked up by all six Public Broadcasting Service stations in Michigan.

The documentary was nominated for a Michigan Emmy in two categories -- for original music composed by MSU doctoral student Kevin Wilt and for lighting by Lou D'Aria. The documentary also won first place in the category of college-level, long-length video at the Great Lakes Environmental Film Festival in Bay City, Michigan in January and first place in the television in-depth reporting category of region 4 of the Society of Professional Journalists in March. It was also named one of the top three student-made television documentaries in the nation by the Society of Professional Journalists in May.

Lou and his students new documentary, “Meltdown,” will be broadcast on WKAR on June 17.

Congratulations to Lou and his students for a terrific job.