The last week and the end is not near!

Lots of doings to report as we wrap the last week of the term. Finals and commencement are next week. But among the great things happening?

Amanda Peterka, the J-School Outstanding Senior, earned another major accolade when she was named one of top 100 journalism students in the U.S. by uwire.com. Congrats to Amanda!!

Cheryl Pell, J-School faculty member and executive director of the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association, was honored by her members with the John V. Field Award for her service to Michigan scholastic journalism. It was a stealth and heartily endorsed move by MIPA and a complete surprise to Cheryl. The award was presented at the MIPA spring conference on Tuesday, April 28. No one deserves this more than Cheryl She is the number #1 supporter of scholastic journalism In Michigan and across the country.

Also on Tuesday, J-School faculty Dan Davis and Fred Fico met with ARMY ROTC cadets as part of our ongoing Military and the Media project.

And the members of Bill McWhirter's Business News Seminar took on a spring project focused on the effects of Michigan's suffering economy on Michigan State as a major research and land grant university. The 12-member group conducted more than 50 in-depth interviews on campus and across the country, including MSU administration leaders and a 90-minute intensive sit-down interview with President Lou Anna K. Simon. Their results, which look at MSU's history and reactions to the crisis on other U.S. campuses, found MSU's approach to the pressures more measured and far less publicly dramatic despite Michigan's economy than at many other U.S. schools. The teams have been working non-stop on fact checking and edits all week. The 13-section report will be published and distributed later in May. The Business News Seminar, initiated only last year, is among the new courses in the J-School.

Longtime faculty member, John Molloy, is being honored by his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati. He has been selected of one of four inductees in the inaugural Journalism Hall of Fame there. It is a special honor for this veteran educator, newsman, prolific author and scholar. We are so proud of you, John!

Finally, we are working hard getting ready for the all important May 11 News summit: In Search of a New Journalism. Anyone with web access will be able to view the live webcast on SpartanTV from 1:30-4 p.m., EDT. We have an exciting roster of panelists. A live audience is invited to attend, as well, in Studio E in the Com Arts Building. Just RSVP to let us know you are coming, since seating is limited. Send an email to jrn@msu.edu.