University of Miami School of Communication alumni recently took home Emmy gold. The stellar works of both faculty and alumni were nominated this year for Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Jacquie Franciulli, BSC ’09, Broadcast Journalism, won the Mid-Atlantic Emmy for Best Sports Story about the Manheim Central Girls Basketball team and the young female athlete who inspires them. Franciulli is the Sports Director at Blue Ridge Communications Cable 11 near Lancaster, PA.  She credits her success to the outstanding education she received while at University of Miami.

“Being in the business now for almost three years, I didn't realize how much more prepared I was coming from the U.”

Nicolas DeGrazia, B.F.A., ’01, Daniel Kullman, B.S. ’01,  won an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Achievement for Special Event Coverage (Editing) for a commercial they produced for the 2011 Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition.
The owners of Bitter Jester Creative, a top video production company in Chicago, they were also nominated for two more Emmys for commercials produced for the Ravinia Festiva. Kullman and DeGrazia studied screenwriting and production in  the school's Motion Picture program

"Being "Emmy-nominated" is an award in-and-of itself; a title that will never go away regardless of whether or not we win," DeGrazia said.  "UM connected us with so many great people - teachers and students alike with whom we bounce our ideas off of today."

In July, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences nominated Jeffery Stern, a faculty member in the Department of Cinema and Interactive Media, for Outstanding Editing on a TV series on the hit HBO show, Boardwalk Empire.

"It's a thrill to work on a terrific show such as Boardwalk Empire with a talented and dedicated crew," Stern said. "The commitment of producers that appreciate the impact of sound and are willing to make the investment necessary to put it on screen cannot be understated.

David Farah, B.S.C. ’12, Electronic Media, won an Emmy in Student Production for “Resolution” an independent study project about music that he completed while at UM.

A rock, pop, and acoustic guitar musician, Farah explores the making of his music video and the story behind his song, “Resolution” in the project. He is currently pursuing his music career in McLean, Va.

In Feature News Reporting, the SunCoast Regional Emmy’s honored alumna Lisett Mari, an anchor and reporter at WSCV-TV, the Spanish-language Telemundo affiliate in Miami, with an Emmy for “Parkour Un Salto al Peligro,” a report about parkour, a type of obstacle course training that has become a healthy-living favorite.

Also in Miami, Bonnie Laden Hernandez, B.S.C. ’00, Broadcast Journalism, a senior producer for WFOR CBS 4 , won for “March of the Living: Return to Auschwitz,” a powerful and moving documentary about  Holocaust survivors living in South Florida.

UM Broadcast Journalism faculty member Ed Julbe  praised the success of all the SoC graduates.

“It's an honor when industry professionals acknowledge and appreciate the work and passion our students put in to their productions,” Julbe said.

- Emily Young

To view Farah's Emmy-nominated project, click here.
To view DeGrazia and Kullman's Emmy-nominated commercials, click here.
To view the Mari’s report on Parkour, click here.
To view the  Hernandez’s report, click here.
Watch Franciulli's Emmy-winning report here: