School of Media and Communication

Biography

I always knew I would teach one day. When I had an opportunity in 1992 to teach at Temple, I couldn’t pass it up. I was very familiar and impressed with the Temple broadcast journalism program. While working as a City Hall reporter for Philadelphia’s WPEN-AM, I had worked side-by-side with WRTI-FM (Temple University Public Radio) student reporters. They were covering the same stories as the professionals in the fourth largest media market. I thought any program that gives students this kind of practical experience, has to be good. And it is!!!! Before joining Temple, I had a diverse career. When I graduated from Dartmouth College – I was in the first class of women to matriculate as freshmen – I decided to attend law school. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to practice law, but I knew the analytical skills would be transferable. Following my graduation from Northwestern University School of Law, I worked for the American Bar Association in Chicago. There I began to meet many journalists. As a youngster, I wanted to be a sportscaster. However, there were no female role models at that time. While living in Chicago my journalistic interests changed. I became a news junkie, though I still love to follow all sports. Chicago was a great news and sports town. I decided to change careers after seeing very biased election news coverage of the Chicago mayor’s race in 1983. When I tried to get a job in broadcast news, I was told I had great academic credentials but no practical experience. No one would hire me. So, I did the unthinkable—I went back to school. This time I matriculated at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, thanks to a NBC fellowship. Following J-School, I was able to land a job with Greater Media, Inc. in East Brunswick, N.J. Eventually I was hired as a reporter at their New Brunswick radio station, WCTC-AM. I was there for almost a year when I was hired away to be the News and Public Affairs Director at a start-up urban-formatted station (WIZF-FM—the WIZ) in Cincinnati. Here’s where I really learned the business. I was part of the morning team. In addition to doing the news, I hosted and produced a two-hour live Sunday Morning talk show. Being an on-air personality was a very different experience. After two years I left the Queen City and returned to the east coast. I accepted a radio reporting and anchoring job at WPEN-AM in Philadelphia, which at the time had an oldies format. Following three years at WPEN, I went to work for then Philadelphia mayor, Ed Rendell, as his first press secretary. What I realized was that I loved being a journalist. I am passionate about journalism – intelligent talk radio – and golden retrievers – I have rescued three. Feel free to stop by my office – AH318. Now that you know me – let’s talk about you.