Ninth Annual Merck Awards Program Held April 2-5, 2003

Administered by the Journalism Resources Institute of Rutgers University, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies and held at the University Inn & Conference Center of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the awards ceremony is part of a program of the Merck Company Foundation and Merck & Co., Inc.

SCILS Dean Gus Friedrich and JRI Director and Chair of the Journalism and Media Studies Department at Rutgers John Pavlik spoke at the opening ceremony on April 2, with an opening talk by Paul Raeburn, immediate past president of the National Association of Science Writers.

Student winners and their faculty representatives heard talks by distinguished speakers, including Carol Ann Campbell, medical writer, The Star-Ledger; Sara Lee Kessler, health and medical correspondent, New Jersey Network; and Peter Frishauf, founder of Medscape.com. They also visited the New York Times office in Manhattan and spoke to the science editor.

Download the Ninth Annual brochure and agenda (pdf)

Student Scholarship Winners and Faculty Representatives

Boston University, Knight Center for Science & Medical Journalism
Student: Rebecca Deusser
Faculty: Ellen Ruppel Shell, Co-Director, Associate Professor of Journalism

Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism
Student: Laura Wright
Faculty: Steven Ross, Co-Director, Institute for Analytic Journalism

Howard University, School of Communication
Student: Christopher Windham
Faculty: Yanick Rice Lamb, Instructor

University of Maryland, Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Student: Elizabeth Shack
Faculty: Adrianne Flynn, Lecturer & Annapolis Bureau Chief, Capital News Service

University of Missouri, School of Journalism
Student: Christine Jaekyung Suh
Faculty: Robert A. Logan, Professor & Associate Dean

New York University, Science & Environmental Reporting
Student: Stephanie Riesenman
Faculty: William E. Burrows, Professor & Director, Science & Environmental Reporting Graduate Program

University of North Carolina, School of Journalism & Mass Communication
Student: Anton Zuiker
Faculty: Tom Linden, Professor of Medical Journalism & Director, Medical Journalism Program

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Department of Journalism & Media Studies
Student: Danielle Hawkes
Faculty: Linda Johnson, adjunct professor and Associated Press medical reporter