Awards and Scholarships

Congratulations to our 2024 scholarship recipients! We celebrated our favorite event of the academic year on April 25, 2024 — UConn Journalism's annual awards night. Congratulations to our 19 winners, who received a total of $27,000 in scholarships, and to the 39 members of the Class of 2024, who received graduation honor cords at the ceremony.

The featured event speaker was alum Keila Torres Ocasio '07, who is enterprise editor at The Connecticut Mirror. She encouraged students to lean into their curiosity and 'nosiness' as journalists to help them uncover important stories and opportunities in their own careers.

Special guests included emeritus professors Maureen Croteau, Wayne Worcester and Marcel Dufresne, and John Hill, the son of the late Barbara Hill, whose memorial scholarship supports the junior UConn journalism major with the highest GPA.

The scholarship application is now closed. Current UConn Journalism majors will be able to apply for 2025 journalism department scholarships in the Spring 2025 semester. To learn more about the different scholarships available, explore the opportunities below:

The Donald and Jewell Friedman Award

The Donald and Jewell Friedman Award is named for two journalists with a long association to the University. After their journalism careers, Don Friedman served as UConn’s News Coordinator, while Jewell Friedman was named the university’s legislative liaison. The prize is for outstanding published stories by a University of Connecticut undergraduate.

Barbara K. Hill Journalism Award

The Barbara Hill Journalism Award for Academic Excellence honors Barbara Hill, who graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1951. Rather than end her connection to the school at graduation, it was the beginning of a life-long relationship to the university and its students. The award is given annually to a junior journalism major for distinguished academic achievement based on that individual’s grade-point average and rigor of academic program. No application required.

The Charles Litsky Memorial Scholarship

The scholarship honors the memory of Charles Litsky, a well-known BMX racer, announcer and promoter of the sport. He was admired for his racing and announcing skills, as well as his passion for biking and zest for living. He died of a heart attack in 1993 at age 33, just minutes after winning a race. The scholarship was established by his father Frank Litsky, a University of Connecticut alumnus, former sports editor and editor for The New York Times. The award goes to a full-time journalism student based on academic achievement and the rigor of academic program. Also considered are financial need and meaningful engagement beyond academics.

The Sheehan Family Journalism Scholarship

The Sheehan Family Journalism Scholarship honors David M. Sheehan, a UConn graduate and veteran radio and TV sportscaster who died in 2002. It was established by his brother Patrick Sheehan, also a UConn graduate and television news anchor in Connecticut from 1974 to 1999. The scholarship is awarded to a returning journalism major who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.

The Dave Solomon Scholarship

The Dave Solomon Scholarship honors the former Daily Campus editor, a longtime Connecticut sports writer and columnist who died in a car accident in 2011. The scholarship is supported by his family, friends and colleagues to encourage future journalists. Any returning journalism major is eligible to apply, and selection is based on financial need and academic achievement.

The Michael J. Whalen Journalism Award

The award is named for Michael J. Whalen, a veteran journalist who died in 1979 at the age of 36 in an automobile accident, just a few days after he was named assistant metropolitan editor at the Hartford Courant. His colleagues created the award to honor Whalen, who is remembered for his powerful prose, collegial manner, impassioned fervor for the news and wise mentoring of aspiring reporters. It is awarded to a junior or senior who has demonstrated excellence in journalism.

John Breen Scholarship

The John Breen Scholarship honors the longtime journalism department faculty member who retired in 2003 and died in 2014 at age 71. Prof. Breen was a popular and dedicated teacher who introduced several generations of UConn students, majors and non majors, to the history and power of journalism with wit, humor and the highest professionalism. From 1993 to 2004, Prof. Breen wrote a column for the Journal Inquirer. He also served as a faculty advisor to UConn’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Campus, for many years. The Breen scholarship is given to a journalism major based on academic achievement and financial need.

Terese Aronoff Karmel Award for Sports Journalism

The Terese Aronoff Karmel Award is given in honor of long-time Journalism advisor and instructor Terese “T.C.” Karmel, who passed away in December 2017. T.C., a gifted and prolific journalist, was especially passionate about sports. She enjoyed helping many of her students get their first sports stories published, and she took great pride in their accomplishments. The award is given to a journalism major who demonstrates excellence in sports journalism. It is provided for by the generous support of her family and friends.