Journalism college honors alumni, leaders

Seven individuals were honored during J Day activities April 6 and 7 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

In an April 6 ceremony to induct students into the journalism honor society, Kappa Tau Alpha, the college presented the Outstanding Service Award for the Will Owen Jones chapter to Kathleen Rutledge, editor of the Lincoln Journal Star since December 2001.

The Thomas C. Sorensen Award for Distinguished Nebraska Journalism went to Matthew Hansen of the Lincoln Journal Star for his series, "Beyond bin Laden: The Afghan-Nebraska link," published in November. A native of Red Cloud, Hansen is the Journal Star's higher education beat writer. He graduated from UNL in 2003. Hansen has written many memorable stories in his short time with the Journal Star -- a profile of Dick Cavett, Johnny Carson's obituary, Marlon Brando's obituary, coverage of the Hallam tornado, the university's presidential search and the 2004 firing of Nebraska football coach Frank Solich.

Alumni Awards of Excellence were presented to Phil Johnson of Minneapolis, Dan Dillon of Wichita, Kan., and Rex Seline of Fort Worth, Texas. Jerry Huse, publisher of the Norfolk Daily News, received the Service to the Profession Award. Roger Larson of Lincoln received the Nebraska Broadcast Pioneer Award from the college and the Nebraska Broadcasters Association.

Johnson, who received the Outstanding Advertising Award, has been the chief operating officer of COLLE+McVOY, a Minnesota-based marketing and communications company, since 2004. Johnson redefined the COO role to provide more senior client counsel and strategic team direction. He continues to be responsible for COLLE+McVOY's operations, including human resources, business development and organic growth. He most recently managed the acquisition of Mobium Creative Services, a business-to-business counterpart to base agency offering, and the landing of three new accounts representing more than $32 million in capitalized billings in an 18-month period. Johnson graduated from UNL in 1977 with a bachelor of arts in advertising and English.

Dillon, who won the Outstanding Broadcasting Award, has been news director at KFDI-FM and KFTI-AM in Wichita since 1979 and oversees a radio news department that focuses on breaking news, street news and severe weather coverage. Dillon and KFDI received an Edward R. Murrow award in October for coverage of a tornado that struck south of Wichita in 2004. The Kansas Association of Broadcasters inducted Dillon into its Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2005. He graduated from the UNL School of Journalism in 1974.

Seline, winner of the Outstanding News-Editorial Award, is managing editor/news at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he oversees coverage of Fort Worth and of the state of Texas and supervises the business and national/foreign desks. The Star-Telegram has been named best major market newspaper by the Press Club of Dallas for the past three years, competing with newspapers in Texas and surrounding states. The business section has been honored twice by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers with a best in business award as one of the top sections among large newspapers. Seline graduated from UNL in 1978.

Huse, who became publisher of the Norfolk Daily News in 1956 when he was 29 years old, and remains committed to producing a high-quality newspaper that promotes the welfare of its community. The fourth generation of his family to be publisher of the Daily News, Huse joined the newspaper full time in 1950 after duty in the U.S. Navy and graduating from the University of Minnesota, where he majored in business and journalism. In 1997, he received the Nebraska Press Association's highest honor, the Master Editor-Publisher Award. He was inducted into the Nebraska Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2004.

Larson, whose 40-year career began at Lincoln station KFOR-AM in 1953, has been officially retired from radio for 14 years. He served as vice president and was general manager of KFOR-AM and KFRX-FM from 1959 to 1991, when he retired from his full-time position. Larson remained a consultant to KFOR-AM, and his familiar voice returned to the Lincoln airwaves in 2000 when he voiced his opinions on local, state and national issues in his "Perspectives" commentaries. Larson joined KLIN-AM in January. His editorials run three times a day, including the morning and afternoon drives, every Tuesday and Thursday. Larson served as president of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association in 1966 and again in 1972. He was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame in 1966.

CONTACT: Marilyn Hahn, Communication Specialist, Journalism & Mass Communications, (402) 472-0876