Pitt staff and publications won several 2024 Robert L. Vann Media Awards

Several University of Pittsburgh staffers were honored with 2024 Robert L. Vann Media Awards by the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation. The Vann Awards of Excellence were presented at a dinner at the O’Hara Student Center on the University’s Pittsburgh campus.

Pitt Magazine won several awards, with Senior Writer and Editor Ervin Dyer and Creative Director Zachary Beresh recognized for “August Wilson’s World” in the categories of magazine writing and page design, respectively. (A self-portrait of Wilson, above, leads the piece.) Former Pitt communications manager Deborah Todd also won in writing for her piece, “Compassion in Action,” about a Pitt alumna’s work supporting people with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. George Schill and Nate Guidry also earned honors in the illustration and personality/profile photo categories, respectively, for their Pitt Magazine work.

Three Office of University Communications and Marketing staffers took home a win in the documentary category for “Remembering the first Black provost at Pitt,” a film on the life of the late Donald M. Henderson. It was produced by Jumoke Davis, director of video production, and Kara Elyse Henderson, content manager, with video editing by Adam Kilburn.

Henderson also won in the non-daily news service category for her Pittwire story on Kakenya Ntaiya, a Pitt alumna who supports the health of women and girls through her nonprofit. The story focuses on Ntaiya’s mission to prevent female genital mutilation and child marriage in Kenya.

— Nick France