SPRINGFIELD – Three graduate students in the Public Affairs Reporting program at the University of Illinois at Springfield – Richard J. Frederick, Jermain Griffin, and Sara G. Wojcicki – have been named recipients of the 2002 James E. Armstrong Scholarships.

Patrick Coburn, publisher of the State Journal-Register, presented the scholarships at a luncheon held December 12 at the S J-R. The scholarships are given in memory of Armstrong, who was publisher of the Illinois State Journal and the Illinois State Register, predecessors of the State Journal-Register, from 1964 until his death in 1967. They are awarded to students in the PAR program who have demonstrated strong interest and potential in the field of government and political reporting.

Frederick, the son of Pamela and George Frederick of Peoria, Arizona, received a bachelor of science in Journalism from Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, in 2002. At NAU, he reported on student government for the student newspaper, The Lumberjack, and served an internship as a general assignment reporter at The Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff, covering city government, police, courts, and education. In January he will begin an internship with Copley Illinois Newspapers.

Griffin, the son of Julia and W.T. Griffin of Corona, New York, earned a bachelor of arts in Economics from Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, in 2002. He is currently a reporter for UIS’ student newspaper, The Journal, a free-lance correspondent with The State

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Journal-Register, and works at the Springfield YMCA. While at Western Connecticut, he was managing editor and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Echo, and a reporting intern with The News-Times in Danbury. Last summer, before coming to UIS, he was an intern with Dow Jones Newswires. In January he will begin an internship with the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.

Wojcicki is the daughter of Sally and Ed Wojcicki of Springfield. She received a bachelor of arts in Mass Communications, cum laude, from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, in 2001. Currently, she is a program host at WYRV-FM, a board operator at WMAY-AM, and a media producer/public address announcer with the UIS Athletics Office. She also does public relations work for SalJean Advertising in Springfield. While at SIU-E, she was an anchor, editor, and news and sports reporter for WSIE-FM and interned as a field producer and writer with KPLR-TV in St. Louis. Before enrolling at UIS, she was a producer/reporter with KHQA-TV in Quincy. In January she will begin an internship with WICS-TV, Springfield.

UIS’ Public Affairs Reporting program, directed by Charles Wheeler, is a one-year master’s degree program focusing on coverage of state government news. In addition to academic work, students serve six-month internships with newspaper, magazine, radio, television, wire service, or audio news service bureaus in the Statehouse pressroom in Springfield.

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