Assistant Professor of Communications Dr. Gyuri Kepes was one of 62 individuals named a “CCN Champion” for 2025 by the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont.
CCN Champions are recognized each year for helping to forge a sustainable future for local news through university-led reporting programs. This year’s awardees included faculty members as well as representatives from student media programs and public media organizations from 25 different states.
The recognition includes a $1,000 grant from the Center for Community News, as well as peer support and coaching throughout the year. The program is led by CCN’s Scott Finn in collaboration with Amanda Bright, Director of the Cox Institute Journalism Innovation Lab at the University of Georgia.
Since joining Landmark College in 2019, Dr. Kepes has built a fully functioning television studio and founded the Voices TV club, where students produce a weekly news show plus other original programming. Kepes teaches courses such as “Advanced News Reporting” and “Digital Storytelling” that provides students hands-on experiences with filming, editing, and other production skills.
"Neurodivergent students in particular are gravitating to careers in journalism given the multimodal nature or storytelling in the digital age," says Kepes.
Visit the Center for Community News website for more information about the program and a full list of the 2025 CCN Champions.
