The Communication Studies Department annually presents an award to honor the memory of its late chairperson (1982-1993) and colleague, Dr. Marilyn G. S. Watt.This award, which goes to a Communication Studies alumnus, is given at the department's spring honors reception.
The department believes that Dr. Watt exemplified positive values in her career, family and community activities and demonstrated them through a strong commitment to understanding and sharing a sense of community through communication. The application of this philosophy of service is seen as the basis for the Marilyn G. S. Watt Alumni Award.
If you would like to nominate someone, we would appreciate hearing from you. Letters of nomination should be sent to Dr. Barbara Irwin, chair of the MGSW Alumni Award committee. The letter should identify the candidate; his or her current position; and reasons for support. Self-nominations are invited.
2008 Watt Award
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Steve Brown, left, class of '83, a Fox tv correspondent, receives the 2008 Marilyn G.S. Watt Award from Nancy Prescott, former secretary in the Communication Studies Department, and Dr. John Dahlberg, a Watt Award selection committee member and a professor in the department. | |
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Photo by Kristen Victor |
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2007 Watt Award
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The Communication Studies Department presented Mary Lynn Ryan '84 of CNN with the 2007 Marilyn G.S. Watt Alumni Award at the spring honors day ceremony. Mary Lynn Ryan won an Emmy as well as a Women in Communication Award for a program called Three on 3 at WKYC. She is currently living in Atlanta and is the Southeast Regional Bureau Chief. | |
| Dr. Wanzer presents Mary Lynn Ryan with the Watt Award. Photograph by Cassie Eldred |
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2006 Watt Award
| The Communication Studies Department honored William Paterson '93 as the 2006 recipient of the Marilyn G.S. Watt Alumni Award at our spring honors day ceremony. Paterson is Assistant Creative Director at Travers Collins and Company and has been a friend and mentor to many Communication Studies majors interested in advertising and writing. He is working towards his Master's degree in Communication and Leadership at Canisius. |  |
2005 Watt Award
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Shannon DiPietro '85, right, General Motors Corporation Global Director, Human Resources Information Technology and HR Operations Center received the Watt Award from Dr. Barbara Irwin, Chair, Communication Studies. |
2004 Watt Award
| Dr. Barry Berlin, former chair of the Communications Studies presenting Watt Award to Gregory W. Mott '81, Senior Copy Editor for the Washington Post. |  | |
| Photographs by Kirsten Jahn/DMA 2007 |
2003 Watt Award
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A FAMILY AFFAIR. Richard Spears, '81, and his family during Senior Reception Day April 2003. Spears (center) is shown holding the 2003 Marilyn G.S. Watt Alumni Award. He is senior vice president for client services, at Crowley Webb and Associates, an advertising agency in Buffalo. | |
| Photo by Dan Simone |
2002 Watt Awards
| Dr. Barbara Irwin (left) presents the 2002 Watt Award to Lisa August, '84, Associate Director of the Career Development Center at Buffalo State College |  | |
| Dr. Barbara Irwin (left) presents the 2002 Watt to co-recipient Don Goralski, '80, of the multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo |  |
2001 Watt Award
The Marilyn G.S. Watt Alumni Award was presented this year to Ms. Jamie E. DePeau '81, on April 19, at the annual Communication Studies Awards event. DePeau is vice president for marketing communications at Merck-Medco in Franklin Lakes, N.J.DePeau was nominated by Thomas E. Greenwald '82, senior vice president at Morgan Stanley, who attended the event and accepted the award on DePeau's behalf. In his letter of nomination, Greenwald stated, in part, "The manner in which Jamie conducts herself is reminiscent of Dr. Watt. Like Dr. Watt, Jamie is very professional, very confident, and very engaging."
2000 Watt Award
| Dr. Trevor L. Watt, professor of religious studies and widower of Dr. Marilyn Watt, presents the Marilyn G. S. Watt Alumni Award to Dawn Elisa Smith '93, then display sales manager for The Buffalo News. The award given at the Spring 2000 Communication Studies majors' event. Smith is a retail advertising sales manager for The Star-Ledger, New Jersey. |  |
No Award was given in 1999.
1998 Watt Awards
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Charles A. Clement, Jr. '80, District Court Judge for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, accepts the Dr. Marilyn G.S. Watt Award in the fall of 1998. | |
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Dr. Trevor Watt awards Jodi L. Johnston, '95, MS '99, with the Dr. Marilyn G.S. Watt Award in the fall of 1998. Then co-host / reporter / associate producer for Adelphia International, Johnston is now an anchor for WGRZ-TV. | |
1997 Watt Award
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| Photograph courtesy of Tom Wolf. |
1996 Watt Award
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William Wiittrock (Second from the left) accepts the award fromDr. Trevor Watt. Dr. Ellen Conley & Dr. Barry Berlin look on, Photograph courtesy of Tom Wolf. |
The first annual Marilyn Watt Award was presented to William T. Wittrock '86, then public relations specialist for the National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Given to recognize an outstanding Communication Studies graduate, the award is named for the late Dr. Marilyn Watt, who served as Chair of Communication Studies at Canisius, and whose husband, Dr. Trevor Watt, Professor of Religious Studies made the presentation with Dr. Barry Berlin, then Chairman of the Communication Studies Department and Dr. Ellen Conley, then Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and currently Vice President of Student Affairs.