2010 Recipient - Wendie Crouch
Media Specialist, Faculty of Information and Media Studies
Video of presentation of The Western Award of Excellence to Wendie Crouch
To her nominators, Wendie Crouch is the calm in the eye of the storm, the heart of the student production area, and the embodiment of the word ‘excellence. She’s also the one with the messy office.
But one thing all can agree with in describing the Faculty of Information and Media Studies staff member is she plays a huge part in the life of each graduate student in the master’s in journalism program.
Crouch’s job title is Media Specialist, a vague title at best and especially so when it comes to describing what she does. For close to 35 years, she has worked primarily in the broadcast section of the Master’s Journalism Program, with a focus on radio.
She is an expert in audio recording and editing and has kept pace – and even kept ahead – of in a field that has experienced a revolution in technology.
“If I close my eyes, I can picture Wendie standing a little off to the side smiling encouragingly. And that’s what she did all year,” recalls former student Kellie Hudson. “Patient, kind and smart. Wendie had faith in us; she believed in us and most importantly, valued the work we did. More often than not, she was the one we turned to.”
Crouch’s role in the faculty is not limited to technology or assisting instructors. She is one of the drivers of the overall journalism curriculum, often serving on the Journalism Program Committee and providing an important voice on several committees tasked with revamping the journalism program.
And to say the students have made Crouch a member of their extended family is no embellishment.
“I am no longer surprised that at every graduation the room erupts into spontaneous applause when she is introduced,” says Paul Benedetti, program co-ordinator for the Graduate Journalism Program. “Students routinely rush up to hug her and thank her for all her support during the year. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that the students come to love her.”
by Paul Mayne
Western News
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Contact Information
.: Scott May
Campus Communications Consultant
(519) 661-2111 x85466 or smay5@uwo.ca
