College of Media

Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media

Rich and Leslie Frank have given the largest gift in College of Media history—$7.5 million—to establish the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media. Rich Frank, former president of Disney Studios, and Leslie (Miller) Frank, an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist, both now vintners and hospitality leaders in Napa Valley, sought to make an investment that would have an impact for generations.

Programming will feature a speaker series, panels, workshops, and residencies with a diverse group of experts and practitioners, coordinated by inaugural director Colleen King, clinical assistant professor of journalism. The Frank Center will also support outside learning opportunities, particularly in journalism, including professional immersion experiences, conference participation, and internships. Read more.

Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies

Thanks to gifts totaling more than $5 million from a collection of donors—inspired by a lead gift from Roger and Chaz Ebert—the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies will officially launch in 2022. Roger Ebert (BS ’64, journalism) was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize and the first film critic honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Funding will support robust annual programming, including the Ebert Symposium, Ebert Lecture, and a screening series. Inaugural director Julie Turnock, associate professor of media and cinema studies, will coordinate event programming, Ebert research grants and travel grants for film studies, and the Ebert Fellows Program for undergraduate students. Read more.

James W. Carey Fund for Faculty Excellence

To honor their father’s legacy at Illinois and in the field of media, former college Dean James Carey’s four sons endowed the James W. Carey Fund for Faculty Excellence. The fund will benefit College of Media faculty affiliated with the Institute of Communications Research, where Carey earned his doctoral degree, was a research professor, and served as director (1969-1976). The ICR, housed within the College of Media, is the world’s oldest program for interdisciplinary research and doctoral education in communication and media studies. Carey was a student of the media’s role in society, and his commentaries on American civil life are some of the most influential in the field of communication. Read more.

Photo courtesy of the University of Illinois Archives.

Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellows Program

The College of Media received an estate gift of just over $1 million to create the Mark L. Brandt Public Engagement Fellows program for undergraduates. The fund, endowed in perpetuity, will provide internships to Media students to work with college faculty and staff on public engagement projects, and support student participation in programs for first-generation college students, students from underrepresented groups, and/or students with significant financial need. Because of the profound impact that the University of Illinois had on the trajectory of Brandt’s life, his dear friend, fellow Illini, and trustee of his estate, Mary Leyendecker, chose to ensure that his legacy makes a positive impact on students and society for years to come. Read more.

Jack Klues Scholars

With a 35-year career in global leadership roles at renowned media companies, Jack Klues (BS ’77, advertising) understands the power of bringing diverse ideas to the table. He is committed to helping Illinois advertising students from underserved communities gain access to opportunities and drive the industry forward.

In 2015, the Klues Family Foundation donated $1 million to the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising to fund scholarships for underrepresented students with significant financial need. Since then, more than 60 students have been aided by this gift. It has funded scholarships, internships, experiential learning opportunities through advertising immersion trips, and support for high schoolers to attend a College of Media summer camp. Read more.