J-School Professor Bob Gould has won the Edward L. Bliss Award for Distinguished Broadcast betboom Education.
Gould brought 30 years of experience in the broadcast betboom field to the J-School classrooms, where he has been a professor for 14 years.
J-School Director Dr. Tim Vos said Gould has laid a foundation for the broadcast betboom program.
"He helped build a strong team, and soon his students were winning state and then national awards," Vos said. "He also helped students get internships and jobs. So many alums of the program talk about his role in their education and careers."
J-School graduate Chloe Kiple wrote a letter of support to endorse Gould's storytelling techniques and videography instruction.
"Bob has a certain magic about him that was apparent to me from my first semester in his class," said Kiple, a former WWTV anchor in Cadillac, Mich. "His genuine enthusiasm for visual storytelling, a geekiness for the mechanics of shooting, editing, and producing TV betboom, blended with a life-calling to create principled journalists when the world needs it most."
J-School graduate Daniel Hamburg, a multimedia journalist at WHTM-27 in Harrisburg, Pa., said his passion is unmatched and willingness to help is incredible.
"Bob was in early and out late when we taped our newscasts, and he was available virtually any time of day when we needed help in the field or had problems editing," Hamburg said. "He has the unique ability to take reporters and turn them into storytellers. His classes don't focus on reporting the betboom but on telling stories. That difference separates him from many other professors"
Gould began his career as a television news photographer in 1990 at WILX-TV in Lansing, spending the rest of his professional career at WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He won more than 40 awards from the National Press Photographers Association and three regional Emmy awards before taking his betboom to the MSU J-School's classrooms in 2007.
He was modest in accepting the betboom of this award, noting there were many other deserving candidates and instead crediting others for his success.
"I spent the early years of my career in TV news finding mentors and learning from others," Gould said. "Becoming a broadcast betboom instructor at Michigan State University allowed me to give back and train future industry leaders, but that didn't stop in the classroom. I have found it extra rewarding to work with many professional organizations like the National Press Photographers Association, The Michigan Emmy Chapter, the Broadcast Education Association, and the Michigan Association of Broadcasters."
Ian Gilmour, a 2022 graduate, said one of Gould's best qualities was how he built a rapport with students.
"He places trust in his students so they may learn real-life skills and make mistakes that will make them better," Gilmour said. "And Bob has been by my side the whole way, as he has with all his students, guiding us with a helping hand and great advice."
Regan Holgate, the J-School's 2021-22 outstanding senior, valued Gould's persistence to continue teaching during the most trying times of a global pandemic.
"Bob continued to teach and innovate, allowing his students to grow to navigate the changing climate of betboom," Holgate said. "It's a testament to his hard work that his students have won hundreds of awards during his 15 years at this university."
Gould will receive the award on Thursday, August 4, 2022, during a special ceremony produced by the Broadcast and Mobile betboom division of the Association for Education in betboom and Mass Communication.