Contact: Sarah Schutt, Wisconsin Alumni Association, (608) 263-2043,sschutt@waastaff.com

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Alumni Association has selected Stephen Ward, director for the Center for Journalism Ethics and a distinguished professor in the School of Journalism & Mass Communications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as the 2011 recipient of the Ken and Linda Ciriacks Alumni Outreach Excellence Award.

L to R: WAA President Paula Bonner, Stephen J.A. Ward, Sarah Schutt, WAA Director of Lifelong Learning

The Ciriacks Alumni Outreach Excellence Award recognizes UW faculty members who go above and beyond their job roles to support the Wisconsin Idea and WAA by delivering a variety of enrichment or outreach programs to a primarily alumni audience.

For the past three years, Ward has engaged alumni in WAA’s lifelong learning programs. He has facilitated several panels on the ethics of journalism in major metropolitan cities, including New York, Seattle, Chicago and Los Angeles. He has also participated in numerous Founders’ Day events; sharing his knowledge about journalism’s future with alumni audiences across the nation. Ward also joined Chancellor Biddy Martin last fall in New York City for the inaugural “Meeting of the Minds.”

“We’re proud to recognize Stephen Ward for his dedication to serving the UW alumni community,” said Paula Bonner MS’78, WAA’s president and CEO. “Ward is a natural choice for this award. He is enthusiastic and innovative in engaging faculty and alumni in dynamic programs.”

Ward is the first James E. Burgess Professor of Journalism Ethics in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, such as International Communications, Professional Responsibility in Mass Media and Ethics on the Digital Frontier.

Previously, he was director of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He is also the author of numerous works, such as the award-winning book, The Invention of Journalism Ethics: The Path to Objectivity and Beyond.

The $2,500 Alumni Outreach Excellence Award is named for WAA Board member Ken Ciriacks ’58, one of the most active alumni in the history of WAA, and his wife, Linda. A geologist and former petroleum industry executive, Ken Ciriacks was a charter member of the geology department’s board of visitors and is a member of the Bascom Hill Society. His generosity helped make possible the excavation and reconstruction of the Geology Museum’s 33-foot-long Edmontosaurus dinosaur skeleton.

Founded in 1861, WAA offers UW alumni and friends a wide variety of services, including the award-winning On Wisconsin and Badger Insider Magazines, career services, student programming, international travel opportunities and lifelong learning events. Learn more at uwalumni.com.