Amelia Sack ’13
is multimedia journalist at WBRE/WYOU-TV in Wilkes Barre, PA.
THE LAWRENCE HERBERT SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
NETWORK OF SUCCESS
The profiles below highlight just a handful of Hofstra graduates achieving success across the media
industry, from coast to coast and around the globe.
Neha Joy
is a host, writer and producer, currently working for The Hollywood Reporter where she reports the latest in film, television and pop culture through THR’s daily news videos as well as conducts interviews in-studio and on the red carpet with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Alexis Sansone ’16
is currently working as a VFX supervisor for Phosphene VFX in NYC. She has been there since graduating in 2016 and left her mark on several Oscar nominated films such as Tick Tick Boom, In The Heights, and most recently Bradley Cooper’s Maestro.
Kristen ‘Carlie’ Fasanella ’15
served as an associate producer for the Emmy Award nominated The Problem With Jon Stewart (Apple TV+).
Ryan Smith ’05
is a documentary filmmaker and producer/editor at NFL Network and Amazon Thursday Night Football. He was a producer on the NFL 360 documentary WHO IF NOT US, and his most recent documentary Soldiers of Song premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival.
Adrian Saba ’10
is a Peruvian-Spanish film director and screenwriter. His films The Cleaner and The Erection of Toribio Bardelli were selected as the Peruvian entry in the Best International Feature Film category at the 86th Academy Awards and the 96th Academy Awards respectively.
Ali Lanyon ’00
is the morning anchor at abc27 in Harrisburg, PA. Lanyon has earned four Emmy Awards since joining abc27 and teaches journalism at Elizabethtown College’s School of Public Service. She previously worked at WITN-TV in Greenville, NC. See more at ABC27.
Katerina Belales ’21
is a full-time anchor and senior multimedia journalist for News 12 Westchester/Hudson Valley. She was previously morning news anchor and producer for WENY-TV in Elmira, NY. Belales graduated from Hofstra with BA degrees in Journalism and Drama, and a minor in Musical Theater.
Crystal Bermudez ’23
joined the WENY News team in July 2023 as an anchor and producer for Good Morning Twin Tiers. As a Hofstra student, Bermudez won a 2022 Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media for her work with WRHU 88.7 FM.
Michael Fuller ’16, ’17
co-anchors WGAL News on NBC affiliate WGAL 8 TV, Lancaster PA, at 4 p.m., and reports for the 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts. Fuller previously worked at NBC Connecticut as a general assignment reporter, and WLTX-TV CBS affiliate team in Columbia, SC, as a multimedia journalist.
Briana Smith ’16, ’17
is a general assignment reporter for 6 ABC, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, PA. Smith previously worked as an anchor and reporter for KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, PA, and as a reporter and part-time anchor at Spectrum News 1 in Syracuse and Binghamton, NY.
Lisa Tangredi ’08
and members of her crew from the Catholic Faith Network at the 65th Annual NY Emmy Awards. L-R Front Row: Jonathan Grand ’06 (Producer), Lisa Tangredi ’08 (Director), Nathan Rucci ’07 (Editor/Technical Director). L-R Back Row: Nick Hintz ’16 (Production Specialist), TJ Katsoulas ’05 (Lighting Director)
Scott Aharoni ’16
Leylak, a short film by Scott Aharoni ’16 made its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize. The film was also included in Variety’s predictions for the 2022 Oscars.
Bryan Diperstein ’09
, an agent at ICM, was selected for The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen 2021: 35 Rising Executives 35 and Under.
Kristen V. Carter ’06
– showrunner, executive producer, and head writer – is currently serving as executive producer of the four-part documentary series for OWN/Discovery+ about addressing stereotypes that Black men face in this country. Kristen graduated with a major in television production and studies with a minor in dance.
Mark Bracco ’92
is president of Silent House Productions, a full-service production company, creating premium unscripted and live event content across all media platforms.
Beth Carey ’94
is chief booking and casting producer-development for Law and Crime Productions.
Samantha Manning ’09
joined KIRO 7/Cox Media Group’s Washington D.C. bureau in October 2019. She’s responsible for covering important developments from Capitol Hill, federal agencies, and the White House that impact local viewers.
Sophie Krall ’13
is Production Coordinator at Junket Productions.
David Goldberg ’89
is president and CVO of Digital Waterworx, which produces radio and television commercials, corporate videos, post-production, live events, and a host of other creative media services. Since its inception, the company has worked with an international client base that exceeds 4,000. David can personally be heard as the voice on hundreds of radio and TV commercials including the U.S. Army, Activision, Coors, General Motors, and Eli Lilly, and is a prominent voice on one of the leading streaming music services.
Shannon Nia Alomar ’15
is a kindergarten science teacher at Neighborhood Science Charter Schools. Previously, Shannon was a production assistant for CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.
Andrew Rea ’09
is a bestselling author and host of Binging with Babish, a YouTube series with more than 9 million subscribers, where he recreates TV and film recipes.
Gabriela Molina ’16
is a News Reporter at Fox 61 News in Hartford, Connecticut.
Amanda Kenney ’09
is a public relations and editorial specialist for Eddy Alexander. Previously, Amanda was a morning news anchor at WFXR in Roanoke, Virginia.
Joe Pantorno ’13
is Sports Editor at amNewYork.
Faridah Demola Seriki ’13
(Kah-Lo) is nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award, Best Dance Recording for “Rinse & Repeat” (Riton Featuring Kah-Lo).
David Ringel ’08
won an Emmy for his work on Super Bowl 50 and currently works as Senior Lead Viz Designer for CBS Sports.
Lauren Wolfe
graduated from Hofstra with a BA in Journalism in 2016, and is a news reporter at WEAR-TV on ABC Channel 3 in Pensacola, Florida.
Anthony Raffaele ’01
is senior colorist at Harbor Picture Company.
Ashley Melfi ’13
is Manager of Special Projects and Product for ESPN.
Kurt Sensenbrenner
is a 2015 Hofstra MFA graduate, and his latest film, From Mass to Mountain, was named an official selection of the 2016 Harlem International Film Festival.
Jamie Morris ’07
is the host of “Jamie & You” on WKJY – KJOY 98.3 FM, Connoisseur Media Long Island.
Leah Williams ’10
is a writer for Marvel Comics and BOOM! Studios. She was named the number one pick for breakout writer by Multiversity Comics in 2019.
Michael Haviland ’08
is Co-Director/Senior Producer for Sarah Colt Productions in New York City.
Shirleen Allicot
graduated from Hofstra in 2004 with a BA in Journalism, and is currently the co-anchor of Eyewitness News at Noon, on ABC 7 NY.
Andre Hepkins
is an Emmy Award winning anchor for WBAL-TV in Baltimore, MD.
Gillie Houston
graduated with a BA in Journalism, and is a freelance writer, editor, and social media consultant with over 100k followers on Instagram @gilliehouston.
Heather Cohen ’98
is president of The Weiss Agency, a broadcast talent agency that represents and develops the careers of many of the industry’s most successful local and syndicated personalities. She serves on the national board of directors of the Alliance for Women in Media, is a member of the Herbert School’s Dean’s Council, and has served as president of the school’s Alumni Association.
Concurrence
by Class of 2015 alumni Tom Cassese, Erik Freitas, Evan Crochet, Jenna Scardino, and Joseph Rocco Plescia was screened at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival as part of the Campus MovieFest Short Film Corner.
Annik Spencer ’14
serves as Manager, Media Relations for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Pete Guaraldi ’11
is Director of Communications for Long Island University.
Jessica Formoso ’11
is a full-time bilingual general assignment reporter at Fox 5 News NY, and was recently recognized for a NY Impact Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism.
Max Knoblauch ’14
is currently a writer for Sherwood Media. He is also a headline and graphics contributor for Clickhole.
Sammi Chichester ’14
is Managing Editor for REVOLVER Magazine.
Mike Manzoni ’11
is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and freelance reporter at NBC10 Boston/NECN.
Rachel Zabinski ’08
is executive director for Connectivity Communications at Comcast.
Stevland Wilson ’00
is vice president of post production at Monumental Sports and Entertainment, founder and CEO of Landmind Productions, and the immediate past chair of the Herbert School’s Dean’s Advisory Board.
Christine Lubrano ’96
is senior vice president for creative writing operations at WWE. Previously, Christine was SVP for original programming at IFC, where she was integral to the success of Portlandia and was the lead creative force behind Documentary Now!, a mockumentary television series.
Priya Wickramanayake ’10
is on-air operations manager at NBCUniversal.
Ariana Finlayson ’08
is Global Head of Community, Global Business Marketing at Meta.
Lance Ulanoff
is Editor At Large for TechRadar, an online publication focused on technology.
Kara Koch ’07
is a producer for international social impact at Sesame Workshop in New York City.
David Carlone ’15
is a US Army veteran (2020 – 2024) and currently working as a voice over artist.
Jillian E. Sorgini ’08
is Director of Digital Content at Hair.com, L’Oréal.
Jeff Billings ’08
is a Los Angeles-based director of photography for films, television, commercials, and music videos. He is also a graduate of the American Film Institute Conservatory.
Lauren Brookmeyer ’09, ’14
serves as Assistant VP Federal Relations for Stony Brook University.
Jeff Preval ’07
is Weekend Anchor/Reporter for News 4 Buffalo.
Alycia Powers
earned her MA in Journalism at Hofstra and is currently a reporter and associate producer for Inside Edition in New York City.
Pete McCarthy ’06
is a host/anchor for WFAN, WINS, WCBS, Infinity Sports Radio.
Katie Nolan
is an Emmy Award-winning sports television and podcast host. She most recently created short-form content at NBC Sports throughout the 2022 Winter Olympics. Previously, Nolan hosted a weekly ESPN podcast, Sports? with Katie Nolan, Always Late with Katie Nolan on ESPN2, and Garbage Time with Katie Nolan on Fox Sports
Chris Langlois ’14
is director of corporate reputation for Samsung Electronics America.
Brittney (Boehm) Pritchard ’09
is the owner of Pritchard Marketing and Communications.
Fran Berkman ’12
, a graduate of Hofstra’s MA in Journalism program, is the newsroom and engagement manager at Taboola.
Alessandra Foresto ’08
is the executive director of content operations for POPSUGAR, the largest independent publisher of women’s lifestyle content.
Kieran Valla ’06
is a co-creator of Little Demon, an animated horror comedy series featuring Danny DeVito, Aubrey Plaza, and Lucy DeVito, which was picked up by FXX in 2021. He is also known for Delinquent (2016), Disturbia (2007), and Lift (2013). After graduating from Hofstra, Kieran went on to become a distinguished Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute.
Sidney Madden ’14
is a reporter and editor for NPR Music. In September 2020, Sidney became the co-host of Louder than a Riot, NPR Music’s first narrative investigative podcast.
Rachel Brueno ’12
is senior director, brand solutions at Whalar, a global creator commerce company.
Joseph Carozza
As executive vice president of media at Republic Records, Joseph Carozza orchestrates and executes PR campaigns for some of music’s top artists like Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Enrique Iglesias, Nicki Minaj, and more, as well as leading the media department.
Delia Paunescu ’09
is an entertainment journalist and social media expert who has worked for VOX, NowThis, Newsday, and the New York Post.
Bobby Bonett ’09
is chief growth officer for SANDOW.
Brit DeLillo ’10
is a first assistant editor at Marvel Studios. She has also worked at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros. Entertainment, MGM, DreamWorks Animation, 20th Century Fox, Tone-Deaf, and Brave New Films.
Abdul Sada ’13
earned his MA in Journalism at Hofstra, and currently works in strategic communications for Vanguard.
Shannan Ferry ’14
is an Emmy-nominated anchor and reporter for NY1 News.
James Cohen, PhD, ’04, ’10
is an assistant professor in the Media Studies program at CUNY Queens College in the undergraduate and graduate programs. He is the co-host and founder of Digital Void and has been writing about digital culture, memes, and visual media trends for Forbes.com as a freelance contributor since 2020.
Ryan Broderick ’11
is a journalist, video producer, podcaster, and community moderator who has reported from over 22 countries and two Olympics.
Jo Sharon ’98
is co-CEO of Magical Elves, the production company behind Top Chef, Nailed It!, and Project Runway.
Priti Malik ’07
moved to Dubai in 2008 to work as a news presenter for Virgin Radio. She’s currently the co-host on The Kris Fade Show.
Cameron Kadison ’03
is a founding partner of Beverly Hills-based Mortar Media, a management and production company specializing in nonscripted TV, branded content, on-camera talent, and nontraditional business development. Cameron is the executive producer of Hollywood Medium for E!, Nicole & Jionni’s Shore Flip for FYI, Curve Appeal for Centric, and Transcendent for Fuse.
Sarabeth Ackerman ’12
is an Emmy Award-winning morning news anchor at NBC5 Burlington, Vermont. Prior to joining NBC5 in February 2021, Sarabeth worked as a news reporter and fill-in traffic anchor at WFTZ in Orlando, FL; a news reporter and multimedia journalist at CNY Central in Syracuse, NY; and as a news director/news reporter in Minot, ND. Photo credit: NBC5.
Marcus Vanderberg ’08
is deputy editor, Combat Sports, at ESPN in Los Angeles, CA. Prior to joining ESPN, Marcus worked at Yahoo! Sports, Hearst Digital, FishbowlLA, TheGrio.com, and BET Networks.
Veronica de Souza ’11
is director for Digital News and Audience at WNYC New York Public Radio.
Marc Ernay ’88
is sports director/morning anchor at 1010 WINS and sports director at 24/7 News Source NYC.
Shannon Hegy ’07
is the main co-anchor at WPRI-TV CBS12/WNAC-TV Fox 64 in Providence, Rhode Island.
Jared Greenberg ’05
is an NBA TV on-air host/reporter for Turner Sports in Atlanta.
Jackie De Tore ’12
is a news anchor/reporter for WPMT-Fox43 in Pennsylvania.
Steve Rubel
is executive vice president, media insights and strategy for Edelman, a global public relations consultancy firm. He is considered one of the leading experts on the evolving media landscape and the blurring lines between traditional and emerging channels.
Celia Werner ’16
is lead videographer and head of New York video operations at Metramedia Broadcasting and the owner of Celia Warner Productions, a freelance producing, social media marketing, photography, videography, and editing company.
Janeita Bellamy ’08
is senior creative producer for Prime Video and Amazon Studios, an award-winning production manager with over 10 years of professional experience successfully managing high-profile linear and digital campaigns. Prior to joining Amazon Studios, Janeita worked as a production executive at Netflix and Senior Production Manager at BET/Paramount.
Daniel Linden ’05
is vice president, digital media at The Walt Disney Company.
Olivia Stanchina ’07
is an Emmy-winning producer, writer, and editor, based in Los Angeles, and senior producer for Headspace.
Jonathan Weitz
earned his degree in audio/radio and currently serves as director, brand, marketing & communications for Johnson & Johnson.
Luz Peña ’12
is a general assignment reporter for ABC News in San Francisco.
Colby Itkowitz ’05
is a reporter for The Washington Post, covering Congress, campaigns, health policy, and Pennsylvania politics.
Jordan M. Thompson ’09, ’12 JD
is an associate with Davis & Gilbert LLP, where she counsels creative agencies and production companies in advertising, intellectual property, and branded content-related matters.
Jennifer Joas ’10
is a reporter for NBC Connecticut. She can be seen weekday mornings from 4:30 to 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. on NBC Connecticut Today.
Christi Kunzig, JD, ’01, ’14
has become an attorney, a radio personality on 94.3 The Shark, and frequently appears on Fox News and Fox Business Channel.
Rondell Wescott ’03
is vice president/executive producer at ConcentricLife, a Cannes-winning expert producer with more than 20 years of domestic and international production experience, including print, digital, social and film content, music videos, and global television ad campaigns.
Chris R. Vaccaro ’07
is vice president and general manager of Quidd, the digital collectibles and NFT marketplace of Animoca Brands, and serves as Director of Hofstra University’s Graduate Journalism program.
Maryann Watson ’00
is vice president for client success at Maven Clinic. In 2015, Maryann was named to PRWeek’s “40 Under 40” list.
Mike Leslie ’10
is a sports reporter at WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas.
Jacqueline Hlavenka-Sansone ’09
is lead communications consultant – Northeast Region at Wells Fargo.
Kenny Porpora ’08
of Mesa, Arizona, had The Autumn Balloon released by Hachette Book Group in February 2015. Reviews and excerpts of his first book have been published by USA Today, Kirkus, and the New York Daily News.
Liana Satenstein ’12
is senior fashion writer for Vogue.com. She covers general fashion news, as well as the development of fashion in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
John Santucci ’11
is an Emmy Award-winning executive editorial producer with ABC News.
Victoria Rossi ’05
is an Emmy Award-winning producer with ABC’s The View.
Michael Sorrentino ’05
is a veteran broadcast producer, having worked for more than a decade in national TV. He is currently president of Sorrentino Media, LLC, a full-service video production, consulting, and training firm in NYC. Michael also serves as president of the Herbert School’s Alumni Association.
Melaine Morgan ’14
earned her BA in Radio Production and Studies and is a freelance voice-over actress, producer, and board operator.
Matthew Lee ’11
graduated with a degree in film studies and production and is supervising producer of Deadliest Catch.
Yanique Woodall ’99
is vice president, corporate affairs and strategy communications for CVS Health.
Rebecca Zamer ’07
is a Webby Award-nominated Senior Director at NBCUniversal for Access Hollywood Digital.
TAKE THE
NEXT STEP
Hofstra graduates are confident, prepared, and fully ready to make a difference in the future.