People

Diversity Fellows

In the Fall of 2018, the Hubbard School announced a new cohort of adjunct fellows who support diversity, equity and inclusion in our classrooms. The program has continued to add new fellows each semester since. The fellows, all professionals working in the areas of journalism and strategic communication, engage with students across a range of courses throughout each semester, offering expertise in areas such as ethics and radio production to beat reporting and advertising strategy.

2024 Spring Semester Hubbard School Fellows for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Sheletta Brundidge

Sheletta Brundidge
Radio and podcast host, entrepreneur, autho

Sheletta is an Emmy award-winning comedian and radio host. Aware of the serious lack of diversity in traditional media and frustrated by her own inability to find a seat at the table, she decided to build her own. In 2020, Sheletta created SHElettaMakesMeLaugh, a multi-media online platform with weekly podcasts.

 

Dymanh Chhoun

Dymanh Chhoun
Visual journalist, Sahan Journal

Dymanh Chhoun is a visual journalist at Sahan Journal. He comes to Sahan Journal from KARE 11 News, where he worked as a full-time photojournalist. Known for his breaking news coverage, Chhoun documented the police killings of Jamar Clark, Philando Castile, and, most recently, George Floyd.

 

Brittney Ermon

Brittney Ermon
Reporter, KSTP

Brittney joined the 5 Eyewitness News Team in July of 2021. Prior to that, she was a bilingual multi-media journalist and fill-in anchor at NBC15 in Madison, WI for two years. She’s dedicated to shedding light on underprivileged and underrepresented communities. 

Troy Longie
Freelance Creative Director

Troy Longie is a experienced Creative Director with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Skilled in Digital Strategy, Advertising, Integrated Marketing, Branding & Identity, and Typography. Strong media and communication professional with a Bachelor of Science focused in Advertising from St. Cloud State University. 

Maria Pazos

Maria Pazos
Planning Director, Carmichael Lynch
[email protected]

Maria Pazos has been a brand strategist for more than a decade, both in Colombia and Minnesota. She previously worked at Colle+McVoy.

 

Marsha Pitts-Phillips

Marsha Pitts-Phillips
Founder, MRPP & Associates Communications LLC
[email protected]

Marsha has deep public relations and journalism experience. She’s led PR at a large nonprofit; worked as a radio and television journalist; worked as an associate professor of communications; produced documentaries; and worked in corporate television. She has collaborated on and spearheaded several large-scale PR projects including the NFL Sanctioned Super Bowl LVII Gospel Celebration broadcast on Black Entertainment Television (BET). PRSA appointed her as its first Diversity and Inclusion Officer; she’s a member of NABJ-Media-Related Members Task Force (NABJ-MRMTF) and its local affiliate the Twin Cities Black Journalists; and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Marsha’s board service includes Prepare + Prosper; the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) Leadership Advisory Council; and she is an ordained minister. 

Anjula Razdan

Anjula Razdan
Digital Director, Experience Life
[email protected]

Anjula is Digital Director with Experience Life magazine, where she also served as senior editor for health and nutrition from 2006 to 2014 before leaving for stints as vice president for content with Be Well by Dr. Frank Lipman and as senior news producer for PresentNation. She has also worked as a senior editor for the Utne Reader and as a staff writer for Southwest Journal. She brings a savvy, digital perspective that is grounded in the best of magazine writing and storytelling.

nikhil sonnad

Nikhil Sonnad
Data journalist

Nikhil is a writer, data journalist, computer programmer and adjunct professor. 

 

Sarah Thamer

Sarah Thamer
Senior Reporter, MPR

Sarah Thamer is a senior reporter for the MPR News Race, Class and Communities team. Sarah grew up in Richfield, Minn., and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in broadcast journalism. Before joining MPR, Sarah worked as a reporter and anchor at WKBT in La Crosse, Wis., then made her way to ABC-affiliate WISN in Milwaukee, where she worked as a reporter.

Heidi Wigdahl

Heidi Wigdahl
Multimedia journalist, KARE-11

Heidi Wigdahl joined KARE 11 as a multimedia journalist in 2015. She started her career at KTTC in Rochester, Minnesota before heading south to work at WBIR in Knoxville, Tennessee. Heidi has always been a solo video journalist and she enjoys every part of crafting a story. She has received four regional Emmys for Best Video Journalist.

Past Fellows of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (since 2018)

Matt Belanger, KSTP
Harry Colbert, Jr., MinnPost
Christiane Cordero, WCCO
Nitin Dua, Johannes Leonardo
Marissa Evans, Los Angeles Times
Riham Feshir, MPR News
Liz Flores, Star Tribune
Carlos Gonzalez, Star Tribune
Luis Garrido, McCann
Jerry Holt, Star Tribune
Van Horgen, Superhuman
Mukhtar Ibrahim, Sahan Journal
Jafra Johnson-Holmes, Hubbard Interactive
Mahmood Khan, Risdall
Holli Maines, CCF
Justin McCray, FOX 9
Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press 
Nina Moini, MPR News
Daniel Pierce Bergin, TPT   
Maria Reeve, Star Tribune 
Erica Swain, Minnesota IT Services
Nancy Yang, Star Tribune