NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Central Connecticut State University has announced that veteran sports journalist Aimee Crawford will serve as the next Robert C. Vance Endowed Chair in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Crawford begins in the position this fall. The university says the Vance chair funds the appointment of prominent professionals and scholars in the fields of journalism and communications to the CCSU faculty.
The chairmanship was established by the university in 2000 to honor Vance, a former Connecticut newspaper publisher and longtime supporter of the university.
“I am thrilled to return to Central Connecticut, where my teaching journey began, and am honored to follow in the footsteps of esteemed journalists such as John Dankosky, Carolyn Lumsden and Stan Stimpson as the Vance chair,” Crawford said, according to the university.
Crawford described why CCSU is a special place.
“As a student-centered, First-Generation Forward institution, the university is uniquely positioned to change the game – and shape the next generation of sports media leaders and innovators – by bringing new voices and perspectives into the profession,” Crawford added.
Having worked in several fields of media, Crawford brings close to 30 years of professional experience to CCSU. The university says she began her career at The Sporting News before working for Sports Illustrated, Major League Baseball Advanced Media and ESPN.
At ESPN, Crawford was a senior editor for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. She was a member of an ESPN team that won a 2019 Peabody Award for its coverage of the Michigan State gymnastics scandal with “Spartan Silence: Crisis at Michigan State.”
Crawford also won the 2019 Gold Telly Award for Best Online Talk Show for “Being Believed: A Conversation with Sister Survivors,” and she co-authored the sports book for children, titled “All Access: Your Behind-The-Scenes Pass to Sports Stars, Locker Rooms and More.”
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According to CCSU, Crawford has spent the past three years as an assistant professor of Communications at Springfield College. This summer, she covered the Paris Olympics for NBC Sports.
“We are fortunate to have such a seasoned journalist and experienced educator in this important role,” CCSU President Zulma R. Toro said, according to the university. “Our students will have many new opportunities to explore the field of journalism under her leadership, and I am confident she will launch meaningful collaborations and initiatives that will benefit our entire campus community.”
The university adds that Crawford earned her Master of Science in Journalism/Magazine Publishing from Northwestern University, a Certificate in French Language and Literature from the University of Paris-Sorbonne, and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Journalism and French from Oklahoma State University.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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