The Klein College of Media and Communication spring graduation ceremony will feature a keynote address by Alison Overholt, editor in chief of espnW and vice president and editor in chief of ESPN The Magazine. Overholt is the first woman to head a major U.S. sports magazine.

“Alison is not just an inspiration to a generation of women sports reporters and editors,” said Klein College Dean David Boardman. “The leadership she has demonstrated throughout her career should inspire all of us.”

Overholt is the founding editor of espnW and leads the ESPYS, the network’s annual awards program. Under her oversight, espnW has been awarded five Gracies from the Alliance for Women in Media as well as an “Eppy” award from Editor & Publisher Magazine. ESPN The Magazine earned a National Magazine Award for General Excellence in the News, Sports and Entertainment category from the American Society of Magazine Editors during the first year of her leadership. Overholt has also founded and run her own digital content strategy company and lectured as an adjunct professor at New York University. 

She has twice been named one of AdWeek’s “30 Most Powerful Women in Sports” and has made Folio’s “Top Women in Media” list for two years running. In 2015, Sports Business Journal named her a “Game Changer.” 

The graduation will also honor Dr. Edward Trayes with the second Klein College Tribute Award. Trayes’s contributions to the college include more than 50 years of service on the faculty, during which he founded and led graduate programs as well as the photojournalism concentration.

“Dr. Trayes is a legend among generations of Klein College students,” said Boardman. “It’s hard to imagine a more fitting recipient for an award that honors profound service to our college.”

In addition to his work in the classroom, Trayes recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of founding his Dow Jones News Fund Editing and Minority Intern Programs at Temple University, which prepare students from around the world for internships at publications including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Sales from his online photo archives support scholarships he established for photojournalism and master’s of journalism students.

The Klein College of Media and Communication graduation ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. on May 10, 2018 at McGonigle Hall.