Two Iowa journalists and two Greenlee students will be honored by the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication for their work that highlights the importance of diversity and inclusion during the Greenlee Honors and Awards Banquet April 25.
The 2024 Greenlee School and Kappa Tau Alpha Diversity & Inclusion Awards will be presented to Ty Rushing, Jay Stahl, Katiana Arnold, and Ella Slade, by the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and the Michael Bugeja Chapter of Kappa Tau Alpha at Iowa State University.
The Greenlee Honors and Awards Banquet will take place at 5:30-8:00 p.m. on April 25, 2024, in the Sun Room at the Memorial Union on the Iowa State University campus.
Established in 2017, the Diversity & Inclusion Awards are presented to recognize professional journalists and Greenlee students for their excellence in journalism and promotion of a just and inclusive society through ethical storytelling that broadens people’s understanding of diverse lives and communities.
Ty Rushing is the co-founder and president of the Iowa Association of Black Journalists and serves as the chief political correspondent of Iowa Starting Line, a Des Moines-based online news outlet.
Rushing is a Kansas City, Kansas, native who made a name for himself as an Iowa journalist. He broke barriers as the first Black reporter and/or editor at eight Iowa print publications across the state. Throughout this journey, Rushing has written about everything from his experiences as a Black transplant adjusting to living in Iowa to heart-warming features. He’s profiled and interviewed prominent community leaders and politicians from all over the state and won a few awards along the way. Rushing has been featured as a guest and subject on CNN, MSNBC, Iowa Public Television, Iowa Public Radio and other media outlets.
In 2022, Rushing wrote, produced and directed his first film “Telling Our Own Story: Ending Racism” in conjunction with Iowa PBS. The documentary was nominated for a 2023 Upper Midwest Emmy.
“Winning this award was a total surprise, and I’m honored to have my name permanently associated with Ally Kasryn and Courtney Crowder, both of whom are exemplary examples to follow,” Rushing said. “I’ve always tried to uplift and highlight as many voices as I can in my work, and I never did that for award considerations – I do it because it’s the right thing to do. Everyone has a story and it deserves to be heard. I’m very grateful for this honor and truly humbled to be a 2024 Greenlee and Kappa Tau Alpha Diversity and Inclusion Award recipient.”
Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at USA TODAY.
Stahl is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee journalism program. After graduating from college in December 2021, he became the youngest person on staff at The Des Moines Register. His work garnered an Iowa Newspaper Award for best series earlier this year. In January, he left the Register to join the entertainment team at the nation’s newspaper. Stahl is a 2019 People of the Year honoree from the USA TODAY Network Wisconsin.
While at the Register, Stahl established himself as a leading voice of Iowa’s Black and underrepresented communities. Among his noted work were stories about Robert Moore (aka B.Moore), an internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist who previously struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, and Waterloo native Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and community activist behind the New York Times Magazine’s award-winning “1619 Project.”
“It’s deeply humbling to receive this award for my work at The Des Moines Register and be named a recipient alongside my friend Ty Rushing,” Stahl said. “As an Iowa native, I am grateful to be recognized for my work at the Register by Iowa State University’s Greenlee School.”
Katiana Arnold is a senior in public relations with a minor in event management.
Arnold started her academic journey earning an Associate of Arts degree at Kirkwood Community College in her hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since moving to Ames, Arnold has completed three internships, started her own blog and continuously earned her spot on the Dean’s list each semester. She is also a member of multiple clubs, advisory boards and honor societies.
Many of Arnold’s works and experiences highlight her commitment to creating an inclusive and connected community through storytelling, including her work as the public relations director for The Stormettes – a dance line that celebrates joyful movement, body inclusivity and diversity – and her article on transcending beauty through inclusive practices as a beauty editor for TREND Magazine, which amplified the voices of two local experts within the Black community. Arnold’s website “Mantle Memoir” shares her reflections about navigating life and is designed for readers to find comfort and advice through her experiences.
Post-graduation, Arnold will be completing her final internship with Delta Dental of Iowa and working toward her aspiration of earning a Juris Doctor and M.B.A.
“For years I have dedicated time to be the person that I am today,” Arnold said. “This journey has been filled with perseverance, hard work and countless hours of dedication. Thank you, Greenlee, for recognizing my work. I am beyond grateful.”
Ella Slade is a senior in journalism and mass communication with a minor in design studies.
Slade began working at the Iowa State Daily as a diversity reporter and was offered the position as diversity news editor in May of 2023, which she currently holds. Her experience in journalism includes reporting internationally on social issues in Arles, France, and covering campus developments surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion and highlighting diverse voices in the Ames and Iowa State communities.
Slade’s stories as the diversity news editor have covered everything from the Iowa Board of Regents’ DEI directives and student and staff perspectives, to ISCORE student showcases, to ISU organizations and events that highlight diverse student experiences such as Digital Women, the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government, and Tau Sigma National Honor Society.
After her graduation this May, Slade will be working as an intern and reporter with the Carroll Times Herald in Carroll, Iowa.
“I am extremely honored and grateful to have won this award, and it came as a complete surprise,” Slade said. “I am also extremely grateful for the work I have done through the Iowa State Daily, as it has provided me the opportunity to tell the stories of some incredible people in the Ames and Iowa State communities. I believe those who are doing the reporting have an obligation to diversity, and that everyone’s voice should be heard and included. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been named as a 2024 Greenlee and Kappa Tau Alpha Diversity and Inclusion Award recipient!”
The Michael Bugeja Chapter of Kappa Tau Alpha at Iowa State University is an honor society for students studying journalism and mass communication, public relations and advertising. Iowa State’s chapter was founded in 1986.