Joanne is a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Specialist; the co-author of Back in the Game: Why Concussion Doesn’t Have to End Your Athletic Career; the Brandt Fellow Sports Journalist in Residence/Professor of Journalism at the School of Journalism, Michigan State University; a freelance sports contributor to The New York Times, and a member of Michigan State University Athletics Council.

 

Joanne is the recipient of many honors and has served in many capacities including: 2019-2022 Commissioner, State of Michigan Women in Sports Task Force; 2021 Brandt Fellow recipient, Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences; 2021 Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame inductee; 2020 Oakland University Distinguished Alumni Award; 2019-2023 Fulbright Specialist roster, 2017 Clarion Award for best non-fiction, Association for Women in Communications; 2017 Faculty Wall of Honor, College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University; 2017 Headliner of the Year, Association for Women in Communications – Detroit Chapter; 2017 Faculty Impact Award winner, College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University; 2015 Jacobs Foundation Neuroscience fellow, Zurich, Switzerland; 2014 Ann Miller Award, Association for Women in Sports Media; 2013 Knight Wallace Fellow, University of Michigan; multiple shared team APSE awards, Best of Gannett; 1995 Newsweek/Steve Saler Fellow.

 

Education: B.A., Journalism, Oakland University. M.S., Journalism, Medill School, Northwestern University.

 

Experience: ESPN/espnW, Detroit News, Lansing State Journal, USA Today, Cincinnati Enquirer, NBA Inside Stuff/PGA Magazine associate editor, Flint Journal.

 

In addition to her role as the Brandt Fellow Sports Journalist in Residence at Michigan State University, Joanne is also an associate adjunct professor at Madonna University and University of Detroit Mercy and a lecturer at Oakland University. She is profiled in Strategic Sports Communications textbook.

 

She is a faculty representative to the Michigan State Athletic Council and a member of the Board of Directors, Headway Foundation (2018-).

 

Joanne will speak about her work on concussion in athletes, including differences between the effect of concussion on male and female athletes.

Thank you to the International Committee on reviewing the 14 applications that were received and choosing these eight projects.

Lansing Rotary was well represented at the 39th Annula MLK Day of Celebration luncheon at the Lansing Center held on January 15, 2024. Kelli Ellsworth Etchison, Nicole Noll-Williams and Bob Hoffman are commissioners who participated in organizing the event which featured Keynote speaker Ruby Bridges. If you don’t know Ms. Bridges by name, perhaps this photo of a 6 year old Ruby going to the first day of school with the protection of US Marshals will jog your memory.

 

The robust program featured comments from Governor Whitmer, Senator Stabenow and Representative Slotkin. Awards were handed out to a number of civil rights activists and scholarships awarded to a number of students. Maybe next year Lansing Rotary could award a scholarship? Thoughts? Also in attendance was this table of Rotarians organized by Bilky Joda-Miller.  

Many other Rotarians were attending but at other tables; Chris Holman (AARP), Lolo Robison (CATA) and Trey Williams (Maner). Although well attended, Rotary can do better and maybe next year we can have two tables!

 

We have an opportunity to volunteer with the Lansing Food Bank on Thursday, January 25th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.  We will be helping sort food.  Please contact Jason Brunette if interested. Email:  Jason.Brunette@martincommercial.com