Woodrow Wilson Fellow and Academy Award nominee to speak at Thiel College events

Posted March 20, 2019 Print

GREENVILLE, Pa.-- Thiel College is hosting Callie Crossley, a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Academy Award-nominated documentary director and television commentator based in Boston, from March 24—28.

Crossley arrives Sunday and will attend various classes and other events with students and members of the Thiel community. Her visit will conclude with her discussion on diversity, “A Conversation with Callie Crossley,” which will take place during the common hour at 11:15 a.m. March 28 in Stamm Lecture Hall of the James Pedas Communication Center. The common hour event is free and open to the public.

A former producer for ABC News 20/20, Crossley is also a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, guest lecturing at colleges and universities about media literacy, media and politics and the intersection of race, gender and media. Crossley is the host of the WGBH radio show "Under the Radar with Callie Crossley,” which airs during the WGBH Morning Edition and often hosts Basic Black, a radio show that details events in the community geared towards people of color.

“We are thrilled to connect our students with someone as accomplished and respected as Callie Crossley. She has a full schedule of meeting with students and talking with members of our campus family,” Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Liz Frombgen, Ph.D., said. “She is coming to share her perspectives with us. Her engagements and meetings have all been purposefully designed as interactive and collaborative meetings rather than lecture-style arrangements with students, faculty and staff members. The culminating event is Thursday’s conversation with the entire community. We invite everyone in the community to take advantage of this opportunity to hear the perspectives of a passionate and contemplative thinker.”

Crossley has won multiple awards as a journalist and documentary filmmaker, including a National Emmy, the Gold Alfred I. Dupont-Columbia Award, plus Associated Press, Edward R. Murrow, and Clarion Awards, and top honors for commentary from the Public Radio News Directors. She is the first African-American to win an Oscar nomination in the Documentary Feature category for her work as a Producer on “Bridge to Freedom,” her hour in the documentary series, “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years 1954-1965.” She also earned a National Emmy and the Alfred I Dupont-Columbia Award (Gold Baton) for this work.