Faculty

Barbara Calabrese, Chair, has spent 20 years in higher education administration and teaching. Her previous positions include the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Illinois Institute of Technology. A specialist in communications, Barbara has been an invited speaker at national conferences in the areas of media and the community and the effect of digital technology on broadcast education. Her radio experience includes producing and hosting public affairs programming for CRIS Radio and WCKG-FM in Chicago. Currently Barbara is a contributor for Chicago Public Radio, WBEZ 91. 5 FM. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Speech and Hearing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has served as a national consultant in voice, speech and language.

Dave Berner is an award winning news reporter and anchor for WBBM Newsradio 780 in Chicago and an associate editor for Travelgolf.com. He has worked as a reporter and anchor at WMAQ Newsradio 670 in Chicago, a news director at WWSW radio in Pittsburgh, a program director for WTKN Talkradio in Pittsburgh, and a freelance reporter for ABC Radio, CNN Radio and National Public Radio. He has won numerous awards for writing and reporting from the Associated Press and a Peter Lisagor Award for radio commentary. He received his BS in Speech Communication from Clarion State University in Pennsylvania and his Master of Arts in Teaching from Aurora University.

Hope Daniels is a tenured faculty member in the Radio Department. She has nearly three decades of experience in broadcast media, government relations and higher education. Her previous positions include writer for KCRA-TV and Morning Drive News Anchor for KNDE Radio, both in Sacramento, California. She was the Director of News and Public Affairs for both WEFM and WLOO radio, a  reporter/producer for the nationally syndicated, Aware Talk Radio and served as Deputy Press Secretary for former United States Senator Carol Moseley Braun. Her work has received numerous awards including, the Golden Angel Award from the National Religious Broadcasters and Outstanding Public Affairs Talk Show Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. Hope has presented at numerous national conferences including the Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. She is a consultant on media access and crisis communications. Hope received her BA from California State University at Sacramento and completed her MA in Communications at Roosevelt University.

Marssie Mencotti has extensive experience in radio marketing, promotions and sales. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, her previous positions include Creative Director for Chancellor Marketing (Clear Channel-Chicago), Sales/Marketing Promotions Director for WJMK-FM/WJJD-AM, and Director of Businesses Development at WFYR-FM and WKQX-FM. She continues in radio as a freelance project manager for major promotions at US-99. She is also a professional actor, director, and voiceover actor and is represented by Aria-Ford Talent and Voices Unlimited. She is a Board Member of the National Audio Theatre Festivals and includes among her many theatrical, commercial and voiceover credits: the original cast of Chicago's Tony n' Tina's Wedding; the Keanu Reeves film "Hardball" (Paramount Pictures); the Vagina Monologues at the Apollo Theatre, and voiceovers for Nintendo, Icehouse Beer and Wrigley's Eclipse Gum.

Jim Mitchem is an Award Winning former Program/Music Director and Morning Drive Personality at WDKT & WEUP/Huntsville, Alabama; Music Director & Afternoon Drive Personality at WQMG/Greensboro, North Carolina and Program/Music Director & Morning Drive Personality at WXOK/Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In addition, he's been a technical producer at WLS/Chicago, V103/Chicago and a production assistant at WTMX-FM. He's also a former Vice President of the Southeast Chapter of the YBPC and a member in good standing of the Broadcast Education Association and National Association of Broadcasters. As a 1985 Graduate of Columbia College, he received his BA in Broadcast Communication. Jim is the Senior Post-Tenure Faculty in the Radio Department.

 George Zarr is an award-winning producer, writer, director and composer. He has been Manager of Talk Programming at Sirius Satellite Radio where he helped launch their talk channels, and Senior Producer at the SCI FI Channel’s Seeing Ear Theatre. He has produced, written, and/or directed over 300 audio plays worldwide. George was a founder of ZPPR Productions, where he co-created the National Public Radio/Dove Audio-distributed comedy series "Visit New Grimston, Anyway" and critically acclaimed "Little Chills.” He recently received a Communicator's Crystal Award of Excellence for “We Buried Him On Top of the Bluff,” a musical audio play commissioned by the Missouri Humanities Council. He has been a guest lecturer/artist in residence at many institutions, including The Interlochen Arts Academy, New York University, The New School for Social Research, Hofstra University, Ohio University, and The National Audio Theatre Festivals.