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April 2012
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University of Cincinnati alumni on television
Cris Collinsworth speaking at a UC College of Law event.
Sports commentators
Cris Collinsworth, JD ’91
Analyst, TV host, Emmy-winning sports broadcaster, former NFL player with the Cincinnati Bengals ('81-88). He won 12 Sports Emmy Awards, including a record eight Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports Studio Analyst and four Emmys for Outstanding Event Analyst.
- "NBC Sunday Night Football" ('07-10, for which he received the '11 Emmy for Outstanding Event Analyst, his fourth in that category)
- Vancouver 2010: XXI Olympic Winter Games
- "Super Bowl" ('05)
- "Fox NFL Sunday” (’03)
- HBO’s “Inside the NFL” ('09)
- "2009 NFL Pro Bowl"
- "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" ('10 & '06)
- 2008 Summer Olympics
- "Entertainment Tonight" ('08)
- "NFL Thursday Night Football" ('06)
- "Super Bowl XXXIX" ('05, commentator)
- "Guinness World Records: Primetime" ('98, host)
Tony Trabert
Tony Trabert, A&S ’52, HonDoc '07
TV co-host and featured guest. Won the NCAA singles title while at UC, then captured three of the four Grand Slam singles titles in 1955 -- the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
- "Hall of Fame: Golden Anniversary" ('04)
- "ESPN SportsCentury" ('01)
- "Hart to Hart" ('80, playing himself on this TV series)
- "Celebrity Tennis" ('74-78, co-host)
- "The Ed Sullivan Show" ('55)
Lewis Johnson, Univ ’86
Track and field broadcaster. Lewis first made his name as an all-American middle-distance runner as a UC student.
- "Toyota Gator Bowl" ('06)
- "2004 Toyota Gator Bowl"
- XIX Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony ('02)
Cindy Chiang Halvorsen, Eng ’04
Senior associate brand manager at Kraft Foods in Chicago
- "The Amazing Race" winner with then-fiancé Ernie Halvorsen (one of 11 couples who, on Sept. 25, '11, began racing 40,000 miles through 10 countries)
UC’s 2002 homecoming queen, Cindy won $1 million in prize money, which she and Ernie said they would use to create a worldwide charity to help people in need. At UC, she was a UC Honors student, creator of Camp Bearcat, recipient of the '04 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence and a Cincinnatus scholarship winner.
Links
Watch a video interview with Chiang Halvorsen.
See a photo gallery from her February 2012 campus visit.
Jay Peterson, M (A&A) '98
Assistant English professor at Atlantic Cape Community College in southern New Jersey, appeared on two episodes of a popular TV game show, meaning he won one episode.
- "Jeopardy!" (Oct. 20-21, 2011, winning $26,201)
Links
Read a story about Peterson's TV appearance.
Watch the show through the "Jeopardy!" archive.
Michelle Yi, DAAP '07
Fashion design senior appeared in the following:
- "Survivor: Fiji" (Feb. '07, CBS)
Although she was voted out on day 22 in episode nine, Yi said, ''Survivor has been an amazing experience. I think I'm just affirmed that I know what kind of person I am and I know what I'm capable of, and that I'm just as strong as I thought."
Link: Read "UC Magazine" article in which the CCM electronic media chair discusses reality TV.
Althea Harper, DAAP '08
Fashion designer. Judged for her ability to design fashions within certain restrictions, she was one of the three finalists in "Project Runway." Afterward, she began managing her own fashion line.
- "Project Runway" ('09, Lifetime TV series w/host Tim Gunn)
Bob Gordon, CCM '75, MBA '77
Producer specializing in live shows, president of Gordon Television Group and assistant professor at Middle Tennessee State University. (See his Alumni Dream Job submission.) He produced the following:
- "Daniel O'Donnell Live from Nashville" (’11 PBS concert special) Watch a trailer here.
- “Gospel Music Association Dove Music Awards” (six productions of the live show, 1993-96, ‘01, ’10)
- "The Chieftains: Down the Old Plank Road — The Nashville Sessions" (’03, PBS concert/documentary featuring The Chieftains, Martina McBride, Ricky Skaggs, Earl Scruggs, Emmylou Harris, Allison Krauss and others — available on DVD)
- “Nashville Celebrates Elvis” (’08, benefit concert featuring Wynonna, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Pat Boone, B.J. Thomas, Ronnie McDowell and Elvis' original and Vegas bands)
- Chonda Pierce (comedy concert DVDs of her shows “Staying Alive … Laughing,” ’07; "A Piece of My Mind,” ’06; "Be Afraid … Be Very Afraid,” ’02; and "Best Bits,” ’06.)
- Barbara Mandrell (’97, final career concert for TNN, plus another TNN special and a home DVD performance)
- Alabama’s “Christmas Greetings” (’96 concert taped for TNN, The Nashville Network)
- "Chet Atkins and Friends — Live" (’87 Cinemax concert, featuring Mark Knopfler, Michael McDonald, Everly Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings — re-released on PBS and available on DVD)
- "Willie Nelson/Wrangler Jeans Music Invitational" (‘86, filmed for TNN)
Ken Tankersley, Ed '78, MA (A&S) '82
Assistant professor of archaeology and an archaeologist. Since 2007, he as been a consultant for the History Channel, National Geographic Television and the Discovery Channel. He was previously a consultant for Nova, Animal Planet and the Natural History Unit, British Broadcasting Corporation. His work has been featured in the following medial outlets:
- PBS
- National Geographic Channel
- Discovery Channel
- History Channel
- Animal Planet
- BBC
- NOVA
- All Things Considered
- Science
- National Geographic News
- Wall Street Journal
- New Yorker magazine
- Scientific American
Betsy Werbel, CCM '96
Broadway actress. See her Broadway credits.
- HGTV’s “Dear Genevieve” (’12, episode titled "Enchanted Living Room" in which the show remade the living room of her new New York apartment)
Shantia "Tia" Pearson, Ed '08
Rose Valentino, Ed '05
Mandy Curfiss, Ed '02
All three work for the Cincinnati police department. Sgt. Pearson is an Iraq War veteran. Officer Valentino works the midnight shift in Over-the-Rhine. Officer Curfiss is a former victims' advocate in the Prosecutor's office.
- Starring on "Police Women of Cincinnati," TLC's reality-based docu-series premiered in January 2011.
Alex Linz, CAHS '05
- "The Amazing Race: Family Edition" ('05, Linz won the $1 million race, competing with his three Cincinnati siblings, Tommy, Nick and Megan)
Andrew Savage, JD '88
-- A Chicago attorney
Lillian Morris, Bus '80
-- A Cincinnati Boy Scout leader
- CBS's Survivor: Pearl Islands ('03, both were castaways in the 13-week show)
Dave Abbott, CCM '79
A musician and contract manager
- "Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions" ('99, annual championship winner, qualified after winning on five consecutive nights)
Scott Caudill, A&S '83
Administrative manager for MTV Networks
- '01 Super Bowl halftime show (responsible for organizing and transporting 3,000 teen-agers to appear on the field for the 'N Sync and Aerosmith show)
Also worked with NBC Sports' Olympics units for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea; the '92 games in Barcelona; and the '96 games in Atlanta.
Cara Hannah Sullivan, Cler '97, MFA (CCM) '02
Wigmaker, hairdresser. See her Broadway credits, her Alumni Dream Job story and the story the New Yorker did on her during strikes by writers and stagehands.
- NBC's "Saturday Night Live"
- "Today Show"
- "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"
- "Access Hollywood"
Julia Carpenter, CCM '95
Actress. See her movie credit, plus video clips on her website.
- "Shameless" ('11, Showtime series, starring William Macy)
- National commercials for Toyota, White Castle, Petco, HBO Series "Rome"
Lindsey Hall, CCM '04
Actor.
- "Jimmy Kimmel Live" ('09)
Melissa Wehrman, DAAP '01
Featured bachelorette, eliminated at end of second episode of the following show:
- "For Love or Money" (NBC's summer '03 reality dating show that awarded $1 million to a winning bachelorette)
Mark Hutker, DAAP '82
Architect. Designed one of the featured homes, '08 inductee into the New England Design Hall of Fame. Visit Mark's website. In November-December 2010, Hutker Architects was included in Residential Architect magazine’s list of the "50 architects we love."
- "Top 10 Most Amazing Homes" (HGTV, '03)
Televised opera performances
Barbara Daniels, MM '71, HonDoc ’93
Soprano opera singer. See her opera credits.
- Puccini's ''La Fanciulla del West'' ('92 TV movie, starring Daniels and Plácido Domingo)
- "Il Matrimonio Segreto" ('86 TV movie, starring Daniels and the Cologne Opera)
- Handel's "Agrippina" ('85 TV movie, starring Daniels)
- "Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala" ('83 TV special)
Kathleen Battle, CCM '70, MM '71, HonDoc '83
Soprano opera singer. See her opera credits.
- "Kathleen Battle at the Metropolitan Museum" ('93 TV special, nominated for a primetime Emmy, Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts)
Larry Patterson, A&S '66
Producer. Won an Emmy award for the following:
- Special on the Houston Grand Opera's production of "Treemonisha"
Read the UC Magazine feature on Larry Patterson. (See his other TV credit.)
Don't forget to check out alumni in these TV listings: