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The bureau chief:

Emmy-winning journalist Mark Lodato joined the faculty in December 2000 from WUSA-TV (CBS Washington), where he worked as a reporter and anchor. He has more than 10 years of experience in broadcast journalism: He  was as a correspondent for KNXV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Phoenix, and reported for KOMU-TV, the NBC affiliate in Columbia, Mo., and WINK-TV, the CBS affiliate in Fort Myers, Fla. Lodato was an adjunct journalism professor at Arizona State University.

The undergraduates: 

Bridget Broullire, 21, is a senior broadcast journalism major. She hails from Silver Spring, Md., and will be covering Montgomery County crime and justice for Maryland Newsline's cable news show. She gained experience interning with WJLA ABC 7 and with the Washington Bureau of Fox News Channel.

Manny Fantis, 25, is a native of Brooklyn, N.Y. He received an Associate's Degree in Communications from Delaware Technical and Community College. The broadcast major will be covering the environmental and agriculture beats this fall.

Nik Hepler, 21, is a senior journalism major from Laytonsville, Md. He's a product of the Communication Arts and Humanities Magnet Program at Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring, Md., and interned at the Public Information Office for the city of Gaithersburg. Helper will be covering business and economic development for Montgomery and Prince George's counties. 

Michael J. Hughes, 22, is a senior who lives in Bowie, Md. He has interned at CTV in Largo and hopes to pursue a television news career after graduating in May 2002. Hughes has reported for WMUC radio and written for the Diamondback and ECLIPSE newspapers on campus. He is the high jump record holder for his high school's track team and qualified for Junior World Championships in the event as a freshman at the University of Maryland. Hughes will cover politics in Prince George's County.

George Lettis, 21, is a senior broadcast journalism major at the university. He has interned at NBC and CBS affiliates in Tampa, Fla., and Baltimore and recently finished a summer internship at "Meet the Press" with Tim Russert. Lettis also worked at WMUC radio and the Diamondback newspaper. He will cover Prince George's County crime and courts this fall.

Erika Martincorena, 22, is a senior who will cover the health and medicine beat for the TV bureau. Martincorena speaks Spanish and interned at the Embassy of Uruguay, working on international press relations. She also interned at the Enquirer Gazette in Upper Marlboro, Md., as a general assignment reporter. She worked as a broadcast operations intern for Major League Soccer with D.C. United and recently finished an internship with NewsChannel 8.

Mia Moran, 20, is a senior who will cover education for the TV bureau. Moran has worked for WMAR Channel 2 in Baltimore and for WMUC radio on campus. She recently completed an internship at DC101 Radio with the "Elliot in the Morning" talk show.

Jennie Noll, 22, a senior from Potomac, Md., transferred from Salisbury State University in 1999, where she worked for the school newspaper and radio station, as well as SSU-TV. At the University of Maryland, Noll has worked at the Diamondback newspaper and at WMUC radio station as both a reporter and a producer. She will cover a variety of news stories this fall, but will focus on Montgomery County government and politics.

Rusty Ray, 21, a senior in broadcast journalism, will cover transportation this fall. The Mount Airy native has interned for two summers at NBC4 in Washington, D.C., and worked as a production intern at FOX 45 in Baltimore. Ray was also a student production assistant at UMTV, and an anchor for "Maryland Newsline: College Park Edition" in spring 2001. At Maryland, Ray has been a member of the marching band for four years and has been a DJ, news anchor and news producer at WMUC.

Alanna Turner, 28, is a senior who will graduate in May 2002 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in broadcast journalism and family studies. Turner has interned at WMAR Channel 2 in Baltimore and WTTG-TV in Washington. She will cover Maryland crime and justice policy for the TV bureau this fall.

Copyright © 2001 University of Maryland College of Journalism