Chapter Scholarships

Each year at Founders Day, the chapter awards four scholarships to promising journalism students. More than $76,000 has been awarded to about 90 journalism students since the program began.

Jacob A. Meckstroth Scholarship
One scholarship is designated for a student who is an SPJ member at The Ohio State University. The OSU scholarship is named in memory of Jacob A. Meckstroth (1887-1985), a founding member of the chapter, a member of OSU’s first journalism class and the longtime editor of the Ohio State Journal.

Norman H. Dohn Scholarship
A scholarship is given annually to a student who is an SPJ member at Ohio University. This scholarship is named in memory of Norman H. Dohn (1920-1997), also a founding member of this chapter as well as a longtime Columbus journalist, professor of journalism at OU and SPJ board member.

James W. Faulkner Scholarship
Two scholarships are available for any Ohio journalism student. These scholarships are named in memory of James W. Faulkner (1864-1923), the Statehouse correspondent for The Cincinnati Enquirer, the founder of the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association and the dean of political writers during his lifetime.

Scholarship Recipients
2022 – Megan Husslein, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Claire Shiopota, Ohio University (Dohn); Tom Hanks of  The Ohio State University (Faulkner) and Isabel Nissley of Ohio University (Faulkner)

2021 – Bella Czajkowski, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Helen Widman, Ohio University (Dohn); Sarah Szilagy of  The Ohio State University (Faulkner); Emily Crebs of Ohio University (Faulkner); and Taj Simmons of Miami University.

2019 – Abhigyaan Bararia, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Julie Ciotola, Ohio University (Dohn); Samantha Raudins of  The Ohio State University (Faulkner) and Ashton Nichols of Ohio University (Faulkner)

2018 – Zach Varda, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Maddie Capron, Ohio University (Dohn); Jake Rahe of  The Ohio State University (Faulkner) and Margaret Campbell of Ohio University (Faulkner)

2017 – Kelly Rudolph, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Anthony Heim, Ohio University (Dohn); Sheridan Hendrix of  The Ohio State University (Faulkner) and Hayley Harding of Ohio University (Faulkner)

2014 – Ritika Shah, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Meryl Gottlieb, Ohio University (Dohn), Dominic Binkley, Bowling Green State University (Faulkner);

2013 – Shay Trotter, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Kali Borovic, Ohio University (Dohn); Ritika Shah, Ohio State University and Lindsay Friedman, Ohio University (Faulkner)

2012 – Alexis Preskar, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Sandhya Kambhampati, Ohio University (Dohn); Ally Marotti, Ohio State University (Faulkner)

2010 – Emma Morehart, Ohio University (Dohn); Matthew Kraus, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Dylan Tussel, Ohio State University (Faulkner)

2009 – Krista Henneck, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Jaimie Raterman, Ohio University (Dohn); Fallon Forbush, Otterbein College, and Taylor Mirfendereski, Ohio University (Faulkner)

2008 – Garrett Downing, Ohio University (Dohn); Aubrey Herbst, Wittenberg University (Faulkner); and Zachary Timmons, Ohio State University (Meckstroth)

2007 – Erin Pompili, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Lee K. Robbins, Ohio University (Dohn); Lisa Halverstadt, Bowling Green State University, and Matt Zapotosky, Ohio University (Faulkner)

2006 – Brittany Hughes, Ohio University (Dohn); Ryan Merrill, Ohio State University (Meckstroth); Christopher Ankey, University of Toledo, and Amanda Kawalek, Ohio State (Faulkner)