Alumni from the Lyndon Atmospheric Sciences and Communications Programs, and the Castleton Communications Program will be Honored in November by the Organization
Vermont Business Magazine When Vermonters tune in to broadcast news, more than likely they are being informed and inspired by a Vermont State University (VTSU) graduate. Known for its excellent communications program with concentrations in new media, journalism, and cinema studies and production as well as its top-notch atmospheric sciences program, Vermont State University produces graduates who are working across the media landscape as journalists in broadcast, online, and print media, meteorologists, in production behind the scenes, and more. Alumni are excelling in journalism and media here in Vermont as well as across the region and country.
The Vermont Association of Broadcasters (VAB) recently announced that two Vermont State University alumni will be honored at their upcoming Hall of Fame & Awards Gala on November 16, 2024, and two additional alumni are receiving recognition as 2024 VAB Rising Stars.
“I offer my sincere congratulations to all four of our alumni on achieving this well-deserved recognition,” shared David Bergh, President of Vermont State University. “It’s a testament to their diligence and hard work to uncover and report out on what matters most to Vermonters, to produce news, call sports, and forecast complex weather patterns with integrity, and to the leadership they show in their communities and workplaces. I’m proud to call these folks alumni of our campuses at Lyndon and Castleton. It speaks volumes to the high-quality of these academic programs that they’ve produced such renowned alumni who are doing excellent work in these necessary fields.”
Rich Haskell, a 1986 alumni of the former Lyndon State College (now the Lyndon campus of Vermont State University) and Gary Sadowsky, a 1992 alumni of the same, will be inducted into the VAB Hall of Fame.
Haskell is a producer of news and sports segments on all Vox AM/FM stations who also moonlights as the recognizable voice of the Vermont Lake Monster and calls play-by-play for Middlebury College hockey and Middlebury High School football on WVTK-FM. Haskell’s career, all the way back to his time at Lyndon and with the exception of a few years in the 2000s, has always included his love of talking sports.
“I owe so much of my radio career to Lyndon,” Haskell shared. “I’ll never forget walking on campus in the fall of 1980 and immediately going to the radio station and talking with the general manager. I told him I wanted to be on the radio, and his first words were, ‘how about tomorrow morning at eight?’ Lyndon was the perfect size to immediately get involved in a radio career that still continues to this day.“
Sadowsky, most recognizable for his storied career as a meteorologist at WCAX, is now Chief Meteorologist at that station and holds the Seal of Approval for TV and Radio from the National Weather Association and the prestigious Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation from the American Meteorological Society. A trusted source for the latest forecast, Sadowsky is an alumni of Lyndon’s meteorology program, offered within the comprehensive Atmospheric Sciences degree program.
Sadowsky notes, “the Lyndon program prepared me, as it did a lot of students, to become successful in the field of broadcasting and I’ve had the pleasure of working with many fellow Lyndon grads over the years. Two of my current weather colleagues at WCAX and many of our journalists, anchors, and producers are fellow alumni and it’s really special to see how they pass their knowledge on to the next generation. My longstanding colleague, friend, and Lyndon instructor, Dan Dowling, played a major role in the success of the Lyndon broadcast meteorology program and trained many of WCAX’s meteorologists, along with the majority of the broadcast meteorologists in our market at the competing stations. So many of Dan's students have gone on to have successful careers in TV markets across the country. The talents of Lyndon grads permeate our lives here in Vermont, across the region, and all across the U.S. In fact, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service in Burlington is a Lyndon alum as well. We are all so lucky to have gotten the education and training that resulted in our successful careers.”
Additionally, two alumni are receiving 2024 Rising Star Awards from the VAB. Haley Bouley, a 2017 alumni of Lyndon’s atmospheric sciences program, is the Chief Meteorologist on the ABC22 and FOX44 news team and is being recognized as the Rising Star in Meteorology for both her excellent work in the profession and leadership at the station.
Ike Bendavid is a 2016 graduate of Castleton University (now the Castleton campus of Vermont State University) and is receiving recognition as the Rising Star in Investigative Reporting. He is a senior reporter at WCAX-TV and is known for his deep reporting and coverage of breaking news.
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