Public Affairs Reporting Scholarships

Contact information
Website: www.uis.edu/par
Email: par@uis.edu
Phone: (217) 206-7494
Office Location: PAC 480

Several scholarship programs are earmarked for graduate students in the Public Affairs Reporting program. The annual awards are based on academic achievement, financial need, and potential for a career in journalism. For more information, contact the Director of the Public Affairs Reporting program.

  • Mark D. Allan PAR Scholarship:

    • Established by Mr. Allan, a 1986 Public Affairs Reporting graduate. Mr. Allan is the former Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Butler University.

  • James E. Armstrong Scholarship: 

    • Established in memory of the late publisher of the Illinois State Register and the Illinois State Journal, predecessors of The State Journal-Register in Springfield.

  • Mary and Jim Beaumont Public Affairs Reporting Scholarship

    • ​Established by Mary and Jim Beaumont. Mary has a graduate degree in Communication from UIS and Jim has a graduate degree in Public Affairs from UIS.

  • Rich Bradley Memorial Scholarship Fund
    • Established by friends and colleagues of Rich Bradley, the longtime news director at WUIS, Springfield's public radio station. Bradley, who died on July 3, 2023, was a strong supporter of PAR and mentored many PAR interns.

  • Class of 1986 Scholarship Fund:

    • ​Established by members of the PAR Class of 1985-86, the fund supports PAR students who have demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

  • Mary Frances Fagan PAR Memorial Scholarship: 

    • Established by friends in memory of Ms. Fagan, a 1983 Public Affairs Reporting graduate. Fagan served as assistant press secretary for Govs. Jim Thompson and Jim Edgar. Her career included 23 years as a spokesman for American Airlines.  She is credited for the industry’s first frequent flyer program, and through her involvement with Ebertfest, she turned what could have been a local film festival into one of international reputation.

  • Milton D. Friedland Communications Scholarship: 

    • Established in memory of the late founder and general manager of WICS-TV, News Channel 20 in Springfield, and former community relations associate for the campus.

  • Steven B. Hahn Reporting Scholarship: 

    • Established by his parents in his memory. Hahn was a legislative correspondent for The State Journal-Register and United Press International.

  • Robert P. Howard Scholarship: 

    • Established by friends in memory of the late Capitol correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, and author of Illinois, A History of the Prairie State.

  • Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association (ILCA) / Miller and Heinecke Scholarship:

    • ​Established in honor of Burnell A. Heinecke who was a former Chicago Sun-Times Statehouse correspondent and former president of the ILCA, the late Bill Miller who was the former director of the UIS PAR program and a founding member of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association, and deceased ILCA members.

  • International Student Scholarship Fund:

    • ​This fund supports scholarships for international students enrolled in the PAR program.

  • Vu Nguyen Scholarship: 

    • Established in memory of Vu Nguyen, a 2008 PAR graduate who served as an education reporter for the Daily Breeze in Torrance, CA.

  • Douglas H. Pokorski Scholarship in Public Affairs Reporting: 

    • Established in memory of Doug Pokorski, a veteran journalist for The State Journal-Register known for his coverage of education and history.

  • Public Affairs Reporting Memorial Scholarship Fund:

    • ​Robert C. Springer and his wife, Barbara J. Hipsman Springer, both earned a Public Affairs Reporting Degree from UIS. This scholarship celebrates that achievement.

  • Thom M. Serafin Public Affairs Reporting Scholarship: 

    • Made possible through a gift from Thom Serafin, a 1974 PAR graduate whose distinguished career includes founding and serving as CEO of Serafin and Associates, Inc., serving as press secretary for several national-level political campaigns, serving on the Washington D.C. staff of U.S. Senator Alan Dixon, and most recently serving as a Chicago-based political and public relations consultant.

  • Valerie Wiener Award: 

    • Made possible through a gift from Valerie Wiener, a former member of the Nevada state senate and founder/CEO of her own consulting firm specializing in media relations, positioning strategies, and power presentations.