UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Alumnus Ryan Hockensmith, an award-winning writer from ESPN, will participate in a free public event Oct. 12, and his visit, along with a reception on Oct. 13, highlights celebratory events as the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State marks 20 years of student opportunity and success.
“A Conversation with Ryan Hockensmith” features Hockensmith, who earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State in 2001, discussing his career and sports writing in general at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 in Kern Auditorium (112 Kern Building). The session will be moderated by John Affleck, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of the Curley Center.
One of Hockensmith’s recent pieces (“The secret MVP of sports? The port-a-potty”) was selected for inclusion in “The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2023.” He often focuses on offbeat stories or looks at sports stories in a slightly different way. He started his career with ESPN as an intern with ESPN the Magazine in 2001 and has never left the company.
The ongoing Conversation Series regularly features sports journalists discussing their craft with students and the community. A partial list of previous participants in the series reads like a who’s who of sports media, including Todd Blackledge, John Branch, Nicole Briscoe, John Buccigross, Chris Fowler, Deb Gelman, Michael Giarrusso, Jason Hehir, Emily Kaplan, Joe Posnanski, Dave Revsine, Lisa Salters, Sarah Spain, Marc Spears, Tom Verducci and Jesse Washington.
Hockensmith’s visit opens a two-day celebration for the Curley Center, which was established in 2003 as a first-of-its-kind center in higher education and has grown to become one of the largest programs of its kind, open to students from all majors at Penn State.
The second day, Oct. 13, includes a reception for alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends from 2-4 p.m. in the Bellisario Media Center. The event will include refreshments, brief remarks from Affleck at 3 p.m., and Curley Center giveaways and samples of student work.
Penn State students who complete the Curley Center’s academic requirements, a combination of classes and an internship, earn a certificate — and 1,094 certificates have been awarded in the past 20 years.
The endeavor was initially named simply the Center for Sports Journalism when it launched in 2003. It was renamed the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism to honor one of its co-founders, John Curley, in 2006. Curley’s more than five decades of newspaper experience included work as a reporter, editor, publisher and, ultimately, president, CEO and chairman of the Gannet Co. He was the first editor of USA Today.
Since its inception, the Curley Center has explored issues and trends in sports journalism through instruction, outreach, programming and research. The center complements its core courses with an emphasis on internships and hands-on experience.
Students participate in countless campus media opportunities, including CommRadio, The Daily Collegian and student-led TV programs. They also have access to state-of-the-art facilities. Penn State Athletics offers valuable internships, and additional off-campus opportunities are available with media outlets, teams, leagues and more.
Student sports writers have consistently earned awards and honors in national competitions.
In addition, the Curley Center’s partnerships with professional news organizations, such as The Associated Press, USA Today Sports Network, Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association and other outlets, have landed student work in prestigious publications from The Washington Post to the Miami Herald, Sports Business Journal, and hundreds of others.
Students regularly travel far beyond campus to cover major sporting events. They’ve been to the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, the Olympics in London and the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. They’ve covered the NFL Draft for nearly two decades, and traveled to cover the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Senior Bowl and the Super Bowl. They have covered the Little League World Series as part of an annual partnership with the AP since 2017, as well as the U.S. Open Golf tournament, NASCAR at Pocono Raceway, and completed countless summer internships and professional experiences.