Christopher Gallant
Professor
Chris Gallant is the coordinator of the internship program for the Communications department at Hilbert College and an Associate Professor of Digital Media and Communication. Additionally, he serves as the director of the Center for Creative Media at the college.
Chris Gallant’s full-time professional career spans over 17 years of Industry work. He has worked at stations WRDW-TV/ Augusta, GA, WTOL-TV/Toledo, OH, WKBW-TV/Buffalo, NY and now at WGRZ-TV/Buffalo, NY. He received two NYS Emmys for his work in broadcast journalism, one in 2008 for “They Made a Mistake: the Anthony Capozzi Story” and one in 2010 for “Niagara Falls: A Tale of Two Cities”. Gallant is a native Western New Yorker and was born in Buffalo, NY. He has also received seven Emmy nominations and numerous awards from the Associated Press, National Press Photographers Association and Gannett News. Gallant continues to freelance as a multimedia producer.
Press Releases
Center for Community News Announces 2026 Faculty Champions
The 150 honorees are helping to forge a sustainable future for local news through university-led reporting programs
February 3, 2026 | BURLINGTON, Vt. — The Center for Community News at the University of Vermont is pleased to announce its largest class of Faculty Champions ever, with 150 journalism leaders from colleges across the country. These individuals are being recognized for their efforts to start or expand university-led reporting programs in their region, and their contribution to a national movement of student-powered community reporting.
“At the core of all of these university-led student reporting programs are innovative and entrepreneurial faculty committed to student success,” said CCN Director Richard Watts. “These programs are a win-win for everyone: students receive high-impact experiences, and communities benefit from more reliable news. This program is a chance to say thank you to the faculty who make it all possible.”
The Faculty Champions awarded this year represent 41 states and two Canadian provinces. They come from 15 community colleges, 41 Minority-Serving Institutions, 4 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 30 Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and seven public media outlets. There are 35 private institutions represented and 113 public ones. Check out the full list of bios and photos.
“The extraordinary growth of university-led community reporting in recent years is a direct result of the tireless work of journalism educators, and this year’s class is a reflection of the breadth of their experience,” said CCN’s Scott Finn. Finn directs the Faculty Champions program in coordination with Amanda Bright of the UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Each Faculty Champion will receive a $1000 reward, peer support and coaching throughout the year. As part of CCN’s expanded approach to the Champions program this year, participants will work in dedicated cohorts that are organized around beats, communities and geographic regions. The cohorts will be led by program alums with expertise in their focus area.
The program is in its third year at CCN. It began as an award that recognized journalism faculty for their ingenuity at a time when news-academic partnerships were emerging as one of the viable remedies for the spread of news deserts. Since then, it has grown exponentially in numbers and scope. Today the program is a year-long interactive fellowship and a peer-to-peer collaboration.
Learn more about why these faculty are so critical to engaging the next generation of journalists and civic leaders – and how universities are stepping up to forge a sustainable future for local news at https://www.uvm.edu/ccn.
Contact
Richard Watts, rwatts@uvm.edu
Meg Little Reilly, meg.little-reilly@uvm.edu
