College of Education and Human Development

Two Mason Faculty Members Win Gracie Awards

The winners of the Gracie Awards, which honor women in media, have been announced, and among this year's honorees are Mason faculty members Amanda Kraus and Jenice L. View.

Kraus and View won a Gracie Award for their 30-minute televised talk show, “Urban Education: Issues and Solutions,” which explores a range of urban education issues.

View is the originator, executive producer and host of the show, while Kraus is the GMU-TV producer who collaborated on the project. The two will be filming their third season of the series this summer, which is broadcast on GMU-TV.

“It's an honor to win this award and to be able to bring attention to urban education issues and solutions to a broader audience,” says View, assistant professor for Initiatives in Educational Transformation in the College of Education and Human Development.

The Gracies are annual awards hosted by the Alliance for Women in Media, which serves as a voice for women in the media world. For more than 30 years, the alliance has been honoring women for their contributions to the industry.

“Winning a Gracie is a great honor in the media industry,” says Kraus, senior producer, director and editor for GMU-TV. “I still feel like I need to pinch myself!”

According to View, Mason's Initiatives in Educational Transformation program works hard to help classroom teachers take the issues discussed on the Urban Education show and apply the solutions to their students.

Says View, “The particular show for which I won the award is focused on the teaching of historic places with diverse population. It's a wonderful way to engage with scholars and practitioners in a public forum. It is also a vehicle for scholars to consider the broader implications of their scholarship.”

View adds, “Working with Amanda and the crew at GMU-TV is fabulous, and having this work recognized by others is icing on a very rich cake.”

By Aisha Jamil

The Mason Gazatte April 13, 2011