Biola University journalism professor Michael Longinow was named the university division Journalism Educator of the Year by the California Journalism Educators Coalition (Cal-JEC), a nine-member coalition of journalism education groups and trade associations. Longinow was awarded for his excellence in teaching, research, advising and involvement in the wider journalistic community.  

“It’s an affirmation that God has me where he wants me and that he’s rewarding what seems often to be thankless work,” said Michael Longinow. “To see professionals say ‘You’re the kind of educator that we really value’ — it was huge. It was an encouragement.”


The award was announced on Feb. 28, 2015 at the Associated Collegiate Press West Coast Convention by Cal-JEC president Rich Cameron, who also chairs the department of mass communication at Cerritos College.


“Most of those who show up to this are from state universities or from trade organizations,” said Longinow. “I was all ready to applaud for somebody else and they just announced my name and I was shocked.”


Longinow’s involvement with the journalism community is extensive. He is an active board member of the California College Media Association (CCMA) and frequents both national and regional meetings of College Media Advisers (CMA) and their sister organization, the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP).


He is also a leader and member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) as well as the national executive director of Advisers of Christian Collegiate Media (ACCM). He has been the keynote speaker and a workshop presenter for several media conventions hosted by Baptist Press and was formerly the McCandlish Phillips Chair with the World Journalism Institute (WJI), an organization that recruits and equips Christian journalists.


“He does what he does not because he’s trying to receive some award,” said Tamara Welter, Biola’s journalism department chair. “He does what he does because he cares about students; he cares about student media; he cares about our impact in the media. It could not be more well-deserved.”


In addition to his work in the wider journalism community, Longinow is the current faculty adviser for The Chimes, Biola University’s student-run newspaper. Members of The Chimes staff took home several awards from the Christian College Media Association, with junior Aaron Fooks winning first place for Best Photo Illustration, second place for the Best Photo Series and an honorable mention in the Best News Photograph category. In addition, junior Tomber Su took first place in the Best Features Photograph category; junior Megan Mead won second place in the Best Non-News Video category and senior Angelica Abalos received second place in the Best Infographic category.


“It’s impressive,” said Longinow. “As adviser, I don’t meddle. I don’t try to force anybody to do anything and if they catch the fire, they begin to do work that is incredible.”


Find out more about Biola’s Department of Journalism and Integrated Media and The Chimes newspaper.

Written by Rachel Allan, iBiola reporter. For more information, contact Jenna Loumagne, media relations specialist, at 562.777.4061 or jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu.