Four College of Journalism and Mass Communications students were inducted into the 2023-24 Mortar Board class on April 1 at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s annual Ivy Day ceremonies.
The event, co-sponsored by Mortar Board and the Innocents Society, recognized outstanding contributions of students selected to serve in the two senior honorary organizations, as well as the achievements of current members and notable underclassmen and seniors.
Ceremonies took place at Sheldon Museum of Art and concluded with the traditional planting of the ivy by the 2023-24 presidents of the societies — Emily Plotnik of Lakeville, Minnesota, for Mortar Board and Brynn Boes of Gretna for the Innocents Society.
Jane Miller, retired president and chief operating officer of Gallup, delivered the keynote address. At Gallup, she oversaw worldwide operations, ensuring that all systems, resources and people were aligned to achieve the organization’s goals. She has served in leadership roles with the Peter Kiewit Foundation, TeamMates Mentoring, Kiewit Luminarium, Omaha Zoological Society, Nebraska Medicine and University of Nebraska Foundation. She received the Omaha Chamber of Commerce Women in Leadership Award and has been inducted into the Omaha Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame.
New members of Mortar Board are tapped into the Black Masque Chapter each spring by Mortar Boarders wearing black masks and robes. The 33 new members were selected based on scholarship, leadership and service.
Following is a list by hometown of the 2023 CoJMC inductees into the Black Masque chapter of Mortar Board. Information includes each student’s academic major(s) and parent names.
Nebraska
Bellevue
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LeAnne Bugay, journalism, and advertising and public relations, Mike and Melissa Bugay.
Omaha
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Hannah-Kate Kinney, journalism, broadcasting, and advertising and public relations, Jon and Jane Kinney.
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Naren Narasimhan, marketing, and sports media and communications, Narasimhan Jayachandran and Praveena Bojjireddy.
Elsewhere in the U.S.
Le Mars, Iowa
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Valeria Uribe, advertising and public relations, and graphic design, Juan Uribe and Nayibe Torres.
