Professor Rich Manieri Receives the Frances White Ewbank Award

September 9, 2022

Professor Rich Manieri, assistant professor of journalism in Asbury University’s School of Communication Arts, received the Francis White Ewbank Award for Excellence in Teaching. The announcement was made during Academic Convocation to start the 2022-23 academic year.

“I love every minute in the classroom with my students,” Manieri said. “Forming relationships that will endure long after their time at Asbury is something extraordinary and is the most rewarding part of what I do.”

The Frances White Ewbank Award for Excellence in Teaching is the University’s highest honor for teaching. Created in 2002 by Dr. Paul A. ’56 and Dr. Kay Fuller ’57 Rader, the award is conferred each year on one full-time faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in teaching effectiveness and spiritual modeling in and outside of the classroom. Each spring, graduating seniors submit nominations which are then reviewed by a committee before a final awardee is chosen and announced at the initial Chapel of the fall semester.

“[Professor Rich Manieri] brings so much more to the table as [he] is equipped with years of experience,” said Asbury University Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Dr. Timothy Campbell, reading student comments about Manieri prior to the announcement. “One student shared: ‘He is so passionate about this field, and it really shines through to us as students. He treats each student with the utmost respect and holds each of us to the same high standards, continuously reminding us that we are all valued, not only by him but as children of God.’”

Manieri has spent more than 30 years as a television and print journalist, speech writer, government spokesman, communications consultant, essayist and columnist. He holds a B.A. in communication arts from Villanova University and an M.F.A. from Lesley University. Manieri has won both Associated Press and Emmy awards for news reporting.

“Professor Manieri brings extensive journalistic experience to the classroom,” said Dr. Jim Owens, dean of the School of Communication Arts. “He has engaged our journalism students in news, using new technologies while keeping a laser focus on quality storytelling as ‘pursuing truth.’”

“We want to make sure that our students are prepared and equipped to thrive in a profession that now, more than ever, requires a diverse skill set,” Manieri said. “Our students know how to write traditional news stories, how to work with video, how to write a script for TV news, and how to produce news content for multiple platforms simultaneously. Most importantly, they understand the difference between news and opinion, between straight reporting and advocacy. Helping them understand and recognize these distinctions is fundamental to their preparation.”

Madison Anderson, a senior journalism student at Asbury, shared about Manieri’s positive impact in her educational journey.

“Professor Manieri is truly selfless and expects only the best from his students,” she said. “During my sophomore year at Asbury, he was the person who encouraged me to write, and now, writing is my passion. I couldn’t fathom the person I would be without his constant improvement-based instruction, creative support, and taking on the role as my mentor in both my professional and personal life.”

In addition to teaching, Manieri has served as the play-by-play voice for the livestream of the Asbury University men’s and women’s basketball teams for the past three years. He was also Asbury University’s first women’s lacrosse coach for the first few years of the program.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Manieri on being named this year’s Frances White Ewbank awardee. To learn more about Asbury University’s School of Communication Arts, visit https://www.asbury.edu/about/offices/schools/comarts/.