Tracey Neale ('89)

In the nation's capital, where news is made at a break-neck pace, nine-time Emmy Award-winner Tracey Neale is a proven television news anchor and a thorough reporter. Her stories about AIDS in Africa, the youngest victim of the 9/11 Pentagon attack and the 2002 serial sniper rampage have garnered multiple awards, including news and documentary Emmys. WUSA 9 News audiences depend on Neale's commitment to stay informed and connected and to be a calming, informative source during difficult times. Neale, who came to JMU with sights on a career as a pediatrician, was lured to news while a "shooter" at WHSV-TV in Harrisonburg. With no reporter available to cover a murder story, Neale volunteered to fill in and "got the journalism bug." Although her career took a different track than she intended, Neale is still looking after the welfare of children. With money from her World Health Organization's Pan-American Award for Excellence in International Reporting for her work in Africa, Neale established the Africa Action Fund that has benefited pediatric AIDS clinics and orphanages.

"Our world is rapidly being redefined in once incomprehensible ways. What a privilege to be part of an industry that helps us understand the world and our place in it and often serves as the voice for those who have lost theirs."