DMACC is proud to recognize Dr. Grace Provenzano, a Journalism adjunct instructor, on receiving the 2026 Kenneth Harwood Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Broadcast Education Association (BEA). The award, which recognizes exceptional doctoral research in broadcasting and electronic media, was announced March 6, 2026. Provenzano accepted the honor at the BEA Annual Convention in Las Vegas April 17 to 21.
Dr. Provenzano earned the award for her dissertation, Standing Guard: Gatekeeping by Network News Field Producers at the 2024 U.S. Political Conventions, which examined how U.S.-based and international broadcast journalists research and share stories at major political events. Her work reflects both scholarly rigor and deep professional insight gained from more than 20 years in broadcast news, including international reporting across Europe and helping establish the English-language division of Deutsche Welle TV in Berlin.
A Ph.D. graduate with honors from Arizona State University’s Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Dr. Provenzano brings an outstanding blend of academic expertise and real-world experience to DMACC students.
“We’re delighted to have Grace as part of our journalism program,” said Rachel Murdock, DMACC Speech Professor and Pathway Chair, Design, Media and the Arts. “This award is just one of many that demonstrates the high-quality adjunct Liberal Arts instructors here at DMACC."
For more information about DMACC's Design, Media and the Arts Pathway, visit dmacc.edu/pathways/dma.