WP Alumni from NBCUniversal Gather on Campus for Special Reception

The University welcomed WP alumni employed at NBCUniversal back to campus on Saturday, October 28, 2023 for a special reception. The event provided an opportunity to socialize with fellow alumni working at NBCUniversal, connect with current College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences students, and learn about the many exciting happenings at the University and within the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

The gathering took place in Hamilton Hall—which many graduates fondly remember as the former Hobart Hall— and the home of the Department of Communication, where a number of alumni in attendance spent a great deal of their time as students. Alumni had a chance to visit the spaces where they began crafting their skills and expertise in the industry, including the TV studios, control rooms, and WPSC-FM Brave New Radio station.

“As this gathering demonstrates, William Paterson and NBCUniversal have developed a wonderful relationship over the years,” said President Richard J. Helldobler, who welcomed the alumni back to campus and noted the University’s recent participation in the NBCU Academy Next Level Summit, where WP had the distinction of being the first and only college in the history of the event to have a crew of students running the control room during the live summit.”

“Our students shined with their talents on full display before a national audience of participants,” he added. “It was a wonderful real-world learning experience for our students and everyone who participated, and we are grateful to NBCUniversal and to so many of our alumni and friends for making it all possible!”

In addition to tours of the facilities, many of the alumni participated in brief studio interviews facilitated by students, where they shared memories of their time at WP, their path since graduation, and how their experiences as a student prepared them for a career with NBCUniversal. They also networked with current students seeking to break into the industry and shared their career insights and experiences.

The event was spearheaded by NBCUniversal alumni leadership volunteers Greg Francis ’96, senior vice president, technical operations, and Marc Greenstein ’23, senior vice president, design and production.

“I’ve worked at NBC for over 27 years and have met many colleagues that are fellow William Paterson graduates,” said Francis. “They all talk about how their time at WP allowed them to grow and find a path to a career in media.  Meeting with the current students, I can see that they all share that same passion and curiosity with the alumni. Their ambition combined with what they are able to learn in the upgraded facilities at Hamilton Hall put them on a good path to success.” 

“Going back to campus was an amazing mix of the past, present, and future,” added Greenstein. “It was great to reconnect with classmates who I spent so much time with in the WP studios. We shared many stories of how those experiences led us to successful careers at NBC. However, the best part of the day was speaking to the students and hearing about their passion to learn more about the industry.”

Following the event, those in attendance had an opportunity to spend the afternoon on campus, enjoying a campus tour, attending a pre-game tailgate, and joining the crowd at the football game where the WP Pioneers played Christopher Newport University.

11/13/23