The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Southeast Chapter recognized the Multimedia Development Center (MDC) at Georgia Southern University with two professional and four student Emmy® awards.

This brings total Emmy wins to 12 for the MDC, which directs, produces and manages video projects and more than 100 live events each year, including Eagle athletic events that are carried on ESPN and other nationally televised university broadcasts. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is a professional organization for individuals in the television and broadcasting industry. They announced their Emmy winners last week.    

Georgia Southern’s student production teams won in the following categories:

Sports, Live Events - Georgia Southern Baseball - Nicholas Burke, Jamal Rogers, Franchette O'Neal, Robert Wright, Bradon Holder, Brian Cox, Natalie Arreola, Chandler Stevenson, Deondra Green, Shelby Head, Casey Felton

Best Newscast - Bradon Holder, Holden Galatas, Griffin Lail

Arts and Entertainment/Cultural Affairs - David Murray Piano Recital - Melanie Denton, Serggio Montero

Public Service - Bradon Holder, Serggio Montero, Melanie Denton

“I can’t give enough thanks to all our staff and students at the MDC, and especially Georgia Southern University, for the vision to build this influential program and most importantly providing once in a lifetime educational opportunities for our students through the MDC,” said Art Berger, director of the MDC.

Montero, a computer science major from Savannah who won in three student categories, has been involved with the MDC for more than two years. He attributes the development of his professional skillset to the unique relationship that the MDC builds between staff and students with a focus on one-on-one mentorship.

“I felt pretty overwhelmed, looking at the stage, walking in, I realized the gravity of what it meant to win this Emmy award as a student,” Montero said. “Working at the MDC and getting an Emmy for what I love doing, I think I’d have to say in one word, is absolutely phenomenal.”
 
Denton, a multimedia film and production major from Statesboro, also won three Emmy awards. She recently changed her major to a video production field because of her experience at the MDC. The Emmy wins help to validate that she has chosen the correct career path.

“It was really exciting to be at the Emmy awards and to personally have that many nominations. It was just incredible,” Denton said. “It has been really great over the last few years to see students graduate and go on to really outstanding opportunities like working at ESPN or at CNN and it is really exciting to know that they got there through this program and that winning Emmy awards was part of their success.”
 
The Media Development Center professional production teams also received two professional wins and a nomination in the following categories:
 
Winner Best Sports Director - Art Berger, director

Winner Best Technical Director Live for Georgia Southern Football and Soccer with Art Berger as director.

A professional nomination for “Sports Interview and Discussion” - The History of Freedom the Eagle” in the Spanish language category - Art Berger (host), Eddie Rodriguez (narration), Bryan Dykstra, and Ben Powell (production and videography).
 
Berger received two director Emmy wins in the professional category.

“I am very proud of our student wins this year especially with the level of competition in the Live Event and the coveted Best Newscast categories,” said Berger.

Berger, dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity in the media, won the Best Technical Director Emmy award for Georgia Southern’s Spanish simulcast. Broadcasting in Spanish is new for the university. The MDC competed against Telemundo and Univision for the award.

The Best Director Emmy was awarded for a combination of events including ESPN football, basketball and soccer games. During the presentation at the Emmy ceremony, Berger shared this award and dedicated the Best Sports Director award to the MDC students.