Photo by Scott Kindberg

Post-Journal reporter Cameron Hurst poses with the Mark Hellinger Award he received earlier this week. The award, established in 1960, honors the Jandoli School of Communication’s top graduates and recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding alumni. Past winners include Neil Cavuto of Fox News, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post and Michael Hill, president of Chautauqua Institution. Hurst, a December 2019 St. Bonaventure University graduate, completed a double major in journalism and music. Serving numerous internships while attending SBU, the Jamestown native accumulated hundreds of hours of on-the-job experience as a working journalist. He is the son of John and Joy Hurst. Layne Dowdall of Little Valley was the runner-up for the Hellinger Award. A journalism and environmental studies major, Dowdall graduated in May. Like Hurst, she served numerous internships as a writer and photojournalist while attending SBU, and earned an investigative reporting fellowship through Arizona State University. She is the daughter of Ron and Wendy Dowdall. 2010 SBU graduate Charlie Specht was selected as Alumnus of the Year. Specht is the chief investigative reporter for WKBW-TV, the ABC News affiliate in Buffalo.