Emmy Nomination for JWU Professor Gagnon

Professor Marian Gagnon has been nominated for a Boston/New England Emmy Award for her film, “America’s Forgotten Heroine: Ida Lewis, Keeper of the Light.”

Gagnon wrote, directed, and produced the film, which tells the life story of Lewis, the brave lighthouse keeper who saved the lives of more than 25 people — and a prize sheep — during her tenure.

The film premiered to a standing-room-only crowd at the Casino Theatre in Newport in and was also selected for the 2014 RI International Film Festival.

About Professor Gagnon
Marian Gagnon, PhD, is a professor in the School of Science & Liberal Arts, where she teaches news writing, film studies, speech communications, and visual literacy.

She is also a writer, director and producer of documentaries, including a trio of films chronicling JWU’s colorful history.

In her classes Intro to Newswriting and Visual Literacy and the Sociology of Perception, Gagnon pushes students to think critically — crucial for Media & Communications Studies majors who need to develop a holistic view of our crowded media landscape.

“I think that’s what more and more employers are looking for — how well can you write, speak and communicate,” she notes.

About the New England Emmys
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is the premier and most recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of excellence in television.

The Academy awards the EMMY Award, the most prestigious, peer‐judged honor in television for outstanding creative achievement.

The Boston/New England Chapter represents all the broadcast markets in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and the majority of Connecticut except for Fairfield County. View complete list of nominees (PDF)