WICR, Iona’s Award-Winning Radio Station, Keeps the Show Going

Typically, WICR, Iona’s award-winning radio station and club, operates from a fully equipped studio in a cozy space on the ground floor of the LaPenta Student Union. There, club members enjoy the unique experience of hosting their own radio shows.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the campus to shut down, it looked like WICR might have to suspend their programming. That, however, was not an option for Club President Austin Stellato ’21. Using ingenuity and technology, he and his e-board kept WICR on the air.

“Despite not physically being in the station, with our current streaming platform of YouTube Live, we were able to offer our members the opportunity to record their shows and then upload them on our YouTube,” Stellato said. “Several members took advantage of the opportunity and continued to produce content.”

WICR was recently named as a finalist for four different Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Awards this year. These awards classify WICR within the top five percent of college radio stations in the country.

“I am very grateful for this online opportunity to not only share my work but also express my gratitude for my amazing mentor, Dr. Lee,” said Marnie Skinner ’20, whose work is included in the virtual presentation and who is now pursuing a doctoral degree in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“We are not only proud of these students’ academic accomplishments, but also of the adaptability, perseverance and dedication to scholarship they have demonstrated under these unusual circumstances,” said Sunghee Lee, Ph.D., Board of Trustees endowed professor, Biophysical/Analytical/Surface Chemistry.

Presentations covered topics including Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Dance, Education, Finance, Psychology, Science, Speech Communication and Text Analysis.

Margaret Pisani ’85, MD, MPH, who was originally scheduled to deliver the Iona Scholars Month keynote address, was instead serving tirelessly as an MD on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic at Yale Medicine in New Haven, Conn. She will deliver the address in 2021.