Students in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication have earned 16 nominations in the Upper Midwest Emmy Foundation Student Production Awards, recognizing work across sports programming, documentary storytelling, narrative filmmaking and feature reporting. 

The nomination comes from several student-run initiatives at the Greenlee School, including Prep Sports Central, Studio 308, The Shorts Department and the Touchdown in Dublin study abroad reporting program. 

Faculty say the recognition reflects both the quality of student work and the hands-on production experience offered through Greenlee courses. 

“Receiving 16 nominations from the Upper Midwest Emmy Foundation highlights the quality of the video content being produced by Greenlee School students,” James McNab, assistant teaching professor in the Greenlee School, said. “It shows that students are not only learning the technical aspects of video production, but also producing work that meets professional standards.” 

McNab said the programs simulate professional media environments. Prep Sports Central produces a sports highlight show, Studio 308 operates as a student-run newsmagazine broadcast, The Shorts Department focuses on narrative filmmaking and the Touchdown in Dublin project allows students to report from Ireland while covering the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.

“These experiences give students practical training that mirrors what they will encounter in professional newsrooms and media organizations,” McNab said. 

One of the nominated projects is the documentary “Hometown Hero of the Hardwood,” which focuses on Iowa State basketball player Tamin Lipsey. Tony Moton, who advises the sports media and communication documentary capstone, said the filmmakers had a clear vision before production began. 

“The directing and editing are strong because Benji [Genise] and Mathew [Nielsen] had a real handle on the story before they went into production,” Moton said. “If you have a solid roadmap, that’s when directing and editing can really shine.” 

Students involved in narrative filmmaking and multimedia storytelling also received nominations. 

Nicholas Harmon, a senior in journalism and mass communications who directed the Oct. 20, 2025, episode of Prep Spotys Central, said the nominees reflected the effort students put into their work throughout the semester. 

“I was really happy, there’s no other way to say it,” Harmon said. “For the entire semester, I saw how hard the entire class worked and the major steps a lot of us took. So, when I saw the nominations we had, it was really heartwarming to see it start to pay off.” 

Bella Brandi, a junior in journalism and mass communication, helped produce the short film “The Good Stalker,” nominated in the Fiction – Short Form Content category. 

“I mentioned the idea of the movie ‘Hush’ having a thrilling storyline that would build suspense,” Brandi said. “One of my partners developed the ideas to have a twist on the story, making the stalker ‘good.’”

Brandi said coordinating filming around busy schedules was the biggest challenge, but the team worked late nights and weekends to complete the project. 

Kayde Sheaffer, a junior in journalism and mass communication and ISU Daily managing editor, is nominated in the Solo Storyteller category for “Living in a Postcard.” The project came from capturing spontaneous moments during the Touchdown in Dublin trip. 

“‘Living in a Postcard’ is just about all of us Greenlee students having a fun time,” Sheaffer said. “I just went about my day, saw beautiful things and decided to film all of us in awe of such a beautiful place.” 

The study abroad project also produced the travel-style series “Nate & Tate in Dublin,” created by Taten Eighmy, a senior in sports media and communication and ISU Daily student life reporter. 

“Our idea of Nate and Tate in Dublin came from our curiosity about Ireland,” Eighmy said. “We didn’t know much about Ireland, and we wanted to compare its lifestyles to ours in Iowa.” 

Eighmy said the team filmed where they had free time during the trip and balanced editing with their travel schedule. Despite the challenges, he said the nomination made the effort worthwhile. 

“We put a lot of effort into those videos, and we were proud of them,” Eighmy said. “Seeing it get some recognition is cool.” 

McNab said the recognition from the Upper Midwest Emmy Foundation can help students as they begin their careers. 

“It validates their work and provides a strong addition to their professional portfolios,” McNab said. “It also gives students confidence that their content can be completed at a professional level.” 

Students receiving nomination include: 

• Isaac Christensen – producer, Prep Sports Central (Nov. 17, 2025 episode) 
• Caleb Sheldon- director, Prep Sports Central (Nov. 17, 2025 episode) 
• Taten Eighmy – producer, Prep Sports Central, (Nov. 3, 2025 episode), co-producer of “Nate & Tate in Dublin” 
• Matthew Nielsen – director, Prep Sport Central (Nov. 3, 2025 episode), director/editor, “Hometown Hero of the Hardwood”; photographer, “Two Bands”
• Nicholas Harmon – director, Prep Sports Central (Oct. 20, 2025 episode)
• Abby Altman – talent, News or Sports nominee; reporter, “Two Bands”; producer, “Country Band Thieves Despite Distance” 
• Nathan Porter – talent, News or Sports nominee; co-producer of “Nate & Tate in Dublin”
• Kayde Sheaffer – solo storyteller nominee for “Living in a Postcard”
• Benji Genise – director, “Hometown Hero of the Hardwood”
• Bella Brandi – producer, “The Good Stalker”
• Nayeli Gonzalez – producer/editor, “The Good Stalker”
• Irina Sacuiu – producer, “The Good Stalker”
• Calleigh Klein – producer, “The Library Mystery”
• Michael Martinez – producer, “The Library Mystery”
• Faith Millsap – producer, “The Library Mystery”
• Jenna Whalen – producer, “The Library Mystery”
• Carson Duinink – producer, “Country Band Thrives Despite Distance”

The 15th annual Upper Midwest Emmy Foundation Student Production Awards ceremony will take place April 10 in St. Paul, Minnesota.