PITT ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TO HOST CAREER DAY PANEL

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 12 -- The University of Pittsburgh English Department's Nonfiction Writing Track and the Pitt News will hold their annual Career Day Panel on Thursday, Oct. 19, from 2 to 4 p.m., in the William Pitt Union Ballroom, 3959 Fifth Ave., Oakland. The event is free and open to the public.

The Al McDowell Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of the late television newsman, will be presented prior to the panel discussion. The scholarship supports an undergraduate student in the English Department's nonfiction writing program.

Career Day panelists include Thomas A. Frail, managing editor of The Washington Post Magazine; Doug Heuck, business editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Jeff Shurilla, a Pitt graduate and weekend sports anchor for 10 NEWS, WTAJ-TV, in Altoona; P. J. Maloney, morning-drive anchor at KQV Radio; and Karen Woessner, assistant account executive at Ketchum Public Relations.

Frail began his career in journalism as a freelance writer and editor for the Boston Phoenix. After four years at that alternative weekly, Frail left to join the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he worked as a copy editor and features editor for the daily paper, and as an assigning editor at its Sunday magazine. He moved to the Washington Post Magazine in 1994 and has been managing editor since 1998.

As business editor of the Post-Gazette, Heuck is in charge of the daily and Sunday business sections, as well as PG Benchmarks, and general business coverage. He oversees 12 reporters, four freelancers, and five editors. Prior to becoming business editor, Heuck worked in news and feature writing, doing longer investigative pieces and features.

Shurilla, weekend sports anchor at 10 NEWS for the last two years, began as a sports reporter and anchor for "10 News Saturday Morning." A 1991 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Shurilla worked at WPTS-FM, the student radio station, and was the sports director his senior year. While attending Pitt, he interned at KDKA-TV for two years. Shurilla's first professional job was at WMBA-AM radio in Ambridge, PA, as studio host for high school football broadcasts. He also has worked for WVAM-AM radio in Altoona.

Maloney has been in broadcast news for 25 years. After several years as editor of two newspapers in the Gateway Publishing chain in Allegheny County, he joined the staff at KQV Radio in 1975, when it became an all-news station. He also has been a reporter and program host for six years at WPXI-TV, and for the past 15 years at WQED-TV. He has taught broadcast writing at Pitt for the past 10 years.

As an assistant account executive at Ketchum, Woessner works in the Health and Lifestyles Group on accounts such as Just For Men Haircolor, the Canned Food Alliance, and various SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare accounts. Woessner also has worked on the launch of Timeline Computer Entertainment for Michael Crichton and coordinated an event for Mattel to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Barbie doll at the 1999 National Barbie Collectors' Convention.

There will be a table of informational handouts on jobs and internships available, both in this area and around the state. For more information on Career Day, call 412-624-6506.

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