UNO Dean Earns Third Emmy

Omaha – While many are familiar with the Emmy Awards, very few can say that they’ve earned one – let alone three. However, that is just what a University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) dean did this week.

On Sunday, Nov. 3, Gail F. Baker earned her third Emmy Award for producing a feature-length documentary titled “Colorblind: ReThinking Race,” at the Chicago/Midwest regional Emmy Awards, which were hosted by entertainment figure Jerry Springer.The documentary was chosen as the best in its category from all other entries.

Baker is dean of UNO’s College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media. She has also received Emmy Awards for her writing work on two other documentaries: “Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Daily Defender” (2006) and “DuSable to Obama: Chicago’s Black Metropolis” (2011).

Baker joined UNO in 2006, arriving from the University of Florida where she had served in a number of positions since being hired in 1995. During college, Baker interned at the Chicago Defender, a century-old publication serving Chicago’s African-American community. She later became a full-time employee of the newspaper.

“The best thing about winning this award is the message it sends to our students,” Baker said. “I started as a journalist and what I learned about listening, story telling and making deadlines, has served me well throughout my professional life. I want our students to use their UNO experience to seek new and different opportunities.”

“Colorblind: ReThinking Race” premiered on WYCC PBS Chicago on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. The documentary was produced by Middle Passage Productions in a partnership with WYCC and featured financial support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The film can be viewed, in its entirety, on Vimeo.

For more information or media requests, contact Charley Reed, UNO media relations coordinator, at unonews@unomaha.edu or by phone at 402.554.2129.