UNO Dean Earns Fourth Regional Emmy

OMAHA – A University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) educator and administrator has received her fourth regional Emmy Award following the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 3.

Gail F. Baker, dean of the College of Communication Fine Arts and Media, earned an Emmy for producing the documentary “Standing on Common Ground: Ten Years Later,” which chronicles the lives of residents and volunteers during a student's visit to New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Baker received the award alongside co-producers Barbara Allen and Evan Allen-Gessesse, who is the subject of the documentary, in the “Outstanding Achievement for Documentary Programs – Cultural” category.

“I always encourage students to seek out unique opportunities because a single experience can have tremendous impact on your life and the lives of others,” Baker said. “It is a privilege to be able to tell important stories that otherwise might go unnoticed.”

This is the most recent in a series of regional Emmy Awards for Baker, who has previously won in 2013 for the feature-length documentary “Colorblind: ReThinking Race,” in 2011 for “DuSable to Obama: Chicago’s Black Metropolis,” and in 2006 for the documentary “Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Daily Defender.”

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.

In addition to her role as dean, Baker also serves as executive associate to UNO Chancellor John Christensen.

For media requests, please contact:

Charley Reed, UNO Associate Director of Media Relations
402.554.2129, unonews@unomaha.edu