Sheila Coronel to receive Columbia's highest teaching award

Sheila Coronel, one of the Philippines' most respected journalists and currently a New York-based professor of journalism, will be awarded one of Columbia University's highest honors, the Presidential Teaching Award, at the university's commencement ceremony in May. A co-founder of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and its long-time executive director, Coronel has been the first and only director of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University since 2006. Columbia has long been considered the gold standard in journalism education. University-wide, only five Columbia faculty are given Presidential Teaching Awards every year. "The Presidential Teaching Awards were established in 1996 to recognize Columbia’s best teachers and their roles in the development of students and contribution to overall academic excellence," the Columbia Journalism School said in its announcement. "Thrilled beyond words," Coronel said on her Facebook page in reaction to the award. "I came to the Journalism School from Manila in the fall of 2006," she said on the Columbia Journalism School web site. "I didn't have much teaching experience nor had I lived in the U.S. before. But I was privileged to have fabulous students and a warm, supportive community at the Journalism School. The generosity of Toni Stabile meant our students had the support they needed to do investigative reporting projects. I'm thrilled -- and grateful -- that the university has recognized the work we've done." In its announcement of Coronel's award, the Columbia Journalism School presented the following summary of her journalism career in the Philippines: "Coronel launched her reporting career in the Philippines in 1982 and won renown with her insightful coverage of the human rights abuses that marked the end of the Marcos regime and the democratic movement that led to the election of Corazon Aquino. In 1989, she co-founded the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism to promote investigative reporting and train journalists. Coronel led the PCIJ to become one of the most trusted news sources in the region, with important reporting on poverty, corruption, and political intrigue. A recipient of numerous awards and extensive recognition, Coronel is the author or editor of over a dozen books, and a graduate of the University of the Philippines and the London School of Economics." Coronel received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2003, shortly after the PCIJ's investigative work helped hasten the downfall of President Joseph Estrada. - GMA News