On Saturday, February 25, Villanovans again were cheering in New York City, this time for Villanova University’s radio station WXVU winning the award for Best National Public Affairs Program at the 83rd Annual Intercollegiate Broadcasting System conference for the podcast, Ring the Alarm: Human Trafficking. The podcast is hosted by then-graduate nursing student Alexandra “Alex” Hudson ’22 MSN, RN, an experienced emergency nurse in Philadelphia who is joining the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing (FCN) this March as adjunct clinical faculty.
WXV&U Health Team Wins National Award for Best Public Affairs Program
Celebrating in New York City the national award for the human trafficking podcast hosted by Alexandra Hudson '22 MSN, RN, were (L to R) Allison Bajada, senior Villanova student and WXVU Station Manager; Chris Cokinos, junior Villanova student, WXVU Music Director; and members of the WXV&U Health team: Deena Leh, Dr. Carol Weingarten and Nick Langan.
FCN has partnered with Villanova University’s radio station WXVU to create WXV&U Health, in collaboration with Villanova’s Office of Health Promotion, the first nurse-led health and well-being department in college radio. Associate Professor Carol Weingarten, PhD, RN, ANEF, is the inaugural director of WXV&U Health and has mentored numerous senior nursing students in her spring semester health promotion practicum course as they create and disseminate science-based information through a podcast format for their fellow college students, while learning editing and other skills along the way.
Then a graduate nursing student, Alexandra Hudson '22 MSN, RN, recorded a podcast to educate fellow emergency nurses about human trafficking as part of WXV&U Health.
As Dr. Weingarten notes, Ring the Alarm: Human Trafficking was a team effort. Hudson was the first nursing graduate student at WXVU in Spring 2022 for her Adult Health Clinical Practicum where Dr. Weingarten was her faculty. “Alex came to this innovative WXVU-based practicum with no previous radio experience,” says Dr. Weingarten. Professor Linda Copel, PhD, RN, PMHCNS, BC, CNE, ANEF, NCC, FAPA helped to arrange the placement, worked with Dr. Weingarten and Hudson, and was teaching the Human Trafficking course which Hudson audited.
Additionally, “Our colleagues at WXVU were critical to every step of the production process,” explains Dr. Weingarten, noting the contributions of the colleagues who are also part of Villanova’s Office of Student Involvement. Deena Leh, MEd is assistant director of Student Media Programs and director of Production and Broadcast for WXV&U Health, while Nick Langan, MS is operations manager for WXV&U Health. Both have shared countless hours of advice, knowledge and skill to help the nursing content experts in health and wellness develop and package their messaging in creative and relevant ways.
Of note, WXVU made the finals in five award categories. As announced at the conference, only the top 5% of entries were finalists.
Watch for more content from WXV&U Health and listen to “Ring The Alarm: Human Trafficking” on: