Hall of Fame
Two Inducted into Communication Hall of Fame
The Communication Department faculty have voted two television producers -- both graduates of Buffalo State -- into the Communication Hall of Fame.
Deborah Oppenheimer, Class of 1975, and Marcia Mulé, Class of 1981, were inducted during ceremonies at the end of the Spring semester.
Oppenheimer, president of Mohawk Productions, has been executive producer for several comedy series: "George Lopez," "The Drew Carey Show," "Norm" and "Wanda Sykes."
She received an Academy Award for her film documentary "Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertansport," which focused on 10,000 children -- including her own mother -- who were send out of Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia to escape the Holocaust. She also has received a Cable ACE Award for her work in developing the play "Master Harold ... and the Boys" into a telefilm for Lorimar Productions.
Deborah has received Buffalo State's Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2001 and in 2005 received an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the college.
Mulé was an editor with the student newspaper and student literary magazine and news editor with the campus television station when she was a journalism undergraduate at Buffalo State.
She is partner in "Picture This" Television and currently serves as executive producer of "Celebrity Poker Showdown" on Bravo Television. She also has produced shows for other networks: Lifetime, Disney, The Food Network, Nickelodeon, HGTV, The Learning Channel, and PBS. She has received an Emmy Award for directing and other Emmy nominations, the New York Festivals Bronze Medal, the Gold Hugo, New England Regional Emmys, and the International Film and Television Award.
Marci received Buffalo State's Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2004.
The two join previous Hall of Fame honorees, including Kevin Cusick of KC Productions; Lou Michel, Buffalo News investigative reporter; Maura Casey, columnist for the New London (Conn.) Day; Eric Greenberg, reporter with Jewish Week; Tom Fontana, TV producer; Tom Calderone, currently head of VH1; Tom Shannon, Buffalo radio pioneer; Alden Schutte, Buffalo advertising pioneer; Kevin O'Connell, WGRZ-TV weather anchor, and Mark Francis, publisher of the Niagara Gazette.
(Spring 2005)