Alumni pride -- Al Roker, national weather anchor on NBC's TODAY and co-host of the 3rd hour of TODAY, returned to his alma mater of SUNY Oswego as the college set a Guinness World Record during the 2017 Rokerthon.
SUNY Oswego will welcome one of its own into the classroom this fall as Al Roker, national weather anchor on NBC's TODAY and co-host of the 3rd hour of TODAY, will teach a broadcasting course entitled “Camera Ready: Developing Your On-Air Persona” (BRC 497).
Roker, a 1976 SUNY Oswego graduate, will work with fellow SUNY Oswego faculty members: Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Michael Riecke (former anchor of WSYR-TV "The Morning News" in Syracuse) and Adjunct Professor of Meteorology Vanessa Richards (a 2008 graduate of SUNY Oswego and TV meteorologist for Spectrum News, CNY). Together, they will help students explore and learn what it takes to stand out from the pack and apply their skills and knowledge to succeed as an on-air personality in today’s competitive media environment.
Roker and his co-professors will discuss with students the methods for connecting with an audience through storytelling, personal branding, presentation styles, on-camera appearance and more, with the goal of creating a demo reel. In addition, students will analyze the work of legendary on-air talent in television, radio and digital media as well as examine the characteristics that helped them succeed.
"Al Roker has been a loyal ambassador for Oswego throughout his career, generous in sharing his love for the college," said SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley. “Oswego is honored that he has now chosen to return to the college classroom to share his talent and experiences with the next generation of broadcasters. Al’s unique background in broadcasting as a weather anchor, journalist and renowned television personality provides Oswego students with the ability to explore today’s complex broadcasting and communication environment.”
“As a freshman at Oswego, I was working in the campus television studio, while my friends at big private universities never touched a piece of equipment until later in their college careers," said Roker. "I'm excited about giving back to my alma mater, educating future journalists, and providing Oswego students with many of the same advantages I was given."
Al Roker is the weather and feature anchor of NBC News’ TODAY as well as the co-host of third hour of TODAY. He joined in January 1996. From July 2009 to September 2015, Roker served as co-host of the morning show “Wake Up with Al” on the Weather Channel. Until January 2000, he also served as the weekday weather forecaster for News Channel 4’s early evening newscast Live at 5 on WNBC-TV, NBC’s flagship owned and operated station in New York City. Roker came to WNBC-TV as a weekend weathercaster in December 1983 from WKYC-TV, the NBC television station in Cleveland. Roker began his broadcasting career while still in college by landing a job as a weekend weatherman at WTVH-TV in Syracuse, N.Y. in 1974. After graduation he moved on to weathercasting jobs in Washington, D.C. (1976-1978) and Cleveland (1978-1983).
Roker has been named Best Weatherman twice by New York Magazine. He is a recipient of the American Meteorological Society’s prestigious Seal of Approval and has been a pioneer in the use of computer graphics for weathercasting. Roker has won three Daytime Emmy Awards as part of TODAY’s recognition as the best morning newscast (2007, 2009, 2010).
In 1994, Roker founded Al Roker Entertainment, Inc. (ARE), a thriving multimedia company involved in the development and production of network, cable, home video, and public television projects. ARE produces programming for a diverse clientele including NBC News, Lifetime Television, A&E, The History Channel, E!, Discovery Networks, PBS, TV ONE, Oxygen, The Cartoon Network and NBC Television Stations Group.
Roker is a bestselling author with 12 acclaimed books to his credit: “The Morning Show Murders,” “The Midnight Show Murders,” “The Talk Show Murders,” “Al Roker’s Big Bad Book of Barbecue,” “Don’t Make Me Stop This Car: Adventures in Fatherhood,” “Al Roker’s Hassle Free Holiday Cookbook,” “Never Goin' Back : Winning the Weight Loss Battle for Good,” “Big Shoes: In Celebration of Dads and Fatherhood,” “Been There Done That: Family Wisdom For Modern Times,” “The Storm of the Century,” “Al Roker's Extreme Weather” and “Ruthless Tide.”
A generous supporter of his alma mater, Roker provided SUNY Oswego a gift to name the Al Roker Television Studio, which is operated by the student-run television station (WTOP), and teamed up with Lou Borrelli ’77 to name the annual Media Summit in honor of a mentor, Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell. His live national broadcasts from campus and his frequent on-air “plugs” for Oswego provide exposure for the college, most recently during Rokerthon3 in March 2017. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies from SUNY Oswego and an honorary doctorate from the State University of New York.
Roker to teach – Al Roker, national weather anchor on NBC's TODAY and co-host of the 3rd hour of TODAY, will help teach a course at his alma mater SUNY Oswego this fall. He is shown stopping into a meteorology class and speaking with Ashante McLeod-Perez during his 2017 Rokerthon appearance on campus.