Dr. Steven Carr, Search Chair Communication Department NF #230 Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne 2101 E.

Coliseum Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Sept. 28, 2011

Dr. Carr: Linda Austin has had as profound an impact on my career as a journalist as anyone I have known. In the mid-1990s, Linda was my boss as an editor in both the Philadelphia Inquirer's News Art department and the Business Desk. At that time I worked as an editorial assistant, compiling the daily financial tables. That job required that I learned how to use a spreadsheet. With Linda's encouragement, I began learning how to use a Macintosh computer to create the standing financial graphics. Linda figured out before I did that combining analytical data skills with the emerging power of desktop graphics software could make me a truly dangerous person. She served as a helpful mentor as I began doing more work on the Mac. I eventually made the transition from the Business desk to News Art full time. Today, 15 years later, I am the graphics editor at the Inquirer, a development that would not have been possible without Linda's guidance and encouragement. I have been equally impressed with Linda's work at the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism. She has brought two incredibly helpful free seminars to Philadelphia: one on covering the federal stimulus programs, and the other on using the Census for business stories. On both occasions, the guest presenters were heavyweights in their fields: Ron Nixon of the New York Times for the stimulus; and Steve Doig from Arizona State University and Paul Overberg from USA Today for the Census. (I gave the lunch-hour talk at the Census program, and I told Linda I felt like I was like batting between Ruth and Gehrig.) This January, I spent a week at the Reynolds Center as a fellow in the annual Strictly Financials seminar. Again, the program that Linda assembled was efficient, timely, and information-packed. In one of the sessions, Gary Trennepohl of Oklahoma State University broke down the fundamentals of the profitability model for us, running the numbers on the whiteboard, and there was an audible gasp from those of us in attendance. It was one of those rare, magical times in education when some hard-to-grasp concept suddenly becomes absolutely clear (even if the lesson was the disturbingly large role that leverage has when it comes to profitability). I am sure that Linda Austin's skills as a leader, journalist, mentor, and educator will make as much of a difference in the careers of your students as she has made in mine. Sincerely,

John Duchneskie Graphics Editor The Philadelphia Inquirer 215-854-5712 jduchneskie@phillynews.com