Ifill Forum
Gwen Ifill '77 '93HD was a model of intellectual curiosity and truth seeking. As a journalist, Gwen was committed to not only asking important questions but also truly listening to the answers. Those traits are what inspired this annual event aimed at bringing together industry experts for an eye-opening and dynamic discussion on the important issues of our time.
The Ifill Forum is our annual signature event in honor of Gwen Ifill and her legacy as a ground-breaking Black woman journalist. We invite alumnae, community members, students, faculty, staff, and friends of Gwen Ifill to experience an event where important national voices come together for a conversation of a pressing issue. The Ifill Forum seeks to ask the questions that Gwen herself would be asking of our world today.
During the Forum, the Gwen Ifill Next Generation Award is presented to an individual who embodies Gwen Ifill's commitment to professional excellence, mentoring, and the public good.
Gwen Ifill: A Life of Purpose
Best known as a successful and much admired television news anchor, Gwen Ifill launched her career here at Simmons.
Gwen Ifill Next Generation Award
The Gwen Ifill Next Generation Award honors Gwen Ifill's commitment to professional excellence, community and mentoring. It recognizes a professional who exhibits the promise to carry on the work of fostering civic dialogue and an informed, diverse citizenry.
Knight Foundation Investment
When Simmons University named one of its colleges in honor of Gwen Ifill, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation bestowed a $250,000 investment upon the Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities and Social Sciences. Support from Knight Foundation will honor Ifill’s legacy, including her commitment to journalistic integrity and civic engagement, as well as her esteemed reputation among journalists, civic leaders and the public at-large.
Ifill Forum in the News
Scholars Emphasize that Women’s Health is Public Health
Shortly before the sixth annual Ifill Forum, an esteemed panel of Simmons scholars from diverse disciplines co-presented “Women’s Health is Public Health.” Dr. Ammina Kothari, Dean of The Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities, and Social Sciences, served as the event’s moderator.
Dr. Sharon Malone Promotes ‘Grown Woman’s Talk’
The sixth annual Ifill Forum featured board-certified OB/GYN, menopause expert, bestselling author, and women’s health advocate Dr. Sharone Malone. In conversation with WBUR’s All Things Considered radio host Lisa Mullins ’80, ’05HD, Dr. Malone spoke about her close friendship with Gwen Ifill ’77, ’93HD and rallied women to advocate for better health.
Join the Discussion on Women’s Health at the 2025 Ifill Forum
On Thursday, March 13, 2025, the Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities and Social Sciences will host the Ifill Forum, our annual signature event in honor of Gwen Ifill '77, '93HD. This year’s event focuses on Women’s Health and will feature a panel discussion featuring Simmons faculty experts and a keynote speech featuring Dr. Sharon Malone, moderated by WBUR Anchor Lisa Mullins ’80 ’05HD.
MSNBC Host Joy Reid Presents “Democracy on the Edge” at the Fifth Annual Ifill Forum
On Tuesday, April 2, the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities hosted the fifth annual Ifill Forum, which honors the late Gwen Ifill ’77, ’93HD and her legacy as a ground-breaking Black woman journalist. Joy Reid, author, journalist, and host of MSNBC’s The ReidOut, graced the Simmons campus as the 2024 guest speaker, while NBC10 Boston and NECN anchor Latoyia Edwards served as the moderator.
Join the Discussion on "Democracy on the Edge: A Conversation with Joy Reid" at the Ifill Forum
On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, the 2024 Gwen Ifill Forum will feature a discussion with MSNBC political analyst Joy-Ann Reid, moderated by Emmy Award-winning anchor Latoyia Edwards.
Simmons Honors White House Correspondent April Ryan at Ifill Forum
On the afternoon of February 11, the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities hosted its fourth Ifill Forum. This event honors the legacy of pioneering journalist Gwen Ifill '77, '93HD by bringing together "important national voices for a...
Join the Discussion on "Leadership and Democracy: The Enduring Power of Black Women" at the Ifill Forum
On Saturday, February 11, 2023, the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities will host the Ifill Forum, our annual signature event in honor of Gwen Ifill '77, '93HD and her legacy as a ground-breaking Black woman journalist. Each...
How the Ifill Forum Gave Kate Farrell ’23 Hope for Democracy
Kate Farrell ’23 fills us in on participating in the Ifill Forum and how alumna Gwen Ifill's legacy is felt in the Simmons classroom.
Past Forums
2024: “Democracy on the Edge”
Accomplished MSNBC political analyst and host of “The ReidOut,” Joy-Ann (Joy) Reidwas honored with the Gwen Ifill Next Generation Award. The discussion was followed by a book signing of Reid’s book Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America story (Harper Collins, 2024).
2023: "Leadership and Democracy: The Enduring Power of Black Women"
White House Correspondent April Ryan was honored with the Gwen Ifill Next Generation Award. The discussion was moderated by Rehema Ellis '74, '00HD, NBC News' Chief Education Correspondent.
2021: “Truth, Resilience, and Democracy”
Robin Roberts, journalist, author, host, and anchor of Good Morning America received the 2021 Gwen Ifill Next Generation Award. The award was presented to Roberts by fellow journalist Michele L. Norris. The panel featured Roberts, as well as Kevin Merida, Executive Editor of the LA Times.
2020: “Facing Hard Truths”
Ava DuVernay, winner of BAFTA, Peabody and Emmy Awards, and Academy Award nominee was honored with the Gwen Ifill Next Generation Award. Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. was a panelist. Michele Norris, one of the most trusted voices in journalism, served as moderator.
2019: “Media, Race and Democracy”
Yamiche Alcindor, White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour and a political contributor for NBC News and MSNBC was the recipient of the first Gwen Ifill Next Generation Award. Panelists included Asma Khalid, national political correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) and co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast, Maya Valentine ’19, Press Assistant for the U.S. House of Representatives, and Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour. Rachel Gans-Boriskin, Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Communications, served as moderator.