New Scholarship Honors Local News Legend and Alumna Wendy Rieger

The Wendy Rieger Memorial Scholarship Fund has been created at the American University School of Communication in memory of Emmy Award-winning journalist Wendy Rieger (SOC/BA '80). Wendy Rieger was an anchor and reporter for NBC4 Washington who became a household name in the DMV as a member of the local journalism corps for more than three decades.

Rieger was a Norfolk, Virginia native who came to DC in 1976 to study journalism at AU. A former Broadway hopeful and actress, her captivating personality and engaging presence augmented her reporting skills and connected her to her viewing audience. "Wendy loved Washington, DC. She loved learning at American, and talked fondly about spending so much of her professional career across the street from campus," said Matt Glassman (SOC/BA '92), one of Wendy's closest friends and colleagues. "Some of her dearest friends are from her AU days."

After graduating from AU, Rieger worked at a number of local radio stations, such as WAMU, WLTT-FM and WTOP. In 1988, she joined WRC (later NBC4) and carved out a niche when she launched her environmental reporting program, Going Green, which was picked up by other NBC stationsand inspired a similar spot on NBC's Nightly News. Glassman reflected on what made Wendy shine as a journalist: "Wendy talked about learning how to write in a way that made viewers care. Early in her career, she was covering a missing plane in Prince George's County. She spent several days with worried relatives, and something clicked - she realized the story she needed to cover wasn't about a search or a plane - it was about the people."

Reiger passed away of cancer at age 65 with her husband Dan Buckley by her side on April 16, 2022. Buckley decided to honor Wendy's legacy by establishing a new scholarship in her name at American University. The endowed scholarship will be available annually for SOC students studying journalism.

"The student lucky enough to earn the Rieger scholarship has a lot to live up to reflect Wendy's best traits - great writing and storytelling, a sense of adventure, courage to live life and to share themself with the world," said Jill Olmsted, SOC journalism professor and personal friend of Rieger's. "She would say not to be intimidated, but to remain curious and involved in your community. I love that she never forgot her roots at the School of Communication and we were immensely proud of her."

"Scholarships like this are life-changing for our students and support our mission of producing the next Generation of journalists," said Leena Jayaswal, SOC interim dean. "They often allow students who might not have been able to study journalism avenues to follow their passions. We continue to be filled with gratitude and are honored to play a small part in building the legacy of Wendy Rieger at the School of Communication."

Glassman, reflecting on Wendy's legacy, shared, "Wendy lived her life with more passion and compassion than anyone I've ever met. Her heart was just overflowing to people and animals and causes and those she loved."

If you are interested in making a contribution to the Wendy Rieger Memorial Scholarship Fund, please email Victoria Black at [email protected].