Ben Holden, teaching assistant professor in the Department of Journalism, has received the Teaching Excellence Award from Illinois Student Government. The award is the highest honor that the student body has for educators at Illinois.

Students nominate educators who have had a significant impact on their academic experience. The Teaching Excellence Awards are open to any TA, instructor, professor, or lecturer. The Academic Affairs committee votes on the nominations.

Holden’s nomination came from a student in Media Law 311. She stated:

Student bullying on the internet could be headed for a showdown with a 50-year-old U.S. Supreme Court case that granted expansive First Amendment rights to kids in public school.

When it does, University of Illinois journalism professor Benjamin Holden, through a two-part legal study, is ready to make the case for challenging the offenders.

Read the full story here.

Teaching Assistant Professor Benjamin Holden moderated a panel on reporters and cameras in the courtroom during the American Bar Association Annual Meeting in New York. Holden is a former reporter and holds a JD from the University of California at Berkley. He teaches media law in the Department of Journalism.

Read about the event here.