Getting To Know Professor Of Practice Olivia Stomski ’01
Newhouse is a breeding ground for media innovation if you apply yourself and seek out advice and help from the wonderful resources available. The alumni base is loaded with talented individuals ready to lend a helping hand to others trying to make their own unique breakthrough on today’s media landscape. While some Newhouse alumni are out and about contributing their expertise to the media industry, some see the value of teaching the next generation of media makers, so they decided to make a return to Syracuse.
Olivia Stomski ’01, a Broadcast Journalism major, has spent a majority of her professional career as a sports producer for a multitude of different media outlets, honing her craft across multiple platforms.
“In my career, I have sat in many chairs and wore many hats,” Stomski told me in an interview. “I think that my experience at Fox Sports and ProAngle Media have offered me the variety of knowledge and expertise to help students whether they are hoping to become writers, on-air talent, or producers.”
Stomski recently assumed the role as the Director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center when taking her job here as a Professor of Practice. She will be taking over the duties Professor John Nicholson had as director, hoping to engage more students to contribute quality content for the Sports Media Center. For example, I recently pioneered the first podcast series for the Orange TV Network (17th Take, in case you wanted to tune in) and Stomski was an essential piece in guiding my sports talk program in the right direction. Her many years of experience in the field of sports media allow her to truly help students become better in whatever field they want to improve in, involving sports.
“The most exciting part about sharing my industry expertise is the moment when you see students excited about the future,” continued Stomski. “Interested in learning and growing and BEING BETTER at whatever industry they have chosen. It’s exciting when students listen and absorb and are enthusiastic about the material and about their futures.”
As much as I love sports media, I have personally chosen to bolster my entrepreneurial expertise as much as possible while here at Newhouse. I am learning that it may be wise to intertwine my entrepreneurial efforts into the sports media content I create, so starting 17th Take was greatly influenced by this notion. When I asked Stomski for advice on how a motivated individual/team should ideally work in media today, she had great insight.
“I think that when building YOUR impact, you are building a brand, make sure it is something you believe in at the end of the day. Today’s multimedia industry is fast and full of distractions, pick something that is real to you, that you enjoy and that you can be proud to say is yours.”
“In all my years in the industry I have I have made a lot of friends and connections,” added Stomski. “I have learned that relationships in this industry (and I guess many industries) are possibly the most important asset. I hope that I can use those relationships with people in the industry to help students learn and grow into their careers.”
Overall, it has been a pleasure working with Stomski. She has a natural passion to help students improve as individuals, dedicating countless hours educating both in and out of the classroom. If you ever walk past Stomski’s office, chances are there is a line of students waiting to seek advice from here as they attempt to make their own unique impacts in sports entertainment. We truly appreciate you for all you contribute to the Newhouse community and hope to have you around for many more years Professor Stomski!
He has been published across a wide variety of media outlets, including Sports Illustrated, the Cornell Daily Sun, SportTechie, Clutchpoints, Cavs Nation, the Cornell Chronicle, and many more.
Tobe has a plethora of hobbies, including writing, athletics, drawing, acting, and collaborating with others about ideas and startups working in the multimedia space.