The ACES Education Fund has awarded its 2024 Bill Walsh Scholarship for excellence in the editing of news to Russell Leung of Northwestern University.
Named after the legendary Washington Post editor and author, the Walsh Scholarship is competitive and includes a prize of $3,500. Leung is the eighth recipient of the award.
“I'm extraordinarily appreciative of the ACES Education Fund and the Walsh family for this honor,” Leung said. “The scholarship will help me continue to pursue a career in the consistently under-appreciated yet all-important field of news editing.”
The ACES Education Fund has also announced the 2023-24 ACES Scholarships, including the Aubespin Scholarship, which is also awards annually.
Most competitive field ever
Leung was chosen out of a field of nearly 50 outstanding applicants — the most ever — who were from private and public universities from across the country and around the world.
As an undergraduate, he has worked in five editing positions, including print managing editor, of The Daily Northwestern, an online and print news source for the university and its northern Illinois community.
Emphasizing clarity and accuracy, Leung edited a wide range of subject matter, wrote headlines, coordinated news coverage, and led other editors. He was also a managing editor for Northwestern’s Asian-interest magazine.
Last summer, Leung worked at The Seattle Times, where he edited, titled, and posted articles, newsletters, news alerts, graphics, data visualizations, social media posts, maps, and captions. In the coming summer he will do similar work for The Boston Globe.
On track to graduate in June with a bachelor of science in journalism, Leung is double-majoring in environmental sciences and minoring in Spanish.
About the Bill Walsh Scholarship
The Bill Walsh Scholarship is administered by the ACES Education Fund and is endowed by the Walsh family and contributions from ACES members and others. Walsh was a member of the Education Fund Board of Directors.
Alex Cruden, member of the Education Fund's Board of Directors, has led the Walsh Award selection committee since its inception. With the completion of this award process, he is stepping down, a huge loss to ACES.
“It’s been a pleasure to work with — and to know — Alex over the years. His generosity with his time and his wisdom have been a great service to the ACES Education Fund," said Lisa McLendon, president of the Education Fund’s Board of Directors. "I’m especially thankful for his leadership on the Walsh Scholarship. We wish him nothing but the best, and we appreciate all the ways he has contributed to ACES and the Education Fund.”
The application deadline for all ACES scholarships is November 15 and the awards are announced early the following year. In addition to cash prizes, the awards include financial aid to attend one of the two annual ACES conferences, in-person or virtual.
The ACES Education Fund has given over $100,000 since 1999, raised entirely through individual donations, to nearly 150 recipients. Learn more about previous winners Steven Vargas, 2020-21 ACES Scholar from USC; and Audrey Kuo, Aubespin Scholar, 2008-09, from UCLA.
"ACES Awards Nearly $10,000 in Scholarships to Five Student Editors"
Learn more about the ACES Education Fund
Support the future of editing: Give to the ACES Education Fund
The ACES Education Fund
The ACES Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and its predecessor have awarded nearly 150 scholarships since 1999 to students who have a passion for editing. The ACES Education Fund is run entirely by volunteers and all awards come from individual donations.
ACES: The Society for Editing
ACES: The Society for Editing is the nation’s leading organization of editing professionals, educators, and students. Founded in 1997 by copy editors, ACES is dedicated to improving the quality of the written word and the working lives of editors. It sets standards of excellence and gives a voice to editors in journalism, government, business, publishing, and beyond through top-notch training, networking, and career opportunities. ACES hosts an annual in-person conference and, since 2022, an annual virtual conference. ACES Academy hosts monthly webinars. ACES also offers certificates in editing, which it co-hosts with The Poynter Institute, a global leader in journalism.
