NEW YORK December 2007-Graduate students Dana L. Klinek and Till D. Wirth are the recipients of the 2007-2008 Oscar Dystel Fellowship announced the Master of Science in Publishing program at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS).
The Dystel Fellowship, named for Oscar Dystel, a legendary leader in the book publishing industry and former CEO and chairman of Bantam Books, consists of tuition scholarships awarded each year to outstanding graduate students in publishing. Members of the award committee, all distinguished professionals in the publishing community, serve as mentors to the Dystel Fellows, providing unique learning and networking opportunities.
“We are proud to award this year’s Dystel Fellowship to Dana and Till, who have outstanding academic records and deep commitments to careers in the publishing industry,” said Andrea Chambers, director of the graduate Publishing program, one of 14 specialized Master’s degree programs offered at the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
“Both Dana and Till have mastered the skills necessary to succeed in a constantly evolving publishing environment. Well grounded in publishing fundamentals as well as digital media, they exemplify the high standards and academic rigor of students within the program,” Chambers said.
Oscar Dystel’s daughter Jane Dystel, longstanding literary agent and president of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management, chairs the Fellowship Committee. “Dana and Till are gifted and talented individuals who promise to bring new energy and ideas to publishing. I am sure that they will take what they learn in the program and do great things in our industry,” said Ms. Dystel.
The Oscar Dystel committee consists of Irwyn Applebaum, president and publisher, Bantam Dell Publishing Group; Jane Friedman, president and chief executive officer, HarperCollins Publishers; Martha Levin, executive vice president and publisher, Free Press, Simon & Schuster, Inc.; Robert Miller, president and chief executive officer, Hyperion Books; Sara Nelson, editor-in-chief, Publisher’s Weekly; Jack Romanos, president and chief executive officer, Simon & Schuster, Inc.; Stephen Rubin, president and publisher, Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group, Random House, Inc.; Lorraine Shanley, principal, Market Partners International, Inc.; William Shinker, president and publisher, Gotham Books, Penguin Group USA.
Dana Klinek is a development editor at Pearson Education, where she edits and critiques textbooks and workbooks. Her publishing background includes positions as a freelance proofreader for Bedford/St Martin’s and for the College Board, as well as a production editorial intern at Houghton Mifflin Company’s college division. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Dana envisions a career working on intellectual property issues in the publishing industry.
Till Wirth was interim managing director and CEO of Psychosozial-Verlag, his family’s publishing house in Germany, before coming to the United States for his Master’s degree. Till was also website manager for the company and for UNESCO, Bangkok. While studying for his graduate degree at NYU, he was an intern in Random House’s Direct to Consumer Group and its Custom Media division. He is a graduate of Inholland University, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Till plans a career in trade or academic publishing in the United States.
The Master of Science in Publishing program at NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers a graduate degree designed to prepare industry professionals for management positions in both book and magazine companies. From traditional to new media, the program provides the knowledge and expertise for success in an era of media convergence. Classes, taught by leading publishing professionals, are all in the evening and emphasize the leading-edge editing, marketing and branding, circulation and distribution, advertising, business development and digital skills needed to advance and excel. For more information, please visit http://www.scps.nyu.edu/mspub.
Founded in 1934, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS) is among the 14 colleges and schools that comprise New York University, one of the largest private research universities in the United States. Through its faculty, curricula and vibrant professional and academic networks, NYU-SCPS captures the expertise of key sectors where New York leads globally: Real Estate and Construction Management (through the NYU Real Estate Institute); Hospitality, Tourism, Sports Management (through the NYU Preston Robert Tisch Center); Philanthropy (through the NYU George H. Heyman Center); Design, Digital Arts, Film, Video and Broadcasting, Graphic Communications, and Publishing (through the Division for Media Industry Studies and Design); Business, Leadership and Human Capital Management, Integrated Marketing, Public Relations, Legal Studies, Finance, Taxation, Accounting, Management and Technology (through the Division of Programs in Business); Global Affairs; and the Liberal and Applied Arts, among others. Rigorous and timely programs in these and related areas attract full-time undergraduate and graduate students immersed in university life, working professionals in 14 graduate programs, motivated adults earning undergraduate degrees (through the Paul McGhee Division), and New Yorkers of all backgrounds enrolled in approximately 2,500 continuing education courses, certificate programs, conferences, and seminars annually.