A documentary series about a Springfield zoo earned an Emmy award for the Missouri State University professor and students who produced it.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences of Mid-America awarded a Student Emmy award for one of the nine episodes of “Discovering Dickerson Park Zoo.”
It was co-directed by Jon Mabee, associate professor of film and television, and Autumn Girgin, who recently earned a master’s degree in dramatic writing from Missouri State. The two supervised about two dozen students in the university’s communications, journalism, media and film department to create the series.
Inspired by his daughter’s love of the zoo, Mabee said the documentary gave him a way to help build up his daughter’s enthusiasm.
“My 8-year-old daughter also wants to be a zookeeper when she grows up and my family has always been huge fans of our local zoo here in Springfield,” Mabee said in a press release from the university. “And while I can’t write a huge check to them every year to help support their continued missions of community engagement and conservation, I can create the opportunity for them and our students to mutually benefit from a production like this.”
“Discovering Dickerson Park Zoo” dives into the zoo’s features and efforts to build community in Springfield, covering its animals, how they are cared for and the ways visitors interact with them. The short episodes are available on the zoo’s YouTube channel.
The third episode, “Medicine of Dickerson Park Zoo,” won the student Emmy for best College Non-Fiction Long Form, as well as second place from the Missouri Broadcast Education Association’s Video Documentary category. It was edited by production majors Jacob Lenhardt and Trevor Huck.
A second episode, “Education of Dickerson Park Zoo,” received a Student Emmy nomination for Best College Non-Fiction Short Form.
Deborah Larson, head of the communications, journalism, media and film department, said in a press release that the Emmys are one of the most prestigious awards festivals, because it is judged by professionals in the entertainment industry.
