Brian Smith, a member of the WVUD Hall of Fame Class of 2015, interviews Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto.

WVUD Hall of Fame

WVUD Hall of Fame Class of 2015 includes Ellis, Simon, Smith

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8:42 a.m., May 5, 2015--University of Delaware radio station WVUD has announced inductees for its 2015 Hall of Fame class.

Each spring, WVUD acknowledges past members who have made an indelible contribution to the radio station.

Honors Stories

National Medal of Science

President Barack Obama recently presented the National Medal of Science to University of Delaware alumnus Rakesh Jain.

Warren Award

Rosalind Johnson, assistant dean for student success in the NUCLEUS Program in UD's College of Arts and Sciences, was presented the John Warren Excellence in Leadership and Service Award during a May 26 ceremony.

This year's class includes

• Mark Ellis, a current station member who has been with WVUD since the 1970s. His tenure includes holding many leadership positions at the radio station, as well as serving as an announcer on many of the diverse musical genres that WVUD features. Ellis and his wife Ellen continue to serve as hosts on the station as well as ambassadors for the station in the local community.

• Pete Simon is one of the early pioneers of WVUD. He is largely responsible for moving the station to the FM dial (as WXDR) as well as helping to develop WVUD's unique block format and the many musical styles that it features. Simon is still involved in non-commercial radio at KUVO in Colorado and continues to be a champion for what non-commercial, educational radio can accomplish.

• Brian Smith is a UD graduate who truly used WVUD as a way to prepare for a successful career in broadcasting. Smith was a student member from 1996 to 2000 and served as the station’s sports director for more than half that time. During his tenure, WVUD sports grew to cover over 100 games per year for eight Fightin’ Blue Hens teams. After some time with various minor league hockey teams as well as the Philadelphia 76ers, Smith has settled into a broadcasting and media relations role with the Philadelphia Flyers. His television call of the winning goal for the Philadelphia Phantoms Winter Classic Game was one of ESPN's Plays of the Day. The Flyers’ broadcasting and media relations team, including Smith, was just named the best media relations team in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference.

Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers

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