Please join the Headliners Foundation as we proudly honor our 2026-27 scholarship recipients and the winners of the 2025 Showcase, Burl Osborne, and Charles E. Green Awards!
Event Details:
Mike Quinn Awards Luncheon
Saturday, November 7
11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Headliners Club
221 W. 6th St., 21st Floor
Austin, TX 78701
Tickets are $50 per person and must be reserved in advance. If you cannot attend but would like to support the event, please consider a $50 donation to sponsor a scholarship recipient or journalism award-winner's attendance.
Questions? Contact Alison Unger or call the Foundation office at (512) 445-4520.
Keynote Panelists Announced!
"AI-OK? Responsible Uses for AI in the Newsroom"
Arabella DiChristina, News Editor, The University Star
Arabella DiChristina is a junior at Texas State University, majoring in Journalism with a focus in pre-law and minoring in Criminal Justice. Currently, DiChristina serves as news editor of the campus newspaper, The University Star, after working her way up from news reporter and assistant news editor. These roles allowed her to win an award from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. Her reporting experience spans a wide range of topics, including crime, faculty senate, legislation, breaking news, and the environment. DiChristina continues to expand her storytelling skills, and after graduating in 2028, she aspires to work for a print newspaper while attending law school. Her ultimate goal is to become a First Amendment lawyer for journalists.
Robbie Farias, Director of Audience and Platforms, Austin American-Statesman
Robbie Farias is a digital audience leader with over a decade of experience helping local newsrooms grow their audiences. He’s driven SEO, social media and cross-platform strategies that deliver measurable audience growth and strengthen digital presence. As Director of Audience and Platforms at Hearst’s award-winning Austin American-Statesman, Robbie partners with editors and reporters to elevate local coverage and expand readership. He has also been developing, implementing and leveraging AI tools across the newsroom to improve productivity and help deliver high-quality journalism to readers.
Athena Tseng, Media Innovation Group Data Fellow, The University of Texas at Austin
Athena Tseng is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing a journalism degree and minoring in statistics and data science and design strategies. In 2025, Tseng served as the director of digital strategy for The Daily Texan, UT’s award-winning student newspaper, where she oversaw the organization’s digital operations, expanded audience reach and streamlined content workflows. Tseng was also the Texas Country Reporter Engagement Fellow with Texas Monthly, managing a legacy community of over half a million people. Additionally, she has interned at Kubota and The Dallas Morning News. Tseng joined IBM last summer as a copywriting intern. After graduating in 2027, Tseng hopes to continue working at the intersection of storytelling, strategy and digital media.
S. Craig Watkins, Moderator
Professor, School of Journalism and Media, The University of Texas at Austin
S. Craig Watkins is the Ernest A. Sharpe Centennial Professor and the Executive Director of the IC2 Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. Watkins is one of the Principal Investigators for UT Austin’s Good Systems Grand Challenge, a University-funded initiative that supports multi-disciplinary explorations of the technical, social, and ethical implications of artificial intelligence. He is an internationally recognized expert in media and technology systems and the author of six books and numerous articles and book chapters. Watkins serves on several advisories for organizations including Google, Google/DeepMind, Fathom, Scratch, the Pew Research Center, and the American Psychological Association.
Big Thanks to the Texas Tribune!
Special thanks to the Texas Tribune for generously donating tickets to the 2026 Tribune Festival for our scholarship recipients. The Tribune has been providing this free opportunity to our scholars since 2019 and we are truly grateful!
Foundation supporters can receive a $50 discount on general admission TribFest tickets! Click here to purchase and use promo code TTF26HFGA.
