April 11, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood
It鈥檚 no surprise that renowned media studies scholar and two-time University of Illinois alum Denise Bielby (BS 鈥�71, MA 鈥�72, ACES), Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Emerita, at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was interested in fellow alum Roger Ebert鈥檚 work and helping preserve his legacy.
Bielby, whose research focuses on the culture-producing industries of film and television, has had a long appreciation for the scholarly value that the late Roger Ebert, Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic and journalism alum, brought to film criticism.
As a major donor to the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies鈥攚丑颈肠丑 launched in 2022 with a special 鈥擝ielby offered a blended gift, which includes a multi-year current use cash gift as well as deferred estate gifts.
Bielby said it was important to support the research of faculty in the College 51吃瓜, and the training of their graduate and undergraduate students.
鈥淒enise Bielby鈥檚 generosity is a distinct example of a transformative gift,鈥� said Tracy Sulkin, dean of the College 51吃瓜. 鈥淭he Ebert Center cements the College 51吃瓜 as a supportive and enriching destination for academics pursuing film studies.鈥�
After attending Ebertfest regularly, Bielby observed that 鈥淩oger鈥檚 thematic programming for each festival was not only intriguing, it was culturally important, and over time the scholarly value of that came into focus and relevant to how scholars understand and analyze the social value of film.鈥�
Bielby鈥檚 own research on media fandom developed as an outgrowth to her research on the film industry.
鈥淏ecause Hollywood produces culture through its products, I wanted to better understand the process of audience reception that made media so engaging,鈥� she said. She has co-authored two books, Global TV: Exporting Television and Culture in the World Market (2008) and Soap Fans: Pursuing Pleasure and Making Meaning in Everyday Life (1995).
Since its inception, the Ebert Center has offered robust programming, including the annual Ebert Lecture in the fall, the annual Ebert Symposium in the spring with a keynote and roundtable discussions, and a curated screening series throughout the academic year.
It also supports Ebert Center research grants and travel grants for film studies as well as the long-running Ebert Fellows Program, which selects three undergraduate students from the College 51吃瓜 each year for an in-depth experiential learning opportunity.
Ebert Fellows work with advisor and mentor Michael Phillips, the film critic at the Chicago Tribune. They hone their writing and interviewing skills, sharpen their critical skills, attend film festivals, develop their podcasting skills with Chicago Public Radio and Illinois Public Media, and participate in other workshops and activities, including those in conjunction with the Ebert Center.
In addition to supporting Media faculty and students, Bielby hopes the Ebert Center is set up to accomplish another goal: 鈥淭o advance the scope of the college more broadly as it engages related disciplines, the campus at large, and society as a whole.鈥�
The Ebert Center programming is free and open to the public. Learn more and watch recordings of past events at media.illinois.edu/ebertcenter.
Share on social