School of Journalism faculty members Geri Alumit Zeldes and Jarrad Henderson have received the Humanities and Arts Research (HARP) Development Grant to help support their creative projects that aim to bring awareness to social issues facing local communities.
Missing Paige
Narrowing in on a cold case that has puzzled the Lansing and East Lansing community for decades, Professor Zeldes’ proposal, “Missing Paige — A Documentary Film Series” centers on the family of 30-year-old Paige Renkoski, a substitute teacher from Okemos who was last seen in May 1990. Livingston County Sheriffs found Paige’s car idling on I-96 near the Fowlerville exit with nothing but Paige's shoes and purse inside — leaving her family and local officials with many questions.
In April 2024, part one of the series “Missing Paige: A Family’s Story” aired on WILX-TV and featured interviews with the Renkoski family who describe their grief as ambiguous loss and post-traumatic stress. With the support of the HARP grant, Zeldes will create a second part of the documentary that highlights the cold case team, and a third part that centers on the reporters who covered the story.
“‘Missing Paige’” digs into decades of materials and emotions,” said Zeldes. “At each turn, we witness the pain lived by those traumatized by the loss of those missing. My goal is to contribute to journalism practice by examining the criminal and forensic science theories used to investigate cold cases.”
The support of additional funding will help Zeldes hire a drone operator to film the geographies of the area in which Paige went missing and the places where law enforcement officials have investigated. The funding will also make possible the hiring of an infographics and special effects creator.
Through this project, Zeldes hopes to pull away from the “canned narrative” that today’s true-crime stories often pose that leave viewers wanting more.
“Distant in the consumption of these dramatic stories is the journalism, the deep investigative dives that take days, months, even years,” said Zeldes. “What is also lost, buried by time in some cases is the victim and the victim’s family.”
Zeldes also hopes to bring attention to the tragedy of missing persons. As of May 2024, more than 60,000 people are reported missing in the United States. Of that number 3,221 were missing in Michigan, and 698 are children, according to Detective Sergeant Sarah Krebs of the Michigan State Police and co-founder of Missing in Michigan. The airing of the first part of the documentary series and the subsequent coverage of the film by The Lansing State Journal led to multiple new tips on Paige’s case, as reported by Detective Sergeant Young of the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office.
“Public awareness makes cases more likely to be solved, and because we have never-before-seen pieces of information and evidence to reveal about the case, the series will breathe fresh air into the investigation and the public's attention,” said Zeldes. “Instead of sensationalizing, we’re revealing what’s new in the investigation, and that could inspire other filmmakers to cover what's new in their own true crime works, which increases the potential for getting somewhere in these cold cases.”
RESIDENT
Another HARP grant was awarded to Jarrad Henderson, professor in practice in the School of Journalism who spent 10 years in large newsrooms such as the Detroit Free Press and USA Today as a visual journalist. In collaboration with College of Human Medicine faculty Jennifer Edwards-Johnson, Cara Poland, and Jamie Alan, the team's proposal “RESIDENT: Reflective Engagement and Storytelling in Developing Empathy, Narratives, and Trust” aims to blend the art of photojournalism with the personal stories of medical students, as captured through their personal statements, as they apply for residency.
Focusing on third- and fourth-year medical students at MSU’s College of Human Medicine Flint, Henderson and his team will use students’ personal statements as a narrative piece. More specifically, Henderson will photograph the students in moments that reflect their personal and professional growth—whether in clinical settings, at home, or in community engagements. The images will capture the depth of their experiences and focus on their personal “why,” inspiring students who choose to learn and lead in Flint, Michigan.
These photographs will be accompanied by excerpts from their personal statements, offering intimate glimpses into the motivations, challenges, and aspirations that drive their pursuit of medicine. Overall, the pairing of a visual and narrative format aims to humanize the path to becoming a physician.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of narrative medicine in medical education, fostering a humanistic approach that honors personal experiences in clinical care,” said Alan in the team’s proposal. “Narrative medicine, which encompasses storytelling formats such as reflective writing, poetry and photojournalism, encourages medical students to engage deeply with patient stories and their own experiences.”
Henderson and Poland met while participating in a TEDxMSU event last spring and were quickly drawn to collaborate with one another. With the help of Johnson and Alan, the team began conversations involving ways to highlight their students and their connection to Flint's community. The team’s collected knowledge on the power of visuals and the importance of community eventually led to the idea for this project.
Henderson hopes that this engagement of visual storytelling and reflective narratives will help to nurture empathy, self-reflection, and compassion, which are important practices for the development of future health care providers.
“In our current political reality, projects like this can help break down barriers and highlight the importance of the human experience, both on the health care and community sides,” said Henderson. “Personally, having visual storytelling recognized as an important part of this project is validation of the importance of journalism and sharing stories that connect us. I am proud to be a part of this team.”
Work for “RESIDENT” is set to begin in fall 2025 and wrap up by spring 2026. Filming for "Missing Paige” is ongoing, with the second film expected to be done by the end of this year and the final episode in 2026 or 2027.
By Casey Halas