Brent E. Huffman wins the Alumnae of Northwestern Teaching Professorship

Filmmaker and Professor Brent E. Huffman wins the Alumnae of Northwestern Teaching Professorship.

Excerpt from the announcement:

Brent E. Huffman is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and a passionate professor of documentary filmmaking. Huffman aims to train “leaders in documentary journalism who will advance the medium creatively and responsibly,” his nomination states. His dean explains that Huffman’s pedagogy is “rooted in the conviction that a good documentary should hold up a mirror to society and prick the conscience of its viewers.” Huffman explains that he “challenges students to recognize their biases and strives to create work that minimizes subjectivity,” further elaborating that the role of a documentarian is to “produce studies that attempt to illuminate a subject or culture, not judge it through the lens of the filmmaker’s personal beliefs and background.” His students agree, as one writes, “Huffman’s teachings extend beyond merely a thorough grasp of technical equipment and narrative building, to encompass nuanced aspects of empathy, relationship-building and ethical storytelling.”

Huffman is enormously proud of his student’s achievements having won the industry’s highest awards and honors like Student Academy Awards and Emmys and by having student work published in prestigious outlets around the world including The New York Times, PBS, National Geographic, TIME and CNN.

Huffman says that his students “remain in my orbit long after they have taken my classes.” He supports a Medill documentary alumni community that provides current and former students access to an extensive network of support throughout their careers. As a former student states, Huffman “is constantly sharing his student’s successes and flagging new jobs and opportunities. He has helped so many students get their first job or internship, and never hesitates to share his contacts or offer advice.” 

Huffman is a professor of journalism in the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. He received his master’s in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley.