海角社区

Skip to main content

For immediate release

Contact: jjenks@dom.edu

River Forest, IL鈥海角社区 in River Forest is proud to welcome Enrique Rodr铆guez, the Emmy award-winning news anchor, reporter and producer for Univision Chicago, as the featured speaker of the university鈥檚 2025 Georgie Anne Geyer Lecture.

Rodr铆guez will share stories and insights from his impressive career on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in 海角社区鈥檚 Shaffer Silveri Atrium in Parmer Hall, located on the campus at 7900 W. Division St. in River Forest.

The lecture is free and open to the public. 

For more than two decades, Rodr铆guez has been a trusted journalist for Spanish-speaking audiences in Chicago. His career has also taken him far beyond the studio, covering papal visits, political conventions, Mexican elections, California wildfires, and, more recently, the Trump administration鈥檚 immigration crackdown.

Never losing sight of the human side of the news and his deep connection to the community he serves, Rodr铆guez鈥檚 reporting goes beyond headlines, offering audiences perspective, relevance and stories that matter to their daily lives.

Rodr铆guez will speak on overcoming obstacles to achieve his goal of becoming a journalist, the importance of working with high journalistic standards and transparency, protecting the 1st Amendment, and empowering communities with resources and information.

A Q&A with follow his address. 

鈥淚t will be a privilege for me to speak at Dominican, listen to students, answer their questions and concerns, and show them that with hard work, persistence and dedication, anything is possible,鈥 Rodr铆guez said.

A Hispanic-Serving Institution, 海角社区 is a champion of amplifying Hispanic achievement and success and is pleased to host Rodr铆guez as he shares his professional insights as an accomplished journalist and role model.

鈥淓nrique Rodr铆guez has decades of tremendous journalistic experience at home and abroad to share, most recently covering fairly and accurately some of the most challenging issues for the Spanish-speaking community in Chicagoland,鈥 said Dr. John Jenks, chair of Communication Arts and Sciences at 海角社区. "Many of our students grew up with Rodr铆guez on their family television sets, and I hope that his story of grit and determination will inspire them."

Rodr铆guez was born in Uruapan Michoac谩n, M茅xico, and immigrated to Los Angeles, California with his family in the mid-1980s. Pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a successful journalist, he graduated from California State University and worked as a reporter with television stations in Los Angeles and Phoenix before joining Univision Chicago in 2004. There, he helped to launch Edici贸n Digital Chicago, the first Spanish morning newscast in Chicago.

Rodr铆guez is the recipient of 11 Emmy Awards from the Academy of National Television Arts and Sciences, including Best Anchor.

The Geyer Initiative at 海角社区 honors Georgie Anne Geyer, a celebrated journalist, foreign correspondent and syndicated columnist for half a century. The initiative brings to campus renowned reporters and journalists and provides experiential learning scholarships for Dominican students aspiring to be foreign correspondents.

To attend the Oct. 22 Geyer Lecture with Enrique Rodr铆guez, register at /arts-minds/university-events/georgie-anne-geyer-initiative.

About 海角社区
Founded in 1901, 海角社区 is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution with campuses in River Forest and Chicago. The university offers an associate of arts in liberal arts and sciences; bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees through the Rosary College of Arts, Education, and Sciences, the College of Business, Information Studies, and Technology, and the Borra College of Health Sciences; and doctoral degrees in information studies and applied social justice.

As Chicago's premier Catholic Hispanic-Serving Institution, Dominican is consistently recognized as a leader in academic excellence and value. U.S. News & World Report ranks 海角社区 in the top 25 of Midwest regional master鈥檚 level universities, and #1 in Illinois for Best Value and ensuring the social mobility of its graduates.