FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 24, 2026 CONTACT | Heather Birks | 202.602.0584
BEA Awards the 2026 Innovation in Teaching Award to Milton Santiago, Syracuse University
Washington, DC – The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) is pleased to announce that Milton Santiago from Syracuse University is the recipient of BEA’s 2026 Innovation in Teaching Award.
Milton Santiago is a Bronx-born cinematographer, educator, and creative technologist whose work bridges professional production, hands-on pedagogy, and emerging AI-enabled storytelling. He is an assistant professor of Visual Communications at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Director of the Advanced Military Visual Journalism (AMVJ) program, a longstanding initiative that equips enlisted service members with advanced training in photography, design, and video production.
Before joining Newhouse, Santiago built a 16-year career in Los Angeles as a freelance cinematographer and content creator, shooting feature films and two feature length documentaries that screened at international festivals including Tribeca, Copenhagen, and SXSW EDU. He has also lensed commercial and branded content for high profile brands and previously held creative production roles with Showtime Networks and Sundance Channel.
Santiago holds a B.A. from Canisius College and an M.F.A. from the University of Miami. Santiago’s research interests are centered on the intersection of emerging technology and the evolution of pedagogy for cinematography and visual storytelling. He has been recognized for innovative teaching that prepares students to succeed in modern production environments exploring core cinematography craft, nonfiction storytelling and the ethical, practical applications of generative AI in visual communication.
Santiago is a recipient of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Excellence in Teaching for Early Performance Award, Syracuse University’s Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Teaching Recognition Award for Early Performance, and the University Film and Video Association Teaching Excellence Award for Junior Faculty. He holds active memberships in the Broadcast Educators Association and the University Film and Video Association, and actively mentors students in both the Society of Cinematography at Syracuse University as well as the Syracuse chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
BEA’s Innovation in Teaching Award (ITA) highlights an individual’s ability to showcase innovation in their pedagogy. Successful awardees stand out as media educators with unique and progressive teaching styles. Their assignments demonstrate that their courses are not just lecture based. The ITA will be awarded to Milton Santiago at BEA’s annual convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center during a ceremony and reception on the evening of Friday, April 17.
About the BEA Convention – BEA’s annual convention is held in conjunction with NAB Show in Las Vegas every spring. BEA’s annual convention attracts 1,300 educators and students with 250 sessions, events, research panels, technology workshops and an exhibit hall, making BEA the largest conference partner of NAB Show.
About the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) – BEA is the professional association for professors, industry professionals and graduate students interested in teaching and research related to electronic media and multimedia enterprises. There are currently more than 2,500 individual and institutional members worldwide. Visit www.beaweb.org for more information.