We’re losing a good one — Sam Oldenburg is moving home to Minnesota.
Sam, who graduated from WKU in 2013 and joined the Student Publications professional staff in 2017, has accepted the position of marketing and operations adviser for The Minnesota Daily, 501(c)3 student-run newsroom at the University of Minnesota.
Sam has been assistant director at WKU Student Pubs for the past 2 1/2 years, and has served as adviser to the Talisman life and culture magazine and website since he was hired. The Owatonna, Minnesota, native was instrumental in launching our newest division, Cherry Creative, in 2018 and nurturing it to great success.
But more than that, Sam has been a terrific member of our team, both for the professional staff and the for students who he has worked with. He has not only done exceptional work on his official duties, he consistently found ways to make our overall operation run smoother and more efficiently. For example, he turned a chaotic equipment room into order and precision by leading us to adopt Asset Tiger to manage our gear efficiently — just one of many instances where Sam saw a challenge, stepped up and made the situation better.
He also has been a wonderful advocate for his student staff members, supporting our student leaders and offering excellent advice on journalism, technical matters and leadership.
During his tenure, the staffs Sam advised earned five national Pacemaker Awards from Associated Collegiate Press — two for Talisman (magazine in 2020 and online in 2022), and three for Cherry Creative (innovation in 2020 and sharing the Student Media Business Pacemaker with Student Publications Advertising in 2024 and 2025).
As assistant director, Sam has been an incredibly reliable team player who showed leadership and passion across our entire operation.
I’ve asked for authorization to begin a search for Sam’s replacement immediately and will let you know how that progresses.
Sam’s last day at Student Publications will be July 18. Please join me in wishing Sam great success as he opens this new chapter with The Minnesota Daily!