BA ‘99
Broadcast/Cable Production

Though her original intention was to make her career in radio, after interning abroad in London as a Production Assistant for Associated Press Television, television became Laura Stemmler’s calling. Since 2000, Laura has worked for ESPN in Bristol Connecticut and currently holds the position of Associate Director II (or AD). Her primary responsibility as an AD is to act as a liaison between the Producers and the Technical staff; to understand the vision of a show and turn that into something that can be executed live on television.

For the past 3 NFL seasons Laura has been the lead AD on Monday Night Countdown, the preview show before Monday Night Football. This year, she was fortunate enough to continue on the show as the lead AD for Monday Night Countdown, MNF Halftime and SportsCenter post game which required traveling to a new city every week.

While her job involves all of her time behind the scenes in the control room, Laura’s accomplishments have been easily recognized. She has received 2 Sports Emmy’s, both for her work on SportsCenter. “I enjoy my job because it requires me to travel and I get to work in a fast-paced environment that is constantly upgrading to the latest technology,” Laura says. “It’s definitely a balancing act, but in the end it’s worth it.”