CHC Class of: 2011
Job: Founder and CEO, Acio Communications; Global Strategic Communications Advisor, The Lede Company    
Major: Journalism, with a focus on electronic media
Song on repeat:  “Honey Baby” by Three Plus
Favorite book: “The Odyssey” by Homer 
What's in the fridge: Greek yogurt, kimchi, carrots and a pinwheel pistachio creme croissant from Lafayette Grand (it’s all about balance!)
Advice to CHC students: Invest in your professors, classmates, and community. Nurture these relationships because they will become your friends, collaborators, and advocates.

Clark Honors College alum Lorie Acio remembers feeling sad and empty as a kid when her mother sat her down to tell her that her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The news hit Acio, then 12, pretty hard. In her dad, she lost the person who celebrated her academic successes more than anyone. “I remember him always being proud of me,” recalls Acio. “In elementary school, he always took photos of me with certificates and put them up. Whenever I got stickers for an achievement, he put them on his bumper.

“Everything he did was about giving all he could to help his children get opportunities. I am so blessed to have had him in my life, even if it was for a short time.”

Already a stellar student, Acio worked even harder at school. Her father’s absence affected the whole family that had emigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines years earlier where he worked as a telecommunications engineer.

As an immigrant, he ended up getting construction jobs to support his family. “After he was gone, I saw how my mom struggled,” recalls Acio. “I learned at a young age that you have to take risks, and you have to be decisive in a way that makes a difference. It stayed with me.”

The experience helped shape her work ethic, and today Acio – a 2011 CHC graduate who majored in journalism – is the founder and CEO of her own communications firm based in New York City. She started Acio Communications last year after more than a decade working in communications for national news outlets at CBS, NBC and MSNBC.

Last month, Acio returned to Eugene to receive the UO’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award for her celebrated career in the news industry. After graduation, Acio traveled to New York City and worked as a publicist at CBS News. Three years later, she started her career with NBCUniversal News Group, rising to the rank of vice president. That’s where she served as the top communications advisor and spokesperson for the president of MSNBC and its leadership.

She also led a 10-person communications team that was responsible for creating and executing press strategies for MSNBC’s top-rated news programs.

But the chance to run her own company and offer communications counsel to CEOs, chief marketing officers, boards and other leadership at a variety of organizations was too much of a draw.

“I had this fire in me to try something new,” she says. “I wanted to challenge myself. I had success at helping others formulate stories to share with audiences. At some point I realized that I could be making that impact directly and that I could help other leaders use storytelling to make a real difference across platforms.” 

One of her company’s focuses is to use storytelling to reveal the successes of underrepresented populations and show how women leaders, people of color, immigrants and other hidden groups make a difference in the world.

“I’ve always had a ‘through line’ when it comes to storytelling,” Acio says. “Not just as a form of communication but as a way to shift the narrative. I can make that kind of a difference now even more with my work.”

Born in the city of Rizal in the Philippines, Acio was the youngest of three children. Her father worked as an engineer, while her mother was a midwife. Her parents wanted to give their children more opportunities, so they moved to Hawaii.

Her dad followed the same script faced by many immigrants to the U.S., finding jobs in construction because he couldn’t find work in his field. He had to travel for work and send money home to his family.

When he got sick, Acio remembers him coming home and seeing that he had lost weight. She remembers that even in a weakened state, he had the energy to celebrate whenever she was named to the honor roll or when teachers recognized her schoolwork.

He spent some time in hospice before her mother brought him back home for his final days. Acio recalls massaging his legs to ease his pain. “It was hard to see someone so strong go through that,” she says now.

After her dad died, Acio redoubled her academic efforts. By the time she reached high school, she knew she wanted to pursue a career involving storytelling. She joined the school paper and worked her way up to editor-in-chief. “I really connected with the role because I knew I wanted to pursue a career that gave voice to the voiceless,” she says.

Acio applied to the UO and was accepted at the Honors College, where she received several scholarships. It made coming to Eugene a possibility. “At the time and at that age, I knew I didn’t want to put a burden on my family,” she says now. “And the small classes and going to (the CHC) – an institution that’s so highly regarded – truly meant something to me.” 

She decided right away to major in journalism with an emphasis on electronic media. And she also developed an admiration and appreciation for Ann Curry, who was then a national and international NBC correspondent who later served as anchor of the vaunted Today show.

“Ann Curry was one of my idols growing up,” Acio says, adding that Curry was a 1978 graduate of the UO School of Journalism and Communication. “She was among the only (Asian American Pacific Islander) faces that I saw in news.”

She recalls living in the international hall dorm her first year, and she says she thrived because she was around “so many different cultures.” She loved her journalism classes and also felt that the small class sizes in the CHC strengthened her communication skills.

Acio still has a copy of her CHC thesis – “Telethons: A Cinematic and Theoretical Analysis of the Factors that Influence Viewers to Donate” – because it reminds her about the work she put in as a senior.

“Thesis preparation, and all the work that went into it, helped instill a confidence in myself,” she says. “At the Honors College, I honed my writing and research skills. That foundation shaped and prepared me for every role I’ve had in the news industry and continues to guide me today.”

She was named SOJC’s 2011 “Outstanding Student in Electronic Media” and “Outstanding Senior Woman,” and after graduation she took an unpaid internship for several months at CBS. Later, she landed a full-time job on CBS This Morning as a news associate. 

She remembers early on in her CBS stint hearing that one of the featured guests – Jonathan Haidt, a renowned social psychologist – would be appearing on a CBS broadcast. Acio spoke up, told producers that she had consulted Haidt’s research  for her thesis at the CHC, and volunteered to produce the segment.

“I met the moment,” she recalls. “It gave me an edge. I already knew who he was because I had studied his work, so I stepped up. My academic work had paid off and making that connection was a bonus.”

She moved over to NBCUniversal News Group in 2014, rising up the ranks and helping the network secure visibility with the likes of the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, SXSW, Sundance, Tribeca Film, Cannes Lions, and other national news outlets and global stages. She ultimately made it to vice president of communications of NBCUniversal before deciding to venture out on her own.

She says the jump to her new gig has been both “exhilarating and scary.” Her efforts at building her company have paid off. She has a basket of high-profile clients already, less than a year after starting. They include: Savage X Fenty, the lingerie and apparel line of music star Rihanna; Samsung; Yaman NYC, the Filipino cultural festival; Long Lead, the award-winning studio focused on producing and publishing original, in-depth journalism; and a variety of technology and financial technology businesses.

Has it been worth it? Absolutely, she says.

“I built up tons of friends and colleagues over the years in the news business. I will always be grateful for what that community taught me,” she says. “This next chapter, though, is about emerging as a leader in this space. I look forward to continuing to elevate the narratives of people and communities that don’t always get the attention.” 

CHC Dean Carol Stabile nominated Acio for the Distinguished Young Alumni Award, calling her one of the brightest students in recent Honors College history.

“Lorie’s knack for clear storytelling and her ability to connect with people make her stand out. She combines warmth with curiosity in a way that is uniquely her own,” Stabile says. “I feel lucky to know her and have her connected to our community.”

Acio spent three days in Eugene last month as part of the award ceremony, attending several meetings and a presentation with the UO Alumni Association board where she was honored by President Karl Scholz and other leadership figures. She also attended a Duck football game.

But one of the highlights of her visit was being able to meet with students. UOAA officials put together a lunch event for students from SOJC and the CHC Student Advisory Committee. And she visited SOJC and CHC core faculty member Nicole Dahmen’s “Media Unfiltered” class in Chapman Hall.

Dahmen, a professor of journalism, says Acio made a lasting impression on her students. “Lorie spoke knowledgeably about ethical challenges in the mass media and the importance of receiving news content from diverse sources,” Dahmen says. “Her range of impressive professional experiences served as inspiration to the students. I was impressed with the attention that Lorie provided to each student when she walked around the class meeting with small groups of students.”

A month later, Acio is still talking about how much it meant to her to be recognized by the UOAA and the Honors College.

“When I was a student there, I remember taking various courses that were so meaningful and I remember being blown away by my student peers,” she says. “I’m honored. It has all come full circle with this award. I feel like I’m just getting started.” 

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