Montclair History Professor and ‘Good Morning America’ Producer Honored with Trailblazer Awards

Montclair State University History Professor Leslie Wilson, associate dean in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, was honored with a Trailblazer Award at the 2026 Male Enrollment and Graduation Alliance (MEGA) Symposium, recognizing a career spent helping students understand not only history but their own power to shape it.

He shares this year’s honor with Tommy Foster ’23, an associate producer at Good Morning America whose rapid rise in national broadcast media began on Montclair’s campus and now serves as a model for young people imagining careers in journalism and sports media. Together, the two honorees embodied the spirit of the 2026 MEGA Symposium: moving students from access to achievement and from passion to profession.

A Historian Shaped by Harlem

Wilson’s journey as a historian began in Harlem, where the streets outside his bedroom window doubled as his first classroom. Surrounded by artists, clergy and scholars, he absorbed lessons in civic and cultural life that would shape his future work. Among his early influences were neighbors such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Leo Whipper and community figures including Jackie Robinson, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Mabel Smythe.

Those early experiences stayed with Wilson as he advanced through Cheshire Academy and the New Lincoln School and later to Cornell University and the City University of New York. Trained in the history of science, Africana Studies and American history, he built a body of work that is intentionally intersectional, examining how race, place and power intersect in American life. His research centers on 19th- and 20th-century American and African American history, with projects on New York City churches, urban and suburban migration, school segregation and environmental racism – issues that continue to shape communities today.

“Dr. Wilson has a gift for making every scholar in the room feel like they belong there,” says Daniel Jean, associate provost for Educational Opportunity and Success Programs, EOF and Academic Success. “His passion for scholar success, especially his unwavering commitment to supporting students in academic jeopardy, is undeniable.”

From Campus Leader to National Producer

Tommy Foster ’23 received the Alumni Trailblazer Award for his achievements in broadcast journalism and his ongoing mentorship of young scholars. While earning dual degrees in Television and Digital Media and in Sports Media and Journalism, Foster balanced his studies with community outreach, mentoring high school students in Newark.

During his junior year, Foster landed a competitive internship with Good Morning America and ABC News in New York City, where he contributed to coverage of major national stories. One day after walking across the Commencement stage at Montclair, he accepted a full-time role at the show. He now serves as a sports producer, covering the Super Bowl, NBA Finals and World Series and booking interviews that bring powerful stories to millions of viewers each morning.

“Tommy was nominated for the Alumni Trailblazer Award for his continuous growth as a leader, from his time on campus to his thriving professional career,” says Rahjaun Gordon, senior director of EOF and Success Programs. “As a Montclair student, his leadership was grounded in learning, hard work and humility. He has carried those values into his work covering marquee events and uses his experiences to guide high school and college students as they navigate their own career journeys.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

The MEGA Symposium, held March 6, brought together more than 350 students from high schools in Newark, East Orange, Paterson, Trenton, Plainfield and across New Jersey, alongside college scholars from Montclair, Rutgers, Princeton, Rowan and community colleges statewide.

MEGA is part of Montclair’s broader effort to improve educational outcomes for all students by moving them from enrollment to graduation and into meaningful careers. Organizers say that honoring Foster and Wilson at this year’s symposium underscored that mission, showing students how passion paired with persistence and purpose can open doors.

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