Oct. 29, 2026
Contact: Shayne Martin, [email protected]
Photo by Nathaniel Brown

A generous estate gift from a University of Missouri alumnus and his wife will help Mizzou prepare the next generation of journalists for an evolving media landscape.

Rick Gevers, BJ '75, and his wife, Karen Burns, have committed an unrestricted estate gift to advance the Missouri School of Journalism's strategic priorities, including hands-on learning opportunities for students, faculty innovation and community journalism serving mid-Missouri.

The gift contributes to Power the Roar, Mizzou's $2 billion fundraising campaign focused on student success, groundbreaking research and solutions that benefit Missouri and beyond.

"It's an honor to receive this transformational gift from Rick and Karen, which strengthens our legacy as the world's first and best School of Journalism," University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. "Their commitment moves our entire university forward and helps prepare a new generation of leaders to achieve excellence."

In recognition of the couple's generosity, the Dean of Journalism Suite will be named in their honor.

"I am profoundly grateful to Rick and Karen for this generous estate gift," said David Kurpius, dean of the Missouri School of Journalism. "The enduring dedication of alumni continues to ensure that the school can respond swiftly to new opportunities and challenges, giving students the benefit of a cutting-edge, hands-on education that sets them up for success."

For Gevers, the investment is an opportunity to give future journalists the same advantages that helped launch his own career more than 50 years ago.

A foundation for success

Gevers began his journalism career as a Mizzou student working at KOMU-TV, the university's NBC-affiliated television station. The experience gave him an opportunity to apply what he was learning in the classroom while working alongside professional journalists.

That approach, known as the Missouri Method, remains a defining feature of the School of Journalism's education.

"The opportunity to get real-world newsroom experience was something that certainly helped me and many other students going forward," Gevers said. "That continues today."

After graduating, Gevers built a successful career in broadcast journalism. In 1995, he founded Rick Gevers & Associates, a talent placement and consulting firm serving the television news industry. Through the firm, he has helped connect journalists with professional opportunities across the country and publishes a widely read newsletter focused on news management jobs.

The power of connection

Long before Gevers began connecting journalists with employers, he was helping fellow Mizzou graduates stay connected to one another.

Early in his career, Gevers helped several Mizzou classmates land jobs at a Miami television station. As more graduates joined the newsroom, their growing presence inspired a nickname that has become familiar throughout the industry: the "Missouri Mafia."

"Pretty soon, we had half a dozen Missouri grads," Gevers said. "I honestly believe the whole Missouri Mafia term started with the assistant news director at that station, who said, 'What, do you guys have a mafia or something?'"

The nickname reflects the strong professional relationships that have long connected Mizzou journalism graduates working in newsrooms around the world.

For Gevers, those relationships have remained an important part of his life. Last fall, members of his graduating class returned to campus to celebrate their 50-year reunion and tour the School of Journalism and KOMU-TV.

Investing in what's next

For Gevers and Burns, the estate gift reflects both a personal connection to Mizzou and a belief in the importance of journalism.

"When you make an unrestricted gift, you're trusting the leadership of the institution and investing in a future that might not be crystal clear at this point in time," Burns said. "Knowing the J-School continues to push boundaries and reinvent is part of where that confidence comes from. There is a tradition of innovation, of not being comfortable."

The gift will give the school flexibility to respond to new opportunities, support students and faculty, and continue advancing journalism education at a time of rapid change for the profession.

For Burns, supporting that work is about more than honoring her husband's alma mater. It's an investment in journalism's future and the important role it plays in communities across the country.

"This gift is bigger than where we went to college," Burns said. "It's about focusing on the premier journalism school in the country, if not the world, and ensuring that we continue to invest in journalism."

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