Adelphi University celebrates the careers of alumni within the entertainment industry, from award winners to the artists working behind the scenes.
Through media like film, music and television, the arts and entertainment are a cornerstone of our daily lives.
The arts are a cornerstone of the Adelphi experience, too. They always have been, and they remain alive and well. Our graduates are making their mark in every medium, and our arts programs continue to nurture future artists, change makers and dreamers.
After all, many of those dreamers got their start right here at Adelphi.
Tonys, Emmys and a Pulitzer Prize
With Emmy Awards, Tony Awards, a Student Academy Award and a Pulitzer Prize, our alumni prove that while the journey begins in Garden City, the destination is often center stage.
Primetime Emmy Award winner Todd Robinson ’82 roomed with one of Adelphi’s most celebrated alumni, Jonathan Larson ’82. Larson, of course, is known for writing the hit Broadway musical RENT, which went on to win four Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. But Robinson has achieved a wildly impressive career himself. Over the years, he’s served as writer, producer and director for both films and television, such as The Legend of Billy the Kid, White Squall (directed by Ridley Scott), Lonely Hearts and The Last Full Measure.
Peter Principato ’87 at the 2016 Emmys
Peter Principato ’87 won a 2016 Primetime Emmy as executive producer of the breakout comedy series Key & Peele. A President’s Advisory Council member, Principato is now chairman of Artists First, a talent management and production company with offices in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Principato is known for being exceptionally generous with his expertise.
“More than anything, I love nurturing creative people to help them achieve their greatest aspirations,” he noted. He demonstrates this commitment through the Principato ’87 Moving Image Arts Scholarship. This award is presented annually to a communications student who demonstrates outstanding creativity and perseverance in the pursuit of a career in the arts. He also created the Peter Principato ’87 Theatre Arts Endowed Scholarship Fund to fuel the dreams of students who aspire to a career in the performing arts.
Scott James ’84 is another Emmy winner. “At Adelphi I got the personal attention I needed as an aspiring writer,” he said. “The creative process is nurtured when a teacher actually reads your work and you have a meaningful conversation. That can’t happen in a giant lecture hall.” As a news director, he created the long-running investigative series You Paid For It, for which he won three Emmy Awards for Television News. He continues to work as a veteran journalist for The New York Times. He’s a Lambda Literary Award finalist for Debut Fiction for his 2007 novel SoMa and the New England Society Book Award winner.
Since graduating from Adelphi, Jeff Filippi ’82 has built an impressive career in sports broadcasting. Best known for his work at MSG Networks, he has overseen coverage of the New York Knicks, Rangers and Islanders, and the New Jersey Devils. Filippi has also produced four Winter Olympic Games. “Adelphi University provided a terrific foundation as I prepared for my career in broadcasting,” he said. “From the communications department to the college radio station, WBAU, where students had the hands-on ability to create content and manage people while being responsible for operating budgets—it all gave me experience, understanding and insight that proved to be invaluable.” Filippi has won two national and 25 local sports Emmy Awards during his career.
A Remarkable Achievement for Students in the Class of 1975: A Student Academy Award for Their Music Documentary
Richard O’Neill ’75, one of the creators of What the Notes Say, was an invited guest at the Student Academy Awards segment during the 2025 New York Film Festival.
Fifty years ago, a group of Adelphi communications students made a film called What the Notes Say, a documentary about Philadelphia’s Settlement Music School that highlighted how disadvantaged students can flourish by creating beautiful music. The documentary was researched, shot and edited by 14 exceptionally dedicated young filmmakers: Kurt Derner ’72, Tom Bisset ’74, Sharon Thompson ’74, Ken Cohn ’75, Dorie Hightower (Caplan) ’75, Richard O’Neill ’75, Rosemary Ravinal ’75, Walter Trepashko ’75, Richard Baron ’76, Patrice Benneward ’76, John Bencivenga ’76, Sean Britt ’76, Karen Grossman ’76 and John Costello ’77.
The film’s faculty advisers—Paul Pitcoff ’65, Marge Hudson, EdD, and Len Price— submitted What the Notes Say to the Third Annual Student Academy Award competition in 1976. Two students, including O’Neill, were flown to Hollywood for the ceremony. And they won.
What the Notes Say was celebrated at the Class of 1975’s 50th reunion last year. “The award has stunned people throughout my life,” said O’Neill. “It opened the door at our local PBS station, WCNY-TV, to them doing my health, happiness and success show Cycle of Health, my radio show Checkup From the Neck Up and ”Medical Student Minute” now on YouTube. And this all started with Professor Pitcoff accepting me into his Advanced Filmmaking class.”
Live From New York—It’s Adelphi Alumni: Emmy Awards for SNL
Bob Palladino ’78 at the soundboard at Saturday Night Live
Given Adelphi’s close proximity to New York City, it’s no surprise that a number of alumni have landed jobs at the iconic sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Robert “Bob” Palladino ’78 went to Adelphi with dreams of becoming a film editor but found himself drawn to the world of sound instead. “Studying at Adelphi gave me the opportunity to work with like-minded, talented students,” he said. “The professors fostered a professional atmosphere during productions, which no doubt contributed to my career in entertainment.” Palladino got his start on SNL as a music mixer before shifting to production mixing, a role that he occupied for more than 40 years. Palladino won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sound Mixing for SNL’s 40th and 50th anniversary specials.
Kim Kachougian ’90, MA ’91, and husband with their Emmy Awards
Kim Kachougian ’90, MA ’91, earned a BFA in theater design and a master’s degree in theater education. She worked on off-Broadway shows and commercials before landing a job on SNL. Kachougian and her husband now work as the show’s art directors, choosing props and set decorations. In 2024, and again in 2026, the pair won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Production Design in a Variety Series.