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Northeastern Illinois honors PJ Randhawa
Randhawa was recognized for her award-winning investigative reporting career and contributions to consumer journalism.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 16, Jul 2026
- 11:55 EDT
- 36
PJ Randhawa / Northeastern Illinois University
Investigative journalist PJ Randhawa received Northeastern Illinois University's 2026 Distinguished Alumna Award, the institution's highest honor for graduates.
The award was presented during the institution's 2026 Alumni Awards ceremony on May 29 in Alumni Hall on its Chicago campus.
Randhawa, who earned a bachelor's degree in Communication, Media and Theatre in 2008, received the honor for her contributions to investigative journalism and public service.
Also Read: PJ Randhawa to address Northeastern Illinois commencement
According to the institution, Randhawa's consumer investigations for NBC Chicago's NBC 5 Responds have helped viewers recover more than $1 million since she joined the station in 2023.
Her work has earned seven Emmy Awards, two Edward R. Murrow Awards, a National Headliner Award, recognition as a 2023 DuPont finalist, the Illinois News Broadcasters Association's Crystal Mic Award for Best Reporter, and the NLGJA's National Excellence in Journalism Award.
She also delivered the institution's December 2025 commencement address.
"It was amazing to be on campus and meet people from every different country you could imagine," Randhawa said while reflecting on her experience as an international student. "Being an international student, there's no alternative. You can't just stop or fail and then go home and regroup."
She added, "I feel like the more determined you are to see your vision through, to live your dream, to accomplish what it is you think is meaningful, nobody can stop you."
Before joining NBC Chicago, Randhawa served as Investigative Race and Equity Reporter at KING 5 in Seattle. Earlier, she covered investigative and political beats at KSDK-TV in St. Louis and WIS TV and the Raycom News Network in South Carolina before beginning her broadcast journalism career as a reporter and morning anchor at KOTA-TV in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Randhawa earned a master's degree in broadcast journalism from DePaul University in 2011 after completing her undergraduate studies at Northeastern Illinois.
Fluent in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu, she has spent more than a decade in broadcast journalism and currently serves on the Mid-America Emmy Board of Governors while maintaining affiliations with several journalism organizations.
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