Striking images from award-winning School of Journalism alum Owen Ziliak
Published on Show Me Mizzou Sept. 16, 2025
Photojournalist Owen Ziliak, BJ ’24, first learned speed and care at Mizzou and the Columbia Missourian, where as a freshman during the 2020 election he had “an editor breathe down my neck for photos on deadline.” Now working at TheWisconsin State Journal, his recent honors include the 2025 NPPA Emerging Vision Photojournalist of the Year (second place) and best portfolio at the 2023–24 Hearst Journalism Awards. Ziliak shot this image at Skagen’s Grey Lighthouse while studying abroad in northern Denmark.
View more images below.
Birding volunteer Michael Colley untangles a screaming bird from one of the volunteer’s 18 mist nets, a thin net that catches birds in flight, on Sunday, April 16, 2023 in Skagen, Denmark.Observatory Head Simon Christiansen releases a bird after collecting measurements. Christensen must be present at every ringing session to validate the volunteer’s data.Boris Brøgger, owner of Brøgger Belysning, the only lighting shop in Aarhus, stands in his store on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Aarhus, Denmark. Brøgger inherited the shop from his father, and his son will inherit it from him.Sixth graders from Everest Academy, a Catholic school in Lamont, Il., chant “Long live the pope! Long live the pope!” in front of Holy Name Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of Chicago, following the election of Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native andthe first American Pope in history on Thursday, May 8, 2025 in Chicago, Il.University of Missouri goaltender Jackson Winkles dives for the puck as Saint Louis University forward Patrick Sweeney slides it in to the net for a goal in the Flyover Classic on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024 at Centene Community Ice Center in St. Louis, Mo. Missouri went on to win 5-4.Twins Jesenia and Jasi Barry, 9, from New Jersey, protect themselves from heavy rain by holding a coat over their heads while walking south on Michigan Avenue on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 in Chicago, Ill.Tracy Friderich walks through the charred remnants of the front of Wooldridge Baptist Church on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Wooldridge, Mo. A massive fire burned down or damaged roughly 23 structures in Wooldridge, a village over 20 miles from
Columbia, Mo. High winds and low humidity left the surrounding area prone to the flames. In total, over 3,000 acres of land were taken by the fire. The entrance of the church was burned in the fire. No casualties were reported.A festivalgoer screams as water is thrown on the crowd during Destroy Lonely’s set on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023. William Nørmark, 6, peeks out from the inside of a makeshift spacecraft at Aarhus University’s Steno Museet on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 in Aarhus, Denmark. Museums around Aarhus have extra activities and exhibitions during the student’s winter holiday.No. 16 Missouri running back Cody Schrader yelled while hoisted on to his teammate’s shoulders after the Tiger’s win against No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. “That’s definitely the number one moment in my entire life,” Schrader said following the win. Schrader was responsible for 321 total yards, rushing for 205 and accumulating 116 through the air. The graduate student walked on at the beginning of the year and led the SEC in rushing for the season.
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