Indian American investigative reporter PJ Randhawa has won Northeastern Illinois University Distinguished Alumna Award, the university’s highest honor recognizing a achievements or a career of outstanding accomplishment.
Randhawa, who graduated in 2008 with a BA in Communication, Media and Theatre, received the award with three other alumni and one future alumna during the 2026 Alumni Awards celebration recently.
Since her return to Chicago in 2023 as an Investigative Reporter for NBC 5 Responds, Randhawa’s investigations have helped recover more than $1 million for viewers, according to a university release.
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Her journalism has earned national and regional honors, including being named a 2023 DuPont Finalist, winning seven Emmy Awards, two Edward R. Murrow Awards and a 2023 National Headliner Award.
She also earned a 2022 Crystal Mic for “Best Reporter” from the Illinois News Broadcasters Association, four Society of Professional Journalists awards for News Excellence, a 2023 National Excellence in Journalism Award from the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, along with multiple Missouri Broadcast awards and an International Sikh Award for Anchoring. Randhawa was the University’s December 2025 Commencement speaker.
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“It was amazing to be on campus and meet people from every different country you could imagine,” said Randhawa, who came to Northeastern from Canada. “Being an international student, there’s no alternative. You can’t just stop or fail and then go home and regroup.” She continued, “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.”
“The NEIU Alumni Association is proud to recognize our outstanding Golden Eagles for the contributions they’ve made to Northeastern and their communities,” said Interim Director of Alumni Relations Anna Mesa. “While we honor a few of our alumni with these special awards each year, we know there are more than 90,000 Northeastern alumni doing incredible work each and every day to make a difference in Chicago and beyond.”