Marketing and Communications Specialist
About
- Ann Arbor and Pellston campuses
- Media can reach me on my cell: 312-805-3001
Biography
A journalist and science communicator who has won an Emmy Award, Edward R. Murrow Award and Associated Press Award, Christine Billau joined the University of Michigan Biological Station in April 2023 as marketing and communications specialist.
Prior to U-M, Chrissy served as assistant director of communications at The University of Toledo. Chrissy has placed stories and experts in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, ABC World News Tonight, USA Today, Associated Press, Newsweek, Reader’s Digest, Popular Science, Fox News, NPR, Forbes and more.
In 2019 she won the Case District V Gold for Best in Writing for the Media for a campaign about blue light research. Her pitch about the discovery of how blue light from smartphones and other digital devices could lead to age-related macular degeneration resulted in 640 media mentions worldwide reaching more than 400 million people.
Chrissy is FEMA-certified through ICS-400 (Advanced Incident Command System) to serve in times of crisis.
She is constantly on the hunt for stories about groundbreaking research to share with local, regional, national and international media outlets, and to showcase how students and scientists are discovering solutions to make life better.
As a general assignment reporter at WTVG-Channel 13, the ABC affiliate in Toledo, Ohio, for seven years, Chrissy was honored for her ongoing investigative coverage of a childhood cancer cluster in the Clyde area, as well as her feature report about the emotional way the community of Port Clinton celebrated Christmas early to grant the final wish of dying boy.
Previously, she was a general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor at WTVO-Channel 17 News/WQRF Fox39, the ABC and Fox affiliates in Rockford, Illinois.
Before her on-air work, Chrissy worked behind the scenes on the assignment desk and traveled with photographers to cover breaking news and scheduled events at WLS-TV, the ABC affiliate in Chicago. She was a member of the team that won a regional Emmy Award for breaking news coverage of a December 2005 accident at Midway Airport.
Chrissy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Boston University's College of Communication.
