COLLEGE PARK — The University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism added three new members to its distinguished board of visitors this academic year, Dean Rafael Lorente announced.
Joining the board are Craig Bengtson ’83 (RTVF), Michelle A. Mahabirsingh ’97 (ARHU) and Sara Murray ’07.
Bios for each new member can be found below.
“We are excited to add the perspectives of Craig, Michelle and Sara — three incredibly accomplished professionals — to our board of visitors,” Lorente said. “We are thankful to have their expertise to help make Merrill College the best journalism school it can possibly be.”
Established in 1983, the board provides professional support and guidance from experienced journalism and media professionals to Merrill College leadership.
Learn more about the new members of the Merrill College board of visitors:
Craig Bengtson
Craig Bengtson became president of CNBC International in October 2025. He had been CNBC’s vice president in charge of global production, development and partnerships. He joined CNBC in 2018 as vice president of programming, and was responsible for the daily production of the network’s Business Day programs.
Bengtson was previously vice president and managing editor at ESPN, where he was in charge of “SportsCenter,” “E:60,” “Outside the Lines,” and the network’s feature and investigative units. He was based in Bristol, Connecticut for nearly 12 years.
He started his career at CBS News, where he was a producer before becoming an executive producer at ABC News. An 11-time national Emmy Award-winning producer, he received a Peabody Award for coverage of Sept. 11, 2001, and a duPont-Columbia Award for his work. Bengtson graduated from the University of Maryland in 1983.
Michelle Mahabirsingh
Michelle A. Mahabirsingh is counsel at LambZankel LLP, where she advises philanthropic foundations and nonprofit organizations committed to advancing journalism, education and other public interest priorities.
She is the founder of the Moving Minds Forward Foundation, which supports initiatives that expand access to education and essential services for children with special needs. Mahabirsingh has testified before the New Jersey State Senate Education Committee and conducts workshops for Fortune 500 companies, helping employees navigate complex educational matters on behalf of their children.
Mahabirsingh began her legal career in acquisition finance at Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, and gained additional legal experience with the New York Stock Exchange’s Market Regulation Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. She is a former Dewey & LeBoeuf Social Action and Advocacy Scholar and recipient of the Archibald Murray Public Service Award. She earned her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey.
Sara Murray
Sara Murray spent nearly two decades as a journalist before joining FTI Consulting as a managing director focused on national security and cybersecurity investigations. Murray was previously a leading CNN correspondent where she covered criminal and congressional investigations on a bipartisan basis. Preceding her investigative work, Murray traveled the United States covering President Trump’s first campaign in 2015 and later served as a White House correspondent covering President Trump’s first year in office.
In 2020, Murray won an Emmy and a White House Correspondents’ Association Award for her coverage of the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference efforts in the 2016 presidential election.
Before her time at CNN, Murray worked at The Wall Street Journal, covering politics and global economics. Her in-depth coverage of the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent economic fallout showcased her ability to analyze complex issues with clarity and insight.
Murray holds a B.A. from Merrill College.
For more information, contact:
Josh Land, Communications Manager
joshland@umd.edu