BALTIMORE, Md. – Emmy Award-winning local news anchor Denise Koch will address graduates and their families at the 2026 Commencement for Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) on May 19 at the Baltimore Convention Center. She will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from NDMU.
Koch has the distinction of being the longest-serving anchor in Baltimore with more than 40 years at WJZ CBS News Baltimore. She started at WJZ in 1982 as a lifestyle/entertainment reporter covering the arts and culture in the Baltimore region. She was soon promoted to weekend anchor, and a few years later, she began serving as a main evening anchor. A beloved and respected journalist, she has reported on the consequential news of the day, including the Beltway sniper crisis, 9/11, and the aftermath of the tragic death of Freddie Gray, while focusing on the people and stories that impact the lives of Marylanders.
She has dedicated herself to the community, serving on the boards of the TurnAround (service provider for people impacted by sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and human trafficking), Maryland Committee for the Children, United Way of Central Maryland’s Tocqueville Society, Howard County Arts Council, Success in Style (clothing women re-entering the workforce), and Camp Opportunity (a camp for abused children).
Her commitment to the community includes volunteer leadership at NDMU, where she has promoted and elevated women and families. She has served as an advisory board member and speaker for the Women of the World (WOW) Festival Baltimore, hosted by NDMU. Most recently, Koch moderated an inspiring conversation with Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes at NDMU’s 2025 WOW Festival Baltimore. She also serves as a member of NDMU’s President’s Roundtable.
She is an Emmy Award–winning anchor whose stories have also earned eight Emmy nominations. Koch also received an Edward R. Murrow Award from Radio Television Digital News Association for WJZ’s coverage of the tragic Key Bridge collapse. The National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) recognized her outstanding achievements with the Governor's Award, its most prestigious honor, as well as the Silver Circle for those who have made significant contributions to the field for 25 years or more.
The Daily Record recognized Koch’s professional leadership and lasting community impact with its Icon Honors Award, Influential Marylander Award, and Maryland’s Top 100 Women Award. She has also received numerous statewide and national awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Teachers Association, the U.S. Postal Service, Maryland House of Delegates, and the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland.
Koch graduated from the California Institute of the Arts and received a master's degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.