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Hoda Kotb (pronounced /ˈhoʊdə ˈkuːtəb/, us: hō′·də kōō′·təb in English; born August 9, 1964) (IPA: /ˈhoʊdə ˈkɒtbiː/, us: hō′·də kŏt′·bē) is an American television news anchor, originally from from Norman, Oklahoma.
Kotb is Egyptian-American. In Arabic, the name "Hoda" means "guidance", and is very popular among Arab women. The last name "Kotb" means "pole", and is a common surname among Egyptians. However, the name is usually pronounced IPA: [ˈkutub]. Although for a period during her career she spelled her surname Kotbe to aid pronunciation of her surname, she now uses the original form, Kotb.[2]
Contents[hide]
1 Biography
2 Breast cancer
3 Controversy
4 Career
5 Awards
6 References
7 External links
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[edit] Biography
Kotb is from Morgantown, West Virginia. She graduated from Fort Hunt High School in Alexandria, Virginia in 1982. She graduated in 1986 from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalism. She is a member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority.

[edit] Breast cancer
She underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in March 2007 for breast cancer.[3]
She was the keynote speaker at the 2008 Virginia Tech graduation (her alma mater); where she played Enter Sandman over her iPod[citation needed].

[edit] Controversy
In a late-winter episode of the fourth hour of The Today Show, Kotb opted not to read the names of Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos in a couples countdown from a magazine. No explanation was provided.

[edit] Career
1986: Kotb began her career with CBS News as a news assistant in Cairo, Egypt
1986–1989: Hoda was a morning anchor and general assignment reporter for WQAD-TV, the ABC affiliate in Moline, Illinois and an anchor for WXVT-TV, the CBS affiliate for Greenville and Greenwood, Mississippi
1989–1991: Hoda was a weekend anchor and reporter for WINK-TV in Fort Myers, Florida
1992–1998: Hoda was anchor and reporter at WWL-TV, the CBS affiliate in New Orleans, Louisiana
1998–present: Hoda has been a Dateline NBC correspondent.
2004–present: Host of the weekly syndicated series Your Total Health
2007–present: Co-host of the new 4th hour of Today with Ann Curry and Natalie Morales. Since 2008, she hosts with Kathie Lee Gifford.

[edit] Awards
Kotb is the recipient of a number of awards, including the 2008 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award and the prestigious Peabody Award in 2006 for her Dateline NBC report, "The Education of Ms. Groves."
The four-time Emmy nominee also won the 2004 Headliner Award, the 2003 Gracie Award, and the 2002 Edward R. Murrow Award.

[edit] References
^ "Q&A with Hoda Kotb". MSNBC. 2007. http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/18/417615.aspx. Retrieved on 2008-12-11.
^ Clarification on names added to page at request of subject's mother, Feb. 20, 2009 to correct a tabloid's erroneous statement that Kotb's birth name was Choda Kotb.
^ Hoda Kotb (2008). "Your life after cancer is better than the one before". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26967472/. Retrieved on 2008-12-11.

[edit] External links
Official MSNBC bio
"Calling Helen Thomas" by David Chambers in Saudi Aramco World