School of Communication students recognized for excellence
Office of Public Relations & Communications |
Samuel Espinoza, left, and Olivia DeRocher anchor the award-winning newscast for The Bison.
Journalists from Lipscomb University’s School of Communication have once again left their mark in this year’s Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Region 12 Mark of Excellence Awards as five students received recognition this summer.
The Mark of Excellence Awards honors the best in student journalism. Entries are judged at the regional level with winners advancing to national competition this summer. Lipscomb is part of SPJ’s Region 12 which comprises universities Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Lipscomb students and team that were winners or finalists in this year’s competition, along with the other awardees in each category are:
- Joey Dwyer (’26), winner, Sports Column Writing, “Kevin Carroll is Lipscomb Basketball embodied. He’s also the right hire for it.”
- Joey Dwyer (’26), winner, Sports Writing (Small Universities), “Florida center Micah Handlogten has rebounded from gruesome injury. Now he wants to be known for something other than what happened to him.”
- Will Blackmon, Luke Green, Olivia DeRocher, Samuel Espinoza, winner, “Best All-Around Radio Newscast, Nov. 1, 2025, The Bison newscast.
As regional winners, all three submissions advanced to the national level. The Bison newscast entry was named a national finalist.
“The School of Communication is proud of all of these students,” said Jimmy McCollum, professor of communication. “Joey Dwyer, who graduated in May, won four regional awards in his Lipscomb career, including being named top sportswriter in the South last year. His legacy will continue to inspire Lipscomb students.”
“The radio newscast from The Bison marks Lipscomb students' eighth award at the national level of the Society of Professional Journalists' Mark of Excellence Awards,” he continued. “In the contest category this year, a University of Missouri newscast was the national MOE winner; a Marshall University newscast was the other finalist. So we were in great company.”
Mark of Excellence Awards entries are judged by professionals with at least three years of journalism experience. Judges were directed to choose entries they felt were among the best in student journalism. If no entry rose to the level of excellence, no award was given.
Lipscomb University’s School of Communication is housed in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. It offers undergraduate degree programs in public relations, journalism and new media, advertising and sports media.