Sports Journalism graduate student Sarah Lounsbury has been named one of IUPUI’s Elite 50, which recognizes the top graduate and professional students at the university. These students demonstrate excellence beyond the classroom in areas such as leadership, scholarly work, and community engagement.
Lounsbury, who is a member of the IUPUI women’s tennis team, said that it feels satisfying to see her hard work and dedication be recognized after she poured in a lot of effort and time into her studies and extracurriculars.
“I feel extremely honored to have received this award,” she said. “It’s hard for me to believe that I am being recognized alongside student leaders in the doctoral, PhD, and master’s programs at IUPUI. I am clearly in good company.”
Lounsbury said she is proud to represent the School of Liberal Arts and the Department of Journalism and Public Relations.
“I am thankful for the Journalism/PR faculty and staff members, particularly Dr. Chris Lamb, Malcolm Moran, Ben Risinger, Dr. Pamela Laucella, and Rodger Johnson, for their impact on me as an aspiring communications professional,” she said. “I think this award is a testament to all the great academic and professional opportunities the department provides its students with.”
Lamb, who is chair of the journalism and public relations department, said that Lounsbury is richly deserving of being named one of the Elite 50.
“I was fortunate to have Sarah in class as an undergraduate student and then as a graduate student,” Lamb said. “I’ve known of no student who exceled as well as Sarah in the college experience – as a student in the classroom, as a leader in student organizations, as a scholar athlete, and as a sportswriter covering college football in Los Angeles and women’s basketball in Sydney, Australia. No student has contributed more to our program.”
Lounsbury was nominated for the Elite 50 award by athletics academic advisor, George Davis.
“George has known me since I was a freshman and actually helped me discover journalism and public relations as a possible career option,” she said. “I am grateful he nominated me and believed that I could win this award.”
The Elite 50 recipients will be honored at an awards banquet on April 11, 2023.