FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7/21/14

Contacts:

Abbi Martzall, SPJ Awards Coordinator, (317) 920-4791, amartzall@spj.org
Maggie LaMar, SPJ Communications Coordinator, (317) 920-4785, mlamar@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists has named Nerissa Young as the David L. Eshelman Outstanding Campus Adviser Award recipient. Young teaches at Ohio University, where she advises the student SPJ chapter.

The Outstanding Campus Chapter Adviser Award, initiated in 1978, is presented annually to a person who has made an exceptional contribution to the campus chapter for which he or she serves as SPJ adviser. In 1993, the SPJ board voted to change the award name to the David Eshelman Outstanding Campus Adviser Award in order to honor Eshelman, a longtime member of the Society and Board “Parliamentarian,” who was killed in 1993. A list of previous honorees may be seen here.

In her nomination letter, former chapter president Kate Hiller says Young is devoted to SPJ and is always available to help her students. For example, she drove six students to Nashville last year for Excellence in Journalism 2014, so they could participate in the annual convention. The Ohio University SPJ chapter holds the title of National Campus Chapter of the Year for 2014.

“Ms. Young is one of the most dedicated professionals I have ever met,” Hiller said. “She works hard every day to make our chapter, the students in her classes and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism the best it can be. She has been a very involved member of SPJ since 1991, and has led the chapters she has been involved with to win national awards for the organization.”

Young will be honored at Excellence in Journalism 2015 Sept. 18-20 in Orlando, Fla.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information on SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

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