Contact:
Heather Porter, Programs Coordinator, (317) 927-8000, ext. 204, hporter@spj.org
Beth King, Communications Manager, (317) 927-8000, ext. 211, bking@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – Renée DeLuca of the University of Maryland has received the 2006 Julie Galvan Outstanding Graduate in Journalism Award, presented by the Society of Professional Journalists.

The national award is presented to one graduate in journalism who is outstanding in his or her class on the basis of character, service to the community, scholarship, proficiency in practical journalism and significant contributions to his or her SPJ chapter. At the close of the college year, each campus chapter of the Society selects one graduate who meets these criteria. From this group, the Society’s leaders select one graduate who is considered most outstanding for national recognition. Only student members of the Society are eligible for this award.

“Renée is extraordinary in many ways, certainly not least I would list her great intelligence, her passion for journalism and her quiet, mature-beyond-her-years leadership style,” wrote Lee Thornton, professor of broadcast journalism at UM’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, in her nomination letter. “She has every skill and every instinct she needs to succeed in broadcast news. Moreover, she is a student with very high ethical standards.”

A member of SPJ since her freshman year, DeLuca served as her chapter’s fund-raising chairwoman for two years and then as president. She was the producer of an hour-long program examining the media coverage of Hurricane Katrina, which aired on the university’s cable television station.

DeLuca has held four internships at news outlets during her college career, including CBS 3 Eyewitness News and the Fox News Channel. She has built houses through Habitat for Humanity and worked as a research assistant for the Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families, a training and resource program for journalists who cover children and families.

“Renée is smart, discerning and attentive to detail. Because we have such confidence in her, she has had significant responsibilities in all aspects of our work,” wrote Patrice Pascal, interim director of CJC, in her nomination letter. “A remarkably accomplished student, I have watched Renée handle the demands of school, work and SPJ chapter leadership. She is mature and extremely well-organized. She is also delightfully warm and kind.”

DeLuca will be recognized Saturday, Aug. 26 during the President’s Installation Banquet at the 2006 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference in Chicago at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Dr.

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.

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