Department of Communication and Emerging Media Celebrate Student Achievement

Communication students inducted into national honor society, receive scholarships

Aiken, SC (05/03/2023) — The University of South Carolina Aiken's Department of Communication and Emerging Media held an academic awards celebration on Monday, April 24, celebrating inductees of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association's official honor society at four-year colleges and universities, and the department's 2023-2024 scholarship recipients.

"I'm proud of these students," said Dr. Jason Munsell, chair of the Department of Communication and Emerging Media and faculty advisor of Lambda Pi Eta at USC Aiken. "This is a huge group of inductees, and this is only the second time in history we've combined the honor society induction with a celebration of departmental scholarship winners."

Now with nearly 500 chapters worldwide, the National Communication Association established Lamba Pi Eta as an affiliate organization and as the official national communication honor society for undergraduates in 1995. In February 1996, the organization was certified by the Association of College Honor Societies. The USC Aiken chapter, the Nu Rho Chapter, was established in 2001 by Dr. Charmaine Wilson at the urging of Jason J. Hancock, a Class of 2002 communication alumna.

In addition to departmental faculty and students, the event was attended by USC Aiken Chancellor Dr. Dan Heimmermann; College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Dr. Mark Hollingsworth; and former Department Chairs Dr. Charmaine Wilson and Dr. Sandra Hochel, both of whom endow scholarships for students majoring in communication at USC Aiken.

According to Munsell, the event witnessed the largest in-person attendance in many years. "This was very nice. It was sort of like the Academy Awards, but a little less glitzy and there was no slapping."

Munsell, along with Dasia Owen, Lambda Pi Eta president, inducted 26 new Lambda Pi Eta members; and later, Munsell announced the departmental scholarship winners.

Spring 2023 Lambda Pi Eta inductees include:

Hannah Kathryn Acevedo

James M. Bailey

Zarifa Brown

Deanna L. Burress

Rebekah Cook

Curtis R. Crouch

Sarah Lynn Davidson

Danielle Nicole Downs

Matthew Christian Ellenburg

Natalie Gibson

Elizabeth Cleveland Holmes