Dr. Douglas S. Campbell and Dr. Karen Kline with the Edward E. McDonald Award.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The National Council of the Society for Collegiate Journalists (SCJ) has named the Lock Haven University chapter the 2011 winner of the McDonald Award for Outstanding chapter. Dr. Douglas S. Campbell, professor of Communication and adviser to the LHU chapter, made the announcement to the campus community on April 4.

The LHU chapter was nominated by former SCJ Executive Director Dr. Arthur H. Barlow. Barlow said, “Lock Haven should have gotten this award years ago. Doug Campbell and his students have been a great addition to our group. They hosted a biennial many years ago and did a great job. This is without a doubt one of our top chapters.”

Dr. Karen E. Kline, Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication, stated, "This award validates the dedication and effort that Communication students put into honing their skills to prepare for professional careers. I'm very proud of their accomplishments."

The Society for Collegiate Journalists is a national honorary society for collegiate mass communications, journalism, and other media. The dominant tradition of the society is service. Local chapters develop projects designed to promote the betterment of its membership and the university community. Lock Haven University has been a member since 1968, although there were a few years in the late 70s when the chapter was inactive. Dr. Campbell re-activated the chapter when he arrived in 1980.
Founded in 1909, the SCJ is the nation's oldest organization designed solely to serve college journalists. Today it has approximately 1200 members in 100 active chapters nationwide. It publishes a paper and an online national magazine, The Collegiate Journalist, and an online monthly newsletter, The Reporter.
The LHU chapter has sponsored a number of trips to national media outlets, such as the New York Times, CNN, and USA Today, as well as visit to local media, such as WNEP in Scranton and WTAJ in Altoona. The students attended a taping of the Montel Williams show in New York City in 1997, and they hosted the national convention in 1996 under the leadership of Janel Clayton, then the LHU chapter president.
According to Campbell, “Our most ambitious project was hosting the two-day national biennale convention with a series of seminars and workshops in journalism. Delegates attended from chapters across the country.” He added, “President Craig Dean Willis provided financial support for hosting the national convention.”
"After 31 years at Lock Haven University, I am still amazed at the high quality of energy, talent, and creativity of our journalism students,” says Campbell. “They put a highly successful national convention together with very little help, but a great deal of encouragement, from the faculty and staff."
The mission of the LHU chapter of SCJ is to promote the cause and purpose of the mass communications at the collegiate level; to teach ethics, technique, and mechanics of fraternal spirit among its members; and to reward student communicators for their efforts, services and accomplishments by granting them membership. Some Lock Haven University SJC alumni now work for national media, including the Los Angeles Times and ESPN."

The McDonald Award is named for Edward E. McDonald, who spent 15 years of his retirement working tirelessly as national secretary-treasurer of Pi Delta Epsilon; the organization merged with Alpha Phi Gamma in 1975 to become SCJ. This award, in his memory, is given to a chapter that upholds the highest ideals of college student journalism. It is an award for a long-standing chapter.

The LHU Communication Department offers a variety of options for students interested in careers in Journalism, Electronic Media, Advertising and Public Relations, Communication and Culture, Professional Communication, and Public Discourse and Performance. Students interested in studies leading to graduate school will also find a home in this department.