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Loyola University Chicago’s University Marketing and Communication (UMC) department was presented with 10 national awards for excellence in photography, writing, and social media. The accolades from the Catholic Media Awards and the University Photographers’ Association of America (UPAA) highlight UMC’s commitment to compelling storytelling, photography, and high-quality creative work.
The honors celebrate stories from the University’s flagship publication, Loyola magazine, and news website, Loyola Today. The creative work stood out from thousands of submissions from some of the top higher education institutions and Catholic media entities across the country.
The full list of awards includes:
Catholic Media Awards:
- 1st and 2nd Place: Best Feature Article – “A Journey of Hope”; “The Magic Touch” by Jeff Link
- 1st Place: Best Story and Visual Package – “Guiding Light” by Jeff Link and Lukas Keapproth
- 1st Place: Best Use of Photos on Social Media – “Sister Jean’s Funeral” by Elizabeth Shea, Julia Winker, and Lukas Keapproth
- 2nd Place: Best Alumni Magazine – Loyola magazine – Fall 2025 Issue by Adrienne Gunn, Alexandra West, Jeff Link, Lukas Keapproth, Elizabeth Shea, Julia Winker, Melissa Sterne
- 2nd Place: Best Use of Social Media for Breaking News – “Remembering Sister Jean” by Elizabeth Shea and Julia Winker
- 3rd Place: Best Profile – “Scoop Dreams” by Jeff Link
- Honorable Mention: Best Photo Gallery – “A Glimpse of 2025 in Photos” by Lukas Keapproth
University Photographer’s Association of America
- 1st Place: Best Special Issue – “Sister Jean Commemorative Issue” by Lukas Keapproth
- 3rd Place: Best Photo Essay – “Meet the Loyola Alum whose honey has Chicago foodies abuzz” by Lukas Keapproth
The recognition underscores UMC’s success in engaging the University’s global community of more than 180,000 alumni and showcase a strategic, cross-functional approach to content creation.
“These awards are truly a testament to the collaborative spirit of our entire department,” said Adrienne Gunn, director of Content Strategy. “The shared dedication to authentic storytelling allows our work to be noteworthy and truly outstanding among higher education institutions.”
The Catholic Media Awards are presented annually by the Catholic Media Association to honor outstanding work in Catholic journalism, communications, and publishing. The UPAA annual awards recognize the best work of photographers at colleges and universities worldwide.
To explore more of UMC’s award-winning work, visit news.luc.edu, read the latest issue of Loyola magazine, and follow us on social media for the latest updates from across the University.
