The National Association of Black Journalists will honor distinguished professor of journalism and director of the Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies, DeWayne Wickham with a lifetime achievement award.

Wickham, the interim chairman of the department of journalism and mass communication, is a founding member and former president of the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation. He is a columnist for USA TODAY and the Gannett News Service. His syndicated column is distributed to more than 130 daily newspapers in the United States.

Wickham said he is humbled by the organization’s judgment that his work warrants this honor. "Since its founding in 1975, NABJ has been a second family for me. And so, I can think of no greater capstone to my career than to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from an organization I love so deeply," Wickham said.

In addition to this award, the organization also named one of its newest scholarships after him. The DeWayne Wickham Founders High School Scholarship will be awarded to a graduating high school senior who has shown strong promise in overcoming personal obstacles and has a strong passion to pursue journalism in college. The scholarship is valued at $2,500 to be awarded directly to the college or university.