Dr. Kim Powell and Amber Sorenson ('20) received the Dawn O. Braithwaite award for Distinguished Qualitative Research from the Central States Communication Association at their 2020 Conference.

Amber Sorenson ('20) received the "Top Student Paper" award at the 2020 Iowa Communication Association conference.

Dr. Thomas C. Johnson served as Post Production Consultant on the documentary film, Decoding the Driftless (2018). The film was chosen as an official selection by twenty-eight film festivals. It has also won over twenty-two awards, including Best Documentary at the 2020 Beloit International Film Festival.

Dr. Sarah Wilder was awarded the Anderson Faculty Award, Luther College, Spring of 2019-20.

"Nature is Me" (2018), a short subject documentary film produced by Evan Lobdell ('20), was chosen as an official selection by the Oneota Film Festival and the Door County Short Film Festival. 

Kristen Carlson ('18) was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Latvia for 2018- 2019.

Annalise Johnson ('18) received the "Top Student Paper" award at the 2017 Iowa Communication Association conference.

"Shoken" (2017), a short subject documentary film produced by Jack Ross ('17), was chosen as an official selection by the Frozen River Film Festival, the Snake Alley Festival of Film, the Oneota Film Festival, and the ACM Student Film Conference and Festival.

"Marieke" (2017), a short subject documentary film produced by Dr. Thomas C. Johnson and Jack Ross (’17), was chosen as an official selection by thirty-six film festivals. It also won Best Documentary at the 2019 Iowa Motion Picture Association Awards.

Hannah Butler ('16) received the "Top Student Paper" award at the 2015 Iowa Communication Association conference.

"Ironhead" (2015), a short subject documentary film produced by Dr. Thomas C. Johnson and Neal Abbott (’15), was chosen as an official selection by twenty-four film festivals. It also won Best Short Documentary at the 2016 Greenwich Village Film Festival.