Communication Department Graduate Student Wins National Communications AwardPhoto Submitted Samuel AjalaSamuel Ajala, a graduate student at the U of A Department of Communication, has been selected as the recipient of the National Communication Association 2025 Award. He won the 2025 Activism and Social Justice Division Graduate Student Activist Award for his research and advocacy work in environmental communication, which is deeply rooted in community engagement. Over the years, leveraging his storytelling and research skills, Ajala has contributed towards climate reporting and environmental justice in Nigeria. As a graduate student and budding scholar in environmental communication, he leveraged his research, journalism and public engagement to advocate for more inclusive narratives in environmental and climate change policy. He will receive his award at the 111th annual meeting of the National Communication Association in Denver.