Iona University Earns National Recognition at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Media Awards Ceremony
Left to Right: Niamh Linehan ’25 and Kaeli Dean ’25
New Rochelle, N.Y. - Iona University's student-operated radio station, WIUR, earned national recognition in the annual Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Media Awards ceremony, held in New York City. The IBS Media Awards recognize excellence in student radio broadcasting around the country. Notably, Iona students were named finalists in two categories: Best Podcast and Best Sports Talk Program.
“We are incredibly proud of our students’ achievements,” said Giuseppe D’Aloisio, director of digital technology & learning in the Media & Strategic Communication department. “Being named finalists at the IBS Media Awards speaks to their talent and dedication.”
Congratulations to each finalist:
- Kaeli Dean ’25 and Niamh Linehan ’25 - Best Podcast, “Hypothetically Speaking”
- John Tomsen ’24 and Nikolas Laoutaris ’25 - Best Sports Talk Program, “2 Point Conversation”
This year, the IBS received more than 3,000 entries from over 100 schools around the world. At the annual IBS conference, winners are announced within several categories from news, sports and social media to production.
“I was shocked when I heard the news that we got nominated but, it was a great feeling. It proved what we are producing has potential to go far and it even made a positive impact on someone to be nominated for an award,” said Linehan, cohost of “Hypothetically Speaking.”
“Truthfully, none of this would be possible if it weren’t for the staff in the media & strategic communication department, especially Professor D’Aloisio, who has been so supportive and helpful since the creation of our podcast over a year ago,” she said.
Laoutaris also attributed his success to the support of the media & strategic communication department.
“Iona and the MSC department have really given me the confidence and opportunity to talk about my fandom on a podcast show,” said the history minor. “My radio production class has helped me improved my presentation skills on the mic.”
Their love of podcasting has fueled post-graduation plans as well.
“I think it would be fun to continue podcasting. I’ve enjoyed doing it this past year and would love for it to last longer,” said Dean.
The “2 Point Conversation” podcast is live streamed on the WIUR YouTube page which can be found here. For “Hypothetically Speaking” podcast episodes, listeners can tune in on Spotify.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.