Shreveport, La. - LSUS women's soccer player Julia Vaughan will be honored Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. in the Chancellor's Board Room on the second floor of the Administration Building. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) awarded Vaughan with the A.O. Duer Award, which is presented annually to a junior men's and women's student-athlete in any sport who has excelled in character, playing ability and scholarship. Since 1967, the Duer Award has been presented in honor of the late former NAIA executive director Al Duer who was responsible for the NAIA's role as the first collegiate organization to be fully integrated.

Vaughan is a biology major who has been named to the Chancellor's list each semester. As the 2006-2007 chemist of the year, Vaughan was recently accepted to the physician assistant program at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Her performance in academics is not outshined by her performance on the soccer field. Vaughan is a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) offensive player of the year and this past year was named to the All Region XIII team and the GCAC All-Conference First team. She was also named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Women's Soccer Team for two seasons.   

The award celebrates character-driven intercollegiate athletics and the dedication these individuals place on excellence in class and competition," said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. Vaughan says she is honored to receive this award and credits a great coach, outstanding teammates and outstanding teachers at LSUS who care about her success. "It all goes back to everyone working together, everyone on the soccer field and in the classroom," said Vaughan.

Vaughan was selected by the NAIA Council of Faculty Athletics Representatives from a field of nominees from NAIA member institutions. Candidates must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.75 on a 4.00 scale. LSUS will receive a $1,000 scholarship award from Daktronics in the name of the winner.

Robert Catron of Georgetown College, Kentucky was named the male A. O. Duer Award recipient. To learn more about the NAIA and other national and sport specific awards visit www.naia.org.