Des Moines, Iowa – August 24, 2024 – David Lubbers, former ESPN investigative feature producer and writer, and multi-award-winning sports journalist, will join the Drake SJMC faculty as an Assistant Professor of Multimedia News Journalism. Lubbers brings a wealth of experience and impressive achievements from a distinguished journalism career.
During his 18-year tenure at ESPN, Lubbers contributed to programs including Outside The Lines, E:60, SportsCenter, NFL Countdown, NBA Today, Baseball Tonight, and ESPN.com. He covered stories in the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, Spain, and Russia with exceptional storytelling and a commitment to journalistic excellence.
Lubbers also was an ESPN Chicago Bureau Producer, covering sports news throughout the United States, including Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, March Madness, and Super Bowls.
Lubbers’ professional honors include two Peabody Awards, three national Sports Emmy Awards, and the Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Journalism Award. He has also earned the New York Festivals Grand Award, three New York Festivals World Medal Awards, and multiple honors from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Gracie Awards, and the Prism Awards.
In addition to his work at ESPN, Lubbers has experience as a freelance producer for networks including ESPN, CBS Sports, and Intersport. Early career highlights include positions with WHO-TV and KCCI-TV in Des Moines.
Beyond his professional achievements, Lubbers is an avid blues harmonica player, performing in the United States, Switzerland, and Australia. Lubbers also serves on the Board of Directors for the Iowa Sports Foundation and the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation, and served on the SJMC National Advisory Council.
“We are thrilled to welcome David back to the SJMC family, this time as a faculty member,” Catherine Staub, Dean of the SJMC, says. “As an SJMC alumnus and enthusiastic SJMC supporter, David has always focused on uplifting Drake, the SJMC and our students. Now that he’s joining the faculty, he’ll be able to devote himself even more fully to mentoring the next generation of journalists.”