The following is a spotlight on Laura Ehrenberger, one of two Duquesne University's 2023 nominees for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year award. The Atlantic 10 institutions nominated a total of 17 outstanding student-athletes for the award (READ MORE). The A-10 will spotlight each of the institutional nominees.

Laura Ehrenberger Profile

Laura Ehrenberger was named the 2023 Duquesne Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She is part of

the 4x1500 meter relay team that holds the Dukes' school record, and she ranks in the top five all

time at Duquesne in three other events, the

1000 meters, and the 4x800 in both indoor

and outdoor seasons.

Ehrenberger's academic success includes six

years on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor

Roll, 12 appearances each on the Duquesne Dean's

List and Vice President for Athletics Honor Roll.

She was a CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-American in 2021 and 2022 and has been All-Districts for the

past four years. She is a member of the Rho Chi

Honor Society, was a part of the Duquesne Honors College every year, and in the Fall of 2022, she was

the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Local Clinical Skills Competition Winner.

Ehrenberger was extremely active in volunteer and community work. She co-chaired Operation Diabetes and Operation Heart for the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists. She

also volunteered with several other medical initiatives for diabetes, strokes and cancer patients. She

worked within the Pharmacy school at Duquesne, welcoming prospective students. Ehrenberger also donated time with both Lambda Kappa Sigma (pharmacy sorority and Rho Chi (honor society).

Q & A

What was the hardest obstacle you faced as a student-athlete?

The hardest obstacle that I faced was injury. As someone who has had multiple stress-related injuries over the past six years, I was constantly sidelined for weeks or seasons at a time. During these times, I relied heavily on the support and encouragement of my teammates. I’ve learned that success isn't always defined by my performance on the track but more by my resilience and adaptability in difficult situations.

Who or What has been your biggest inspiration or motivation?

My older sister Kara is my biggest inspiration. She is always there to laugh with me, cheer me up when I’m having a bad day, and give me advice. She is also a pharmacist and was always willing to support and motivate me throughout pharmacy school and in everything I do.

What hard goals have you set and/or accomplish?

My goal during my sixth year of pharmacy school was to pursue a clinical residency to continue my education and training post-graduation. After a rigorous application and interview process, I am happy to have matched with an acute care pharmacy residency program at WVU Medicine – WVU Hospitals. I recently graduated with my doctorate in May and obtained my pharmacist license this month, and I am excited to continue learning as a pharmacy resident this year!

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I am proud to have been selected as the 2023 Duquesne Female Student-Athlete of the Year. It was particularly meaningful to me to celebrate the hard work I put into training and competing for the past six years alongside my teammates.

What Was your favorite class/professor and why?

My favorite class in pharmacy school was Infectious Diseases taught by Dr. Anthony Guarascio. I love learning about the complexity of antimicrobial drug dosing and administration, the proper utilization of antibiotics, and pathogen resistance mechanisms. This class has definitely shaped my future career goal of becoming a board-certified infectious diseases clinical pharmacist.

What is something you wish more people knew about you?

Growing up I always wanted to be an artist. I love to paint, especially Pittsburgh cityscapes with acrylic paints. It has been a great creative outlet and form of stress relief throughout college.

What are the top three things on your bucket list?

Running the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay with my old teammates, going on the show the Amazing Race with my sister (our team name would be the Pharmasisters), and going back to school for art one day!