Public Affairs, Ag Communications win state honors
Two public information departments at Mississippi State are among university units receiving high honors from the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi.
At the organization's recent annual conference in Tupelo, the Office of Public Affairs in George Hall received a print media grand award for "Deep Water," a photo series by OPA photographer Beth Wynn that was also awarded first place in the photography category. For her complete photo series and the accompanying "Deep Water" article, visit http://www.alumnus.msstate.edu/Winter14/deepwater.html.
OPA also received electronic media grand and first-place television spot awards for "We Ring True," as well as a first place award for the "Find Your Place" multimedia presentation. Project leaders include Harriet Laird, OPA associate director; Checky Herrington, OPA marketing research analyst; David Garraway, University Television Center director; and Erin Nesbit Brown, OPA social media specialist, among others who contributed voice and other talents.
Additionally, OPA, along with staff members with the MSU Alumni Association and Foundation, received a first-place award for Alumnus, a magazine published three times each year. Receiving recognition were Clinton Alexander, Leah Barbour, Megan Bean, Vanessa Beeson, Linda Breazeale, Amy Cagle, Bonnie Coblentz, David Garraway, Hayley Gilmore, Keats Haupt, Russ Houston, Laura Ladner, Harriet Laird, Jim Laird, Susan Lassetter, Allison Matthews, Brandon McAninch, Sammy McDavid, Heather Rowe, Victoria Russell, Sasha Steinberg, Karen Templeton, Tom Thompson and Beth Wynn.
Located in the Bost Extension Center, the Office of Agricultural Communications also received numerous awards in the competition.
Others from MSU receiving CPRAM senior-division honors included:
-- Bonnie Coblentz, OAC writer and editor, first place for a news story titled "MSU Department Announces Major Archaeological Find."
-- Elizabeth Gregory North, OAC department head, and Phillip Smith, extension graphics associate, first place in the exhibit category for "MSU Extension Service -- Banner Stand Set."
-- Heather Rowe, OPA digital design editor, and Leah Barbour, former OPA news writer now with OAC, along with University Television Center staff members, first place for the web page titled "Bully Through the Years."
-- Hayley Gilmore, OPA graphic artist, and Linda Morse, MSU counseling and educational psychology professor and director, second place for the special publication "Maroon Edition: Invisible Girls."
-- Elizabeth Gregory North and Kim Trimm, graphic design extension associate, second place for an advertisement titled "MSU-DAFVM Ad."
-- Heather Rowe, second place in the non-sports, single-piece artwork category for "Therabot Logo."
-- Hayley Gilmore, second place for a digital art illustration titled "Brittany's Fresh Tomato Basil Bruschetta Recipe."
-- Sasha Steinberg, OPA news writer, second place for a feature story titled "Creating a Buzz in the Big Apple."
-- Leah Barbour and Beth Wynn, third place for a news story titled "New life-form found at MSU, named for first 'Bully.'"
-- Keri Collins Lewis, OAC news coordinator, third place for a feature story titled "Born for the Show Ring."
-- Elizabeth Gregory North, Phillip Smith and digital assets manager Kat Lawrence, third place for the advertisement titled "MSU Extension Service -- National Centennial Event."
-- Leighton Spann, OAC electronic media senior extension associate, third place for the television news feature titled "Falcon Water Gets Leak Relief Thanks to Extension Service."
-- Elizabeth Gregory North, Rankin County extension agent Natasha Haynes, extension associates Brian Utley, Tim Allison and Jonathan Parrish, along with Keri Collins Lewis and social media strategist Ellen Graves, third place for "The Food Factor" television program, a weekly series airing on commercial stations around the state.
Discover more about Mississippi's flagship research university at www.msstate.edu or www.meridian.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate using the hashtag #WeRingTrue.
Sasha Steinberg | Public Affairs
