Contact: Phil Hearn
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State communication staffs won half of the awards handed out in the senior division of the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi for creative work performed during 2004.
University employees collected 37 of 74 awards presented to communicators at senior public and private colleges during the statewide organization's recent annual meeting in Biloxi. The state's community and junior colleges compete in a separate division.
Leading the pack for MSU was the Agricultural Communications Office with 17 awards. The University Relations Office at MSU-Meridian received 12, while University Relations on the Starkville campus picked up eight.
Agricultural Communications, University Relations and MSU-Meridian won five first-place awards each--a total of 15 top finishes. Agricultural Communications and the Wise Center-based University Television Center also captured one of only two Grand Awards given for overall performance, winning for excellence in electronic media.
Linda Butler, public relations-marketing specialist for MSU-Meridian, won or shared in her campus' dozen total awards, making her MSU's top individual performer.
Butler also was elected to serve as vice president of the organization for the coming year, while editor-writer Bonnie Coblentz of Agricultural Communications was re-elected to the CPRAM board of directors.
Individual MSU award winners by category included:
News Stories
First place, Phil Hearn, for "MSU Scientists Invent Diabetes Breathalyzer;" and third place, Bonnie Coblentz, for "Soybean Rust."
Feature Stories
First place, Phil Hearn, for "MSU Wood Preservation Expert Focuses on Southern Housing Problems;" and third place, Bob Ratliff, for "Gift Will Establish CVM Cancer Unit."
Sports Stories
Second place, Keryn Page, for "Good Hunting Season Requires Safety, Rules."
Institutional Magazine
First place, "MAFES Research Highlights," by Bob Ratliff, Robyn Hearn, Annette Woods, Jim Lytle, Marco Nicovich, Bonnie Coblentz, and Tom Thompson; and third place, "Mississippi State Alumnus," by Allen Snow, Kay Jones, Russ Houston, Megan Bean, Erin Norwood, Becky Smith, Phil Hearn, Sammy McDavid, Maridith Geuder, and Joe Farris.
Newsletter
First place, "College of Education Newsletter," by Erin Norwood, Kay Jones, Russ Houston, and Megan Bean; and third place, "Pegasus Press," by Keryn Page, Bonnie Coblentz, Linda Breazeale, Tom Thompson, Greg Word, Julia Heard, Laura Whelan, and Nancy Williams.
Tab Publication
Third place, "Project a Great Image with an MSU Degree," by Linda Butler, Becky Smith, Libby Huff, and The Meridian Star.
Special Publications
Second place, "Preserving Trees in Construction Sites," by Debbie Montgomery and Beth Dishongh; and third place, "MSU Calendar 2005," by Erin Norwood, Bonnie Dickerson, Russ Houston, and Megan Bean.
Advertisements
Second place, Linda Butler, "Find Your Place Here"; and third place, Linda Butler, "Hit the Road Map Ad."
Single Artwork
Second place, "Great Image Cover Design," by Linda Butler and Becky Smith.
Color Photo
First place, Russ Houston, "Cutting Down the Net"; and third place, Russ Houston,
"Tall Graduate."
TV News Story
First place, Brian Utley, "Increased BSE Testing in Mississippi"; and second place, Leighton Spann, "Cemetery Turf Research."
TV Spots
First place, "Fear Factor," by Linda Butler, and Chris Cooksey and the production team of WTOK-TV, Meridian.
Radio Spots
First place, "Fear Factor," by Linda Butler and Chris Cooksey/WTOK; second place, "Find Your Place," by Linda Butler and WTOK production team; and third place, "4-H After-school Program," by David Lack, Amy Walsh, Latrell Stokes, and Betty Rawlings.
TV Programs
First place, "Farmweek," by Artis Ford, Tyson Gair, David Lack, Leighton Spann, Norman Winter, Brian Utley, and the University Television Center; second place, "Managing Difficult Customers," by David Lack and Paige Manning; and third place, "Mississippi Farmers' Markets," by Brian Utley.
Radio Programs
First place, "Tommy Boone," by Artis Ford; second place, "Tractor Collectors," by Leighton Spann and Artis Ford; and "DCI," by Brian Utley.
Power Point Presentations
First place, "In-house TV Bulletin Board," by Linda Butler and Michael Dawkins.
Web site
First place, "MSUcares," by Rick Noffsinger, Cindy Callahan and Patsy Sykes.
PR Campaign
First place, "MSU Recruiting Campaign," by Becky Smith, Russ Houston, Megan Bean, and Kay Jones; and second place, "Fear Factor," by Linda Butler and Chris Cooksey/WTOK-TV, Meridian.
Exhibits
First place, Linda Butler, MSU-Meridian Main Event Exhibit.
PR Innovation
First place, "Find Your Place Here," by Linda Butler and Michael Dawkins; and third place, "Spring Registration Photo Feature," by Linda Butler.
Grand Awards
Electronic, "Farmweek," by Artis Ford, Tyson Fair, David Lack, Leighton Spann, Norman Winter, Brian Utley, and the University Television Center.