Contact: Phil Hearn
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State communication staff members are winners of nearly two-thirds of the awards presented in the senior division of the College Public Relations of Mississippi for creative work performed during 2005.
Employees in the university relations and agricultural communications offices on the Starkville campus, as well as the office of public relations, recruitment and marketing at MSU-Meridian, collected 28 of 41 awards presented to staffers at senior institutions during the statewide organization's recent annual meeting in Tunica.
The state's community and junior colleges compete in a separate division.
In addition, Linda Butler, who directs public relations, recruitment and marketing for MSU-Meridian, was elected CPRAM president for 2006-07, succeeding outgoing president Steve Diffey of Holmes Community College. Bonnie Coblentz of MSU's agricultural communications office was re-elected to the CPRAM board of directors.
The university relations publications and photography staff won first place and the overall Grand Award for the 2005 MSU viewbook titled "State Your Choice." The office also won four other firsts and one second-place award in publications and news writing.
Members of the agricultural communications office swept 13 awards--including two Judges' Choice Merit Awards, seven first-place and four second-place awards in a variety of print, publications, advertising, photography, and television categories.
MSU-Meridian garnered a prestigious Judges' Choice Award, four first-place awards and three second-place honors in a wide range of categories that included publications, advertisements, artwork, digital art, radio, exhibits, and innovation.
Judges' Choice Awards were presented for the first time this year, at the discretion of the judges, to recognize work transcending first-place recognition but not reaching Grand Award status.
Individual MSU award winners include (by category):
News Story: first place, Coblentz of agricultural communications, for "Storm-surviving Animals Need Help from Humans;" and second place, Phil Hearn of university relations, for "MSU Researchers Hone U.S. War-Fighting Capabilities."
Feature Story: second place, Bob Ratliff of agricultural communications, for "Freshwater Prawns Have Consumer Appeal."
Sports Story: second place, Ratliff, for "CSI: MSU."
Institutional Magazine: first place for "Mississippi State Alumnus," Rebecca Smith, Erin Norwood, Allen Snow, Kay Jones, Maridith Geuder, Hearn, Sammy McDavid, Russ Houston, and Megan Bean. All work in university relations.
Viewbook: first place and the CPRAM Grand Award for "Your Choice," Smith, Erin Norwood, Jones, Houston, and Bean; and second place, "Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus Viewbook," Jennifer Beaugez, Butler, Smith and Joanna Baker. Beaugez works at MSU-Meridian, and Baker is a recent graduate of MSU-Starkville who worked in university relations.
Recruitment Piece: first place, "Mississippi State University State Your Choice Recruiting Series," Smith, Jones, Houston, and Bean.
Annual Report: first place, "2005: A Look Back," Keryn Page, Beth Dishongh and Tom Thompson. All work in agricultural communications.
Brochure: first place, "State of the Future: The Mississippi State Campaign," Norwood, Amy Cagle, Houston, and Bean. Cagle works in the MSU Foundation.
Special Publications: Judges' Choice Merit Award, "Take Note-Accountablity Testimonials," Ned Browning, Phil Smith, Debbie Montgomery, Linda Breazeale, Coblentz, Page and Ratliff, all in agricultural communications; and first place, "Mississippi State University 2006 Calendar," Smith, Baker, Houston, all in university relations.
Advertisements: first place, "Mississippi Medallion-Point-of-Purchase Ad Series," Phil Smith and Norman Winter; and second place, "Project A Great Image," Butler and Rebecca Smith. Winter is an MSU extension horticulturist.
Single Piece of Artwork: first place, "Make a Great STATEment Tab Cover," Butler and Baker.
Color Photography: first place, "Capital in Bloom," Jim Lytle, Winter, Page and Breazeale. Lytle also works in agricultural communications.
Digital Art: Judges' Choice Merit Award and first place, "Total Makeover," Butler and Paige Brooks, also of MSU-Meridian.
TV News Story: first place, "Christmas Tree Farmers Straighten Trees for the Holidays," Brian Utley and David Lack; and second place, "Hurricane Damages Mississippi Rice," Leighton Spann. Utley, Lack and Spann work in agricultural communications.
TV Spots: first place, "ATV Safety," Lack, Maci Flautt, Melanie Pollan and Laura Giaccaglia. Flautt, Pollan and Giaccaglia also work in agricultural communications.
Radio Commercial: second place, "Meridian Online," Butler.
TV Program: Judge's Choice Merit Award and first place, "Farmweek, October 7, 2005," Spann, Utley and Lack; and second place, "Financial Fitness: Shape Up Your Spending," Lack, Utley and Frida Bonaparte, also of agricultural communications.
Exhibit: first place, "Main Event Booth," Butler.
Public Relations Innovation: first place, "Dawg Chow Program," Butler.