Contact: Kenneth Billings
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Laura Walton, assistant professor of communication at Mississippi State, is being recognized as the 2008 Educator of the Year by the Southern Public Relations Federation. The award was made at the organization's recent annual conference.
Walton, who serves as adviser for MSU's Public Relations Student Society of America, is the first recipient of the award, which will be given annually to recognize outstanding professional educators in public relations.
She said she was "humbled by this tremendous honor," adding that recognition by top public relations professionals in the Southeast is "overwhelming."
An MSU staff member since 2004, the Louisville native holds a doctorate in mass communication from the University of Southern Mississippi and earned her master's and bachelor's degrees from Arkansas Tech University. She attained the Accredited in Public Relations distinction in 2007.
"This is a great honor for Laura, our department and the university," said communication department head John Forde. "She is a dedicated and committed educator and well-deserving of this recognition."
The Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) represents a network of more than 1,300 public relations practitioners from Alabama, Northwest Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM), now with 11 chapters, nominated Walton for the honor after she was awarded the PRAM Educator of the Year in April.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.