Contact: Anna Blount

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University’s Department of Communication is now displaying eight awards from the Southern Public Relations Federation for outstanding work in the public relations field, earning three Lantern Awards and five Awards of Excellence during the organization’s fall conference.

Held virtually, the recent meeting featured Natalie Allen, a CNN anchor, and Len Apcar, a former online editor of The New York Times.

“We are so proud of our students and faculty for earning SPRF honors,” said Terry Likes, professor and head of the communication department. “These are prestigious awards as SPRF is well-known in the world of public relations. Many of these winners graduated this spring and already are working in public relations or are in graduate school. It is gratifying to know industry professionals recognize MSU’s PR concentration for its high-quality instruction and award-winning student work.”

Lantern Awards were presented to:

—Charlotte D. Corr, MSU Assistant Professor of Communication Terri Hernandez and Carly L. Pippin for the Center for Community Engagement: 2019 Annual Publication. Corr is a spring 2020 communication graduate from Franklin, Tennessee; Pippin, a spring 2020 communication graduate from Carthage.

—Amelia R. Henson, Terri Hernandez, Marisa G. Laudadio, Camille C. Stevenson and Leah D. Worley for the Gender Impacts Lab Website Creation. Henson is a spring 2020 communication graduate from Philadelphia; Laudadio, a spring 2020 communication and political science graduate from Walnut; Stevenson, a spring 2020 communication graduate from Colleyville, Texas; and Worley, a senior communication major from Deridder, Louisiana.

—Terri Hernandez, Blake M. Williams and Angela J. Reives for the Mercedes-Benz of Tuscaloosa Social Media Campaign: “Who is MBT?” Williams is a senior communication major from Toney, Alabama; Reives, a spring 2019 communication graduate from West Point.

Awards of Excellence were presented to:

—Madeline N. Burdine and Terri Hernandez for the Children’s Foundation of Mississippi Website Creation. Burdine is a spring 2020 communication graduate from Houston.

—Terri Hernandez and Tate O. Smith for the PRISM Logo Creation. Smith, a spring communication graduate from Purvis, also received an Award of Excellence for the “Poppy Boutique” campaign.

—Madeline N. Burdine, Terri Hernandez, Lauren T. Lucas and Peyton R. Neal for the PRISM Organization Identity Campaign. Burdine is a spring 2020 communication graduate from Houston; Lucas, a spring 2020 communication graduate from Louisville; and Neal, a spring 2020 communication graduate from New Albany.

—Avery M. DeVaughn, McKinsy C. Harris and Terri Hernandez for the Mercedes-Benz of Tuscaloosa “Community Involvement” Social Media Campaign. DeVaughn is a fall 2019 communication graduate from Gulfport; Harris, a senior communication major from Poplarville.

—Terri Hernandez, Bailey A. Sennett, Emily L. Pschigoda Stone and Katherine L. “Kaleigh” Walker for the Center for Community-Engaged Learning Social Media Campaign. Sennett is a spring 2020 communication graduate from Acworth, Georgia; Stone, a fall 2019 communication graduate from Wheaton, Illinois; and Walker, a spring 2020 communication graduate from Florence.

Students and staff in MSU’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center also received awards. They include:

—Mariah Stevens, Tori Boatner and Annie Price, Certificate of Merit, #DS2019 Social Media Campaign. Stevens is a spring 2020 communication graduate from Fulton; Boatner, a spring 2020 communication graduate from West Point; and Price, a fall 2019 communication graduate from Saltillo.

—Annie Price, Award of Excellence, “Creating a Portal to Kindergarten Readiness,” writing. Price is a fall 2019 communication graduate from Saltillo.

—Mariah Stevens, Award of Excellence, “Data Summit: Expanding Data-Driven Conversations Across Multiple Industries,” writing. Stevens is a spring 2020 communication graduate from Fulton.

—Laura McPhail, Libbi Havelin and the Data Summit 2019 Committee, Lantern Award,  Data Summit 2019, long term special events. McPhail is NSPARC communications manager; Havelin, NSPARC administrative assistant II.

—Laura McPhail, Dominique Lewis, Femi Sobayo, Mariah Stevens, Annie Price and Tori Boatner, Award of Excellence, Nexus Magazine Fall 2019. McPhail is NSPARC communications manager; Lewis, NSPARC technical writer; Sobayo, NSPARC graphic designer; Stevens is a spring 2020 communication graduate from Fulton; Price is a fall 2019 communication graduate from Saltillo; and Boatner, a spring 2020 communication graduate from West Point.

—Femi Sobayo, NSPARC graphic designer, Award of Merit, Data Summit 2019 Promotional Video.

—Nathan Ansel and Femi Sobayo, Award of Excellence, Data Summit 2019 Mobile App. Ansel is a spring 2016 computer science graduate from Starkville; Sobayo, NSPARC graphic designer.

—Laura McPhail, NSPARC communications manager, Award of Excellence, “Women in Mississippi and East Africa Unite,” writing.

—Dominique Lewis, NSPARC technical writer, Award of Excellence, “Nexus Article: Data and Technology Spark Highly Skilled Future Workforce.”

MSU’s Office of Public Affairs also was recognized with awards. They include:

—Award of Merit, spring 2019 issue of MSU’s Alumnus magazine.

—Award of Excellence, MSU 2019 Commercial.

—Award of Excellence, MSU Testimonial Video: Urita Agana.

—Award of Excellence, We Ring True Landing Page Narratives.

Founded in 1972, the Southern Public Relations Federation is the umbrella organization for the Public Relations Association of Mississippi, Public Relations Council of Alabama, Public Relations Association of Louisiana and Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization. For more, visit www.sprf.org.

MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,200 students, 325 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs, 14 master’s programs, and 27 undergraduate academic majors offered in 14 departments. It also is home to the most diverse units for research and scholarly activities, including natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and the humanities. For more details about the College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Communication, visit www.cas.msstate.edu or www.comm.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.