UA Wins Big in the PRCA Student Medallion Awards Competition


Nine UA students recently received 26 awards from the Public Relations Council of Alabama (PRCA) Student Medallion Awards competition. (See below for a complete list of UA winners.) This is the highest number of awards for any school in this year’s competition, which recognizes excellence in public relations initiatives conducted by student members.

According to Tracy Sims, faculty advisor for the UA PRCA chapter, “It’s an honor for these students to be recognized by the state of Alabama’s largest and longest-running organization committed to excellence in the practice of public relations.”

Entries were judged by current and former PRCA chapter of Montgomery board members. Winners were selected based on creativity and the use of the four-step communication process: research, planning, implementation and evaluation.

Sims expressed great pride in this year’s winning students. “To have nine of our students acknowledged in the PRCA Student Medallion Awards competition—earning 26 awards overall, seven of which are Medallions, the competition’s highest awards—is quite an accomplishment for them. It affirms that they are acquiring the knowledge, skills and relevant experience that they need to be successful PR practitioners.”

“This recognition of our students by professionals in their field, coupled with our recent designation by PRWeek as the top undergraduate PR program in the nation, makes me proud to be on the University of Alabama faculty and to serve as a faculty advisor to both our PRCA and PRSSA student chapters,” Sims said.

The UA chapter of PRCA has been active for more than four decades, during most of which it shared officers, fundraising initiatives and meetings with the UA Public Relations Student Society of America chapter. This year, the two organizations separated and the PRCA chapter was formally registered as a UA student organization. With an emphasis on local and regional resources, such as internship and scholarship opportunities, membership in the PRCA chapter has increased to 32 members this year.


PRCA Student Medallion Award Winners

 

Cara Cramer

Award of Excellence for Shelter from the Storm
Award of Excellence for “WWI romance helps student bring history to life”

 

Louise C. Crow and the UA APR 572 Class

Medallion Award The Power of One: The 2009 Literacy is the Edge Campaign

 

Dominique Gautier

Medallion Award for Innisfree Irish Pub Promotional T-Shirt 1
Medallion Award for Innisfree Irish Pub Promotional T-Shirt 2
Award of Excellence for Photography: “Have you seen my $5 bill?”
Award of Excellence for Photography: “The different faces of Internet self promotion”
Award of Excellence for Platform Article: “Applications excepted”
Certificate of Merit for Platform Article: “Sport management in PR”
Certificate of Merit for Innisfree Irish Pub Outdoor Billboard

 

Amanda Kirkland and the UA Ad Team

Medallion Award for Less Than U Think Anti-Binge Drinking Campaign
Medallion Award for Less Than U Think Anti-Binge Drinking Campaign

 

Brittany Millwee

Award of Excellence for “Soweto Street Beat dance performance brings diversity to the Performing Arts Series” news release

 

Traci E. Rush, Scott Young, Whitney Mork

Medallion Award for Adopt-a-Pet Maddie’s Pet Rescue Project
Award of Excellence for Print Ad 2
Award of Excellence for Print Ad 1
Award of Excellence for 60 Second Radio PSA
Certificate of Merit for 30 Second Radio PSA

 

Lindsey Sinclair

Award of Excellence for “TVAMC Hospice Unit”

 

Scott Young

Medallion Award for Veterans Service Map
Award of Excellence for Tuscaloosa VA Facebook
Award of Excellence for Tuscaloosa VA Twitter
Award of Excellence for VA All Star News 2009-2010
Certificate of Merit for “Tuscaloosa VA named top psychiatric facility in nation”
Certificate of Merit for “Mellow Mushroom serves sandwich”
Certificate of Merit for “Tuscaloosa VA to open outpatient clinic in Selma, Ala.”