USM’s Office of University Communications Earns Statewide Recognition

Tue, 07/13/2021 - 03:11pm | By: Audrey Williamson, Office of University Communications Student Intern

This summer, the Office of University Communications at The University of Southern Mississippi has been honored with numerous awards from the Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM) and the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi (CPRAM), including one of the state's top awards in the field.

USM won two state-wide awards from PRAM for its “Flight Path 2020” campaign that communicated the University's commitment and capacity to deliver a high-quality student experience throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the awards earned, “Best of Tier 2,” was for producing the state’s top work among all campaigns of less than six months. There were more than 70 total entries in the awards program from universities, non-profits, businesses, government entities, and other organizations across Mississippi.

USM also won several awards from CPRAM, including: 

• Public Relations Campaign, First Place – “Flight Path 2020”
• News Story, First Place – David Tisdale, “I See a Need, I Meet a Need”
• Feature Story, Second Place – David Tisdale, “Promise Made, Promise Kept”
• Brochure, First Place – Hanna Schloemer, “Eagle Club Booklet”
• Newsletter, Second Place – Hanna Schloemer, “Honors College Medallion Newsletter”
• Annual Report, First Place – Kat VanSkiver, “College of Business and Economic Development Annual Report 2019-20”
• View Book, Second Place - Hillary Lovinggood, “Parent and Family Calendar and Handbook 2020-21"

“These awards reflect the University Communications team’s commitment to executing high-quality work that makes a positive difference for The University of Southern Mississippi and those who study and work here,” said Jim Coll, USM’s Chief Communication Officer. “This recognition highlights the contributions of USM’s marketing and public relations professionals to the University’s successes in enrollment, fundraising, and more this past year.”

The best public relations practitioners in Mississippi are in the Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM). Its membership consists of approximately 600 public relations professionals from advertising and public relations agencies, corporations, non-profit organizations, government, education, industries and others. PRAM is a source of expertise and inspiration, and a forum for networking with public relations practitioners throughout the state and the region. The College Public Relations Association of Mississippi (CPRAM) is a consortium of public relations professionals employed at Mississippi’s public and private colleges and universities, as well as affiliated education agencies.