Una Public Relations Students Recognized At State Conference

Apr. 20, 2011

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - Several students in the University of North Alabama chapter of the North Alabama Public Relations Council of Alabama were recently recognized for their public relations and marketing projects at a state conference in Birmingham, Ala. Students in the UNA-NAPRCA student chapter rebranded the group to PRIDE, or Public Relations Individuals Dedicated to Excellence, last semester. Twenty UNA students and two faculty advisers, including Dr. Beth Garfrerick and Lisa Darnell, attended the annual conference, where media and PR professionals came together to network and share ideas. Garfrerick, who was recently named 2011 NAPRCA Educator of the Year, said the students' awards were based upon projects they had either worked on in class or in their internships or jobs. She said the awards reflect on the Department of Communications' dedication to preparing students well for their future careers. "We've really raised the bar in participation and in our commitment," she said. "The students represented UNA well. [The chapter] has built a reputation of great participation with students who are well engaged with other professionals. The students have developed a real sense of community, and I am very proud of that." The student chapter traveled with 12 professionals from NPRCA in Huntsville to the Birmingham conference. Students were able to participate in networking opportunities and make contacts for future jobs and internships related to the field. PRIDE was also notified April 4 that they had been approved as an official student chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, which is the national organization for public relations students and consists of more than 10,000 students and advisers in the U.S. and Argentina. The group, which was started in 1993 by Darnell, will also host the North Alabama chapter of PRCA meeting April 20 for the first time at UNA. PRIDE will invite local PR professionals working with Shoals Chamber of Commerce to network with students and link up with the Huntsville NAPRCA chapter. Students receiving PRCA Certificates of Merit at the recent conference were: Jake Brasfield, of Huntsville, for UNA PRIDE Promotional Video Matt Liles, of Florence, for UNA PRIDE Promotional Video Craig Hurst, of Gardendale, for UNA PRIDE Promotional Video Eli Harper, of Tuscumbia, for UNA PRIDE Promotional Video Colleen Radford, of Madison, for Stop Smoking for a Healthier Future Jacob Lovell, of Florence, for UNA PRIDE: Public Relations Individuals Dedicated to Excellence Eli Harper, of Tuscumbia, for Tuscumbia Church of Christ Web site Eli Harper, of Tuscumbia, for Communication Department Brochure Eli Harper, of Tuscumbia, for Merchant Breakfast Promotional Items Awards of Excellence were given to: Whitney Dugger, of Hartselle, for TOMS Shoes Brochure Heath Borden, of Killen, for PAWS Public Service Announcement Matt Liles, of Florence, for NO'ALA Entertainment Issue Stephanie Sims, of Madison, for The Dixie Swim Club Promotional Post Card COM 442: Jake Brasfield, of Huntsville; Jamie Brooks, of Birmingham; Kelli Coffman, of Florence; Mary Cox, of Huntsville; Whitney Dugger, of Hartselle; John Robert Fulmer, of Florence; Amiracle Fuqua, of Decatur; Shani Hamilton, of Muscle Shoals; Eli Harper, of Tuscumbia, Craig Hurst, of Florence, Jenna Kelly, of Lawrenceburg, Tenn.; Mallory King, of Decatur; Matt Liles, of Florence; Jacob Lovell, of Florence; Colleen Radford, of Madison; April Rogers, of Killen; Cedri Walls, of Fulton, Miss.; Mareca Watson, of Decatur; Chelsea Yarbrough, of Saltillo, for UNA PRIDE Re-Branding Campaign Medallions were awarded to: Whitney Dugger, of Hartselle, for Alabama Higher Education Programs: Ban Smoking on College Campuses Chase House, of Iuka, Miss., for Local's Guide to Alabama's Gulf Coast Matt Liles, of Florence, for NO'ALA Entertainment CD Eli Harper, of Tuscumbia, for UNA PRIDE Business Card

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.