APR Professor Names Ad Person of the Year

 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala – Tracy Sims, instructor and co-director of the Undergraduate Advising Program in the University of Alabama Department of Advertising and Public Relations, was named the 2010 Ad Person of the Year by the Tuscaloosa chapter of the American Advertising Federation. The award was presented at the Tuscaloosa ADDY awards held at Bryant Denny Stadium.

In reaction to being selected Sims commented, “I am very honored to receive the award. I have enjoyed working for and with the individuals of the organization, and I hope to continue in service to the Tuscaloosa AAF chapter.”

A panel of past Tuscaloosa AAF Presidents selects the award recipient, and the award is presented to a member of the chapter that has shown great dedication to and has made great contribution to the club as well as having done exceptional advertising work during the past year.

Susan Daria, fellow Tuscaloosa AAF member and University of Alabama instructor, agrees that Sims meets and exceeds these criteria. “She is instrumental in the success of this chapter and is extremely thorough and accurate in the work she does on its behalf,” said Daria. “She does it all with such a great deal of grace and is extremely deserving of this award.”

Sims has indeed made great contributions to the Tuscaloosa AAF chapter. She has been an active board member since 2008 and served as the chair of the Public Service Committee from 2008-2010. Sims currently serves as the VP of Club Achievement, which involves submitting in-depth and comprehensive reporting of the club’s yearly achievements to the AAF organization at the district and national level.

Joseph Phelps, chairman of the Advertising and Public Relations department, was delighted that Sims received the award. “It is really great to have people on faculty that are as well regarded by the profession as they are in the classroom,” said Phelps. “She is a great asset to the department and we are proud of her achievement.”

Aside from co-directing the Advertising and Public Relations Department’s advising program, Sims teaches a number of classes in the department and serves as the faculty editor for Platform Magazine, an award-winning online resource for public relations students, educators and practitioners.