Honors Day
As the academic year comes to an end, C&IS recognizes the accomplishments of our most outstanding students and alumni. Selected both within their academic units and college wide, the individuals honored have contributed excellence to the College and are distinctive representatives for our field.
Hall of Fame
Every other year, the College of Communication and Information Sciences is proud to recognize the accomplishments of those who bring prominence to the state of Alabama through the application of disciplines taught, researched and practiced in our College. Started in 1998, the Communication & Information Sciences Hall of Fame has inducted nearly 100 members. The C&IS Hall of Fame gallery is located in the rotunda of Reese Phifer Hall on the UA campus.
The Holle Awards
The Holle Awards for Excellence in Creativity and Communication are designed to celebrate and reward student achievement in the areas of book arts, filmmaking, forensic competition, media writing, public speaking, screenwriting and sports media. This annual award includes a $10,000 prize for the winner of each category.
Clarence Cason Award for Nonfiction Writing
The University of Alabama honors the legacy and spirit of Clarence Cason, founder of the Department of Journalism at The University of Alabama (renamed the Department of Journalism and Creative Media in 2016), with its award for distinguished nonfiction writing. Each year, the University bestows this honor upon a recipient with a strong connection to Alabama and whose writings, like those of the award’s namesake, have made a critical contribution to the journalism and literature of the South.
Dean’s Medal
The Dean’s Medal is an award presented on rare occasions to individuals who have served the College with distinction. The Dean’s Medal is given “For sustaining friendship, unsurpassed loyalty and commitment to the mission of the College of Communication and Information Sciences.”
STUDENT AWARDS
Academic Achievement
This award recognizes our best and brightest students who have shown a commitment to learning and have performed at the highest level. Students who maintain a UA GPA of 3.9 or higher are invited to attend an academic achievement reception each spring.
No application required
Mark D. Nelson Leadership Award
The Mark D. Nelson Leadership Award is our College’s newest award celebrating a rising junior or senior in C&IS who demonstrates leadership, integrity and excellence of character. The award includes a $1,500 scholarship. Applications open for all junior and senior C&IS students in the Student Engagement Portal on Thursday, January 12 and close on Thursday, February 2 at 5:00 p.m.
Susan Colvin Prize
The Susan Colvin Prize is awarded annually to the College’s most outstanding student. Applicants should be rising seniors in C&IS, demonstrate excellence of character and have an exemplary grade point average. The award includes a $1,500 scholarship.
Students must be nominated by a C&IS faculty or staff member to apply. For those nominated, applications open in the Student Engagement Portal on Thursday, January 12 and close Thursday, February 2 at 5:00 P.M.
ALUMNI & PRO AWARDS
Bert Bank Distinguished Service and Achievement Award
The Bert Bank Distinguished Service and Achievement Award annually recognizes an individual whose career has elevated the profile of the College, the University, the state or the nation or who has shown exemplary and extraordinary service to the College, the University, the state or the nation.
Betsy Plank Distinguished Achievement Award
The Betsy Plank Distinguished Achievement Award annually recognizes an individual who is a UA graduate with a longtime or lifetime distinguished career in any of the communication disciplines represented within the College of Communication & Information Sciences.
Outstanding Alumni
The true measure of a college’s success is found in the achievements of its alumni. The College of Communication and Information Sciences’ Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes distinguished alumni for their exceptional achievements both personally and professionally. The honor is awarded to alumni of C&IS programs who have made outstanding contributions benefiting their profession, community, state or nation. Recipients are selected annually from each undergraduate major in the College and from the School of Library and Information Studies.