HONORS DAY 2024
The University of Alabama’s College of Communication & Information Sciences cordially invites you to Honors Day.
April 5, 2024 | 10 A.M.
Reese Phifer Hall | Room 216
Reception Preceding Ceremony
9:00 A.M. | Reese Phifer Hall Rotunda
RECIPIENTS
Bert Bank Distinguished Service and Achievement Award
Kathy Geiger-Schwab
Geiger-Schwab is a retired senior executive with over 30 years of experience in the local search industry. She has held several positions during a corporate career with AT&T and various subsidiaries, including Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer and VP of Marketing and Business Development.
Geiger-Schwab was awarded the Distinguished Advertising Alumnae award in 2001 and is a member of the Mu Kappa Tau Society at The University of Dayton. In 2024, she created the Kathy Geiger-Schwab Organizational Leadership Graduate Student Scholarship to support distance-learning graduate students in C&IS.
Betsy Plank Distinguished Achievement Award
Manuel Torres
Torres is a senior editor at The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system.
Before joining The Marshall Project, he was a member of the reporting team that received the 2006 Pulitzer Prizes for Public Service and Breaking News for coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. He has worked on investigative teams that won a Peabody Award, an Investigative Reporting and Editors’ Award and two national Edward R. Murrow Awards.
Outstanding Alum, Advertising
Eduardo Henriques
Henriques stands at the forefront of digital innovation as the co-founder of ponder.ly, revolutionizing customer profiling with AI and data enrichment. With 18 years of diversified experience, he’s a digital strategy, marketing and research virtuoso, enhancing brand presence for notable clients like the Aruba Tourism Authority and Apple.
Henriques’ role in shaping global campaigns for giants like Citibank, Gmail and NASCAR underscores his industry leadership. His academic and professional certifications complement his extensive career, highlighting a commitment to excellence that extends to community engagement and thought leadership in the marketing sphere.
Outstanding Alum, Book Arts
Katherine M. Ruffin
Ruffin is the director of the Book Studies program at Wellesley College, where she merges her passion for book arts with education, teaching everything from letterpress to bookbinding. With degrees from Bryn Mawr, The University of Alabama (UA) and Simmons University, Ruffin’s academic journey is as rich as her teaching, extending to Simmons University and the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia.
Her research delves into the bibliographical press movement and the transformative role of books in the liberal arts, reflected in her work both as an educator and creator of limited edition prints under the imprint of Shinola Press.
Outstanding Alum, Communication Studies
Tonya Adams Nelson
Nelson has made significant strides in marketing and communications since her time at UA. Her journey from UA Forensic Council president to national championship coach for A+PR’s National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team shows her commitment to excellence. With a career spanning roles from Marketing Coordinator at UAB’s OADI to leading marketing efforts for major corporations and teaching at UA, Tonya’s influence extends throughout academia and the industry.
Nelson credits her success in the marketing-communication and translational communication to what she learned as a student of Communication Studies.
Outstanding Alum, Library & Information Studies
Reba J. Williams
Williams, a trailblazing Manager of the Titusville Public Library in Alabama, leverages her deep roots and understanding of the South to champion social justice and bridge the information gap. With a Master’s from UA, she innovates beyond traditional library roles, transforming Titusville into a beacon of empowerment, earning her numerous accolades including the JCLC Librarian of the Year.
Her work is a testament to the power of libraries as catalysts for community change and inclusivity.
Outstanding Alum, Public Relations
Jennifer Kitt-West
West is a seasoned communications expert with over 15 years of diverse experience, currently shaping strategy at HP Inc., and a committed community supporter who founded the Kitt-West scholarship to mentor and financially assist public relations students.
Her career spans from press coordination for the Georgia State Senate to inclusion and sustainability roles at Dow Inc., underpinned by a strong educational foundation from UA and Boston University.
Outstanding Alum, Creative Media
J. Alison Bryant, PhD
Bryant leads as Chief Research, Education, Data and Impact Officer at Sesame Workshop, championing global initiatives on educational media’s power.
Her illustrious career spans from transforming AARP’s Research Center to founding PlayScience, with impactful roles at Nickelodeon and as an academic, underscoring her expertise in media, technology and education’s influence on society.
Outstanding Alum, News Media
Joseph D. Bryant
Bryant, an investigative reporter for AL.com, has significantly impacted Alabama’s legislative reforms through his scrutiny of government spending.
As the first Black editor of The Crimson White and a former Birmingham News writer, Bryant’s journalistic journey began with a high school workshop, demonstrating a longstanding commitment to uncovering the truth.
PAST RECIPIENTS
Advertising
| 1974 | John Forney |
| 1975 | Charlie Zeanah |
| 1976 | Bill Gray |
| 1977 | Rhea Schuessler |
| 1978 | Leeda Marting |
| 1979 | Cruse Braswell |
| 1980 | Steve Bradley |
| 1981 | Frank Lee |
| 1982 | Bill O’Connor |
| 1983 | Winston Leavell |
| 1984 | Al Kitchen |
| 1985 | Tom Somerville |
| 1986 | Rob DeVaney |
| 1987 | Marsha Lefkovits |
| 1988 | Jim Andrews |
| 1989 | Andre’ Taylor |
| 1990 | Camille Elebash |
| 1991 | Bob Cohn |
| 1992 | Jeff Upshaw |
| 1993 | Tom Johnson |
| 1994 | Tom Roberts |
| 1995 | James R. Williams |
| 1996 | William M. Joyner |
| 1997 | William Patrick Dinan |
| 1998 | Lori Hollaway Daily |
| 1999 | Debra Shriver |
| 2000 | Mike Ragsdale |
| 2001 | Kathy Geiger-Schwab |
| 2002 | n/a |
| 2003 | Charles Allen |
| 2004 | Angela Bailey Henderson |
| 2005 | Bruce Reid, Sr. |
| 2006 | Mary Story |
| 2007 | Norma Hanson (Adv. & PR) |
| 2008 | Gary Creek (Adv. & PR) |
| 2009 | Scott France (Adv. & PR) |
| 2010 | Marilyn E. Mancini |
| 2011 | Rebecca Lynn Mann |
| 2012 | William M. Harvill, Jr. |
| 2013 | Michael Carl Cannova |
| 2014 | Michelle Elrod |
| 2015 | Kathy Nontasak |
| 2016 | Katie Long |
| 2017 | Kathleen Motheral |
| 2018 | Cameron Watson |
| 2019 | Curtis E. Galusha |
| 2020 | Amy Rask |
| 2021 | Shelly Hiatt-Saboorian |
| 2022 | Kristin McRee Walker |
| 2023 | Joel Braswell |
Public Relations
| 1992 | Teresa Miller Mangelesdorf |
| 1993 | George Elliott |
| 1994 | Craig Woodward |
| 1995 | Griffin Lassister |
| 1996 | Deborah Lane |
| 1997 | Leigh Carroll Hurt |
| 1998 | Mack D. Secord |
| 1999 | Dean Trevelino |
| 2000 | Jo Bonner |
| 2001 | S. Alan Harper |
| 2002 | Mark Gottfried |
| 2003 | Rick Looser |
| 2004 | Nicholas Latimer |
| 2005 | Bobbie J. Knight |
| 2006 | Stephen Sewell |
| 2007 | n/a |
| 2008 | n/a |
| 2009 | n/a |
| 2010 | William Alan Dennis |
| 2011 | Tonjanita L. Johnson |
| 2012 | Ellen East |
| 2013 | Mark D. Harris |
| 2014 | Christy Burnum |
| 2015 | Lindsay Garrison |
| 2016 | Daniel O’Donnell |
| 2017 | Christine Graham Hayes |
| 2018 | Breeanna Straessle |
| 2019 | Bob Pierce |
| 2020 | Kristina Hendrix |
| 2021 | Katie McMinn Campbell |
| 2022 | Brad Friedman |
| 2023 | Holly Lollar |
Communication Studies
| 1982 | n/a |
| 1983 | Jack Drake |
| 1984 | Charlotte Springford |
| 1985 | Ruth Anne Clark |
| 1986 | Judy Stone Weaver |
| 1987 | Annette Shelby |
| 1988 | John D. Saxon |
| 1989 | Janet Hall O’Neil |
| 1990 | Joanna Maclay |
| 1991 | n/a |
| 1992 | LaVone & Ty Warren |
| 1993 | Fournier J. Gale, III |
| 1994 | n/a |
| 1995 | Redding Pitt |
| 1996 | Norma Cook |
| 1997 | Joan C. Ragsdale |
| 1998 | Stephen Windom |
| 1999 | Oscar Newton, Jr. & Mitchell Lattof, Sr. |
| 2000 | Delores Boyd |
| 2001 | Frank Thompson |
| 2002 | Amanda Borden |
| 2003 | Joyce Sellers |
| 2004 | Joseph W. Perkins, Jr. |
| 2005 | David J. Thompson |
| 2006 | Ken Smith |
| 2007 | Joseph Gow |
| 2008 | Willie Mays Jones |
| 2009 | L. Brooks Hill |
| 2010 | Mark D. Nelson |
| 2011 | Christina Louise Moss |
| 2012 | Alyce M. Hartley |
| 2013 | Wanda Coppala Sitzer |
| 2014 | R. Pierre Rodgers |
| 2015 | Daniel Mangis |
| 2016 | Stuart Sockwell |
| 2017 | Tracy V. Banks |
| 2018 | Angela Gillespie |
| 2019 | Lee Mayfield |
| 2020 | W. Lance Covan |
| 2021 | Carlisle Campbell |
| 2022 | Eletra Gilchrist-Petty |
| 2023 | Catie Malone |
Journalism & Creative Media
| 1960 | Will Mickle |
| 1961 | Sam Harvey |
| 1962 | Joe Holloway |
| 1963 | Dozier Cade |
| 1964 | Fred Smith |
| 1965 | Hazel Brannon Smith |
| 1966 | Gay Talese |
| 1967 | Brandt Ayers |
| 1968 | Jim Jacobson |
| 1969 | Cody Hall |
| 1970 | Clint Milstead |
| 1971 | Elmo Ellis |
| 1972 | Jim Hall |
| 1973 | Bill Stewart |
| 1974 | Bob Bryan |
| 1975 | Anita Smith |
| 1976 | Bob Morisette |
| 1977 | Wayne Whitt |
| 1978 | Tom & Regina Wright |
| 1979 | Taylor Hardin |
| 1980 | Bob Burke |
| 1981 | Orson Spivey |
| 1982 | William Bobo, Jr. |
| 1983 | Barrett Shelton, Jr. |
| 1984 | Donald Coe |
| 1985 | Ann Wood Waldron |
| 1986 | Alf Van Hoose |
| 1987 | Joe Adams |
| 1988 | Dolph Tillotson |
| 1989 | Michael Wright |
| 1990 | Mark Mayfield & Charles Porter |
| 1991 | Mark Childress |
| 1992 | Ron Casey |
| 1993 | William B. Keller |
| 1994 | Bob V. Lott |
| 1995 | Edward Mullins |
| 1996 | Bob Ward |
| 1997 | Douglas Pearson |
| 1998 | Deborah E. Heard |
| 1999 | Jan Crawford Greenburg |
| 2000 | Ed Darling |
| 2001 | Terri Troncale |
| 2002 | Phil Rawls |
| 2003 | David Mattingly |
| 2004 | Cathi Downing |
| 2005 | Manuel Torres |
| 2006 | Randy Henderson |
| 2007 | Robert Blalock |
| 2008 | Christi Parsons |
| 2009 | Michele Gerlach |
| 2010 | Bernell E. Tripp |
| 2011 | King Edsel “Ed” Williams |
| 2012 | Marie Parsons |
| 2013 | Lydia Seabol Avant Michelle Leplanka Carter Dusty Compton Wayne Grayson Jason Morton Brian Reynolds Aaron Suttles Robert Sutton Stephanie Taylor |
| 2014 | Steve Stewart |
| 2015 | Kristen Chick |
| 2016 | John Archibald |
| 2017 | Robin DeMonia |
| 2018 | Jeffrey Clayton Collins |
| 2019 | Sharon Maze Tinsley |
| 2020 | Joshua Spurlin (Creative Media) Debra Nelson (News Meida) |
| 2021 | Daniel Barnes (Creative Media) Dr. Tonjanita Johnson (News Media) |
| 2022 | Leigh Rusevlyan (Creative Media) Lesley Bruinton (News Media) |
| 2023 | Delbert Reed (News Media) Jonathan Killian (Creative Media) |
Telecommunication & Film
| 1965 | Geoff Smith |
| 1966 | Paul Raymon |
| 1967 | Jim Stewart |
| 1968 | Jim Murphy |
| 1969 | Bob Inman |
| 1970 | n/a |
| 1971 | n/a |
| 1972 | n/a |
| 1973 | n/a |
| 1974 | Keith Barze |
| 1975 | Julius Talton |
| 1976 | Clyde Price |
| 1977 | John Cochran |
| 1978 | Everett Holle |
| 1979 | Crawford Rice |
| 1980 | Jack Black |
| 1981 | Sandy Grossman |
| 1982 | Joe Langston |
| 1983 | Harry Mabry |
| 1984 | Knox Hagood |
| 1985 | Eric & Edith Johnson |
| 1986 | Chet Simmons |
| 1987 | Sandy & Martha Wheeler |
| 1988 | Jerdan Bullard |
| 1989 | Leroy Paul |
| 1990 | Keith Williams |
| 1991 | Andrea Kirby |
| 1992 | Skip Hinton |
| 1993 | Tom Cherones |
| 1994 | Jon A. Petrovich |
| 1995 | n/a |
| 1996 | Jerry Ray |
| 1997 | William O. “Bill” Bolen |
| 1998 | Despina Vodantis |
| 1999 | Bert Bank |
| 2000 | Debbie Elliott |
| 2001 | Rece Davis |
| 2002 | David DuBose |
| 2003 | Steven Shipowitz |
| 2004 | Walton E. Williams, Jr. |
| 2005 | Alan Burns |
| 2006 | A.D. Oppenheim |
| 2007 | Matt Scalici, Jr. |
| 2008 | Greg R. Stroud |
| 2009 | Jonathan Katz |
| 2010 | Cynthia Kay Jones |
| 2011 | Teddy Katz |
| 2012 | Lynn Brooks |
| 2013 | Donna Burns |
| 2014 | Jeffery Weaver |
| 2015 | Nancy Strait |
| 2016 | Christopher Sign |
| 2017 | David Baird |
School of Library & Information Studies
| 2000 | Lee Van Orsdel William C. Yonger |
| 2001 | Nancy W. Clemmons |
| 2002 | Pat Ensor |
| 2003 | n/a |
| 2004 | n/a |
| 2005 | Sonja McAbee |
| 2006 | Patricia S. Henderson |
| 2007 | Vicki L. Gregory |
| 2008 | Jerry W. Stephens |
| 2009 | Lee E. Pike |
| 2010 | n/a |
| 2011 | Cherie Feenker |
| 2012 | Kate Ragsdale |
| 2013 | Allen C. Benson |
| 2014 | P. Toby Graham |
| 2015 | n/a |
| 2016 | n/a |
| 2017 | Irene S. (Renee) Blalock Timothy Alan Lewis |
| 2018 | n/a |
| 2019 | Inge Bruggeman |
| 2020 | Angela Fisher Hall |
| 2021 | James L. Baggett Cathleen A. Baker, Ph.D. (Book Arts) |
| 2022 | Sybil Bullock John Cutrone (Book Arts) |
| 2023 | Joshua Burford Paul Moxon (Book Arts) |