APR Again Named a Top-Five Program by PRWEEK

• December 12th, 2017
• in CIS News

The Department of Advertising and Public Relations has been named a top-five finalist for Outstanding Education Program in the 2018 PRWeek Awards.

The program has been a top-five program in eight of the ten years PRWeek has given this award.

“It is an honor for the Department of Advertising and Public Relations to be evaluated and recognized as being among the top five educational programs in the United States,” said Dr. Joseph Phelps, department chair and faculty member, advertising and public relations. “This much sought-after recognition of academic excellence is an appropriate reflection of the great work that our faculty and students are doing every day.”

C&IS Alumna Designs Website for The Brown House

• December 12th, 2017
• in CIS News

After a summer of volunteering with the Brown House, a local nonprofit, Katie Belue knew she wanted to give back to them in a big way.

Belue is an alumna of C&IS from Birmingham, Alabama and in the spring of her senior year, she took a nonprofit public relations course. Part of the course requirement is for students to make a sizable communications contribution to a nonprofit in the area. Belue immediately began thinking of ways she could contribute to the Brown House’s mission.

The Association for Women in Sports Media

• December 7th, 2017
• in CIS News

The Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM) is the newest student organization at C&IS. The group focuses on assisting aspiring female, sports media professionals in networking and learning from women in the sports media industry, and provides an avenue for internship and scholarship opportunities.

“The sports media industry is predominantly male,” said Caleigh Newberry, president of AWSM. “It’s important for women to have a presence in sports media to provide a unique perspective and insight. Women broaden the audience and contribute to a different view of the market.”

Research and Creative Activity: Dr. Darrin Griffin

• December 5th, 2017
• in CIS News

The University of Alabama’s Drs. Jason C. Senkbeil and Darrin Griffin have been awarded a grant of $251,850 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study how tornado warnings could be improved in their accessibility and comprehension by members of the *Deaf, Blind and Deaf-Blind communities.

Helping Habitat: C&IS Students Give Back

• December 1st, 2017
• in CIS News

C&IS students Jake Stevens and Madison Kilpatrick are working as PR interns at Habitat for Humanity Tuscaloosa this semester. Both Stevens and Kilpatrick promote Habitat initiatives and help the organization raise money to build more houses and run their ReStore, a building surplus store that funds projects alongside donations.

“Working with Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore has been a great opportunity for me this semester,” said Kilpatrick. “Not only have they allowed me to take the reigns on all of the projects I have worked on, they have really opened up my eyes to all of the good that they do. Pretty much everyone has heard of or been exposed to Habitat for Humanity before, but it wasn’t until I had the chance to work with it that I was able to appreciate its mission and the effort that goes into achieving it.”

Four National Honors for Alpine Living

• November 28th, 2017
• in CIS News

University of Alabama student-produced magazine, Alpine Living, has won two national honors from the Associated Collegiate Press Awards. Every year, the ACP presents individual awards, recognizing the best individual or group projects in collegiate journalism. The annual ACP awards are for achievements in newspaper, magazine and online journalism and considered to be the pre-eminent award for professional organizations.

In March, 2017 fifteen students from the Department of Journalism and Creative Media traveled to New Zealand to create and product a 100+ page, full-gloss magazine promoting the art, history, culture, people, and traditions of New Zealand. This is the seventh edition of Alpine Living magazine, a biannual, semester-long production course.

APR Students Raise $135,000 to Feed Hungry Children

• November 20th, 2017
• in CIS News

Over the past 13 semesters, advertising and public relations students have raised over $135,000 to feed Alabama K-12 students in a partnership with Secret Meals for Hungry Children.

Students enrolled in APR 419, Public Relations Concepting and Implementation, organize and promote a series of fundraisers, partnering with local restaurants and entertainment venues to provide money benefitting the organization. To date, these students have collected over 2,750 service learning hours.

2017 Speak Off Winners Announced

• November 9th, 2017
• in CIS News

The 2017 Speak Off was held in Russell Hall Auditorium Nov. 7, where six finalists presented informative speeches originally prepared for their class, COM 123, Public Speaking.

Christian Holt took home first place and The Oscar Newton Award of $200 for his informative speech comparing and contrasting the benefits and experiences of a four-year institution and a community college.

Research and Creative Activity: Dr. Josh Pederson

• November 8th, 2017
• in CIS News

Have you ever wondered about the toll your daily stress level could have on your health over a long period of time? What about whether or not your interpersonal relationships can add to that stress? C&IS professor, Dr. Josh Pederson is asking those same questions, and now he’s got the grant funding to find out.

Pederson is part of a research team that has been awarded a Level-2, collaborative project grant from the Research Grant Committee at The University of Alabama. Totaling over $26,000, this grant is the first of its kind for the College of Communication and Information Sciences.

Plank Center Holds Annual “Milestones in Mentoring” Gala

• November 6th, 2017
• in CIS News

The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations celebrated its 8^th Annual “Milestones in Mentoring” Gala at the Union League Club of Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 26. Close to 300 public relations professionals, educators and students were in attendance, including 24 faculty, staff, students and alumni from The University of Alabama.

Each year, the Center recognizes influential leaders whose commitment to mentoring generates a powerhouse of influence and accelerates success in our profession.