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The Press Club of Southeast Texas announced the winners in the 2017 Excellence in the Media contest during its annual fund-raising banquet June 2. ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø students, faculty and staff were recognized alongside media, communications and public relations professionals of the region for work created during 2016 in a number of categories. 

Representatives of the university received a total of 14 first-place awards, 16 second-place awards, 6 third-place awards, and 5 honorable mentions. ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø’s communication programs — University Press, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV and ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV productions — earned a number of awards in competition with professional working media organizations. The university’s public relations and marketing communications areas also earned recognition for their work representing the university.

The Press Club of Southeast Texas draws its membership from Jefferson, Orange, Hardin, Liberty, Chambers, Jasper, Tyler, Polk and Newton counties. Members are professionals in media, public relations, academia, public affairs, corporate communications and public information. The club supports communication scholarships at ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø.

This year, the club honored Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens, an alumna of ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø, as the 2016 Newsmaker of the Year. Retired longtime ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø Baseball Coach Jim Gilligan was honored as a newsmaker finalist.

First place awards:

News organization Internet video, University Press, Trevier Gonzalez, “Living Investigations”; corporate/institutional video, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV Productions, Gordon Williams, Shenid Bhayroo, Clinton Rawls, Jeremy Hawa, Mahmoud Salimi, “Learn, Love, Live, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø”; feature release, public relations, Laura Fiedler, “ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø student’s own cancer inspires a life of research”; internal public relations campaign, marketing communications, Amanda Toups, “Building Spirit On Campus”; brochure, marketing communications, Amanda Toups, “ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø Recruitment Roadbook”; photography, University Press, Noah Dawlearn, “Still a Sanctuary”; feature (light), marketing communications, Kevin McGee, Daniel McLemore, John Ellis, “First ’17-’18 Mirabeau Scholar”; documentary, marketing communications, Kevin McGee, Daniel McLemore, “Every Gift has a Story”; sports photo, University Press, Matt Beadle, “Fired Up with Spirit”; feature page design/layout, University Press, staff, “3-dimensional wonders”; non-daily sports page design/layout, University Press, staff, “Basketball”; general column, University Press, Kara Timberlake, “Embracing the ‘F’ word”; sports news, University Press, Elizabeth Grimm, “Soccer gets new leader”; graphic/cartoon/illustration, University Press, staff, “Dylan awarded Nobel Prize in literature.”

Second place awards:

Website news, University Press, staff; feature release, public relations, Brian Sattler, “ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø professor to use robots to attack lionfish in Gulf”; television PSA, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV productions, Gordon Williams, Jonathan Tippett, Johnny Lively, Tyler Hargraves, “No Water, Hot Water”; news release, public relations, Laura Fiedler, “Clarity for service animals in new campus policy”; special event materials, marketing communications, Cynthia Hicks, “President’s Circle Invitation Suite”; brochure, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø marketing communications, Gwen Mumford, “College of Fine Art and Communication Event Calendar”; magazine feature story, University Press, Tim Collins, “Seeking community in transitioning world”; sports show, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV news, Kiandra Bowers, Emily Sterling, Eddie Jones, Charles Wright, Cody Evans, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV Sports Break; best station promotion, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV productions, Gordon Williams, Jonathan Tippett, Johnny Lively, “As I Learn”; documentary, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV productions, Shenid Bhayroo, Gordon Williams, Edward Long, Jonathan Tippett, Avery Smithhart, “ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV on Fox – Show B”; sports feature, University Press, Grant Crawford, “A baseball life”; feature photo, University Press, Gabbie Smith, Hannah LeTulle, “Doggy’s day out”; overall excellence, University Press, staff; news story, University Press, Sarah Sanders, “Cleaning ‘Gray’ Water”; feature story, University Press, Tim Collins, “Climbing Mount Fumi”; editorial/commentary, University Press, Kara Timberlake, “Price of free speech?”

Third place awards: 

Internal public relations campaign, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø marketing communications staff, “Email change”; layout, marketing communications, Amanda Toups, “ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø Roadbook Infographic Spread”; personal profile/interview, University Press, Danielle Sonnier, “A real team player”; feature (light), ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV News, Edward Long, “Mark Shelton Music”; special reports: environmental, ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍøTV News, Bruce Wright, “Toxic Tour”; general news, marketing communications, Laura Fiedler, Kevin McGee, “Service Dogs at ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø.”

Honorable mentions:

Public relations program, marketing communications, “Texas State of Mind”; brochure, marketing communications, Gwen Mumford, “ºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø IT brochure”; music/humor/entertainment show, KVºÚÁϱ¬ÁÏÍø 91.3, Trevier Gonzalez, Jonathan Tippett, “Sound Test”; feature photo, University Press, Trevier Gonzalez, “Dust of Color”; fine arts reviews/critiques, University Press, Tim Collins, “Perlman plays, inspires at Fisher Lecture.”