School of Media News

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.  –  Five graduating seniors and 13 2016 graduates, all public relations majors from Western Kentucky University, earned distinctions at the 31st annual Parthenon Awards in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday evening, May 8. The Nashville chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) sponsored the event.

Seniors Curtis Edge (Owensboro), Madison Keller, (Louisville), Kelci McDaniel (Sellersburg, Ind.), Benjamin Nally (Bowling Green) and Sophie Trent (Dunwoody, Ga.) received a Parthenon Award for the team’s fall 2016 public relations research project, which served as the basis for planning “Five Signs on the Hill,” a mental health understanding and awareness campaign.

“Having their work reviewed by public relations professionals who judged the entries is a critical step for student learning, and the feedback offers a better understanding of how to achieve successful public relations campaigns,” said Associate Professor Vicki Bagwell, APR, Fellow PRSA.

The annual Parthenon Awards acknowledges excellence for public relations programs and projects. Public relations professionals from other PRSA chapters evaluate the entries based on quality of research, creativity and accuracy in strategic planning, effective execution, evaluation efforts, and appropriateness for desired target audience.

Three teams of 2016 graduates earned Certificates of Merit for their awareness campaigns for the Student Veterans Alliance (SVA) chapters at WKU and Southern Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKYCTC).  

• Cathy Adwell (Bowling Green), Emily Goodin (Louisville), Hayley Hoback (Shepherdsville), Megan Shefchik Thoele (Corydon, Ind.) and Olivia Sisk (Scottsville) created their Vets on the Hill Campaign to promote SVA among WKU undergraduate students.

• Savanna Bolin (Elizabethtown), Shamece Bond (Goodlettsville, Tenn.), McKenna Means (Walton) and Lataya Williams (Falcon Heights, Minn.) partnered with WKU SVA to raise awareness among graduate students and faculty and staff veterans in its Home Base Campaign.

• Noelle Langenkamp (Liberty Township, Ohio), Olivia Guelda (Louisville), Jessica Walden (Louisville) and Falon Keith (Nashville, Tenn.) increased awareness of  the SVA chapter at SKYCTC’s campuses with their SKy PoweR Campaign.

For further information, contact Vicki Bagwell at (270) 745-5834.

About Nashville PRSA

The Public Relations Society of America is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals. The Nashville chapter is in its 59th year and has more than 165 active members. For additional information on the Nashville chapter of the PRSA, visit http://www.prsanashville.com.