ASU grad highlights communications banquet

By Jerrica Hutchison, The Herald Staff

Wednesday's College of Communications banquet highlighted speaker LaDawn Mohr, a 1981 Arkansas State University graduate who now works for Cox Communications.

Mohr graduated from the College of Business, but had enough credit hours to graduate with a speech communication degree from the College of Communications.

Mohr formerly worked as director of marketing at Magic 105, a radio station in Little Rock. She said she made her own way by applying for a position the station did not have.

"I was the first marketing director for a radio station in Little Rock," she said. "Now all radio stations have them."

She said students should base their career moves on what they have to offer. "It's what you do and who you know," she said.

"If you want to achieve personal goals, oftentimes you have to make your own way," she said, referring to how she climbed her way to the top."

Dr. Joel Gambill, chair of journalism and printing, recognized several students for university awards. Andrea Smalec, a public relations emphasis of Mountain Home, won the Wilson Award. Distinguished Service Award winners were Smalec, Meghan Hackney, an advertising emphasis of Stuttgart, Eric Blackwell, a Dec. 2001 graduate, and Laura Choate, an advertising emphasis of Beebe. The President's Award winner for the College of Communications was Bianca Phillips, a news-editorial emphasis of Jonesboro.

Each department in the College of Communications honored an outstanding student. The outstanding speech communication student was Heather Vernon, a senior of Jonesboro. Shay Nanke, a senior of Paragould, was awarded the outstanding radio-television student award. The outstanding journalism student award went to Shannon Knebel, a senior of Cabot. Keith Carter, a senior of Steele, Mo., won the outstanding printing award.

Many student organizations recognized an outstanding member also. The American Advertising Federation outstanding member was Katrina Surprenant, and the outstanding senior was Hackney.

The Association of Women in Communications member of the year was Nanke. Nanke was also recognized as the outstanding member for the National Broadcasting Society. Wendy Wallace received the outstanding member award for Gamma Epsilon Tau and Kyle Neeley was honored as the outstanding senior.

The Public Relations Student Society of America recognized both Allison Orlansky and Kristi Funderburg as outstanding members. Hannah Dolle received the outstanding member award for the National Press Photographers Association and Melanie Jarrett received the photographer of the year award. Society of Professional Journalists recognized Knebel as outstanding senior and Dolle as outstanding member. The Undergraduate Student Research Association outstanding member award went to Hackney and the outstanding researcher award went to Heather McCutcheon and Brad Fletcher.

New Lambda Pi Eta members are: Sarah Jones, Kennidi Ridgell, Dusty Miles, Aaron Bradley, Amy Davis, Patrick Dailey, Bianca Phillips, Heather McCutcheon, Julia Morrisett, Gary Elsken, Samantha Schuk, Kristi Funderburg, Marquita McClina, Rebecca Buerkle, Brandi Hodges, Marci Burns, Sara Garland, Kevin Staggs and Ross Harms.

Kappa Tau Alpha members are: Brandi Hodges, Heather Bristow, Shay Nanke, Dusty Miles, Kira Hamilton, Andrea Johnston, Colbie Moody, Lindsey Landreth, Bianca Phillips, Julie Morrisett and Jenny Wolff.

Pi Kappa Delta members are: Samantha Alderson, Scott Anderson, Ryan Guttierez, Ashley Hale, Katie Hingtgen, Nelson Ireson, Ian Vanhoose and Marquis Willis.

Appointments made for the 2002-2003 school year were: Station Manager, ASU-TV: Margarita LeBlanc; Operations Manager, ASU-TV: Brad Fletcher; Editor, The Herald: Melanie Jarrett; and Ad Manager, The Herald: Tara Phillips.
Scholarship winners were:

Kip Moore Memorial: Joycelin Benton; Arkansas Broadcasters Association Ted Rand Memorial: William Whiting, Jr.; Arkansas Farm Bureau Marvin Vines Memorial: Dusty Miles; Charles Rasberry Scholarship: McKenzi Alford, Kendall Keesee and Courtney Jones; J.D. Rogers Memorial: Brandi Hodges; Ken Lane Memorial: Brad Fletcher and Karen Bray; Adrian Headley Memorial: Brandi Craig; Arkansas Press Association: Nick Nesler, Hannah Kellar, Joseph Midkiff and Melanie Jarett; Bob Ruff Scholarship: Louis Scivally; Chad Lewis Memorial: Emily Jones; Gamma Epsilon Tau: Maryanne Morrison; Robert Kern Scholarship: Maryanne Morrison; Troutt Scholarship: Jerrica Hutchison; Whitehead-Kimball: Hannah Dolle; Robert L. Hoskins Memorial: Marquita McClina; and William Randolph Hearst Minority Scholarships: Delisa Nash, Tamara Jackson, Marquita McClina, Twange Kasoma, Kishki Hall and Brandy Donaldson.

Dr. Les Wyatt, president of the university, was proud of all students present. "It's with a great deal of pride that we acknowledge the great contributions today," he said.