Public relations professionals at the University of Rochester were recognized during the 2012 Rochester Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America PRism Awards held on Thursday, June 21. The PRism Awards celebrate excellence in the field of public relations and communications and the communications staff was awarded for their promotion of the research, innovations, services, and initiatives that take place on the River Campus and at the Medical Center.
In the program awards category, the University’s Medical Center communications staff earned three of the five PRism Awards given. Karin Christensen, Carole Dowling, Becky Jones, and Shirley Zimmerkidd, were awarded a PRism in the Internal Communications category for their work on the “Staff Flock to Engagement Survey” initiative. Heather Hare and Katie LeChase were recognized in the Special Event/Observance category for their efforts related to the announcement of the Golisano Children’s Hospital Gift. And in the New Product/Service Launch category, Mark Michaud was honored for his campaign to promote URMC’s new facility dedicated to translational medical research.
In the elements award categories, University Communications netted six PRism Awards and URMC earned one. Valerie Alhart received a PRism in the Feature Story category for her successful placement of feature stories in national publications about the Rare Books and Special Collections exhibit, An Illustrated History of the AIDS Epidemic. Alhart was also given a PRism Award in the Other Writing Projects category for her collaborations with graduate student and Michael Jackson biographer Joe Vogel, which lead to the publication of an essay in The Atlantic. Adam Fenster won a PRism Award in the Photography category for his images of Rochester’s faculty, staff, and students. A PRism Award in the Media Relations category was given to Melissa Greco Lopes for a campaign that promoted the YellowJacket’s appearance on The Sing-Off. Greco Lopes, along with Lori Packer, Mike Osadciw, and Wilson Commons Student Activities staff members Anne-Marie Algier, Laura Ballou, Stacey Fisher, and Jenelle Hart, received a PRism Award in the Online Publication/E-zine category for the development of a student news website, The Buzz. Susan Hagen received a PRism Award in the Research category for obtaining national and local press coverage of the psychology study Is Marriage Good for the Heart? URMC communications staff member Leslie White’s news release about URMC’s collaborative work to heal a rare heart tumor earned her a PRism Award in the News Release category.
Awards of Excellence were given to Scott Hauser and the Rochester Review team, Karen McCally, Kathleen McGarvey, Adam Fenster, and Steve Boerner, in the Magazine category and also in the Online Publication/E-zine category for the development of an iPad application for the alumni publication.
