MSU sweeps CPRAM Grand Awards at public relations annual conference

Photo of three CPRAM Grand Awards presented to 91�� — (Photo by Emily Grace McCall)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Two Mississippi State offices are now displaying the senior division Grand Awards they won during the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi’s annual conference this past month.

CPRAM is a consortium of public relations professionals employed at Mississippi’s public and private colleges and universities. During the conference, MSU’s Office of Public Affairs, which includes the MSU TV Center and radio station WMSV The Junction, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Office of Ag and Natural Resources Marketing brought home honors across multiple digital, print and broadcast categories.

MSU Office of Public Affairs won a Grand Award in electronic media and first place in the television spots category for “Bulldog for Life,” produced by Chief Marketing Officer Thomas Broadus; MSU TV Center Director and OPA Associate Director David Garraway; Video Producer Sarah Kirk and Social Media Strategist Sarah Triplett, and a Grand Award in mixed media for “On Par with Perspective,” created by Photographer Grace Cockrell, which also earned first place in the portraits category.

The Office of Ag and Natural Resources Marketing secured the Grand Award in print media for MAFES Discovers magazine, which also earned first place for institutional magazine. Contributors include Manager of Communications Karen Brasher; Publications Editor Vanessa Beeson, Graphic Designer David Ammon, Publications Editor Meg Henderson, Web Designer Stephen Caples, Graphic Designer Dominique Belcher and student interns Anslee Boyd, Kaitlyn Church and Sarra Waters.

In the same category, OPA’s Alumnus magazine took home second place for its 2025 issues. The publication is edited by OPA Publications Editor Susan Lassetter and co-published by OPA and the MSU Alumni Association.

Key contributors included Digital Design Editor Heather Rowe; Photographers Grace Cockrell, Emily Grace McCall and Beth Wynn; and Multimedia Communication Specialists Mary Pollitz and Carl Smith. Senior leadership support was provided by Harriet Laird, senior associate director, and Sid Salter, vice president for strategic communications and director, alongside university foundation representatives John Rush, vice president for development and alumni and MSU Foundation president and CEO; Jeff Davis, Alumni Association executive director; Erica Way, communications and donor relations executive director; Kevin Tate, communications and donor relations assistant director of communications and Shun Pounds, communications specialist. Additional cross-campus support came from Digital Media Manager Sam Baker, and MSU graduates Aspen Harris and Anna Welborn.

Other MSU CPRAM awards include:

NEWS STORY

—First Place, “AI Legislative Task Force Meets at MSU, Tours Research Centers at Forefront of Technology,” Allison Matthews, OPA news editor, and Grace Cockrell

—Third Place, “MSU Remembers Legacy of Apollo 13 Legend, Alumnus Ed Smylie,” Mary Pollitz

FEATURE STORY

—Second Place, “What’s Old is New Again: MSU’s 104-year-old State Fountain Bakery Makes Return to Original, Newly Renovated Site,” Harriet Laird

—Third Place, “‘Officially a Space Cowboy:’ Make-A-Wish Child Launches MSU Rocket,” Mary Pollitz

NON-SPORTS SINGLE PIECE OF ARTWORK

—Second Place, dairy trucks, David Ammon, Karen Brasher and Darin Dodds, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station director

—Third Place, Ballew Hall wall graphics, David Ammon, Karen Brasher and Director of Development Lacey Gordon

ANNUAL REPORT

—First Place, MSU Bagley College of Engineering 2024-25, BCOE Publications Manager Kristen Polk and Communications Specialist Camille Carskadon

FINE ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY

—First Place, “Sounds of Soul,” Grace Cockrell

PORTRAIT

—First Place, “On Par with Perspective,” Grace Cockrell

—Second Place, “Our People: Carson McFatridge,” David Ammon

STUDENT LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

—Second Place, “Battle for the Golden Egg,” Grace Cockrell

RADIO SPOTS

—First Place, “Taking Care of What Matters,” 91.1 The Junction and Gracelyn Johnson, communication junior of Amory

RADIO PROGRAMS/PODCASTS

—First Place, “Rise and Ring,” MSU graduate Wesley Webb and Gracelyn Johnson

DIGITAL ADVERTISEMENTS

—First Place, “MSU Must Sees,” Thomas Broadus, Heather Rowe and Sarah Triplett

—Third Place, “Degrees with Impact at MSU,” Thomas Broadus, Heather Rowe and Sarah Triplett

SOCIAL MEDIA NON-SPORTS ACCOUNT

—First Place, MSU Tik Tok, Thomas Broadus, Sarah Kirk and Sarah Triplett

—Second Place, MSU Instagram, Thomas Broadus, Sarah Kirk and Sarah Triplett

—Third Place, MSU Facebook, Thomas Broadus, Sarah Kirk and Sarah Triplett

GENERAL VIDEO

—First Place, “MSU Entomologist JoVonn Hill,” Thomas Broadus and Sarah Kirk

—Second Place, “Noah’s Story,” David Garraway and Senior Producer Don Warren

WILDCARD ELECTRONIC ONLY

—Second Place, “Where Classes Become Careers,” Thomas Broadus, Sarah Kirk and Sarah Triplett

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