NEW YORK, NY (Oct. 31, 2016) – The PRSA Foundation, the leading non-profit public relations organization focused on  increasing diversity in the public relations field, and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) are honored to present the winners of 2016 Awards and Scholarships. Each year more than $30,000 in scholarships is awarded to students and Chapters exhibiting outstanding merit in public relations. This year’s recipients are as follows:

Altschul Champions for PRSSA Outstanding Internship Award– Hannah Riffle, Ball State University

Axia Public Relations Scholarship – Alissa Sommerfeldt, Murray State University

Betsy Plank/PRSSA Scholarship – 1^st Place – Olivia Ortiz, The University of Alabama; 2^nd Place – Alissa Sommerfeldt, Murray State University; 3^rd Place – Gemalie Perez, University of Houston

Gary Yoshimura Scholarship – Asia Burns, Samford University

Chester Burger Scholarship for Excellence in Public Relations – Danielle Kelley, Louisiana State University

John D. Graham Scholarship – 1^st Place Cynthia Huasipoma, Montclair State University; Runner Up – Jada Culver, The University of Alabama; Runner up – Alissa Sommerfeldt, Murray State University

Marcia Silverman Minority Student Award – Cecilia Arteaga, Pepperdine University

May C. Randazzo Memorial Scholarship– Jennifer Gallo, Niagara University

Neumeier Family Leadership Award – Grace Rogers, Drake University

Ofield Dukes Multicultural Student Award – Sydney Velez, Illinois State University

PRSA Diversity Multicultural Scholarships – Tiffany Chao, SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology; Raelyn Martin, University of Oregon

Robin M. Urbanski Memorial Scholarship – Stasia Foster, University of Alabama

Ron Culp Scholarship for Mentorship – Andrea Casali, Illinois State University

Stephen D. Pisinski Memorial Scholarship – Sydney Velez, Illinois State University

Teahan National PRSSA Chapter Awards:

Chapter Development – Florida Memorial University

Chapter Diversity – Kent State University

Chapter Firm – University of Alabama

Chapter Newsletter – Weber State

Chapter Website – University of Georgia

Community Service Award – University of Oklahoma

Faculty Adviser –Sara Steffes Hansen, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Professional Adviser –Keith Miles, Belmont University

Regional Conference – California State Fullerton

Outstanding Chapter – Utah Valley University

PRSA/PRSSA Relationship – Ohio Northern University

University Service Award – Brigham Young University

“Thanks to our new, electronic application process, more students than ever applied for scholarships and awards,” said Kathleen Rennie, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, co-chair of the PRSA Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. “We’re looking forward to an even more productive scholarship season next year.”  

About the PRSA Foundation

The PRSA Foundation is an independent, 501 (c) (3) charitable organization that is committed to promoting diversity among public relations professionals and companies so that they can best serve the public good and address the needs of a diverse world.  Headquartered in New York City, the PRSA Foundation was chartered under section 403 of the New York State Corporation Law as a not-for-profit organization.   The PRSA Foundation supports programs that attract, assist and prepare young adults to enter the public relations profession, and works with employers and industry organizations to create workplace-based inclusion efforts to welcome, support and retain a diverse workforce.  For more information about the PRSA Foundation’s programming efforts, visit www.prsafoundation.org. 

About PRSSA

The Public Relations Student Society of America (www.prssa.org) is the foremost organization for students interested in public relations and communications. Founded in 1968 by its parent organization, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), PRSSA includes more than 11,000 student members and advisers, and is active at more than 320 colleges and universities.

###