Awards: First honor $5,000. Second honor $1,500. Third honor $1,000

The award will be payable to the recipient’s university for the recipient’s use, and can only be used to fund educational pursuits.

You must be a PRSSA member in your junior or senior year of college, preparing for a career in public relations to apply for this award.

Applications will be judged on the following criteria:

*Academic achievement in public relations and overall studies.
*Demonstrated leadership.
*Practical experience, e.g. internships, other work/service, student firm work
*Commitment to public relations, particularly as expressed in the candidate's statement
*Application

To apply for this award, submit the following materials:

*The completed application form.
*A letter of recommendation from your Faculty or Professional Adviser.
*A statement of 300 words or fewer in English that outlines your commitment to public relations and its ethical practice.
*Optional: Additional letters of recommendation from previous employers or professors.

About Betsy Plank:
Betsy Plank, APR, Fellow PRSA, was the PRSA President in 1973, the first woman to lead the Society, and chair of the U.S. Section of International Public Relations Association (1980–1981). She was the first person to receive three of PRSA’s top honors for professionals — the Gold Anvil in 1977 as the outstanding U.S. Professional, the Paul Lund Award in 1989 for her exemplary civic and community work, and the first Jackson Award in 2001 for distinguished service to the Society.

She pioneered public relations education for students and was dedicated to PRSSA. As one of the four co-chairs for the Champions for PRSSA, Plank devoted much of her time to students and their needs. She co-chaired the 1987 commission to develop guidelines for the undergraduate public relations curriculum in U.S. colleges and universities, and was a national adviser for PRSSA. The PRSSA Chapter at Northern Illinois University is named in her honor. An active member of the Arthur Page W. Page Society and a PRSSA Hall of Fame achiever, Plank accrued several Awards and nationally recognized achievements over the years.

Application Deadline: April 30, 2024