Martin Hall Agency (MHA), a faculty-led, student-run advertising and public
relations agency operating in West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media,
received eight awards at the West Virginia Public Relations Society of America’s
(WV PRSA) 2023 Crystal Awards ceremony Aug. 15 in Charleston.
MHA received six Crystal Awards, the highest honor a public relations campaign can
receive, from WV PRSA – four in the Campaigns category and two in the Tactics category.
Additionally, they received two Awards of Merit in the Tactics category. Emma Magruder
(BSJ, 2022) and Cheyenne Oakes (BSJ, 2023), both of whom are now graduate students
in the College’s
Integrated Marketing Communications program, represented the agency at the
ceremony alongside Advertising and Public Relations (ADPR) Program Chair
Geah Pressgrove.
Bob Britten, a teaching associate professor in the WVU Reed College of Media, was
awarded the Dr. Sandy Utt Excellence in Teaching Award from the Association for
Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). He received the award earlier
this month during the Innovation in Teaching panel at the AEJMC conference in Washington,
D.C.
Each year, AEJMC recognizes instructors in the visual communication field for their
innovation, excellence and contributions. Britten is the second recipient to receive
the award after it was renamed in August 2022 for Utt, a long-time active AEJMC
member and Reed College of Media alumna, who donated a portion of her retirement
funds to the competition.
YNST (You’re Not Seeing Things) Magazine is a print and digital media company
founded in 2023 by a group of WVU Reed College of Media alumni “to amplify the
unseen creative voices of Appalachia’s arts and culture.” They feature stories
and work about and from the region’s authors, designers, photographers and artists.
Founders include Adam Payne (BSJ, 2021; MS Digital Marketing Communications, 2022),
Kasey Lettrich (BSJ, 2022), Annika Godwin (BSJ, 2022), Olivia Gianettino (BSJ,
2022) and Savanna Shriver (BSJ, 2021).
YNST Executive Team: Joseph Lucey, Olivia Gianettino, Adam Payne, Kasey Lettrich,
Annika Godwin and Savanna Shriver
Each year, the WVU Reed College of Media recognizes faculty members for their innovative research and exceptional teaching. The 2022-23 awards were presented to Julia Fraustino and Heather Cole.
Fraustino, an assistant professor in Advertising and Public Relations, was the recipient of the Faculty Research Award, which recognizes outstanding scholarly work or creative activity. She is the founder of the College’s Public Interest Communications Research Lab, where she leads several state- and federally-funded public health projects that use data-driven communications to enhance positive behavioral change. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally, including by the U.S. Army, which honored her with the Civilian Commendation Medal in 2021 for her exceptional service to the state and nation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the spring semester, WVU Reed College of Media students assisted students
from Bellaire High School in Ohio with a year-long photography project to document
and explore their surrounding community.
Teaching Associate Professor David Smith led the independent study course along with
Rebecca Kiger, photojournalist and artist-in-residence at Bellaire High School.
WVU Reed College of Media graduates were celebrated for their perseverance and
accomplishments during the College’s commencement ceremony Friday, May 12, at
the WVU Coliseum.
More than 190 College of Media graduates attended the ceremony, earning bachelor’s
degrees in Advertising and Public Relations, Game Design and Interactive Media,
Journalism, Multidisciplinary Media Studies, and Sports and Adventure Media,
and master’s degrees in Data Marketing Communications, Digital Marketing Communications,
Integrated Marketing Communications and Journalism.
A celebrated public finance lawyer, an executive vice president in healthcare communications and an Emmy award–winning producer were recognized as outstanding alumni at the WVU Reed College of Media’s Spring Honors Ceremony.
Each year, the College seeks nominations and presents alumni awards, including those that recognize philanthropic support; service to the College; and demonstrated success within the first 10 years post-graduation. The 2022–23 awardees include Samme Gee (BSJ, 1975), Chad Hyett (BSJ, 2001) and Morgan Allison (BSJ, 2014).
The WVU Reed College of Media’s three student-produced newscasts — “WVU News,” “West
Virginia Today” and “Mountaineer Playbook” — all received Region 4 Mark of
Excellence Awards presented by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).
SPJ is the nation’s oldest journalism organization, and the annual Mark of Excellence
awards recognize the best in collegiate print, radio, television and online news.
First-place winners from Region 4, which includes Michigan, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania
and West Virginia, go on to compete at the national level among other Mark of
Excellence winners from the 12 SPJ regions. WVU placed first in four categories.
Walking into the WVU Media Innovation Center on Saturday, April 1, was like walking
into a techie’s dream. Attendees of the Indie Games Showcase were testing out locally
made video games, experiencing virtual reality and wowing each other with game
development ideas.
This inaugural event was hosted by MonRiverGames, a nonprofit founded by WVU Reed
College of Media Teaching Assistant Professor Heather Cole. MonRiverGames values
“games for good” — creating meaningful and purposeful games — and aims to provide
enriching and professional experiences within game design and the arts for both
students and members of the community. This mission was the inspiration for hosting
the showcase.
Reed College of Media students in Adjunct Instructor Chuck Harman’s capstone class
have been developing campaigns for their client, the National D-Day Memorial. During
spring break, they traveled to France to see first-hand the places allied soldiers
landed during D-Day in World War II.
“It was a remarkable experience to see the soil where we had fought almost 80 years
ago,” said Parker Roberts, a member of the West Virginia Army National Guard and
a cadet in the WVU Army ROTC program. “This capstone course was very intriguing to
me with my military background. The most memorable thing was walking on both Omaha
and Utah Beaches. It gave me chills to know that I stepped foot where thousands
of brave heroes sacrificed their lives.”
