Two Southern Miss Staffers Receive PRAM Awards

Olivia Ann Hurst and Catherine Lott, staff members at The University of Southern Mississippi, were recognized at the Pine Belt chapter of Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM) annual awards banquet held last month in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Hurst received the Burlian O'Neal Walker Professional Promise Award which recognizes potential in the field of public relations. She serves as the Social Media Specialist in the Office of University Communications at Southern Miss.

The award was named after devoted PRAM member, Walker, “in honor of his passion for the public relations profession and his dedication to the education of future public relations practitioners.”

To qualify for the award a member must have practiced in the field of public relations for less than three years and demonstrated considerable promise in the field of public relations.

“I am so honored and excited to be a recipient of the Burlian O'Neal Walker Professional Promise Award,” Hurst said. “I love working in the field of public relations – and especially love the ever-changing world of social media. I enjoy every component of my job – from writing content daily and managing the top-level social accounts of the University to speaking to students to educate them on best social media practices. I can't wait to see what 2014 brings for Southern Miss.”

Catherine Lott, Communications Coordinator at the DuBard School for Language Disorders at Southern Miss, received the Spark Award of Excellence for a Public Relations Campaign Over $5,000 for the DuBard School Speakeasy.

“Because public relations professionals usually work behind the scenes, it was a great honor to have our work recognized by other professionals in the field,” Lott said.