UNO PRSSA Earns Multiple Awards at International Conference

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) recently earned seven national awards at the 2020 PRSA ICON International Conference Awards Ceremony.

The PRSSA Champions/Teahan National Award recognitions included the "Outstanding Community Service" Award and "Outstanding Faculty Adviser" Award for Karen Weber, lecturer in the School of Communication.

UNO PRSSA also won first place in the National Organ Donor Awareness Competition “Let Life Bloom” Campaign and third place in the National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Competition “Spill the Tea on Cystic Fibrosis.” In addition, the chapter earned Star Chapter designation awarded to chapters that meet standards for professional development and community service.

Okina Tran, the chapter’s immediate past president and May 2020 graduate, earned a National Golden Key Award, the most prestigious honor a PRSSA member can receive for academic excellence and leadership. Senior Kylie Squires, current chapter president. received the John D. Graham Scholarship.

The chapter has earned at least one national PRSSA award for more than a decade including Outstanding Chapter in 2015 and 2012 and Outstanding Student Firm in 2019 and 2017. Weber previously earned Outstanding Faculty Adviser in 2013.

“Our chapter rocked out at the awards ceremony, and I am so incredibly honored to be part of this phenomenal team,” Squires said. “We may be small, but we sure are mighty.”

Twelve members attended the virtual ICON International Conference “Strategic Communications: Navigating a World Disrupted.” Sessions included such topics as crisis communication, social media strategy, brand reputation management and media relations.

“The students did outstanding work this year especially in light of the pandemic that forced them to work mostly virtually,” Weber said. “Thanks to all our faculty who support our students in their professional development and service.”