FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2005
Contact: Regina L. McCray
(662) 329-7119

MUW faculty member, student honored by the Mississippi Legislature

COLUMBUS, Miss. – Mississippi University for Women’s Dr. Marty L. Hatton, associate professor and communication program director, and Amrita Balachandran, a senior microbiology and chemistry major, were honored at the 18th annual Higher Education Appreciation Day-Working for Academic Excellence program.

Hatton and Balachandran were among 72 outstanding students and faculty members from 36 Mississippi public and private universities who recently received special recognition from the Mississippi Legislature.

“The Mississippi Legislature, the corporate community and others involved in higher education are given the opportunity to recognize the academic achievements of outstanding students and faculty at our institutions of higher learning,” said Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, who also serves as HEADWAE chair. “These honorees, through their personal and academic achievement, demonstrate that a quality education can be found right here in Mississippi’s colleges and universities.”

Hatton, professor at MUW for 12 years, was honored as the 2004 MUW Faculty Member of the Year and Communication Faculty member of the Year for the Division of Business and Communication in 1995, 1998, 2002 and 2004. He authored five articles that were published in the Encyclopedia of Communication and Information.

He received a bachelor’s degree from MUW in broadcasting and a master’s degree in speech communication from the University of Alabama. Hatton received his doctorate in mass communication in 2001 from the University of Alabama.

Hatton and his wife, Shannon Finch Hatton, have one son, Brian Martin.

Balachandran currently has a 4.0 GPA. She is president of the Tribeta Biological Honors Society and secretary of the Mortar Board National Honor Society. She also is a member of the Honors College.

Her career goal is to complete doctoral studies in immunology and infectious diseases and later conduct research or teach in a research institute.

Balachandran is the daughter of V.R. and Ranjini Balachandran.

HEADWAE was established in 1988 by legislative resolution to honor individual academic achievement and the overall contribution of the state’s public and private institutions of higher learning.