FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 24, 2008
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124
aperkins@pa.muw.edu

MUW’s Roberts receive prestigious SPRF award

COLUMBUS, Miss. – Dr. Van Roberts, assistant professor of communication at Mississippi University for Women, recently garnered the Senior Practitioner of the Year Award given by the Southern Public Relations Federation.

The senior practitioner designation was established to honor SPRF members who are recognized by their peers as veteran public relations professionals with high ethical standing. Nomination and selection is made by a local chapter based on criteria set by SPRF. To receive the designation "senior practitioner," a recipient must qualify in three of the following four criteria:

• 15 years of full-time public relations experience
• Accreditation by a Universal Accreditation Board  member organization

• Officer or board member at chapter, state or SPRF level
• Recognition of professionalism as evidenced by such awards as Practitioner of the Year, Lantern Award or similar honor

“I want to thank the Southern Public Relations Federation for this prestigious award. I have spent 20 in higher education at Mississippi University for Women practicing positive public relations in recruiting for our university as well as producing radio and video projects for the United Way, the Columbus Police Department and a number of other agencies,” Roberts said. “I feel very gratified that my peers chose to present me this award. When I heard that I had won it, I was surprised and humbled. As I understand it, public relations practitioners from Mississippi, Alabama and Florida were nominated for this award, so I was really shocked when the SPRF singled me out for this honor.”

Roberts has 25 years of experience in radio, television and film broadcast announcing, editing, production and directing. He has taught at MUW since 1988 and teaches oral communication, introduction to mass communication, introduction to media technology, writing for the media, images of women in film and video production.

Roberts is credited with 12 productions and more than 14 years of community and academic video service.

His regular column, At The Movies, has appeared in the local newspaper for the past nine years and he has had movie reviews in the Planet Weekly newspaper in Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the last 12 years. Roberts takes special research interest in film history and criticism, especially as related to U.S. World War II propaganda films. He has archived almost 600 reviews at the Internet Movie Database website: http://www.imdb.com/user/ur2079400/comments?order=alpha&summary=off.

Roberts is also an award-winning feature and spot news writer as well a regional freelance movie writer

He earned his doctorate and bachelors degrees from Mississippi Sate University and master’s from the University of Mississippi.