Awards

The Eva Golson Film and Television Production Endowed Scholarship was established in 2015 to celebrate the woman who put filmmaking on the map in the Mobile and Baldwin County, Alabama, community. Golson is committed to supporting students passionate about the film and television industry and helping them succeed. Her career spans 35 years in the industry, assisting film and video companies with resources in producing commercials, corporate or industrial productions, music videos, documentaries, television movies, and feature films.

The Peggy Hansen and Jim Aucoin Journalism Scholarship was established in 2017 to honor an exceptional journalism major who has demonstrated a passion and commitment to journalistic integrity. It is in recognition of Dr. James Aucoin, and his beloved late wife, Dr. Peggy Hansen, who are both known for their love and dedication to students in the field of journalism and the USA Department of Communication.

The Hanna Endowed Communication Scholarship was established in December 2009 to honor Dr. Michael S. Hanna, Professor Emeritus of Communication. Hanna served USA and the Mobile community for more than 25 years. He chaired the department for five years, co-authored six textbooks, and received numerous awards, including “Best Faculty Member” for Outstanding Service to USA International Students.  The award encourages a communication junior or senior with a minimum GPA of 3.0 at USA to excel in their track of study.

The Creative Arts Award honors an undergraduate or graduate student for his or her creative excellence in visual communication, multimedia, print journalism, broadcast journalism, film, television, advertising, public relations, or any other field in the art of communication.

The Exceptional Intern Award honors an undergraduate student for exceptional service to the internship program. The student has a proven record of accomplishment and demonstrated leadership and excellence throughout his or her internship. The student’s internship supervisor consistently scored the intern highly in performance, behavioral, and administrative qualities. To be eligible, students must have completed an internship through the Department’s program.

The Distinguished Internship Sponsor Award honors a sponsor with a proven record of accomplishment in active service and leadership in the USA Department of Communication Internship Program.

The Hermanson Research Award honors an undergraduate or graduate student who has conducted significant research in the area of history, law or ethics and has a high overall grade-point average among graduating students. The award honors the memory of Dr. Louise Hermanson, professor of communication, a beloved and respected professor from 1990 until her passing in 2002.

The Outstanding Scholarly Paper Award honors an undergraduate or graduate communication student who authored a scholarly paper and submitted it to a publication or conference in the communication discipline. To be eligible, student papers must be nominated by a department faculty member and be single-authored by the student.

The Exceptional Graduate Teaching Award honors a graduate assistant for his or her dedication to teaching students in the Department of Communication’s public speaking program. The recipient also exhibits high levels of responsibility and receives favorable feedback from students.

The Gerald Wilson Exceptional Departmental Service Award was named to honor Dr.
Gerald Wilson, Professor Emeritus of Communication. Wilson was chair of the
Communication Department for 17 years, co-authored six textbooks, and helped move our department from the University Commons Building to where we are now.

Dr. Wilson was an active member of his church and also very active with the Boy Scouts.
He earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and after retiring, his “job” became mentoring other
Scouts.

The award named for him honors a student in recognition of exceptional service to the department. The student has a proven record of accomplishment through active involvement in service and leadership at the university and in the community. To be eligible, students must be nominated by a department faculty member.

The Jag Media Director's Award for Excellence focuses on leadership, initiative, teamwork, and innovation.

The Outstanding Communication Major Award is for recipients with a cumulative GPA between 3.5 and 3.74.

The Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes outstanding academic achievement and is awarded to undergraduate students with a cumulative GPA between 3.75 and 4.0.

The Early Achievement Award recognizes a student in each communication concentration. These students are in the early stages of their studies and have shown excellence in the introductory course associated with their concentration.

Each major awards an Outstanding Communication Concentration Award to an undergraduate student. The student has exhibited excellence in their track of study.