ODU Wins Three Awards from the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America
December 03, 2019
Samaria Bingham proudly holds her two Pinnacle Awards with Past PRSA Hampton Roads Chapter President, Sally Kirby Hartman.
From left, Karen Smallets, Giovanna Genard and Philip Walzer proudly pose with the Pinnacle Award received for ODU's Monarch magazine.
Old Dominion University received two Excellence Awards and one Best-in-Show Award from a local public relations organization on Nov. 19. The honors recognized the work of a student as well as ODU's magazines.
Samaria Bingham, a soon-to-be graduate of Old Dominion, won two Pinnacle Awards from the Public Relations Society of America's Hampton Roads chapter. The annual awards honor the best in local public relations efforts.
Her social media work for the Rotary Club of Norfolk's 2019 Suds & Buds party received an Excellence Award in social media tactics at a ceremony at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club. Bingham also received Best in Show for student submissions.
"Samaria's good ideas and social media expertise helped make the 2019 Suds & Buds party the best attended in its five-year history," said Sally Hartman, vice president for communications with the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. "More than 600 guests helped raise nearly $30,000 to benefit Norfolk Botanical Garden, the Rotary Club of Norfolk and Lee's Friends, which helps people living with cancer."
Bingham, from Richmond, will graduate in December with a degree in communication from ODU. She will start work after graduation in membership services with Norfolk's Town Point Club.
This was the second consecutive year an Old Dominion student won a Best in Show Pinnacle Award. In 2019, Hang Tran received Best in Show for student submissions, for her work organizing and helping stage the ODU COMM ePortfolio Five-Year Reflections Event, held in the Learning Commons @ Perry Library.
Both Bingham and Tran were executive board members of the University's public relations student organization, ODU PRSSA.
ODU also received an Excellence Award for Monarch magazine and the University's digital magazine, Monarch Extra.
Monarch magazine is published twice a year and is distributed to more than 105,000 alumni. Monarch Extra was created in 2017 and is posted twice a year.
This also was the second straight year the magazine and e-magazine received a Pinnacle Award. They also have been recognized by District III of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
Monarch magazine and Monarch Extra are produced by Old Dominion's Department of Strategic Communication and Marketing. Philip Walzer is editor, Karen Smallets serves as art director, and Janet Molinaro is copy editor.
Previous issues are at www.odu.edu/monarchmag
