Release date: April 7, 2003

Contact: Communication Department, 770-423-6298

Atlanta mayor, KSU alumnus and KSU senior receive communication department top honors 5th Annual Award Banquet Recognizes Three Top Communicators

The communication department at Kennesaw State University will honor the Communicator of the Year, an Outstanding Alumnus and an Outstanding Senior at its April 4 award luncheon.

Outstanding Senior, Iliana Ayala, graduates this spring with a 4.0 GPA and a degree in the communication major's media studies track. Ayala spent last semester as a production intern with MTV Network's News and Documentaries division. "[She is] incredibly brilliant," said Dr. Keisha Hoerrner, associate professor of communication. "Her intelligence, enthusiasm and innate curiosity will be a big benefit for her in mass media. Wherever she ends up, she is going to be successful. I can see her sitting at the desk of the New York Times one day." Ayala was honored at the university level on March 28.

Cynthia Ryals, this year's Outstanding Alumnus, is the editorial supervisor with International Speedway Corporation publications, which produces fan programs for NASCAR series. She has served as public relations director for the United Way of Volusia County, Fla., and for the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach. Prior to graduation she served an internship with Southern Living and worked until 1993 as an associate producer for ABC News' Southern Bureau.

The Atlanta Communicator of the Year is awarded to an individual in the Atlanta region who has made a significant contribution to the field of communication and/or demonstrated extraordinary communication skills that have enhanced some aspect of life in the Atlanta region. The communication department recognizes Mayor Franklin on the basis of "her consistent demonstration of strong communication skills in her dealings as mayor, helping to restore confidence in the office and encouraging positive working relationships among stakeholder groups." Nominated by the faculty and the Department's External Advisory Council, a representative of Mayor Franklin's office will attend the luncheon and accept the award on her behalf.

"The banquet has a dual purpose," said Dr. Katherine Kinnick, associate professor of communication. "It brings recognition [to the department] and honors those who exemplify what we are trying to teach students."

The Kennesaw State University Communication Department offers over fifty different communication courses in three separate communication tracks: Media Studies, Organizational Communication and Public Relations. Challenging classroom and real-world courses capitalize on Kennesaw's location in one of the world's premier communication markets.

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Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population of 15,600 from 118 countries. The fifth largest out of 34 institutions in the University System of Georgia, KSU offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.