UA Student Recognized Nationally in Case Study Writing Competition

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — University of Alabama graduate student Brenna Middleton has been named a second-prize winner in the annual Arthur W. Page Case Study Competition.

The annual national competition recognizes the top original case studies written by students enrolled in an accredited school of business, communication or journalism and who are pursuing a degree that is focused on corporate communications and the practice of public relations.

Six student winners were recognized in the 2015 competition.

“I am incredibly grateful to the Arthur W. Page Society for awarding second place to my case study,” said Middleton, a second-year advertising and public relations master’s student from Tyler, Texas. “It feels wonderful to have my hard work recognized and shared with others.”

Middleton’s case study focused on the “showers of media coverage” of controversial waitlists for Veterans Administration healthcare benefits, including historical information and how the administration responded.

“I worked at a hospital in Texas before returning to school for my master’s degree,” Middleton said. “It was there I developed a love for health care public relations. I chose to analyze the VA’s communication efforts because I believe health and veteran care are two incredibly important issues that deserved to be shared and learned from.”

Dr. Suzanne Horsley, a UA associate professor of advertising and public relations, served as Middleton’s adviser for the competition.

“When I first read Brenna’s paper, I knew it had to be a winner,” said Horsley. “Brenna has expressed an interest in working in the healthcare industry, and the analysis she did on the VA scandal reflects the high level of ethics and care she would contribute as a communications professional in that field.”