College of Communication and Information Sciences Presents Awards During Honors Week

Janet Hall Given Betsy Plank Distinguished Achievement Award by UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Janet Hall of Birmingham was awarded the Betsy Plank Distinguished Achievement Award by the College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama during recent Honors Week activities.

Hall began her television career after graduating from UA in 1977 with a degree in broadcast and communication studies. She began working in Mobile at WKRG-TV and after three years returned to her hometown of Birmingham. She started at WBRC-TV as a weekend news anchor and reporter. Later Hall began anchoring weeknights and now co-anchors FOX6 News at 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Hall has received numerous awards over the years from the Associated Press, including Best Anchor in Alabama in both 2001 and 1994, as well as awards for Best Feature Story, Best Documentary and Extraordinary Coverage of a Planned Event. In 1999, she was named the “Local Hero in the Fight Against Breast Cancer” by the Komen Foundation’s Ultimate Drive.

She is currently serving as secretary/treasurer of the College of Communication and Information Sciences’ Board of Visitors. Hall also serves as a board member of AIDS Alabama and the Birmingham chapter of the American Red Cross.

Hall, her husband and two children are founding members of Asbury United Methodist Church.

Angela Bailey Henderson Named Outstanding Alumna in Advertising at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Angela Bailey Henderson, a 1989 graduate of the advertising program in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama, was recently named Outstanding Alumna in Advertising during UA’s Honors Week.

Henderson, who minored in marketing and Japanese at UA, owns and operates Signature Studios, a full-service agency in Florence that specializes in computer graphic design for a wide client base. She has operated the agency for the past 12 years. After successes in the dental industry, Henderson formed a second partnership, Dental Promotions group, LLC, which works with dentists nationwide to promote their laser services.

Henderson serves as president of the board of the Capstone Communication Society, and she has supported the College through her sponsorship of “Creative Challenge.” The program has provided scholarships and experience for undergraduate students during the past six years. She has won numerous awards for her work including 25 ADDY Awards and 20 Citations of Excellence, including Best of Show and Judge’s Choice Awards.

Henderson and her husband Aaron are youth group leaders for their church and live in Florence.

Joseph W. Perkins Named Outstanding Alumnus in Communication Studies at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Joseph W. Perkins of Tuscaloosa was named Outstanding Alumnus in Communication Studies for the College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama during recent Honors Week activities.

Perkins entered UA in 1968 on a debate scholarship. He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication studies, formerly speech communication. He was awarded his doctorate in communication studies in 1999.

His professional career began in 1968 when he was named assistant director of University Relations at UA. Subsequently, he held positions as director of publications and assistant to the president. He also served as an adjunct professor in the College of Communication and Information Sciences, teaching classes in public relations and political communication.

Perkins has been a principal in a number of public relations, advertising and communication consulting firms. Perkins Communication, a firm he founded in 1992, serves a number of clients with public relations, strategic planning and public policy consulting services.

Perkins was one of the original founders of Matrix, LLC, which today is one of the largest communication consulting firms in the state. Matrix serves a regional clientele with offices in Montgomery and Jackson, Miss. He continues to serve as a senior consultant for the company. Perkins and his wife Amy live in Tuscaloosa County with their three children.

Catherine Word Downing Posthumously Named Outstanding Alumna in Journalism at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Catherine “Cathi” Downing of Anniston was posthumously named Outstanding Alumna in Journalism for the College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama during recent Honors Week activities.

Downing was killed in a car crash on Sept. 4, 2003 in Anniston. She is survived by Calhoun County Commissioner Robert Downing and three children: Will, Lewis and Hannah.

Downing graduated from UA in 1975 with a double major in journalism and English. She had served as the features editor for The Anniston Star for 17 years. Downing was well known for her popular Saturday column and was an award-winning editor with the Star’s features section.

She also was known for her longtime work in the Anniston arts community and for working with area youth. Before she joined the Star, Downing had worked for The University of Alabama Health Services Foundation, the Jefferson County Board of Education and consolidated Publishing Co. in Anniston.