The University of Tennessee Health Sciences Office of Communications and Marketing earned four awards, including two top honors, at the 2026 Tennessee College Public Relations Association (TCPRA) conference.
The annual event, held May 20–22 in Chattanooga, brought together communicators from public and private colleges and universities across the state. This year’s competition drew a record-breaking 462 entries across 42 categories from 20 institutions.
The UT Health Sciences team earned gold awards in the social media video (under three minutes) and digital ad (single) categories, a silver award in reports (printed), and a bronze award in spot photography.
“UT Health Sciences is fortunate to have a talented team of communicators,” said Karla Leeper, PhD, vice chancellor for Strategic Communications and Marketing and chief of staff to the chancellor. “They do an excellent job of sharing the stories of all of the important work that is being done by our faculty, staff, and students. These awards are a reflection of their hard work and skill in communicating the impact of our institution across Tennessee and beyond.”
The gold-winning social media video was created by Caleb Jia, photographer and videographer, and Matthew Harris, social media specialist, to highlight the 10th year of the Mid-South Mission of Mercy. The video features interviews with Mitch Godat, DDS, an alumnus of the UT Health Sciences College of Dentistry and CEO of the Mid-South Mission of Mercy, along with students and alumni who volunteered at the clinic to provide free dental care for people in need. Footage throughout the video captures the care provided by these volunteers and illustrates the clinic’s impact over the past decade.
The second gold award recognized a digital ad created by Graphic Designer Jason Zhang to promote Flu Fighters, an annual event on the UT Health Sciences campus that offers free flu vaccinations for the university community. The ad was displayed on digital boards across campus and in various print materials. The graphic depicts a boxing glove holding a vaccine syringe punching a flu virus.
The university’s 2024-25 Annual Report, Realizing Our Vision, earned a silver award in the printed reports category. Peggy Reisser, strategic communications manager, and Chris Green, strategic communications specialist, produced the report’s content. Adam Gaines, creative services manager, and Zhang designed the publication, while Jia provided photography. The Annual Report combines photo spreads, vignettes, and data that highlight how UT Health Sciences faculty, staff, and students work to make the university’s vision for a healthier Tennessee a reality through education, clinical care, research, community outreach, and philanthropy. This is the second award the report has won, receiving a gold award in October at the 2025 Public Relations Society of America VOX Awards.
A photograph taken by Jia at the 2025 Cataract-A-Thon earned bronze in the spot photography category. The image, titled Gift of Sight, shows a surgeon operating on a patient’s eye under a spotlight while water droplets resembling sparks fly from the surgical site. The patient was one of 20 individuals who received free, vision-restoring surgery from volunteer medical teams at Hamilton Eye Institute last June.
The awards competitions was judged by 15 judges and judging groups representing academic institutions, public relations and communications organizations, PR agencies, and hospital and healthcare communications departments.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the TCPRA conference featured several presentations from speakers across the higher education realm, including one by Vice Chancellor Leeper focused on how institutions translate strategic priorities into meaningful stories.