UT Tyler Earns 34 Awards at 2024 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Convention

May 9, 2024 | Hannah Buchanan

The University of Texas at Tyler received 34 awards at the 2024 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Convention. TIPA, the largest organization of collegiate mass communication programs in Texas, annually recognizes excellence in writing, photography, broadcasting, videography, public relations and publication design.

“Our mass communication students are doing amazing work, so it is gratifying to see them being
recognized as among the very best in the state,” said Danny Mogle, UT Tyler lecturer and student
media adviser.

The website for the university’s independent student-run news media outlet,
https://thepatriottalon.com/, was also selected as the best website among colleges in its
classification and honored for design.

UT Tyler students earning TIPA awards for on-site competitions are:
• Karleigh Yancy of Lindale – second place in radio news announcing.
• Nayeli Carrillo of Tyler – third place in Spanish language radio news announcing.
• Brynna Williamson of Mineola – honorable mention for feature writing.
UT Tyler students earning TIPA awards for previously published material are:
• Nathan Witt of Mineola – first and third place in social media breaking news, first and third place
in interactive ad design, first and second place in static ad design, second place in feature
photography, breaking news story, documentary and interactive ad design; and honorable mention
for feature story, in-depth reporting, podcast and advertising campaign.
• Williamson – first place in social media breaking news, first place in in-depth reporting and
honorable mention for breaking news story.
• Luke Spence of Tyler – first place in social media breaking news and second place in breaking
news photo.
• Abigail Smith of Tyler – second place in general news story and second place in program
production video.
• Paulina Mata of New London – first place in critical review and Spanish language feature.
• Elaina Gonzalez of Tyler – honorable mention for critical review and general column.
• LaKyndra Larkin of Flint – first place in general news audio story and second place in feature
reporting video.
• Ashod Gardin of Willis – honorable mention for sports commentary.
• Jallen Sullivan of Burleson – first place in multimedia sports story.
• Santiago Nuñez of Tyler – second place in feature story.
• Kai Kirkham of Lockhart – second place in cartoon strip.
• Bart Hisel of Tyler – honorable mention for general graphic.

Witt, editor-in-chief of the Patriot Talon, was also elected vice president of TIPA’s student board.
The annual convention provides on-site competition, training and recruitment opportunities for
student journalists from across the state while recognizing excellence for previously published work
in student newspapers and websites. For more information, visit texasipa.org/.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT
Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 10,000 students.
Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has
unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent
patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World
Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.