John Wittig, Ph.D, chair of the Department of Communication Studies, has been inducted into the Southern Public Relations Hall of Fame. He was honored for making significant contributions to the field and having mentored many public relations practitioners in the region. The Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Southern Public Relations Federation, a network of more than 1,500 public relations professionals from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. Wittig was among five public relations professionals honored during a ceremony at Mississippi State University. Other inductees were Neal W. Cirlot (posthumously), Diamondhead, Miss.; Betsie Gambel, New Orleans, La.; Carol A. Mann, APR, Mobile, Ala.; Charles "Chuck" Saucier (posthumously), Alexandria, La.Wittig joined UAB in 1981. He is an acclaimed scholar, lecturer and author who has published numerous books and journal articles. He received the Practitioner of the Year Award by the Public Relations Council of Alabama and the Communications Award from the Birmingham Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. In 1990, UAB’s PRCA student chapter was renamed the John W. Wittig Chapter in recognition of his leadership.
