2004 Ruth Hammond Scholarship Winner Announced

Toronto, Ontario - Laura Bristow, a native of Fall River, Nova Scotia, is the 2004 winner of the Ruth Hammond Scholarship awarded to a public relations student in the final year of the Bachelor of Public Relations program at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) with distinction in English and a minor in theatre from Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec. She has completed two co-op work terms-one with the Nova Scotia Department of Energy, the other with the Terry Fox Foundation. She has just completed her third co-op term at Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Science Centre, Toronto, Ontario.

As a student member of the Canadian Public Relations Society, she was the recipient of the Canada Newswire Scholarship in 2003.

MSVU is recognized for its academic excellence and creative learning approaches. With approximately 4,400 students from across Canada and around the globe, it offers 35 undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, sciences and an array of professional programs.

The Ruth Hammond Scholarship was established by Ruth's friends and colleagues in the Canadian Public Relations Society (Toronto) to honour her lifetime commitment to public relations education in Canada. The scholarship, currently awarded by MSVU, acknowledges a student who has completed at least two public relations co-op work terms and who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, leadership abilities and dedication to establishing a career in the public relations field.

Ruth Hammond, APR, is a life member of the Canadian Public Relations Society, Inc., and Honourary Fellow of CPRS and holds an Honourary Doctorate from Mount Saint Vincent University.

The Ruth Hammond Scholarship Fund is managed by the Communications and Public Relations Foundation. The Foundation promotes the advancement of communications and public relations as vital functions in society, is dedicated to the public interest, and is committed to increasing public knowledge and awareness of the role of communications and public relations in daily life. The Foundation accepts individual and corporate contributions towards research, and educational initiatives nationwide.

For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Chair, Communications and Public Relations Foundation, Suite 1515, 73 Widdicombe Hill Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, M9R 4B3, or phone 416 242-6146 or e-mail b.sheffield@prmediaconnection.com.