College of Public Health

Sally Crocker wins national award for magazine article on domestic violence

October 14, 2019 • Uncategorized

By Kerry Gunnels

Sally Crocker, Communications Manager in UNTHSC’s College of Public Health, is a top winner in the national Ragan Communications Health Care PR and Marketing Awards.

Crocker, who has worked in the College of Public Health for 10 years, won first prize in the article category of the national awards program sponsored by Lawrence Ragan Communications, Inc., a PR and corporate communication training company.

Ragan’s Health Care PR and Marketing Awards celebrate organizations and individuals who have redefined the field with their groundbreaking work. Crocker’s story, “Domestic violence’s painful legacy,” ran in the October 2018 issue of Solutions magazine, produced by the UNTHSC Office of Brand and Communication.

“Working on this story was especially meaningful for me as a writer, not only to talk about a public health problem that affects more people than most of us might think, but also to be trusted to share one family’s very personal story of loss, sorrow and action to hopefully help others,” Crocker said.

The article tells the story of Emily Spence-Almaguer, PhD, CPH’s Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Health Equity, who learned that the sister of her future husband had been murdered in an act of domestic violence. The article explored both the trauma the family suffered and the work Dr. Spence-Almaguer undertook, inspired by joining a family that had been through the experience.

In addition to telling the tale of Dr. Spence-Almaguer and her connection to domestic violence, the story positioned UNTHSC public health researchers as leaders in tackling critical public health problems. It also sought to build support for the institution’s work in research and advocacy about a variety of community health issues, including domestic violence.

“Sally set herself apart from an outstanding field of applicants. Her work was exceptional. We look forward to her continued success,” said Brendan Gannon, Marketing Manager for Awards Programs at Ragan Communications.