Students and professors from Troy State University's Center for Design, Technology and Industry recently received awards at the 43rd Annual Montgomery Advertising Federation (MAF) ADDY awards.

Blake Branch, a graphic design major, and David Brown, a graphic design and photography major, were awarded the MAF Student Achievement Awards.

Branch's winning entry was a poster designed for the TSU music Department and Brown's winning entry was a series of photo-illustrations.

&uot;It's very exciting and encouraging that two of our students won achievement awards,&uot; said Jerry Johnson, an art director and principal for the center. &uot;We were actually blown away by it. The TSU design department has been under development for two years and one measure of success is how effectively our students are able to compete with students from other colleges and universities.&uot;

Johnson said this year's field of competitors was one of the largest ever and that made the awards even more impressive - for the students and for the professors who competed - and won.

The Center entered several of its recent design works into the professional categories at the Addys. Johnson and Ed Noriega, who also serves as an art director and principal, worked with the students to win seven Sliver Addy awards and one Gold Addy Award.

According to Johnson, Silver Addy Awards are give recognition of excellence in design in various professional categories. Gold Addy Awards are recognized as the highest in excellence and are forwarded to the district competition.

Johnson received a Gold Addy for his website for Troy Vineyard Christian Fellowship. The entry will advance to the district competition to be held in Gulf Shores in April.

Johnson said several of the works were collaborative setups.

&uot;Students who are good writers and good designers are the ones who actually touched the work,&uot; Johnson said. &uot;We, the professors, are the eyes and ears and give the students feedback to meet the needs of the project.&uot;

Johnson, with the help of Karl Bryant, Troy Johnson, Connie Manley, David Brown and Franky Echols, received a Silver Addy for the entry Specialty Packaging Prototype for HB&G.

Johnson with the help of Lindsey Herren and David Brown, received a Silver Addy for the TSU Department of Art and Design Promotional Poster.

&uot;These awards will be very beneficial to the students,&uot; he said. &uot;Any time a student can include an Addy Award on his or her resume - that's impressive.&uot;

Johnson received Silver Addys for his website for the TSU Department of Art and Design, for his entry Arts for Alabama: State Arts Plan for Alabama State Department of Education and for his entry Soul Skate for Troy Vineyard Christian Fellowship.

Noriega, with the help of Walter Harris, received a Silver Addy for the poster designed for the TSU Theater production &uot;Two Rooms.&uot;

And, with the help of Cagatay Icden, Noriega received a Silver Addy for the "Godspell" poster.

"This is a big step in our program," Johnson said. "It makes it more visible and shows what our students are doing. It's a rare thing when undergraduates receive an Addy in a professional category. We take great pride in their accomplishments."

"Addys" is an international competition made up of chapters, districts and regions. The MAF is an organization made up of professionals in the advertising industry.