Five receive Robert C. Jeffrey award

Five people will be recognized by the College of Communication with the Robert C. Jeffrey Benefactor Award for their contributions of time, labor and philanthropy. Gene Burd, associate professor in School of Journalism, is being honored for his more than 35 years of teaching and his national leadership in urban journalism. Patricia Ohlendorf, vice president for legal affairs at the university, is being recognized for her ongoing support of the University of Texas Film Institute, which provides training on independent feature films. Joe Phillips, president and CEO of Tex-Best Travel Centers, Inc., is being recognized for establishing the Griffin Singer Endowed Professorship in Journalism, which enhances the School of Journalism’s undergraduate reporting and editing curriculum by bringing a seasoned newspaper professional onto the faculty. Theodore H. “Ted” Strauss, advisory board chairman for the Dallas Region of Texas Regional Bancshares, Inc., is being honored for his support of the Annette Strauss Institute, which works to combat political cynicism and disaffection in the United States. Judith Zaffirini, a two-time graduate of the College of Communication, is being honored for her tireless support of higher education in Texas and her success as a communication professional. The Jeffrey awards were presented at a Friends-of-the-College dinner on Oct. 11, at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center on the university.