Five RMU graphic design students recently earned awards during the Graphic Arts Association's annual competition, including a Best of Category award for Kathryn Skopinski for her packaging design for Whole Foods. This is the second consecutive year an RMU student has received the Best of Category award. The other four students each received a Franklin Award of Excellence for their projects: Andrew Jones for a Whole Foods shopping bag, Joshua Makar for a Benjamin Shoes shopping bag, Olivia Shingle for a Treads shopping bag, and Michael Cox for "Green," an advertisement for the Toyota Prius. All were students in RMU's Design Studio II or Advertising Design courses during the past year, both taught by associate professor Ferris Crane.

"To win this competition two years in a row is highly unusual," said Crane. "Doing so reflects the excellence of this young program and the increasingly high standards expected of the students."

Winning student work will be exhibited along with the professional work in Philadelphia in early May, followed by a cocktail party and awards dinner and ceremony. The competition is open to all graphic design students from Pennsylvania.