WHAT'S HAPPENING IN UA'S PR PROGRAM

Some highlights of the 2006-2007 academic year in the PR program at the University of Alabama included:

Ann Barkelew, senior counselor for Fleishman-Hillard and recipient of the Arthur W. Page Distinguished Service Award, presented the Koten Distinguished Lecture in Public Relations in October 2006. Barkelew addressed the responsibilities and dimensions of leadership in the field.

Nine public relations students designed, wrote and produced Platform, the first online magazine targeted to public relations students, educators and professionals nationally.

Chase Long, public relations major, was awarded an internship at the Public Relations Society of America in New York City.

PR faculty member Dr. Karla Gower was awarded the Behringer Distinguished Professorship in the College. Dr. Bruce Berger was named Outstanding Educator of 2006 by the Public Relations Society of America. Dr. I-Huei Cheng was awarded research grants by the Arthur W. Page Center and the Plank Center.

127 students completed a B.A. in public relations, and 20 earned an M.A. degree in the combined PR and advertising graduate program.

PR students completed campaigns for the K-12 Pre-School Initiative in Tuscaloosa, the European Coffee Shop and Bakery, the Huntsville Public Housing Authority, the Alabama State Board of Education and the College of Communication & Information Sciences, among others.

During the year, APR tenure-track faculty produced 26 refereed journal articles, books and book chapters, and presented 23 refereed conference papers. Two studies during the year indicated that advertising research productivity at UA ranked third nationally (1995-2005), while PR research productivity ranked fifth nationally in the 2000-2005 period.

Highlights for the 2005-2006 academic year included:

120 students completed a B.A. in public relations, and 19 earned an M.A. degree in the combined public relations and advertising graduate program.
John Reed, Chairman of Consultants in Public Relations, and a pioneer and leading expert in international public relations, delivered the Koten Distinguished Lecture in Public Relations in November 2005. Reed discussed international public relations.
PR students completed campaigns for Habitat for Humanity, the UA Creative Campus Initiative, Birmingham Public Library, Child Abuse Prevention Services, Teacher’s Credit Union, and Alabama Public Television, among others.
PR faculty members Dr. Karla Gower and Dr. Bruce Berger received, respectively, the Board of Visitors Excellence in Teaching Award and the Knox Hagood Outstanding Faculty Award in the College of Communication & Information Sciences.

Faculty in the APR Department published 13 refereed journal articles, two books, and seven book chapters, and delivered 28 conference papers.