Three AdPR alums selected as 2013 Omnicom/Grady Fellows

Congratulations to Allison Moder, Cari Buchwald, and Jennifer Linke, three Spring 2013 Public Relations graduates from UGA, for being chosen for the Omnicom/Grady Future Leaders Fellowship program. The Omnicom/Grady Future Leaders Fellowship provides an integrated marketing communications experience for AdPR graduating seniors and recent alumuni.

The six-month paid fellowship is hosted by several Atlanta Omnicom Group agencies including BBDO-Atlanta, Porter Novelli, Ketchum and Fleishman-Hillard. In addition to agency work in advertising and public relations, fellows will be mentored by a representative from a third marketing services firm such as Bernard Hodes Group, OMD, GO! Productions, Nancy Bailey & Associates and Changing Our World, Inc. Fellows spend three months at BBDO and three months at one of the leading public relations agencies. The program is designed to foster cross-disciplinary leaders who understand the full spectrum of marketing communication.

Moder will begin her fellowship at Porter Novelli, Buckwald will be at Ketchum, and Linke will begin at BBDO. The fellows will begin the program in early June.

Allison Moder

"I am so honored to be chosen to participate in the Omnicom Fellowship.  It will not only allow me to jump right into the Public Relations and Advertising world, but also I get to do so under a holistic model.  The Fellowship is designed to provide its interns with a well rounded experience.  Nothing is compartmentalized or separated in the PR world, and this opportunity will give me the chance to see and experience this first hand while learning how best to serve in this industry." (Allison Moder)

Cari Buchwald

"I feel incredibly honored to be selected for the Omnicom Fellowship. The past four years have provided me with invaluable public relations skills and experiences, and I am very excited to represent Grady College at Ketchum and BBDO. Through this fellowship, I am looking forward to learning the role of integrated marketing communications in both the public relations and advertising fields. Ketchum has created some of the best public relations campaigns for its renowned clients and I can't wait to learn more about this exciting industry." (Cari Buchwald)

Jennifer Marie Linke

“I am extremely excited to be a fellow for the Omnicom Fellowship and to have the opportunity to work with BBDO and Porter Novelli. This type of opportunity is very rare. Since the fellowship is exclusive to Grady (and we all know how intense Grady kids can be), I feel honored to be chosen from so many amazing fellow Grady students. I expect to gain a very dynamic and hands-on experience from this fellowship. The fellowship was designed to provide a more well-rounded understanding about both the public relations and advertising industries. I expect to be able to see the industries from various angles to truly understand how communications is interconnected. Grady constantly teaches us about integrated marketing communications, with the fellowship, I will be able to experience this on a first-hand basis" (Jennifer Marie Linke)

AdPR Alumni Spotlight: Rebecca Hoerner

Rebecca Hoerner

Rebecca Hoerner, an advertising major and participant in the New Media certificate, is from Newnan. She graduated in Spring 2013.

What encouraged you to apply to Grady College?  

I toured UGA as a junior in high school and fell in love with the campus; I saw myself doing well at UGA. I was pretty set on getting into the Advertising program because Grady is one of the top Communications colleges in the country. I knew a degree from Grady would offer me a diverse range of opportunities.  

What activities are you involved in at Grady/UGA/Athens?

I am currently the VP of Educational Programming for AdClub, the Webmaster for University Union Student Programming Board, and Account Executive of the Olivia Anne Hellwig Foundation through Talking Dog. I just finished up an exclusive project with six of my lovely Grady peers for PHD NY on Millennial insights and media habits. In Athens, I volunteer with the Athens Area Humane Society and HandsOn Northeast Georgia.

What kinds of internships have you been involved in, and what were your responsibilities?

Last summer I interned at Amsterdam Worldwide in The Netherlands as an Account Management Intern. I assisted in the launch of the social music application, NightTag, for Istanbul, Turkey. I conducted competitive research for current clients and new business pitches and assisted with organizing presentations for client meetings and internal projects such as Scalpel (Pernod Ricard). I was also responsible for gathering media/PR clippings to show campaign progress to clients

What were the best parts of your internship experiences?

Amsterdam Worldwide is in Amsterdam-Centrum, so I had an amazing time exploring every day after work. The agency is international, so I was surrounded by so many amazing people from different countries and definitely learned a lot about different cultures and languages. I was a part of so much interesting work and I got to learn a lot about the clients and specific markets and aid anyone in the agency with insights and research. The agency also had a garden out back, so we would have drinks in the garden (on a pretty regular basis) to celebrate new client pitches and just as a break from working so hard.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) will you always remember?

I love AdClub and will always remember it as a weekly gathering of my favorite ad nerds. I think the PHD project will stick with me forever because it was a 6-month project and I was able to work closely with Dr. King and 6 brilliant Grady students. I will always remember Dr. Reichert because he fostered the relationship with Amsterdam Worldwide, accompanied our PHD group to New York, and encouraged me in a lot of my Grady endeavors.  

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing an Ad/PR program?

I would say go for it because I think the AdPR department has the most encouraging and intelligent faculty and offers an incredible range of opportunities for its students. Grady AdPR definitely takes care of students who are willing to work hard. I personally think Grady AdPR is the best program at UGA, especially for someone who wants a challenge and is willing to seize opportunities.  

What are your career goals and interests?

I am very interested in Strategy (digital and traditional), Account Planning and Account Management positions and I am looking at New York City as well as internationally for job opportunities.  In my career, my goal is to work in international markets and I am excited to see where life takes me.

AdPR doctoral students win UGA Outstanding Teaching awards

From left, Adam Avant, Kyongseok 'Kay' Kim, Nadine Billgen and Mark Lashley

Congratulations to Grady College doctoral students Adam Avant, Kyongseok “Kay” Kim, Nadine Billgen and Mark Lashley who were recently recognized by UGA’s Center for Teaching and Learning for this year's Outstanding Teaching Assistant award. Avant, Kim and Billgen are teaching assistants in the AdPR Department, and Lashley is teaching assistant in Telecommunications.

As teachers, Avant taught advertising and communication management, advertising and society, and served as an adviser for advertising campaigns. Kim taught advertising research and media planning, and Billgen taught PR administration and PR Research.

"These three students were recognized by UGA as some of the best doctoral students at the university," said Tom Reichert, AdPR Department Head. "Their teaching evaluations are consistently high and students remark that these instructors are doing an excellent job. I especially appreciate their versatility and top-notch teaching while pursuing their doctoral degrees."

All students have previous work experience. Before attending UGA, Avant was a TV news writer, producer, and an advertising account executive. Kim worked for an advertising agency and a film company before coming to the U.S. Billgen worked as PR manager for internal communication at Faber-Castell in Germany.

When asked what makes them a great TA, the three doctoral students said that they enjoy teaching and providing undergraduates with materials within students' interest zone, and integrating practical examples into classroom activities.

“Having just come out of a career in the field they are going into, I try to think about what can I do that is going to help them. I try to bring in more practical examples, more guests speakers, or simulations.” (Billgen)

“One thing that helps us become better teachers is the support we get. That back and forth and community we have among the graduate students who are teaching is really valuable.” (Avant)

“In my course evaluations, I’m always told by my students that my class is very well organized. Every class I try to show a big picture of the class and remind students where they are so they can coordinate the learning effort by themselves and have a sense of learning. Students can benefit from the teacher, but the teacher can benefit more from the students.” (Kim)

AdPR Professors attend Digital Media Summit

Dr. Kim, Dr. King, and Dr. Meng at the Digital Media Summit 2013

Drs. Joo Young Kim, Karen Whitehill King and Juan Meng, AdPR professors, attended the Digital Media Summit 2013, held May 14-15, in Atlanta. The event is billed as the largest digital marketing and strategies summit in the Southeast, with over 1500 attendees, and over 100 speakers from leading brands talking about social media, customer engagement, content strategy, mobile marketing and apps, among other topics.

According to Dr. Kim, the two-day event was a “great experience... no question about it. Of many sessions I attended, Brian Wong's (founder and CEO of Kiip) speech on reaching consumers during ‘happiness moments’ on their phones offered a good deal of useful insights for my ad campaigns course.”

The AdPR professors will be using the information gleaned at the summit to enhance their digital/social research and infuse what they learned into the classroom.

PR Major Kaitlin Miller speaks at UGA Spring Commencement

Kaitlin Miller

Kaitlin Miller was chosen the student speaker for the 2013 Spring undergraduate commencement exercise, held on May 10, inside Sanford Stadium. Originally from Stone Mountain, GA, Miller received triple bachelor’s degrees in Public Relations, Economics, and International Affairs. 

While at UGA, Miller was an honor student through Charter Scholar and worked for the Student Government Association since she was a freshman board member. She became vice-president of the association in Spring 2011, and worked with the executive team to maintain and direct the two-hundred member body, as well as chairing the organization’s sixty-five member senate, and representing the student body in a host of university meetings and committees. After graduation, Miller will be in Nashville, Tennessee with LifeWay Christian Resources, writing and editing for the Discipleship Team and division of Church Resources.

“I am most grateful for the opportunity to speak at our commencement because I had so many people to thank, and so many lessons and encouragements to share that continue to challenge me each day. I hope the speech had left all of us feeling brave, and believing that the best thing we can do with our lives is to lay it down for people and things far greater than ourselves. This university has inspired me to live that life over the last four years, and I know the example set for me by my mentors, professors, friends, family and Savior Jesus will continue to do so long after we leave.”

AdPR Alumni Spotlight - Ashley Stockett Hurst ('06)

Ashley Stockett Hurst currently works in Global Business Development as an Account Director for Social@Ogilvy.

What was your major and when did you graduate? I graduated Magna Cum Laude with Honors in May ‘06 with an ABJ in Public Relations.

 What activities were you involved while in Grady/UGA? Just before starting at UGA, I met Dr. Betty Jones and she encouraged me to join PRSSA when I arrived on campus – so I did…and it was one of the best -- if not THE best -- decision of my college career. Throughout my four years I held multiple positions on the Executive Board, participated in and eventually lead Creative Consultants, and spearheaded PRofessional Connection (formerly PR Day). I was also part of the inaugural class of Grady Ambassadors with a phenomenal group of fellow classmates. 

What are you doing now and how did you get there?  I’m currently the Director of Global Business Development for Social@Ogilvy. My career began in traditional PR, but as the industry landscape has evolved immensely in the last seven or eight years, so has my career path. My role – like many others in digital or integrated communications today – tends to blend many elements of PR, marketing and advertising. 

What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?) When you work in business development, no two days are ever the same. I’m frequently traveling to meet with different agencies within Ogilvy to expand our current business and grow our client roster, creating proposals and presentations, leading account team trainings, and leading or participating in new business pitches – both across the US and internationally. When I’m not focused on business development, I’m leading social media strategy and account management for some of our key global clients – British Airways, Nestle and others. It’s busy, but that’s the way I like it! Work hard, play hard … especially in NYC. 

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? PRSSA not only opened doors for me to network with alums and industry leaders and have access to many different internships that helped me ultimately choose a career path, but Dr. Betty Jones became a mentor to me in more ways than I can count, and I’m forever grateful for her guidance and friendship. But the curriculum, professors and many of my classmates all impacted my career in different ways, and I’m proud to be a part of such a dynamic community. 

What is your favorite Grady memory? My favorite? I don’t think I can pick one! There were just too many…but PRSSA exec board dinners at Dr. Jones’ house, hosting the Robert Osborne Film Fest with the Grady Ambassadors, being a part of (what I consider to be) the best Bateman team, and my internship with Twilight – for which a Grady contact introduced/recommended me and through which I ultimately met my husband – would certainly be at the top of the list! 

What advice do you have for current AdPR students? 
1) Network –- with everyone you can. Classmates, alums, PRSSA/Ad Club speakers, people you meet at industry events … all of them. You never know where you’ll want to go or how your paths may cross down the road, and the more connections you have, the more options you’ll have. Lend a hand when you can, and the favors will come back to you tenfold. 2) Internships – not only do they give you much-needed experience, but they also help you figure out where you’d ultimately like to end up. Try agency life, try non-profit communications, try event-planning…whatever it is, the more you do, the more you learn about your skill set, your interests and where your passions lie. And the earlier you start (it’s never too early, by the way), the more time you have to test-drive career paths. 3) Leadership roles – it’s great to be a member of organizations – especially PRSSA and Ad Club – but the cliché is true: you get out of it what you put into it. You don’t have to be president, but having a leadership role in any organization will help you achieve my first two points with more ease – and it’s certainly noticed among employers/recruiters.

New faculty spotlight: Nate Evans

Nate Evans

Nate Evans, a doctoral candidate in the School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, will be joining the Grady faculty this fall as an assistant professor of advertising.

What classes (if any) are you teaching this year? I am currently teaching an Advertising Principles class at the University of Tennessee and am scheduled to teach Advertising and Society at UGA in the fall. 

Past academic positions/awards: My past academic positions have been teaching assistant/teaching associate/ and instructor of record. Here are the awards I have received:
- AAA Doctoral Dissertation Grant Competition: Funded by the American Academy of Advertising (AAA) 
- Top Student Paper: Advertising Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)

- Kappa Tau Alpha Research Award: Best Student Paper, Advertising Division (AEJMC)

- Competitive Student Travel Grant Award: Funded by AEJMC

- ESPN's Research Funding Award

What are your research interests and why?  My program of research focuses on the theoretical and policy implications of interactive and embedded advertising formats. Specifically, my research concentrates on three main areas: 1) parents and children's advergames, including parents' perceptions, understanding, attitudes, and persuasion recognition in children's advergaming formats; 2) social media, in-game advertising (IGA), and massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), which include applications of interpersonal communication theory, schema theory, and associative learning; and 3) larger societal and macro-focused implications of advertising communication, including an emphasis on children's international online advertising regulation.  

Are there any projects/publications you're working on that you can share a little about at this time? I was recently working on a piece that will be published in the next issue of the Journal of Advertising. This article examined parents attitudes and perceptions of children's advergaming using Parental Socialization theory. Co-Authors were Dr. Les Carlson (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) and Dr. Mariea Grubbs Hoy (University of Tennessee). Currently I am working on my dissertation, which tests the influence of advertising disclosures and cognitive load on parents' ability to recognize children's advergames as advertising. In addition to my dissertation I am also working on other manuscripts that focus on a re-conceptualization of the persuasion knowledge model, children's international online advertising regulation, and have future plans to study branded apps for children on tablets and mobile devices.  

 What are you most looking forward to while you're at Grady/UGA? Perhaps what I am most looking forward to at Grady is working along side some of the most productive and prolific scholars in the field advertising scholarship. I am also looking forward to working with, what I understand to be, some of the most motivated and gifted graduate students. Furthermore, my fiance Taylor Krcek and I recently purchased a house outside Athens in Danielsville. We are excited to begin our lives together as UGA Bulldogs (Formerly I was a Vol and she a Buckeye). 

AdPR student spotlight: Rance Nix

Rance Nix

Rance Nix, a junior studying advertising and music business, is from Atlanta. 

What encouraged you to apply to Grady College? Initially I wanted to be a marketing major with the Terry College of business. However, after reflecting on what I was truly passionate about I decided to apply to Grady College. Now, as an advertising major I am loving all of my classes and I am learning more and more each day. 

What activities are you involved in at Grady/UGA/Athens? Here at UGA I am an SGA Senator and Student Representative on the University Council. Both positions have been great opportunities to articulate the views and opinions of the student body and to improve the student experience here at the University of Georgia. I also emcee numerous events on campus for Greek organizations, UGA H.E.R.O.s, and Shop with a Bulldawg. I love hosting and helping the organizations put on successful events. 

What kinds of internships have you been involved in, and what were your responsibilities? I have not had any internship experience yet. However, I was offered an internship with BBDO Atlanta for this summer. I will be working in the Account Management department and I am really excited to work with one of the best ad agencies in the world.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your internship or work experiences? My classes and professors have been extremely helpful as I start my post-college career. All of my advertising classes and Grady College electives are equipping me with the right knowledge and skills to do well outside of school. Moreover, my professors have not only been teachers, but also amazing mentors.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing an Ad/PR program? If one of the Ad/PR programs is something that you want to pursue, do it! From my introductory classes to my major classes, I've loved it.

What are your career goals and interests?  After I graduate next May I hope to work in advertising. I would also like to be an actor. I enjoy being on stage hosting events and making videos for my friends and fellow students to enjoy. I hope that eventually I can reach an even bigger audience on television or in movies. Either way, whether through advertising or acting, I want to be a positive influence and inspiration to every person that encounters me. 

Alumni Spotlight: Arielle D'Avanzo (ABJ '12)

Arielle D'Avanzo

 Arielle D'Avanzo, a 2012 graduate who majored in public relations and minored in Spanish, is originally from Atlanta. 

 What are you doing now and how did you get there? I'm working at Edelman in Washington, D.C. as an assistant account executive on the Food & Nutrition Team. Knowing that Edelman would provide me with the best experience and training in my field, I applied for the summer internship program prior to graduation. I interviewed for the position and was hired to start in June 2012 on the Food & Nutrition Team. Edelman's internship program is a little different from other companies in that if you're doing an exceptional job after three months, you may have the option to extend your internship for an additional three months. So, after three months of interning I was extended, and then a month later I was hired as a full-time employee on my team. I have been an AAE on the team for about six months now. 


 What activities were you involved while in Grady/UGA? 
- Active member of PRSSA. I served on a variety of PRSSA committees (Service & Outreach Committee; Publications Committee; Publicity Committee; Mentoring Committee)
- I was involved in Creative Consultants for three years serving as a member (for YogaSprouts), assistant account executive (for Porter Novelli's pro-bono client, The Jack& Jill Late-Stage Cancer Foundation) and account executive (for the UGA Women's Ultimate Team)
- I took part in the UGA Agency Tour in D.C.
- Intern with the Grady College Communications/External Relations Team my last year in school.
- Tutor at Chase Street Elementary School.
- Member of the Golden Key International Honor Society.
- Member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.


 What is your day-to-day like at your job? (Any interesting projects that you can share with us?) Because I work on a variety of different accounts, my day is never the same and constantly shifting! But that's quite typical in an agency setting. Some days are devoted to primarily one client, while on other days I can be working on as many as four or five accounts. This work could include media pitching, developing materials such as a press release, talking points and scripts, coordinating logistics for upcoming events, staffing events and compiling media coverage reports. 

    One thing that always remains the same though is reading the day’s news. I usually spend at least 30 minutes of my day—no matter how busy—reading through clips so that I'm fully knowledgeable about what is going on in the F&N world. Also, Edelman does a wonderful job at providing learning and growth opportunities within the company. So, during any given week I may take part in a diversity training or an Excel how-to course. There are so many opportunities for growth here. 

   One client I work on is Walmart and its Healthier Food Initiative. In February of this year we held an event at a store in Springfield, Mo. to celebrate the progress Walmart has achieved in making healthy foods more affordable in just three years. What’s more, the First Lady Michelle Obama was interested in celebrating that progress in conjunction with the third anniversary of her Let’s Move! campaign. I worked alongside the Edelman team to manage store event logistics and optics, both in advance and on-site, draft and revise podium remarks, Q&A, fact sheets, talking points for influencer and media calls, and more. It was an incredible experience! 

 What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? All of it! Grady set me up for success. Between Campaigns, Research, Graphic Design classes, I built a strong foundation to start my PR career and am so appreciative of the learning and support I received from the college. Not to mention the staff and professors provided such positive and valuable direction. 

 What is your favorite Grady memory? In addition to attending the UGA Agency Tour in Washington, D.C., I also really enjoyed ADPRConnection, a networking event with companies from all over Georgia. The event was planned and created by Grady students. I served on the Social Media Committee for this event so it was neat to have both a behind-the-scenes perspective, and then actually get the chance to network with companies and organizations of interest to me. In addition to this, I had so many great memories interning for the Grady College. One that stands out is getting to plan and attend the Grady Alumni Gala, where I was able to meet distinguished graduates from Grady. 

I built a strong foundation to start my PR career and am so appreciative of the learning and support I received from the college. 

 What advice do you have for current AdPR students? I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but the value of networking is crucial in this industry. I attended the UGA Agency Tour when I was in school, and that's where I met someone from the F&N Team at Edelman, who ended up actually interviewing me for the position. Also, when you meet professionals in the field try to send a personal, hand-written thank-you card or note. You’d be surprised how few students actually take time to write these and how much they are appreciated—and noticed. And don't be shy about following up. I know when you don't hear back from someone you might think they're just not interested, but often times they're just super busy, so be sure to diligently and politely follow up. And be tenacious! You want to try your best to be memorable and stand out. 

     While in school, try and get as much writing experience—of all different forms—as possible. Whether it's writing an email to a client, developing a pitch for a reporter, creating a webinar script or speech, or providing analysis on a particular subject, excellent writing is essential in our world. And it's not always about learning one particular writing style. You may be called on to write web copy, social media content, brochures, speeches, briefing documents and client memos, so keep learning and expanding your writing skills and experiences. And of course, AP writing style is still very important in our business, also.