AdPR Faculty Spotlight: Kaye Sweetser

Kaye Sweetser

Dr. Kaye Sweetser is an associate professor of public relations in Grady College. She has served as an adviser for UGA PRSSA's Bateman Case Study Competition, and her 2010 team of students won the national championship and PRSA's Silver Anvil. In addition, she is a former Lilly Teaching Fellow and a Russell Award winner. Dr. Sweetser is also a commissioned public affairs officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

What drew you to become a professor at Grady College? The reputation of Grady College and the quality of the faculty attracted me to UGA. The bright and dedicated students here have captivated me. And the true family-like atmosphere across the entire college has made this my home.

What kinds of classes have you taught, and what have been your favorite ones to teach? Teaching research methods is my favorite class. I love sharing the topic with students and seeing that intellectual transformation that occurs as they transition into real, critically thinking scholars.

What is your research focus? (Any projects you can share with us at this time?) I look at how social media is used in various contexts, be it in a PR campaign or a political campaign. My research of late has really focused on the relationship between an organization and its publics. This election season has also brought new inspiration for my political public relations work.

What are you most looking forward to this semester? End of semester presentations are my favorite class days of the semester because you really get to sit back and marvel at not only how far the students have come, but the real quality of their work and the obvious excitement they have for their projects. I love both my own students' presentations but also enjoy dropping in on other professors' student presentations because it great to see what former students have done outside my classes. The last day of the semester is always my happiest because I end up busting at seams with pride for what the Grady student has accomplished in 16 weeks.

What do you like to do in your spare time? I am an exercise fanatic. I box several times a week at a local boxing gym, run and love trying new exercise videos like Insanity or kettlebell. I ran my first half marathon ever this semester and am looking forward to improving my time at the Vegas half marathon in December. I also love spending time sailing, as well as being with my beau & my sweet yorkie, Ali.

What do you love about UGA/Athens area? What is not to love? Athens is vibrant, and Grady College is the most stimulating intellectual home a scholar could hope for!

What advice would you give to your students? Never settle. Effort does not equal quality. Write thank you notes. Push yourself to be the best in everything. Spell check. Never check a bag.

Recent Alum Spotlight: Molly McFerran

Molly McFerran graduated from UGA in 2007 with degrees in Public Relations and Spanish and is now living in Atlanta.

What are you doing now?

I am currently working at The Reynolds Group, a boutique public relations and marketing firm based in Atlanta and Charleston, S.C., that specializes in the restaurant, hospitality, and lifestyle industries and represents clients across the Southeast.

What is your favorite Grady memory?

Being on the Bateman team and winning first place at the national competition my senior year.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students?

My best advice would be to apply for and have as many internships as you can. As you get further along in your college career and have more flexibility with class scheduling, try to have classes all on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday so you can have completely open days for internships. Try to intern in different situations to see what you like best and where you can use your talents — in-house at a non-profit, small agency, large agency, communications department of a large company, etc. Be sure to intern in different industries, too, from fashion and hospitality to technology and healthcare. You don't know what you like, or don't like, until you have different experiences. When you are an intern, take initiative and go above and beyond what is asked of you. Try to be as proactive as possible, taking the extra step to present multiple solutions to a problem or question if one isn't crystal clear. Think outside of the box and be creative. Also, be resourceful! There are so many opportunities to find the right answer or look for examples; it's okay to ask questions, but it's always nice when an intern demonstrates that he or she has exhausted all other options before asking.

Learn how to manage your time. So much about PR is prioritizing tasks and then re-prioritizing them when something else, often unexpected, develops. You constantly have to juggle projects at work, and also juggle work and your personal life, so it's best to work on your time management skills while in college so you are more prepared after graduation.