AdPR M.A. Alumni Spotlight: Phillip Fain

Phillip Fain

Phillip Fain, a 2011 M.A. graduate, is originally from Stone Mountain and Decatur, Georgia. In November, he will be relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area to work for Google.

What was your concentration and when did you graduate? Where did you do your undergraduate work, and what was your major? I obtained my Masters of Arts in Journalism and Mass Comm. with an advertising concentration. I received my Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.

What activities were you involved while in Grady/UGA? I was a proud member of Graduate and Professional Scholars (G.A.P.S.) and Black Male Leadership Society (B.M.L.S). However, I'd say my miscellaneous volunteering and mentoring opportunities were most the most memorable and rewarding. I've always placed more value in being involved with random projects regardless of affiliation as being more important than simply paying membership dues to multiple organizations to claim membership.

What are you doing now and how did you get there? What are your career plans? I graduated in December 2011 and I've been working at EricMower & Associates. I've gained a lot of great experience working on the GE account as an Assistant Account Executive. I recently accepted an offer to work for Google as part of their advertising services team starting in mid-November.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your career today? Grady is the reason I am where I am today. The faculty and staff at Grady genuinely cared about my growth and potential, and always went above and beyond to help me succeed. Very few people know that I originally thought I was going to have to join the military so I could afford to pay for grad school. I have the utmost respect and admiration for our troops, but that's not the life I dreamed of for myself. I wanted to work in the wonderful world of advertising. Fortunately, Mrs.Debbie Sickles encouraged me to obtain an assistantship opportunity working as a graduate/research assistant. Subsequently, Dr. Karen King and Dr. Elli Roushanzamir have written amazing letters of recommendation that have helped me get advertising positions in Manhattan, Atlanta and San Francisco.

What is your favorite Grady memory? My favorite memory was the Grad Caucus Tailgate we had before the 2011 UGA vs. Auburn game on the Grady lawn. Dr. Springston playing the guitar, Dr. Reichert playing baseball with his kids, Mrs. Debbie's signature dishes on the picnic table ... ah, good times.

What advice do you have for current AdPR students? Sleep is overrated — nap less and do more. Even though you're a college student, treat Monday through Friday like a 9-5 job. Stay on campus all day and get work done even if you don't have class. You'll be amazed how much more productive your days are, and how much more epic your weekends become.

Graduate student spotlight: Stephanie Stevens

Stephanie Stevens

Stephanie Stevens is a second-year master's student with a concentration in advertising. She is originally from Ponchatoula, Louisiana.

Where did you do your undergraduate work? Louisiana State University.

What helped you decide to choose Grady's AdPR program for your master's degree? I really didn't know much about different programs when I decided to apply to graduate school, so I spent a lot of time online just looking at schools. Grady came up a lot, along with all the great research that was going on here. Then one of my undergraduate professors encouraged me to apply. Having family nearby in Atlanta sealed the deal for me.

What are your areas of interest for research or for a future career path, and why? My undergraduate degrees are in Mass Communication and Sociology, so my research interests lie in the intersection of those areas. Specifically, I'm interested in electronic and traditional word-of-mouth for entertainment goods like books, movies, and music.

What kinds of activities (work, internships, etc.) have you been involved in during your graduate experience? I work as a teaching assistant in the Telecommunications department, so I've gotten to meet and work with some great faculty members there. It's also given me the chance to meet some of the smart and talented undergrads in Grady. This summer I'm doing a public relations internship with a small business here in Athens, a yoga company called Yoga Sprouts, which has been a lot of fun.

What part of your Grady experience (classes, professors, etc.) has been helpful in your graduate program? The best thing for me has been being surrounded by such amazing people every day. I was a little nervous about not knowing anyone when I first got here, but both my professors and classmates have made Grady a second home. Now I know I always have people to go to for advice, whether it's about class or the ad industry or where to grab a bite to eat. That's a good feeling.

What's been your favorite part about living in Athens? I love that Athenians really embrace everything local, from food to music. It makes living here feel like being part of a community.

What are your career goals? I'm very interested in brand management, so my goal for after graduation is to find a job in an agency doing that.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing an Ad/PR graduate program? Ask questions! Lots of them. Something that surprised me when I was looking at grad schools was just how willing people were to answer the questions I had about everything from course requirements to parking options. Take advantage of that and learn everything you can before deciding if an AdPR program is right for you.

PR doctoral student chosen for Future Faculty Program

Out of 67 applicants, ADPR doctoral student Justin Pettigrew was chosen as one of 15 graduate students to participate in the Future Faculty Program. Offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning in conjunction with the Graduate School, the year-long program provides participants with the community and resources to gain the skills, knowledge, and experience to excel in their graduate and post-graduate careers. It will also help facilitate the transition from being a graduate student to a faculty member in higher education. Justin qualified to be part of the FFP because of his distinction as the 2010 Outstanding Teaching Assistant award recipient in the Department of Advertising & Public Relations. Congratulations, Justin, on this amazing opportunity!