Media College News

Chad Hyett, vice president of Porter Novelli public relations firm in New York and an SOJ alumnus, will visit Senior Lecturer Chuck Harmon’s capstone course to meet with students on Thursday, Oct. 17. Students in Harmon’s class have been working in teams of four to create campaigns for the non-profit Family Reach Foundation. Each team will present a fully developed marketing campaign, and Hyett will implement the winning campaign at the Family Reach Foundation. A number of important guests will be attending the presentations, including three members of the World Bank.

There is still time to register for a one-day training event on news-related law, which will be held in the School of Journalism next Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Experts will present four workshops on important topics—libel, privacy, access to government and online legal issues. Cost is minimal: $15 for all four workshops, including lunch and continental breakfast. WVU students and members of the West Virginia Press Association receive a $5 discount. The one-day training event is meant for anyone who works with news (broadcast, print or online) or plans to do so. Bloggers, tweeters and website operators are welcome.

The event is cosponsored by the West Virginia Press Association, WVU’s School of Law and WVU’s School of Journalism. For more information or to register, visit wvpress.org. Attendance is limited, so register today.

Secure US is West Virginia’s leading security and life safety provider. Founded in 1992, its company-owned, UL certified monitoring center in Morgantown provides both residential and commercial services, including security and fire monitoring, access control, CCTV, camera systems, presentation audio/video, and more. The company also performs inspections of fire and sprinkler systems, and testing for backflow and sensitivity. Secure US is proud to be a Honeywell Authorized Security Dealer and Notifier distributor for the state of West Virginia. It has been ranked as one of SDM’s Top 100 security companies for three of the last seven years.

We are currently seeking a confident, self-motivated individual to oversee all facets of our marketing and retention initiatives. The ideal candidate will be a creative thinker with strict attention to detail. Marketing & Retention Coordinator responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

On Monday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. in Martin Hall Room 205, Alan VanderMolen, vice chairman of the DJE holdings group of Edelman, will speak to the WVU Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and other SOJ students about the personal and professional characteristics that are needed to get hired and thrive in the public relations industry.

A question and answer session will follow.

Here is an excellent opportunity for a U.S. citizen of Arab heritage. The Jack G. Shaheen 2014 Mass Communications Scholarship, worth $1,000, will be awarded to the winner of an essay contest.

Eligibility: College students who are juniors, seniors or in graduate school in the 2014-2015 academic year majoring in journalism, radio, television, and or/film.

Now is the time for you to start seriously preparing for summer internships, and the most common question asked by students is “where do I start?”

Five of your classmates, all of whom won high-value large-market internships, have agreed to share the secrets of their success with you.

Jennifer Knight, a surgeon for the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, works in a profession where women continue to be a significant minority. But she recently discovered a source of support, mentoring and career development right here on campus.

In the Initiative, she became a part of a small group, or pod as it’s known, to discuss leadership challenges, learn from mentors and chart her own journey through leadership. The Initiative is unique in higher education in that it’s homegrown and responds directly to WVU’s needs. Last year, it was one of a few dozen programs nationwide.

Once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer. West Virginia University graduates never truly leave their alma mater. Many continue their pride and commitment by showing that gold and blue spirit by volunteering in their communities or local chapters. Some serve on committees that enhance the goals of WVU.

During WVU’s 2013 Homecoming celebration (Oct. 18-19), five dedicated alumni who always “carry” the Flying WV with them, no matter where they go, will be recognized for their commitment to WVU. Brian Baldasare, Mark Furfari, Mike Fulton, DJ Gibson, and Betty Puskar are the recipients of the WVU Alumni Association Chapter/Service Awards. The awards, which recognize the outstanding service and volunteer support to their alma mater, as well as the communities in which they live, will be presented during halftime of the WVU-Texas Tech game on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Rachel Haring (BSJ, 2010) recently returned to the SOJ to share career advice with Dr. Martinelli’s Strategic Communications 421 class. Haring shared her career experience since leaving the school and offered tips for success in the PR industry.

Since graduation, Haring has worked as a public affairs specialist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, as a communications representative at Bayer Corporation in Pittsburgh and most recently as a client executive at Burson Marsteller in Pittsburgh. In addition, she earned her master’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Point Park.

The College of Law at WVU is seeking to hire a Public Relations Specialist (34) for Marketing and Communications. The selected candidate will be responsible for helping to identify, shape, and manage the development of high-quality content for the College’s news, recruiting, and fundraising efforts, including press releases, social media, collateral publications, and associated websites. This position will work collaboratively to help create communications strategies and messaging, develop copy, and provide communications counsel to faculty and administrators.

Successful candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or a related field; two years’ experience in communications or public relations or an equivalent combination of education and experience; interviewing, writing, and editing experience; and must have experience using web and desktop publishing software.