APRil Report
Annual Report // 2016-17 Academic Year
The APRil
Report
NSAC Team Wins 4th in Nation
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Editor’s Note
The Advertising and Public Relations program at Grand Valley State University has been a large program
for years. For evidence of that, see the data in the infographic on the adjacent page.
Nevertheless, in spite of our size and dynamic activity in experiential learning, community engagement,
student-faculty collaborations, national competitions and other achievements in and out of the classroom,
we are not often recognized for the depth, breadth and quality of our program.
That’s why we decided to do this annual report, which we hope will be the first of many. We are calling
it the APRil Report, a play on the acronym for Advertising and Public Relations and the month of April,
when the academic year ends. (This year we are later than April for a happy reason—waiting to see how
our National Student Advertising Competition team, pictured on the cover, performed at the national
finals in June).
We want to not only present the full scope of our program’s activities, but to thank and recognize the many
people who contribute to our success. These include full-time and part-time faculty, students, alumni,
internship employers, class clients, guest speakers, and many others on campus and in the community.
Enjoy reading, and please stay in touch with us all year long by following our blog and social media
accounts listed on our web site.
Dr. Tim Penning, PhD, APR
Professor
Coordinator of the Advertising and Public Relations Program
Contents
4 ---- Faculty
9 ---- Program
16 ---- Students
[email protected]
www.gvsu.edu/soc/apr
22 ---- Alumni
Editor — Dr. Tim Penning, APR, Professor and Coordinator of the Ad and PR Program
Designer— Sabrina Antcliff, Graphic Design Major, APR Minor, CEO of GrandPR
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715
students
3
affiliate faculty
5
tenure track
faculty
11
part-time
adjunct
faculty
522 majors
193 minors
Advertising and Public Relations by the Numbers
94
77 spring/
summer
47 fall
course
sections
taught in
summer, fall
and winter
semesters
191
internships
during 2017-18
school year
60
community
businesses and
organizations served
as clients in various
courses
18 out of
state
6
international
67 winter
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Faculty
Three New Tenure-Track Faculty Join APR Program in Fall of 2016
With the departure of several faculty in recent years, the Advertising and Public Relations Program added
three new tenure-track faculty in the fall of 2016. Tenure track faculty teach three courses per semester,
conduct ongoing research, and advise students and take on other service or administrative tasks.
Yasmin Gopal has her PhD from the University of Georgia, where her
dissertation was on selling in cyberspace. She has worked as an ad copywriter and free
lance writer and taught at several other universities, most recently Western University in
London, Ontario, and Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Adrienne Wallace has practiced public relations for 18 years, most recently at
834 Integrated Communications, and taught previously as an adjunct and visiting
professor at Grand Valley State University for eight years. She is ABD (all but dissertation) as she completes her PhD at Western Michigan University, where her focus
has been on public relations and public policy. She is the faculty advisor to the Public
Relations Student Society (PRSSA) and its student-run PR firm, Grand PR.
Fang (Faye) Yang received her PhD from Michigan State University and has taught
previously at the State University of New York (SUNY) Cortland. Her research interests lie in product placement, mobile advertising, social media marketing, and global
brand management. Her recent work focuses on branded entertainment’s influence
in place marketing strategy and explores the impact of movies on nation branding
and public diplomacy. Before starting her academic career, Faye worked as a communication specialist, marketing communications consultant, freelance translator, and
college English teacher.
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These three new faculty join Robin Spring and Tim Penning as tenure-track
faculty in the program.
Spring joined the faculty full-time in 2014 after having taught as an adjunct
for 10 years at GVSU and GRCC. She has 20-plus years of experience in
media and advertising, has her MS in Communications from Grand Valley
and teaches research, advertising fundamentals, copywriting and campaigns.
She is also the advisor to the Advertising Club and the National Student
Advertising Competition (NSAC) team. Her research is in the area of
advertising pedagogy and recently completed a national study of advertising/
public relations professionals on their views of Ad/PR education.
Penning also taught as an adjunct before becoming a full-time professor in
2001. He worked in journalism and public relations for 20 years including
for an international non-government organization (NGO), higher education
PR, and for a foundation. He has his PhD in Media and Information Studies
from Michigan State University. His research is in the area of PR history,
financial communications, influences on PR content, and communication
management. He teaches PR courses in fundamentals, media relations
writing, corporate communications writing, PR management, advertising
and PR ethics and law, and a graduate course in communication management.
He serves as coordinator of the Advertising and Public Relations Program.
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Affiliate Faculty
The Advertising and Public Relations Program is also well served by three affiliate
faculty. Affiliates are full-time faculty who have no research or administrative
obligation but teach five courses per semester.
Frank Blossom has an MBA from Davenport University and has worked as a
copywriter and creative director at several advertising agencies. He was awarded the
Silver Medal from the American Advertising Federation in 2010. He teaches courses in
advertising fundamentals, cases and management, copywriting, and campaigns.
Peggy Howard has an MA from the University of Notre Dame. She worked in public
relations agencies, including her own, for many years in all aspects of the field. She
teaches PR fundamentals, media relations writing, corporate communications writing,
and campaigns, and she also serves as the faculty coordinator of internships for the
Advertising and Public Relations program.
John Stipe has an MS in Communications from Grand Valley. He worked 32 years
in advertising for Booth Newspapers, the Michigan newspaper chain now known as
MLive. He teaches research, advertising fundamentals, copywriting, and advertising
cases and management.
Learn more about our faculty online at www.gvsu.edu/soc/apr under the ‘faculty’ link.
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Local Ad and PR Professionals Ad to Faculty
In addition to the full-time faculty mentioned above, the Advertising and Public Relations
program is well served by numerous professionals (many of whom are alumni) in the area
who teach one or more classes as adjunct professors. We list them here with their full-time
job titles and the courses they taught this year):
Dino Baskovic, Digital Strategy Consultant. (Technology in Advertising and Public
Relations; Fundamentals of Public Relations);
Kate Betts, Director of Communications, Rockford Construction (BS, MS, GVSU School of
Communications) (Public Relations Management and Case Studies);
Michael De Meyer, Strategic Brand Development Consultant (Public Relations Management
and Case Studies, Advertising and Public Relations Campaigns);
Beth Dornan, Content & Communication Strategist for Amway North America
(Fundamentals of Public Relations);
Chad Fopma, Freelance (BS, MS GVSU School of Communications) (Research Basics for
Advertising and Public Relations, Fundamentals of Public Relations);
Jill Hinton Wolfe, Co-Founder, Distel Wolfe Experience Design (BS GVSU School of
Communications) (Fundamentals of Public Relations, PR Case Studies and Management)
Matthew Mapes, Child Support/Custody Investigator, Ottawa County Friend of the Court
(MS GVSU School of Communications) (Sports Promotion);
Angela Peavey, Sales and Marketing Manager, Saugatuck Center for the Arts, (MS GVSU
School of Communication) (Technology in Advertising and Public Relations);
Chris Penney, Freelance, dogbyte Films, (Technology in Advertising and Public Relations);
Adam Russo, Owner, COM 616, President of West Michigan PRSA (BS Advertising and PR
from GVSU) (Fundamentals of Public Relations);
Jonathan Snedeker, Business Development Coordinator, WGVU (MS GVSU School of
Communication), (Media Planning)
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Faculty Accomplishments 2016-17
.
Tim Penning, PhD, APR
• “Nonprofit Financial Communication: Donors’ Preferred Information Types, Qualities and
Sources” is in press to be published as a chapter in the “Handbook of Investor Relations and
Financial Communications” this summer.
• “High-Performing Corporate Communications Teams: Views of Top CCOs” was presented at
the International Public Relations Research Conference in Orlando, Florida in March 2017.
• Is serving this year as the secretary to the Executive Committee of the Public Relations
Division of the Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
• Is serving this year as a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) Marketing Committee
• Is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Public Relations Research
Adrienne Wallace, ABD
• “Nights in the Light” is in press as a chapter in the book “Cases in Public Relations Strategy” to
be published this spring.
• Elected to: WMPRSA Board of Directors, GVSU Honors Faculty Council, GVSU Faculty
Facilities Planning Advisory Committee, GVSU Alumni Association Executive Board
• Appointed to: Social Media Association of Michigan Advisory Board, Michigan Apple
Association Apple Queen Judge
• Named a finalist for the West Michigan Woman Magazine Brilliance Award – Mentor Category
Faye Yang, PhD
• “Movies’ influence on Country Concept” was published in the book “Shaping International
Public Opinion: A Model for Nation Branding and Public Diplomacy”
• “Do violent movies scare away potential visitors?” was published in the International Journal
of Advertising
Robin Spring, MS
• “Liberal vs. Professional Advertising Education: A National Survey of Practitioners”: article to
be published in forthcoming issue of Journal of Professional Communication.
• Elected to: American Advertising Federation of West Michigan Board of Directors, serving
as Student Initiatives Director, Sponsorship Director and American Advertising Awards
Committee; GVSU School of Communications Faculty Development Committee
• Appointed to: Interim Coordinator for the GVSU Advertising/Public Relations major for the
School of Communications, GVSU School of Communications Technology Committee
• Named “Outstanding Advisor” at the annual Student Life Awards in April 2017 for her role as
advisor to the Student Ad Club
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Program
Ad and PR Program a Model of Student Scholarship and Community Engagement
The university encourages student achievement, high impact learning, and
community engagement. In Advertising and Public Relations, these goals
are achieved on large scale and through long tradition. We also do it in a
unique way that is specific to the fields of advertising and public relations.
Advertising and Public Relations students exhibit scholarship and
community engagement through participation in national competitions
and professionally affiliated student organizations highlighted on the
following pages in the student section. Our students conduct professional
and applied research in nearly every class. They also completed realworld advertising and public relations projects for nearly 60 organizations
in 2016-17 in various classes through our class clients program. They
completed internships at nearly 200 organizations in Michigan and
beyond. And they expanded their learning and professional networks at
our APR Speaker Series and PopUp Pedagogy programs. We celebrate
their success in our annual Superior Awards program in which their class
assignment work is judged by local professionals.
All of this ensures that students are active in scholarship and practice,
engage the community, and experience high impact learning. It’s also why
the Advertising and Public Relations program was named ‘Outstanding
GVSU Department’ at the 2016 Student Life Awards.
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APR Speakers Discuss Political Communication and International PR
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The APR Speaker Series brings in one
speaker per semester to discuss a hot topic in
advertising and public relations. In October,
WOOD TV 8 political reporter Rick Albin
spoke to students, faculty and community
members about messaging in political
campaigns. He has interviewed every president
since Gerald. R. Ford. Albin has worked in
radio and on television in five states, discussing
a variety of topics including political debates.
His experience ranges from local governments
to national politics. Albin is also the host of
the show “To the Point” that airs Sundays at 10
a.m. on WOODTV8. He pointed out specific
that messaging for both the Donald Trump
and Hilary Clinton campaigns used rhetoric
that is similar to rhetoric used in previous
presidential campaigns.
In February, Kara Alaimo, a professor of public relations at
Hofstra University and a global public relations consultant and
author of the book: “Pitch, Tweet or Engage on the Street: How to
Practice Global Public Relations and Strategic Communication”,
spoke about international public relations. Her presentation
consisted of her talking the audience through cultural clusters
around the world and how to adapt public relations messages,
strategies, and tactics to these differences. The cultural groups
included Confucian Asia, South Asia, Latin America, SubSaharan Africa, the Middle East, Anglo Europe, Latin Europe,
Germanic Europe, Nordic Europe, and Eastern Europe.
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PopUpPedagogy Engage Students With Local Professionals
In addition to the APR Speaker Series, the Advertising and Public Relations
program has occasional more intimate events in which local professionals come to talk
about specific issues in the field. In the fall, a group of professionals led a “branding
summit” to walk student through some exercises to enhance their understanding and
skills related to branding. In March, during Women’s History Month, a group of women
professionals participated in an interactive discussion about young women entering the
advertising and public relations professions.
Ad and PR Students Engages Community with Robust Class Clients Program
For years the Advertising and Public Relations program has given students handson experience or what is called “experiential learning” through its class clients program.
This is also an excellent way to engage the community and serve various businesses
and nonprofit organizations. Depending on the class, students created ads, media kits,
communication plans, and full campaigns. We thank the 59 organizations who worked
with us this past year:
Allendale Community FieldDay
American Bedding Solutions
Applied Medical Devices Institute
Bid-2-Benefit-Youth
Biker Bills Magic Money
Bostwick Lake Inn/Mangiamo
Brian Diemer Family of Races
Bricks 4 Kidz
Byron Center Historical Museum
Campus Recreation
Charlie's Canine Care
City Built Brewing
Clara Cookies
Columbian Logistics Network
Comic Signal
Community Media Center
Cosmetic Hideaways
Cosmetic Solutions
Courtyard Concerts
Energize Our World Camp
ExpertIT
Farmhouse Cider
GR Parks and Recreation Department
GR Treetops Adventure Park
Gracious Grounds
Grand Haven Chamber
Green Glove Dryer
GRFC
Growler Gallop
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GV International Center; Peace Corps Recruiting
GV Laker Tradiditons
GV Women's Center Bystander Intervention Program
GVSU History Dept
Harbor Humane Society
Heartland Builders
High Five Brewery
Honey Creek Pet Food
Honor Yourself LLC
JDRF
Lakershore Habitat for Humanity
Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity
Liberal Studies Department
Loves Ice Cream
Michigan Rag + Marushka
Moonlight Bootlegger 5K
Muskegon Home &Garden
Oddest Supply Company
OGO Initiative
Plantenga’s Cleaners
Redwater Restaurant Group
Star Crane and Hoist
Star Crane and Hoist
Study Abroad
The C.R.A.P. Store
The KREWE
The Spoke Folks
Twig Hockey Company
UICA
USS Silversides Sub and Museum
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Students Complete Internships Across State and Around the World
All Advertising and Public Relations majors are required to complete one 3-credit
internship, and many do more than one. Increasingly, students are going beyond west
Michigan and even to other countries to gain this valuable experience. More than 160
organizations had one (or more) of our students as interns this past year:
102.9 W4 Country
834 | Integrated Communications
A. K. Rikk's
Access Health
AdFed West Michigan
Aflac
Alternatives In Motion
American Realty Property Management
Aon Risk Solutions
Appropos
Auxiliary Inc.
Blue Fish Aquarium
Boyne Mountain Resort
Bridal Elegance
Celebration! Cinema
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Choice Energy Products LLC
COM 616
Commonwealth//McCann
Dean's Food (Country Fresh)
Deksia
Dialog Direct
Distel Wolfe Events, LLC
Doner
Earthwork Music Collective
Easter Seals
Elsa Leigh Designs, LLC
Enclave
Enterprise
Eric Engelbarts
Eumom marketing
eumom.ie
EverGreen Ministries
Extra Credit Projects
Family Heritage
Farm Bureau Insurance
Farmhaus Cider Co.
Five Star Real Estate/ Dolci group
For the Love of Shoes
Frontier Promotions
Funky Buddha Yoga Hothouse
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Fusion Shows
Gemini Publications
Gentex Corporation
GHSP
Governor Snyder/ State of Michigan
GR After Hours
Grand
Grand Apps
Grand City Tanning
Grand Haven Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Grand Occasions GR
Grand Rapids African American Health Institute
Grand Rapids Ballet
Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
Grand Rapids Drive
Grand Rapids Film Festival
Grand Rapids Griffins
Grand Rapids Symphony
Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University Campus Life
Greater Hopes Family Services
GRNow.com
Grotenhuis
Gunnar and the Grizzly Boys
GVSU Athletics
GVSU Campus Dining (Aramark)
GVSU CLAS Academic Advising Center
GVSU Sustainable Agriculture Project
GVSU University Communications
Harbor Industries Inc.
Health Alliance Plan
Health Plan Advocate
Helm Inc.
Herman Miller, Inc.
Hilco Fixture Finders
Holland Board of Public Works
Howies Hockey tape
IDville
Innovative Client Connections
isportsweb.com
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Jessica Ann Tyson
Johnson Center for Philanthropy - Community Research Institute
Joint Action Committee
JW Marriott
Ken Bush
Kent County Parks Foundation
Koru Village
Lambert Edwards and Associates
Larry’s RV Center
Lee & Birch
Love INC of Allendale
Main Street Pub
MapleCreek Senior Living Center
Steve LeVine Entertainment & Public Relations
Marx Layne & Company
Susan G. Komen Michigan
Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital
Talent 2025
McDaniels Insurance Agency
Teeranid Shipping Corp
mcgarrybowen
The Black Sheep
Media star promotion
The Borgen Project
Mercantile Bank of Michigan
The Buckle
Merlin Law Group
The Buntin Group
Michael Colasanti
The City of Grand Rapids Michigan
Mid-West Family Broadcasting
The Freebird Club
Modern Day Events & Floral
The Grand Rapids Children's Museum
MSX International
The Image Group
Muskegon Lumberjacks
The Salvation Army Social Services of Kent County
National Environmental Group
The Spot On Group
National Kidney Foundation of Michigan
The Talent Business
OXX Beyond Rugged
The Wyndgate Country Club
Porteen Gear
Tri-County Triad
Potomac Metals Inc.
Trio Townhomes
Provost Office-John Berry-Design Thinking Initiative True Value
Pure Visibility
Truscott Rossman
Quicken Loans
US Lawn Mower Racing Association
Rachel Dalton Communications
USA Financial
Robert Bosch LLC
Van Andel Institute
Roosevelt Park Ministries
Van Andel Institute Graduate School
Saugatuck Center for the Arts
Ver Duin's Inc.
Seamless Auto Transport
Vimax Media
Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof
Virgin Soil International
Shefit Apparel
Web Traffic Partners
SK Hand Tool
Well Design Studio
Spartan Graphics
West Michigan Therapy Dogs Inc
Spectacle Creative Media
WGHN
Springboard Marketing
WMEAC
St. Ann’s
Wolverine Worldwide
Steelcase
YMCA
Stella Event Design
Zaytoon LLC
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Superior Awards Recognize ‘Superior’ Work in Class
For five years the program has held an
awards program in the spring named The Superior Awards. The name recognizes the fact that
the Ad and PR program offices and many classes
are in Lake Superior Hall, but it also is a way to
recognize those students who do superior work
on their many class projects. The entries are
judged by area professionals and alumni, as well
as professors. We congratulate this year’s student
winners and thank the judges.
Winners of the 2017 Superior Awards were announced
at an event in the Eberhard Center.
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Judges (PR)
Organization and Job Title
Adrienne Wallace
Amanda St. Pierre
Amanda Passage
Angela Peavey
Ben Kaluski
Beth Dornan
Bradley Gordon
Chad Fopma
Chad Ghastin
Chea Jackson
Chris Penning
Clare Wade
Daltyn Terpstra
Daniel Spicer
Dave Nitkiewicz
Derek DeVries
Eleanor O'Hara
Grace Johnson
Heather Halligan
Jeremy Witt
Jessica Beswick
John Barfuss
Katherine Holloran
Leah Twilley
Megan McCarl
Roberta King
Stephanie Kotschevar
Terri Howe
Tyler Lehner
Yasmin Gopal
Assistant Professor
GR Foundation, Strategic Communications Manager
Lambert Edwards & Associates, Director
Saugatauk Center for the Arts, Marketing Manager
Freshwater Digital, Account Manager
Amway, Content and Communications Strategist
Holland Community Hospital, Marketing & Communication
GVSU, APR adjunct
CRM Lifecycle Marketing, Principal Consultant
Lambert Edwards & Associates, Director
Our Full Attention, Principal
Spectrum Health, Manager, Internal Communications
Eataly, PR Coordinator
Our Full Attention, Principal
Experience GR, Specialty Market Sales Manager
Lambert Edwards & Associates, Digital Strategist
FleishmanHillard, Assistant Account Executive
834 Design, Internal Project Design
Marketing Specialist, Hungerford Nichols
West Michigan Tourist Association, PR & Marketing Manager
Lambert Edwards & Associates, Associate
Barfuss Creative Services, President
Mercy Health, Director
Mercy Health, Communication and PR Manager
Lambert Edwards & Associates, Senior Associate
GR Foundation, Vice President, PR & Marketing
Experience Grand Rapids, Public Relations Specialist
Howe Marketing, Owner/Principal
Weber Shandwick, Assistant Account Executive
Grand Valley State University, Assistant Professor
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PR Awards
Student names (T=team)
Class Standing and Class
Single Tactic
Andrea Photiou
Senior, PR, CAP 423
PR Campaign
Sean Billisitz
Kyra O'Dell
Aaron Robert
Rebecca Thomason
Senior, PR, CAP 220
Senior, Comm Studies, CAP 220
Junior, PR, CAP 220
Senior, PR, CAP 220
PR Media Kit
Brianna Olson
Junior, PR, CAP 321
PR Case Study
Kelly Carmien
Andrea Photiou (T)
Erica Farr (T)
Molly Stepahnak (T)
Aubrey Tran (T)
Junior, PR, CAP 320
Senior, PR, CAP 320
Senior, Health Comm, CAP 320
Senior, PR, CAP 320
Senior, PR, CAP 320
Erin Stehlik
Molly Stepahnak (T)
Andrea Photiou (T)
Erica Farr (T)
Aubrey Tran (T)
Junior, PR, CAP 320
Senior, PR, CAP 320
Senior, PR, CAP 320
Senior, Health Comm, CAP 320
Senior, PR, CAP 320
Hunter Burin
Evan Clark
Shelby Darichuk
Madison Barnes
Sophomore, PR, CAP 115
Freshman, PR, CAP 115
Freshman, PR, CAP 115
Sophomore, PR, CAP 115
Ricyra Braziel
Sophomore, CAP 210 (no major selected)
Christopher Bergeron (T)
Carlos Santiago (T)
Christopher Pfahler (T)
Kaelyn Moceri (T)
Liam Carter (T)
Sophomore, Ad, CAP 210
Marissa Ensing
Kyle Hams (T)
Riley Halbrook (T)
Junior, Ad, CAP 210
Junior, Ad, CAP 210
Junior, Communications, CAP 210
Vanessa Landsdale (T)
Kayla Bucci (T)
Sophomore, PR, CAP 210
Junior, Comm Studies, CAP 210
PR APA Research Paper
Advertising Awards
Single Ad
Ad Campaign
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Students
PR Student Wins Student of the Year Award from Local PRSA Chapter
Ermoyan speaks at the WMPRSA PRoof Awards ceremony in May.
Jaclyn Ermoyan, an April 2017 graduate, was honored by the West
Michigan Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (WMPRSA) as
its Student of the Year for 2017.
While at Grand Valley, Ermoyan served as the CEO of the awardwinning, student-run public relations firm GrandPR, which is a part of
the GVSU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America
(PRSSA). In this role, she managed a team of more than 25 students and
various projects for community clients. As the CEO of GrandPR, Ermoyan
participated in the 2016 Public Relations Student Society of America’s
National Conference as a panelist and expert in student-run firm processes,
organizational structure, retention and success.
Ermoyan also went beyond the APR major to be involved in the GVSU
community. She was a co-creator of Humans of Grand Valley in 2013, which
shares Laker experiences and aims to encourage a strong sense of community
on campus. Ermoyan was also an integral part of planning the TEDxGVSU
event in February. She was the 2017 recipient of the Thomas M. Seykora
Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Campus Community.
During her time at Grand Valley, Ermoyan gained professional
experience working in University Communications, the Career Center and
University Development, and participated in the Cook Leadership Academy.
“In June Ermoyan earned the PRSSA National Gold Key Award, the highest
individual honor from this national organization
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Rachael Vruggink Named Outstanding APR
Student for 2016-17
Rachel Vruggink, an April 2017 graduate, was named
Outstanding APR Student for 2016-17. Each year,
every GVSU major program selects one student for this
prestigious recognition. Vruggink earned the award
not only with her high grade point average, but also her
active involvement outside the classroom.
She was President of the Student Advertising Club
this past year. She also was account executive on the
National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC)
team (see related story). Vruggink also had several
internships at area advertising agencies while in school.
Jaclyn Ermoyan (left) and Rachael Vruggink (right)
with their Student Life awards.
PRSSA Chapter Holds Regional Conference in Grand Rapids
The GVSU Chapter of Public Relations Society of America (PRSSA) entered
a bid to host a regional conference and was approved by the national PRSSA
office. Partnering with the PRSSA Chapter at Ferris State University and after
months of planning, they held a three-day weekend PR conference in April
that involved workshops, panels, tours and activities. Their hard work earned
them the “Outstanding Educational Program” award at the annual Student Life
Awards in April 2017. A recap of what they did is illustrated in the infographic
on the next page.
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Regional PRSSA Conference by the Numbers
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GrandPR Gives Students Practical Agency Experience
GrandPR is a nationally affiliated, student-run public relations firm
created and managed by student professionals attending Grand
Valley State University. The staff is made up of more than 20 student
professionals in various roles, bringing together previous internship,
educational, and personal experiences to produce quality work for
community clients. GrandPR commits to providing strategic public
relations counsel with innovative communication tactics from a
fresh perspective. The firm is managed and organized the same way a
traditional firm would be that utilizes Account Executives as project
managers.
This semester the firm took on various client projects, including
re-branding, logo design, social media management, content
creation, and event planning. With a genuine enthusiasm for what
they do, GrandPR produces results that enable clients to reach their
objectives by establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial
relationships.
The student professionals on staff demonstrate a passion for the
profession because they are not getting any internship credit, class
credit, nor payment. The incentive is the beneficial experience of
learning and applying new skills, and working with clients.
Clients for the 2016-17 academic year include:
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American Bedding Solutions
ANSWER Nepal
Awesome Mitten
Conference on the Americas
Grand Rapids Latin American Film
Festival
GVSU Advertising and Public Relations
Department
GVSU Anthropology Department
GVSU Honors College
Hopz Girl / Four Turtles Beauty
Humane Society of West Michigan
Kent Special Riding Program
St. Ceciila Music Center
Fall 2016 GrandPR Staff
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GVSU National Student Advertising Team Is Fourth In Nation
Grand Valley State University’s National Student Advertising
Competition (NSAC) team took first place in the American
Advertising Federation (AAF) District 6 competition on April
21st. AAF District 6 is a “mega-district” due to the large number
of collegiate teams competing from Michigan, Indiana, and
Illinois. As one of 19 district winners, the GVSU team made a
pitch via video in a second round and were selected as one of
eight teams in the U.S. to move forward to the finals at the AAF
National Convention—known as ADmerica—in New Orleans in
June. There, they placed fourth in the nation and won the award
for “Best Use of Market Research.”
The team, comprised of 19 students, crafted an advertising
campaign to meet specific objectives for national client Tai Pei
frozen foods. Assistant Professor Robin Spring, of the GVSU
Advertising and Public Relations Program, was the team’s advisor.
Students worked on the project for two semesters by conducting
research, refining strategy, producing tactics, and perfecting their
campaign plans book and 20-minute presentation.
The NSAC team assembled to celebrate their district win in South Bend before going on to national
competition in New Orleans.
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“The amount of talent on the team is incredible,”
said Addison Wittry, one of the Account Executives of
the project. “When that is paired with the hard work
and dedication we had, it was no surprise that we were
successful.”
“Our team’s diverse skill sets were the real game
changer,” said Rachael Vruggink, the team’s second Account
Executive. “We weren’t all just creatives or strategists,
but a well-rounded group from different majors and
backgrounds. This took our critical thinking, strategy, and
creative from good to great.”
This is the third time Grand Valley has placed first in
the district in the 10 years they’ve competed in the contest,
and their third time at nationals. The National Student
Advertising Competition was started in 1973 and is the
oldest and largest student advertising competition.
Grand Valley State University NSAC 2017 team
members include:
Rachael Vruggink
Account Executive,
Presentation Team
Addison Wittry
Account Executive
James Sturtridge
Creative Director, Video,
Photography
Elizabeth Konen
Research Director,
Presentation Team
Mari Behovitz
Integrated Promotions
Director
Abbie Fielding
Media Planning Director
Alex Rabideau
Account Planning, Integrated
Promotions, Presentation Team
Ari Zucker
Account Planning, Media, Presentation Team
Dan Goubert
Creative Team, Copywriting
Joey Parks
Creative Team, Graphics
Madeline Schaefer Creative Team, Graphics
Alex Knaisel
Research Team, Treasurer
Bethany Garcia
Research Team
Kat Wille
Research Team
Jaclyn Waligora
Media Planning
Kate Lewis
Media Planning
Theresa Wierenga
Integrated Promotions
Ashley Barrett
Integrated Promotions
Hawra Al-Howaishy Fundraising
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Alumni
Chad Ghastin Returns from New York as ‘Alumni in Residence’
Giving a public speech, visiting classes, working with faculty,
attending the Dean’s Alumni Luncheon, socializing with
student organizations and cheering on GVSU at the football
game, Alumni in Residence Chad Ghastin spent his return
visit to GVSU last fall sharing his experiences, knowledge,
and passion for the university.
Ghastin graduated from GVSU in 1998 with a degree
in advertising and public relations. He is currently an
independent consultant in New York City, focused on digital
marketing and customer relationship management with
companies including, Birchbox.com and NBC News.
Professor Tim Penning said that throughout Ghastin’s visit,
Ghastin shared valuable information from his career and
from what he had learned in his time at GVSU.
In his public speech on Oct. 13 “Digital Communication:
What Has Changed in 18 Years Since Graduation,”
Ghastin told the audience about how technology, data
and media have changed the entire communications field
with traditional media companies being replaced by more
technology based companies. He encouraged students to be
constantly learning to keep up with all of the changes.
Alumnus Chad Ghastin chatted with President Haas at
an alumni reception last fall.
Despite the changes in technology Ghastin said it was
important to view technology as tools that allow advertisers
and public relations officials to be more targeted and deliver
the right message to the right people at the right time.
“Really think about what we’re trying to do, which is communicate with human beings,” Ghastin said. “There’s a
lot of technology, a lot of shiny objects, out there. But technology isn’t a substitute for a great idea or something
that evokes emotion in people.”
After the talk students were able to ask Ghastin questions about his career in New York City. Ghastin was also
able to visit a few classes and spend time giving students feedback on their projects.
Ghastin credits GVSU with preparing him so well for his career. He said the hands-on work he was asked to do in
his classes combined with all the different types of communication he learned helped him to be prepared.
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Alumnus Jacob Cochran hired as account executive in iconic New York City agency
During a family trip to New York
City when he was in the 3rd grade,
Jacob Cochran told his family that
one day, he wanted to live there.
After graduating from the GVSU
Advertising and Public Relations
program in 2015, Cochran started
out working at a marketing agency
in Grand Rapids. It didn’t take
long for him to set his sights on
New York. While looking for
opportunities in his dream city,
Cochran came across Carrot
Creative, a digital advertising
agency. It seemed like a perfect fit
because it was owned by VICE
Media – a company he had been
interested in – and it specialized in
the digital space.
2015 Graduate Jacob Cochran is pictured in one of Grey Group’s iconic staff images.
After a couple rounds of interviews and a presentation, Cochran was hired by Carrot Creative
to work on the Chipotle account. The team created all of Chipotle’s digital and social media
content. Cochran was a part of campaigns like the national launch of chorizo (a new menu
item), which involved creative elements like Snapchat geofilters and lenses, as well as media
buying. Cochran said that while working at Carrot was a great experience, he wanted to work
on something other than fast casual dining.
“I also wanted to see what a large, more traditional New York City ad agency was like,” he said.
Grey Group is a much larger, global agency based in NYC that has been around since 1917.
Grey works with some big names, such as Canon and Volvo.
“They also continuously win the award of ‘Agency of the Year,’ so for me, Grey was a place
where I wanted to be,” Cochran said.
Cochran landed an account executive role with Grey on the UPMC account. Cochran said he
finds the work for UPMC, a medical center and hospital group, more rewarding than what he
was doing for Chipotle. Cochran also enjoys working at Grey because their clients trust them
and give a lot of room to play when it comes to developing campaigns.
Cochran credits the internships he had while a student at GVSU for creating a good foundation for his career. Cochran also appreciated the diversity of the faculty in GVSU’s APR
program. Cochran also had some advice to share with current students.
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“Think big,” he advises. “I know classes can be stressful and projects are overwhelming when
you have 10 at a time, but while you’re in university, use this as a time to think bigger about
what impact you want to make on not only your career, but the industry as a whole. While
you’re in school, use that time to get a better understanding of where you want to end up
within the years following graduation.”
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Alumna Goes from Student to Class Client in One Year
Marion Donahue (2016), Marketing Coordinator at Columbian Logistics Network, returned to the
classroom one year after graduation as a client in a Corporate Communications Writing class.
In April of 2016 Marion Donahue sat in a classroom in Au Sable Hall working up the
confidence to present her Corporate Communications Writing project to the class client she had been working for all semester. One year later, in April 2017, she returned to
the same classroom, but this time she was the client herself.
Donahue was hired right after graduation at Columbian Logistics Network, where she
had been an intern. She brought her boss to class this year to see the current students
present their work to them. He noted that they had for her to graduate because they
were eager to hire her.
“You guys are learning tactics and skills that transfer extremely well,” said Blair Thomas,
Director of Customer Care at Columbian, to the students in that AuSable Hall classroom. “When we hired Marion, she replaced a person with several years of experience.
In her interview, her answers all started with ‘Yeah, I’ve done that,’ and ‘Here’s how I
handled this for another client.’ Even though she was straight out of college, we didn’t
miss a beat.”
Donahue is just one of several alumni who have either been a class client or referred
one. It’s just another way that “Laker for a Lifetime” is demonstrated in the Advertising
and Public Relations Program.
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New Efforts Underway to Keep in Touch With APR Alumni
If you are a graduate of the GVSU Advertising and Public Relations
program and enjoyed this publication, keep your eye out for new ways
to keep in touch. This fall, current students will launch an APR alumni
newsletter. Also, if you haven’t already, follow our blog “Enlighten” and
our Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. Links to all of them are on
our web site: www.gvsu.edu/soc/apr
Another opportunity to stay engaged with the APR program is to consider
a contribution to the Frederick A. Chapman Endowed Memorial
Scholarship. Professor Chapman taught in the APR program from 19902000, and his family set up the fund in his memory when he passed away.
The fund is just a few thousand dollars short of the $30,000 needed to start
offering $1000-$1200 scholarships to public relations students interested
in community service. Giving can be done easily online—look for a
sidebar about the Chapman Scholarship and link to give on our web site:
www.gvsu.edu/soc/apr
Twitter: @gvsuAPR
Facebook page: GVSU Advertising and Public Relations Major Program
LinkedIn group: GVSU Advertising and Public Relations Major Program
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[email protected]
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www.gvsu.edu/soc/apr
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