Public communication majors can network and learn from public relations professionals at "PR in D.C.: It's Not Just Politics" April 1 and 2, the first regional activity sponsored by the AU Public Relations Student Society of America.
About 50 out-of-state and AU students have registered to attend, including undergraduate students from Maine, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. The conference will be held at on-campus and D.C. locations.
In addition to networking, attendees will learn techniques in a workshop series with D.C. business leaders and explore professional development. A special networking program will be held at Austin Grill Glover Park on Wisconsin Avenue at 5 p.m. April 1.
The next day, breakfast and lunch will be provided in the Butler Board Room. Workshops will be held in the Mary Graydon Center and will cover topics such as political communication, public speaking and health care.
Workshop leaders include representatives from organizations like the Department of Defense, the March of Dimes, Edelman Public Relations and Georgetown University.
A catered banquet that evening at the Holiday Inn Georgetown will feature keynote speaker Judy Phair, president of the national Public Relations Society of America.
Melissa Tanguay, a junior in the School of Communications and the club's regional activity coordinator, has spearheaded this event.
"I'm pretty much trailblazing here," Tanguay said. "It's been overwhelming but it's really coming together."
Regional activities are held across the nation each year and are sponsored by the PRSA. AU PRSSA belongs to the National Capitol Chapter.
"I'm really excited about the regional activity," Tanguay said. "We're laying out a framework for AU's future activities within the PRSSA."
Sarah Yeaney, the PRSSA national president and an undergraduate student at Penn State, will attend "PR in D.C."
The registration form and the event agenda are available at www.auprssa.org/regionalactivity.
Contact Tanguay at regionalactivity@auprssa.org for details. Off-campus registration has ended but interested AU students can still sign up. Registration forms and payment will be due in the AU PRSSA mailbox in Mary Graydon 300 by Friday. Costs for AU PRSSA members to attend Saturday's portion of the event are $15, while non-members will be charged $30.
