PR sequence enrollment at all-time high

The public relations faculty welcomed a new colleague and more students than ever before. Majors at the undergraduate and graduate levels now exceed 200 students.  

“Enrollment in the public relations program is at an all-time high and continues to grow,” said Dr. Sandy Duhé, sequence coordinator. “We’re working to bring more international, new media and diverse perspectives to the classroom."  

Dr. Dedria Givens-Carroll joined the department in the fall, bringing her knowledge of international, political, crisis and nonprofit communication to the sequence (her complete profile appears in this newsletter). 

In addition, PR faculty are publishing in conferences and books. Duhé’s edited text, New Media and Public Relations, was published this summer by Peter Lang New York. Its 31 chapters, written by an international array of public relations practitioners and scholars, examine how new media practices (e.g., wikis, blogs, and Web sites) challenge and expand conventional thinking in public relations. The text provides numerous examples of how organizations navigate the uncertainties of building mediated relationships with their stakeholders. 

Dr. Jun Chung’s paper, Public Relations Campaign Message Processing Strategies, was accepted for presentation at the 2007 International Communication Association conference and his article, Comparison of Public Relations Curricula of College-Level Education Among the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, has been accepted for publication in the journal PRism. Currently, Chung is examining how U.S. universities use the Web as part of their recruiting strategies as well as their efforts to attract international students to their campuses. 

Givens-Carroll’s paper, Excellent or Contingent Models: A Survey Reveals How a Religious Denomination Resolves Conflict, has been accepted for presentation at the spring 2008 Southern States Communication Association conference. While there, she will also present her program, Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler: “Mudslinging” Political Television Advertisements as Entertainment in the 2007 Louisiana Governor’s Race, as part of a panel discussion on how positive political change was communicated through negative attacks. In Fall 2008, Givens-Carroll will offer a special topics course on crisis communication for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in response to growing demand for the subject matter. 

Faculty member families are growing as well with two new babies in 2007. Drs. Chung and Duhé became parents for the first time. Jun and Jawon Chung welcomed their son, Jinwoo, on May 30. Sandy and Brad Duhé followed closely with their son, Byron, arriving June 11. According to their parents, both boys arrived big, bouncing and eager to communicate.  

Anyone interested in learning more about the public relations program and/or faculty research is encouraged to e-mail Duhé (scduhe@louisiana.edu), Chung (wjc8855@louisiana.edu) or Givens-Carroll(bcded@bellsouth.net).