KENNESAW, Ga. | Dec 14, 2020

Kennesaw State University’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) recently received a national award for its efforts that increased the chapter’s membership more than eightfold.

PRSSA at Kennesaw State won the Dr. F.H. Teahan Award for Chapter Development at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) International Conference. The KSU chapter was recognized for its recruitment initiatives, chapter programming, member involvement and relationship with its sponsoring PRSA chapter after boosting its membership from five to 42 members in the 2019-20 academic year.

“The Teahan awards represent the best of the best among PRSSA chapters,” said Amanda Weed, assistant professor in the School of Communication and Media and PRSSA at Kennesaw State faculty adviser. “I am thrilled that our chapter leadership was recognized for its tremendous efforts to serve Kennesaw State students to enhance their education, broaden their network and launch their careers in the public relations industry.”

The PRSSA Teahan Chapter Awards recognize 12 categories of excellence and are competitively selected among nearly 375 PRSSA chapters across the globe. PRSSA at Kennesaw State will receive a plaque and $300 to continue its chapter development innovations.

The Kennesaw State chapter increased its membership through several strategies and tactics, including hosting several industry professionals who spoke about different aspects of public relations; sending personal social media messages to current and potential PRSSA members to encourage engagement; cross-promoting with other student organizations such as the Kennesaw Marketing Association; utilizing School of Communication and Media professors to share and promote chapter meetings to students; and starting a YouTube channel to expand membership interest.

“Being recognized for our chapter development efforts on a national level is a true honor,” said PRSSA at Kennesaw State president Lauren Gay. “I am so proud to be the president of a PRSSA chapter that is committed to providing our members with the best resources and developmental tactics that they can leverage into the careers as aspiring public relations professionals.”

The 2020 Teahan Award for Chapter Development caps a winning year for PRSSA at Kennesaw State, which also won three PRSSA National Pacesetter awards for member recruitment, implementation of the nationwide virtual PRSSA event “Public Relations in the Time of Coronavirus,” and collaborative partnership with other PRSSA chapters for the “PRSSA Reimagined” project.

– Paul Floeckher

Photo submitted

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.