AEJMC Public Relations Division

Inez Kaiser
Graduate Student
of Color Awards

2009-2010 Winners and Donors

Dear PRD Members:

As co-chairs for the Inez Kaiser Graduate Student of Color Awards, Maria Elena Vilar and I are soliciting your help for the 2009 campaign. We need nominees and sponsors.

For the past decade, the PRD has worked to increase diversity in the division through these awards, which honor Inez Kaiser, the first African-American woman to belong to PRSA and to head a PR agency with national clients. By providing graduate students of color with free one-year memberships in AEJMC and the PRD, the awards encourage these students' academic career aspirations, and in turn, their involvement broadens the diversity of voices within the PRD.

There are several changes to the awards:

a. Eligible Students must be future doctoral students, current doctoral students and doctoral candidates.

Higher priority will be given to doctoral/masters students who are presenting research at the current conference where the Kaiser Award will be given and to students who are continuing their graduate education in public relations (e.g., master's students who have enrolled in doctoral programs).

b. Students must be from underrepresented groups in the U.S. public relations/strategic communication community (either academic and industry). This includes but is not limited to African American/Black, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American/American Indian/Pacific Islander. International students are also eligible.

c. The nominator must submit a letter of recommendation for the student.

d. The nominator must have worked with the student in some capacity (e.g., served as a research collaborator, a professor who the student has taken classes with). The nominator must be familiar with the student's work ethic, research and grades.

Donations are welcome. The giving levels are the following:

Gold -- $25
Silver -- $35
Platinum -- $50
Diamond -- A $65 donation will cover one student's year-long membership in AEJMC and the PRD.

Many PRD members who sponsored students last year have been long-time sponsors. Their commitment to these awards runs deep. We are hoping this year that the pool of sponsors will grow to include some new faces- maybe even yours!

The deadline for nominations/sponsor commitments is April 15.

Please contact Natalie Tindall at ntindall@ou.edu if you would like to nominate a student, be a sponsor or both. Thank you in advance for your nominations and sponsorship.

Natalie J. Tindall
Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication
395 W. Linsey
Norman, Oklahoma 73019-4201
Fax: (405) 325-7565
E-mail: ntindall@ou.edu.