Public relations assistant professor Michele Ewing was awarded the 2006 Teahan National Chapter Faculty Advisor Award at the Public Relations Student Society of America conference in Salt Lake City last semester.

“Our chapter is thrilled for Michele,” said Amanda Vasil, vice president of professional relations for the Kent State PRSSA chapter.

The award is given for dedication and guidance to the local PRSSA chapter, according to the PRSSA Web site. Ewing, adviser for the Kent State chapter, was nominated by students from the organization. She has been an active member of the Public Relations Society of America for 15 years.

“It’s amazing how much she’s been able to accomplish in these past few years between advising PRSSA, launching a new public relations online tactics course and overseeing the senior campaign challenge,” Vasil said. “Michele’s a great woman with an amazing amount of talent, and we’re incredibly lucky to have her as our professor, resource and friend.”

Before coming to Kent State, Ewing worked for 12 years at Marcus Thomas, a full-service advertising and public relations agency in Cleveland. While working there, she started teaching part-time at Kent State. When a full-time teaching job became available, she took it. She became faculty adviser for PRSSA that same year.

“The first year was a learning year,” Ewing said. “I was new and most of the students were also.”

Since Ewing has been adviser, the Kent State chapter has won a Teahan award in 2005 for Outstanding PRSA/PRSSA Chapter Relationship by working closely with its sponsoring chapter, the Akron PRSA.

Ewing said the best part of the job is to see students develop into talented leaders, and then see them motivate other students.

Other awards the Kent State chapter has received include an organization excellence award, adviser excellence award and student leader of the year award.

Anytime an individual’s work is recognized, he or she gets a sense of accomplishment, but it’s a reflection of how well the students have done, Ewing said.

“I luckily fell into a profession I love, and students sense that excitement,” Ewing said.

Ewing also teaches Principles of Public Relations, Public Relations Campaigns and Public Relations Online Tactics, which she received a grant to develop and launched last semester.

“She is a nice feather in our cap,” said William Sledzik, public relations sequence coordinator.

Contact College of Communication and Information reporter Emily Andrews at [email protected].