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CLICK to see PICTURE HIGHLIGHTS from our convention!
Hello from Knoxville, TN! That is right – I just got back from Denver this afternoon from spending the last couple of days at the AEJMC Conference. My time during the AEJMC Conference was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the events that the PR Division and AEJMC organized for the attendees. It was a very busy couple of days for me because I was at the AEJMC Conference to be part of the Job Placement Fair. Overall, I had an amazing experience at the conference where there were so many positive things that I experienced during my time in Colorado. There were definitely some highlights during the conference that I would like to share with you all:
Edelman Luncheon: I thoroughly enjoyed the Edelman PR luncheon that was held for the PR Division. The speaker was the vice president of Edelman in Chicago, and her presentation on social media and where public relations is going was insightful, cutting edge, and inspiring. There were so many questions and future research projects I had in mind during the presentation, and it was also refreshing to see that some of the things that I have been trying to incorporate into my own research and teaching in public relations were right on. These kind of presentations are very useful for researchers since we can see how the practitioners are strategic in their application of these new forms of technology. This also gives us insight into how our own research should be framed not only in understanding the theoretical background of the discipline, but always be thinking on how our research and theoretical framework can be applied strategically in public relations. This integrated perspective is absolutely key, and is what the new PR professional /researcher will be using in the 21st century and beyond.
Spreading the wealth of sharing knowledge: I do believe that scholars today have to not only be engaging in the classroom and in research, but they have to engage in continuing to learn and share their experiences and knowledge to the rest of the academic and professional community. This is what AEJMC has done especially well at this conference. One example has been the Social Media in the Classroom – which professionals were able to submit their ideas incorporating social media into the classroom from different disciplines. From PR to Journalism to Broadcast Journalism – it is all there! We are all in this together – and if we can share our knowledge with others, that is how our discipline grows and evolves. What a wonderful resource for students and other professionals to have at their fingertips – this was a wonderful site to set up! 🙂
Attending the IPR/UF/Boston Univ Reception at AEJMC
Institute for Public Relations Research, UF, and Boston / and Tennessee Reception: I was able to attend the social that was held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Denver with fellow graduate students, professionals, and public relations scholars. It was great to catch up and talk about where the field was going, what was happening in the conference, and catch up with friends. I thought that this social was really well organized and put together. Everyone had a great time – the atmosphere was friendly and really engaging. I got a chance to catch up with some fellow PR professionals and meet some new friends along the way. It was great! After attending this reception, I went on over to see what was going on with the UT / Michigan State / and Kansas State social. This was a wonderful opportunity to not only see my fellow graduate students and professors, but also alumni of the doctoral program. It was great to see Sora, Emma, John, Charlie, and Cheryl all at the conference and catch up – great to see you all!
iPad at AEJMC Conference 2010
Implementation of social media throughout the conference: What I really enjoyed was the fact that the conference was very cutting edge and interactive with the new forms of technology and implementing them very well for the conference. From having tweets on Twitter, an official #aejmc10 hashtag, a Tumblr site, and being able to check in via Foursquare – it was all very fabulous! I was able to do all of these things from my iPad during the conference. I have to thank Mich Sineath for all of his hard work and dedication for making the AEJMC Conference very innovative in the use and implementation of social media – well done! 🙂
Catching up with friends and making new ones along the way!: What I really like about the AEJMC Conference is about convergence and connections – both in research, teaching, and in networks. It was great to meet up with some of my friends from the Crisis and Risk Seminar back in June (Lee, Kathleen, Sadaf, Katie, Fred & Denise), fellow doctoral students (Dave, Nell, Brooke, and Gina) as well as making new friends along the way. In addition, it was great to see everyone from UT – I feel very fortunate to be in a program where there are such fabulous professors, students, and graduates (Emma, Sora, Charlie, John, and Cheryl) coming together in one place – it was great to see you all in Denver! 🙂
Hope you all are having a wonderful day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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