UA Professor Receives PRSA Outstanding Educator Award

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Public Relations Society of America presented the Outstanding Educator Award to Dr. Bruce K. Berger, professor and chairman of the department of advertising and public relations in the College of Communications at The University of Alabama, at its 2006 International Conference in Salt Lake City.

The award recognizes excellence in public relations teaching based on contemporary, research-based knowledge of public relations and contributions to the advancement of public relations education.

“Presenting this award to Bruce is a pleasure,” said Dr. Gail F. Baker, dean of the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. “Quality PR education is an achievement that has an immeasurable impact on the present and future of our profession.”

Berger started teaching 13 years ago, became an associate professor in 1999 and has led the department as chairman since 2004. As chairman he supervised a year-long review of the department. Using the results of the review, Berger designed a plan to increase the recruitment of minorities into the PR program, implement interdisciplinary certificate programs, develop electives focused on evolving technologies, and increase teaching resources in the department.

In the classroom, Berger enhances his lessons with anecdotes and expertise from his 20 years of corporate executive-level PR practice. Students describe Berger as always respectful, always prepared and always challenging.

“This recognition means a great deal to me as a teacher, but the award is far more significant than any individual recipient,” Berger said. “It symbolizes the importance of public relations teaching and education to the future of our profession. The award underscores the crucial link between practice and education, and I hope it encourages professionals in all areas of practice to engage, to support public relations education and to collaborate with educators to help construct a bright future.”

A collaboration Berger has been actively involved with is the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, dedicated to advancing ethical and effective practice. Berger helped establish the Center and serves as its director. The Center’s current projects include a proposal to create an online PR leadership magazine published by and for U.S. students and educators, and the creation of a Plank Center Web site to preserve historical archives of speeches, interviews with public relations leaders and lists of PR-related book titles and articles.

Berger has published more than 25 academic and professional articles in leading scholarly journals and trade publications, including the Journal of Public Relations Research, Public Relations Review, Asian Pacific Journal of Communication, Communication Yearbook and Journal of Employee Communication.

By awarding Berger the Outstanding Educator Award, the Public Relations Society of America recognizes his excellence as a teacher, researcher, mentor and professional.

The Public Relations Society of America, based in New York City, is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals. The Society has more than 30,000 professional and student members. The Public Relations Student Society of America has 278 chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States.