The Greater Spokane Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has named WSU professor Bruce Pinkleton as the 2007 Educator of the Year.
PRSA communications coordinator Tamitha Anderson said Pinkleton was selected to be honored because “his commitment to his students, in addition to his ongoing research in the field, exhibits a passion for the profession of public relations.”
The Educator of the Year award recognizes an educator who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of public relations through a college or university setting through teaching, research, community service and involvement with students.
After earning his doctoral degree from Michigan State University and a teaching at Texas Tech University, Pinkleton came to WSU in 1993 to join the faculty of the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication.
When asked about choosing WSU, Pinkleton, of San Luis Obispo, Calif., said “I was attracted by the quality of the Murrow school, and Pullman felt like home, very familiar.”
Pinkleton, now a full professor, heads the Murrow school’s public relations program and coordinates student internships.
Though it is not an academic requirement, Pinkleton said, “I really believe in the internship program and getting students as much experience as possible. … The Spokane professionals are an important part of that process. They mean a lot to us in terms of what we are trying to accomplish here at WSU.”
Pinkleton, whose research is focused in the areas of health communication and political communication and how people use the media to make political decisions, said that he was pleased and honored to be nominated for the PRSA award.
PRSA is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals, with more than 28,000 members and over 100 chapters nationwide.
Pinkleton will be presented with his award at the PRSA Greater Spokane Area Chapter’s breakfast meeting on Jan. 4 at Gonzaga University’s Cataldo Hall.
