- Distinguished professorship named in honor of Chancellor Bardo
- Fall commencement set for Dec. 19 at Ramsey Center
- Nursing degree can be earned in one year through ABSN program
- WCU novelist Ron Rash wins second Sir Walter Raleigh Award
- Senior named top mathematics education student in region
- Bids opened for new MAHEC building; part of venture with WCU, UNCA
- Board of trustees approves proposed tuition, fees for 2010-11
- Steps toward WCU-Dillsboro partnership continue with campus tour
- Students win national awards at mediation tournament
- 'Meeting Doctor' to lead Jan. 21 workshop at WCU
This article features an event that occurred in the past.
The Public Relations Student Society of America chapter at Western Carolina University will hold its annual Crisis Communication Day on Friday, March 23. The event will take place from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on the third floor of A.K. Hinds University Center.
“Crisis Communication Day is an excellent opportunity to hear from communication and public relations professionals about their first-hand accounts and advice for handling and preparing for crises,” said Lorelle Gruenhagen, president of WCU’s PRSSA chapter.
Crisis Communication Day will feature four speakers and an interactive mock press conference. Von Roebuck, public affairs specialist for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, will be the keynote speaker for the event. Leila Tvedt, WCU associate vice chancellor for public relations, Michael Caudill, WCU visiting professor of communication, and Elizabeth Johns, former president of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, also will be speaking on current crisis issues.
Roebuck serves as a liaison with the CDC’s Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response and the Director’s Emergency Operation Center. Roebuck also is the liaison for the CDC’s news media and training exercise on terrorism, pandemic influenza and public health response issues for the U.S. departments of Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security. At the event, Roebuck will speak on crisis communication from the federal perspective.
Tvedt will present Western’s response plan for the bird flu pandemic and Johns will speak about the management of a crisis from the perspective of a chief executive officer. Caudill will facilitate the interactive mock press conference.
“In their future professional lives, our students likely will have to deal with crises at the micro or macro level. This conference, free to all WCU students, including lunch, will help equip them with the knowledge and perspective to deal with those challenges,” said Kevin Lee, faculty adviser of PRSSA.
Crisis Communication Day is open to all students, faculty and professionals. The event is free for all WCU students and $20 for faculty, staff and professionals.
For more information about Crisis Communication Day, contact Lorelle Gruenhagen, at wcuprssa@yahoo.com or at (828) 227-2229.