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!