RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND AWARDS

Al Golin of GolinHarris received the Alexander Hamilton Medal at the Annual Distinguished Lecture and Awards dinner for his lifetime contributions to the public relations profession.

Echo Research and MetLife won the Jack Felton Golden Ruler Award for "The Media Reality Check: A New Approach to Content Analysis". The award is co-sponsored by PR News.

Dr. David Dozier, San Diego State University, was named an Institute Research Fellow.

The Institute and its Commission on Global Public Relations Research presented the BledCom Special Prize to Dr. Holger Sievert and Stefan Porter for best new research at the BledCom Symposium.

Our Essential Knowledge Project continued to generate interaction between authors and readers. Four new sections were added:

• Global Public Relations, Dr. Juan-Carlos Molleda, University of Florida
• Personal Influence Model, Toni Muzi Falconi, Methodos Spa; Dr. Candace White, Univ of Tennessee; Antonio Lorenzon, IULM Univ of Milano; Kristin Johnson, New York Univ
• Diversity and Public Relations Practice, Dr. Elizabeth Toth, University of Maryland
• Change Theory, Dr. Mel Sharpe, Ball State

We published a case study by Sean Williams, Communication AMMO, Inc. examining how a financial company used media measurement and content analysis to gauge impact on brand, reputation and risk.

Katie Paine of KDPaine & Partners and Mark Phillips of USO, completed a case study on how to integrate sophisticated analysis of earned media into a measurement program design.

Dr. Don Wright, Boston University, and Michelle Hinson, Institute for Public Relations, continued their annual study on the impact new communications media are having on public relations practice.

A paper by Angela Jeffrey, Bruce Jeffries-Fox, and Dr. Brad L. Rawlins. presented evidence for using "Weighted Media Costs" in media analysis to replace Advertising Value Equivalency.

The Institute and Dr. Tom Watson, Bournemouth University, began a research initiative to identify the knowledge, skills and breadth of expertise required to sustain professional growth.

Dr. Otto Lerbinger, Boston University, and Dr. Stephen A. Greyser, Harvard Business School, were recognized by the Institute at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference.

Dr. Stephen Greyser also received the Institute's Pathfinder Award in recognition of his original program of scholarly research that has made a significant contribution to the body of knowledge and practice. Minjeong Kang, Syracuse University, won the Ketchum Excellence in PR Research Award. Moon Hee Cho, University of Florida, was awarded the Northwestern Mutual Best Master's Thesis Award.

The first annual Grunig PRIME Research Fellowship went to Owen Kulemeka, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The award encourages graduate student interest in applied public relations research as a career.

BRIDGING THE ACADEMY AND PRACTICE

Institute CEO Frank Ovaitt retired after leading the foundation for five years. During his tenure the Institute gained global recognition as the pre-eminent foundation addressing PR research and education.

The Institute welcomed a new President and CEO, Robert W. Grupp. An Institute Trustee since 2004, Bob brings more than 25 years of experience in public relations in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Seven new and 12 returning Trustees were elected to three-year terms on the Institute for Public Relations Board of Trustees, bringing the total number of Trustees to 49.

Jon Iwata, Senior Vice President, IBM, delivered his speech, "Toward a New Profession: Brand, Constituency and Eminence on the Global Commons" at the Annual Distinguished Lecture.

Results of a global survey emphasizing measurement as an integral part of public relations was presented at the European Summit on Measurement, co-sponsored by AMEC and the Institute.

Three-hundred students, academics and practitioners attended the International Public Relations Research Conference in Florida, hosted by the University of Miami's Dr. Don Stacks and the Institute.

Leadership programs in Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco were co-sponsored by the Council for Public Relations Firms, the Arthur W. Page Society and Institute and organized by Dr. Don Wright.

The Institute's 7th Annual Summit on Measurement in Portsmouth, NH challenged delegates to think and position measurement and evaluation as an integral component of strategic public relations practice.

The Institute co-sponsored the 4th Annual Tuck School of Business Symposium on Communications, a by-invitation colloquium of senior leaders in the profession.

The Institute and the University of Maryland hosted the 2nd Annual Grunig Lecture Series. Panelists included Institute Trustees Michael Fernandez, State Farm; Margery Kraus, APCO Worldwide; Doug Pinkham, Public Affairs Council; and Art E.F. Wiese, Jr., Entergy Corporation.