NEW YORK (Oct. 30, 2008) — Recognized for her advocacy and support of multiculturalism in the public relations profession, Howard University professor, Dr. Rochelle Ford, APR, is the 2008 recipient of the D. Parke Gibson Pioneer Award. The Multicultural Communications Professional Interest Section of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) presented Dr. Ford the award at the D. Parke Gibson award reception on Monday, Oct. 27, during PRSA’s 2008 International Conference in Detroit.
Established in 1990, the award recognizes individuals who have increased awareness of public relations within multicultural communities, and helped promote issues that meet the special informational and educational needs of diverse communities. D. Parke Gibson, for whom the award is named, was a pioneer in multicultural public relations, founding the first black-owned public relations firm.
“PRSA has been instrumental in my development as a public relations professional and professor, and has offered a network of diverse professionals to mentor me,” said Dr. Ford. “My goal is to ensure others have more opportunities than I had and to aid PRSA and the profession in embracing diversity as a business imperative.”
In 2007, Dr. Ford was appointed Associate Dean for Research and Academic Affairs of the John H. Johnson School of Communications at Howard University. Her research interests center on diversity in public relations and segmenting publics. She has extensively studied and reported on these areas in a variety of texts and through special presentations on multicultural communications and diversity.
Examples of her prolific writing to promote the understanding of multiculturalism includes “Case Study: Brother Keep it Together: Culturally Sensitive Campaign Saves Lives,” in Felix Gutierrez, Clint Wilson and Lena Chao (Eds.), “One Freedom, Many Voices: Frontline Reports on the Fight for Racial Justice in the Media”; and “Diversity Exhibit” for chapter two, Cutlip, S., Center, A. and Broom, G. “Effective Public Relations,” 10th edition (2008).
Dr. Ford also authors “Diversity Dimensions,” a monthly column for PRSA’s Public Relations Tactics, and authored a New York Times Sunday Magazine article, “New Research
Spurs Optimism: Respect, Resources, Results, Keys to Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Talent,” (2007).
During her career, Dr. Ford has consistently been recognized for her leadership and contributions to diversity and multiculturalism through numerous honors, such as the 2007 National Capital Chapter of Public Relations Diversity Champion Award; the 2006 Journalism and Mass Communication Leadership Institute Fellow (JLID); and the 1999 Top Paper Award from PRSA for her piece, “Surveying Perceived Pigeonholing Among African-American Public Relations Professionals.”
Dr. Ford is a graduate of Howard University’s Annenberg Honors Program, and completed her master’s degree in public relations at the University of Maryland. In 1999, she completed her doctorate at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Past winners of the D. Parke Gibson Pioneer Award include Terrie Williams, owner, Terrie Williams Agency; Ofield Dukes, APR, Fellow PRSA, owner, Ofield Dukes and Associates; Lyria F. Howland, APR, owner and president, Howland PR Inc.; Rosanna Fiske, APR, president, Communiqué Group; William B. Marks, APR, president, W.B. Marks Partners LLC; Elena del Valle, MBA, JD, president, LNA World Communications; Cheryl Procter-Rogers, APR, Fellow PRSA, A Step Ahead Public Relations; Debra A. Miller, Ed.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, senior director of marketing and communication, Clark Atlanta University; and most recently, Gloria Rodriguez, president and CEO, Comunicad, the 2007 recipient.
About the PRSA Multicultural Communications Professional Interest Section
The PRSA Multicultural Communications Professional Interest Section (www.prsa.org/networking/sections/mc/) provides unique education and information-sharing opportunities for public relations professionals who communicate the development and implementation of programs and activities to diverse audiences. Resources include networking and professional development opportunities. The Section also serves as a forum for addressing issues of concern to minorities in the professional including employment, career advancement and preparing the next generation of public relations professionals
About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
The Public Relations Society of America (www.prsa.org), headquartered in New York City, is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into 109 Chapters and 10 Districts nationwide, and 20 Professional Interest Sections and Affinity Groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public Relations Student Society of America (www.prssa.org) has 296 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States, and one Chapter in Argentina.
