Nominations for the Inez Kaiser Graduate Students of Color Awards are being accepted by the AEJMC Public Relations Division (PRD) and the Mass Communication and Society Division (MCSD) through May 31, 2023. The award honors Inez Kaiser, the first African-American woman to belong to PRSA and to head a public relations agency with national clients. Inez Kaiser & Associates was the first African-American female-owned PR agency. The Kaiser Awards are co-sponsored by PRD and MCSD.
The total amount of each award is $1000. Two award recipients will receive funding intended to cover one-year memberships to AEJMC and the PRD or MCSD, as well as 2023 conference registration, with additional funding that could be used toward research costs or conference travel (such as AEJMC Midwinter, AEJMC SE Colloquium, or the 2023 Annual Conference). Recipients will be invited to the preconference event co-sponsored by the AEJMC PRD and the Commission on Graduate Education on Sunday, August 6, from 10am to 2pm at Howard University. The registration fee will be waived. If interested, they may also take advantage of the PRD mentorship program and be assigned a faculty mentor.
Eligible students of color must be enrolled in graduate study in a communication, mass communication, or public relations program and intend to pursue a career as a public relations/mass communication educator. Students who are finishing their degrees in 2023 are also eligible (including those who have already defended or ABD students). The awards seek to encourage these students' academic career aspirations, and, in turn, their involvement broadens the diversity within the PRD and MCSD, AEJMC, and the mass communication and public relations professions.
Preference will be given to applicants who are:
- Doctoral students
- Students of minority/emerging minority status
- Students presenting a paper at the AEJMC conference
Nomination process:
- Self nominations by eligible graduate students or nominations by PRD/MCSD/AEJMC members on behalf of eligible graduate students are accepted via the online application form.
Required:
- Completion of online nomination and application form:
https://forms.gle/qYrbDENZwjXqW4EeA
Optional (but recommended):
- Letter of recommendation from student’s faculty advisor
- Current curriculum vitae of student
Deadline:
The deadline for nominations and materials is May 31, 2023.
Please contact Kaiser Awards committee chair Hyejoon Rim (University of Minnesota) at: hrim@umn.edu or (571) 226-0318 for more information or questions.