Communication, Reputation, & Automation

Why Attend the Stukent Digital Summit?

Power up your teaching skills during this free virtual summit!

In this one-day event, you’ll gain insights on best practices in public relations, professional writing, and crisis communication. Our expert speakers will show you how to include new industry trends and technology in your classroom, as well as discuss some of the challenges on the horizon in 2024.

What's Included

Free assignments for public relations, crisis communication, and business writing courses.
New trends and strategies to use in your curriculum.
Ideas to incorporate AI into your classroom.
Opportunities to network with other educators.

Speaker Information

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Julie Gathercole

Julie Gathercole is an assistant professor at the Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University. She combines her expertise in strategic communication and marketing to create engaging and innovative undergraduate learning experiences.

While teaching is Julie’s second career, she is undeniably passionate about developing the next generation of business leaders and creating opportunities for student growth.

Prior to joining MRU, Julie spent over 15 years in marketing and communications leadership roles with numerous well-known organizations, including United Way, TD Bank, TransAlta, Molson Coors, and the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

SESSION DETAILS

AI and Writing: How to Optimize Learning and Engagement in the Classroom

In this session, we’ll examine the wide range of AI writing tools available to you and your students, then we’ll explore how you can use them to bolster learning and creativity!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Anita Foster

Anita Foster is the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications for the Arlington ISD – a role she accepted in November 2018 after nearly 30 years in the nonprofit sector. She leads a team of ten marketing and communications professionals and is the chief public information officer during emergencies.

Before joining the district, Anita spent 20 years at the American Red Cross as a chief communications officer responding to hundreds of large-scale disasters across America, including 9/11 in New York City, Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, the Dallas Police Officers shootings and countless tornadoes, hurricanes, fires and floods. She fought hunger with Tarrant Area Food Bank and helped people with disabilities at Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth, TX.

SESSION DETAILS

The Increased Importance of Crisis Management Going into 2024

In an age of social media and instant communication, organizations can face a crisis anytime. In the future, crisis management will become even more important, and organizations need to be prepared to respond quickly and effectively to any negative publicity or crisis situation. PR professionals will need to create strategies that focus on identifying potential crisis situations, monitoring social media channels, and developing crisis communication plans that can be activated quickly if needed.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Cara Hawkins-Jedlicka

Cara Hawkins-Jedlicka has more than a decade’s worth of experience as a content producer and strategic communicator specializing in digital advertising strategy, with an emphasis in social media and online communities.

Throughout her career, Cara has developed and paired social media strategies to broader marketing campaigns and used social media to identify and connect diverse publics as well as to promote organizational brands. She teaches courses in which students learn about personal branding, writing for public relations, digital marketing campaigns, brand and consumer insights, employee communications, and advertising.

Her research examines the intersection of brand, women’s sport communication and influencer culture. Her most recent publication examines women athletes’ brand images in the NIL era.

SESSION DETAILS

No-Filter PR

Trust and social proof are everything when it comes to buying decisions. Few people read a book, watch a TV show or go to the movies to learn about a corporation. Walls, equipment or assets do not tell stories. People want “raw” stories about people—the real people who make a difference inside the companies.

The world is filled with beautiful shots of beaches and sunsets, but it’s the “no-filter” story that will make the difference. Thus, brands that want people to move need to deliver the kind of authentic, lo-fi, unfiltered content that is more likely to reign supreme in 2023-2024. If you’re looking to earn media coverage for your company, find a unique story or angle that will make your story more newsworthy.