NEW YORK, NY, May 10, 2007 — Laurel Hart, who will receive her Master’s Degree in public relations and corporate communications today at New York University’s 175th Commencement, was awarded the MS&L Outstanding Student Award. Manning, Selvage & Lee made a $2,500 grant in her name to the school’s public relations club, The Public Relations League, for continuing education activities.
“This outstanding student is exemplary of the quality of our program,” said John Doorley, academic director of the program. “We’re thankful for MS&L’s support of our program and for the opportunity to recognize Laurel Hart and support the activities of the public relations club.”
Nine students were in the first graduating class of the NYU Masters Degree program, which began in September 2005. The program has quickly become one of the nation’s largest graduate programs in public relations, with approximately 140 students expected for this coming fall term.
About Laurel Hart
Ms. Hart’s educational and professional pursuits have taken her from the Atlantic to the Pacific where she has gained diverse communications experience in multiple industries. Last summer, she was the assembly communications manager for Religions for Peace, coordinating communications for the organization’s Eighth World Assembly in Kyoto, Japan in August 2006. Prior to joining Religions for Peace, Ms. Hart was the associate director of public affairs at Special Olympics New York, managing media relations and writing projects to promote the athletes and events of the New York State program. She entered the communications industry in 2000 as communications manager for SSA Marine in Seattle, WA, a billion dollar, privately held international operator and manager of marine and rail cargo facilities. There, Ms. Hart was charged with the rebranding of the company, as well as the coordination of the public relations response to three widely-watched events that thrust the company into the international spotlight. She graduated cum laude with a B.A. in English from Colby College in Waterville, Maine in 1998, and was born and raised in St. Paul, MN.
About Manning Selvage & Lee
MS&L is one of the world’s leading global public relations firms. Headquartered in New York, MS&L has 41 offices throughout North America, Latin America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific, as well as an extensive global affiliate network. The agency meets the needs of global and local clients by providing best-in-class services in consumer marketing PR, healthcare PR, corporate communications and technology communications, as well as industry-leading work in digital communications. MS&L won PRWeek’s Best Use of Internet/New Media Award in both 2006 and 2007.
About The NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies
The School of Continuing and Professional Studies (www.scps.nyu.edu) is among the 14 colleges and schools that comprise New York University, one of the largest private universities in the United States. Founded in 1934, NYU SCPS each year educates some 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students and enrolls over 40,000 in its non-degree programs. A national leader in adult and professionally oriented education, NYU SCPS programs include non-degree courses that span more than 125 fields, 14 industry-focused Master’s degree programs, and nine Bachelor’s and six Associate degree programs specially designed for working adults.