Advertising prof, RSU president to speak at Press Club

The Tulsa World
November 26, 2006

An Oklahoma State University advertising professor who has written a controversial book about an anti-terrorism ad campaign, and the president of Rogers State University, will speak at separate Tulsa Press Club Page One luncheons next week.

On Tuesday, Jami Fullerton, associate professor at OSU, will speak about her book: "Advertising's War on Terrorism: The Story of the U.S. State Department's Shared Values Initiative."

Fullerton co-authored the book with Alice Kendrick, professor in the Temerlin Advertising Institute at Southern Methodist University.

The Shared Values Initiative was an advertising campaign sponsored by the U.S. State Department in 2002. The campaign was aimed at convincing the Muslim and Arab world that America is not waging war on Islam, according to a press release by the book's publisher.

The book cites internal documents and research to assert that the advertising campaign was successful in fostering more positive attitudes toward America in the Middle East and elsewhere. The campaign was canceled after less than two months.

"If communication campaigns like SVI have the potential to be effective, what went wrong in 2002 and what can be done in the future to make similar public diplomacy programs work better?" the book asks.

Fullerton teaches advertising and mass communication research. She was named outstanding researcher in 2001 by the OSU College of Arts and Sciences. She serves as chairwoman of the American Advertising Federation's Academic Committee and is on the federation's board.

During a Press Club Page One Luncheon Wednesday, Rogers State University President Joe Wiley will discuss the rapid growth of RSU and its new academic programs.

Wiley became president of RSU in 1999. As a result of his leadership during the transition of RSU from a two-year to a four-year institution, he was awarded the John L. Blackburn award for Exemplary Administrative Leadership from the American Association of University Administrators (AAUA).

Since RSU made the transition from a community college to a four-year regional university in 2000, enrollment has increased by almost 70 percent.

The RSU main campus in Claremore continues to expand as a traditional residential university campus, offering several new bachelor's degrees.

In addition, the university recently adopted a new mascot, the Hillcat, and introduced its first athletic programs, including baseball and softball, with men's and women's basketball beginning next season. The university recently was accepted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Sooner Athletic Conference.

Lunch service for both events begins at 11:15 a.m. and speakers begin their presentations at noon. A short question-and-answer session will follow.

The cost is $12 for members and $15 for non-members. Page One luncheons are by reservation only and the public is invited to attend.

For reservations, contact the Press Club at 583-7727 or e-mail tulpress@swbell.net.