Gaggin elected to PRSA College of Fellows

Kelly Gaggin, assistant teaching professor in the public relations department at the Newhouse School, has been elected to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)’s College of Fellows. The prestigious body includes leading professionals and educators who have left a significant footprint on the public relations profession.

Gaggin has more than two decades of experience in corporate and agency environments encompassing a multitude of industries, including education, health care, technology, defense, nonprofit, tourism/hospitality and financial services/banking. Her research agenda is rooted in exploring public relations and strategic communications as drivers of cross-cultural understanding and relationship-building, with special attention to nonprofit organizations and the populations they serve. She earned a Ph.D. in mass communications from the Newhouse School.

Besides Gaggin, only three other members of the Newhouse School’s PR faculty have been elected to the PRSA College of Fellows: Maria Russell, Anthony D’Angelo and Donna Stein. Less than 50 of the nearly 700 members hold doctoral degrees.

Gaggin is chair of the PRSA Northeast District board of directors, a member of PRSA’s national Diversity & Inclusion committee and a past president of the Central New York Chapter of PRSA. She is an active adviser to students in the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter at Syracuse University.

Members of the College of Fellows serve in PRSA chapter, district and professional interest sections and national leadership positions. To qualify for admittance, they must be a current PRSA member, have at least 20 years of PR and communications experience, hold the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credential and have demonstrated superior professional performance in the practice/teaching of public relations.