Campus Life

Colleges combine for programming as eight events highlight ‘Digital Week'

Variety of free, public sessions scheduled for Sept. 14-17

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Industry leaders and respected professionals in advertising/public relations, digital media, journalism, telecommunications and a variety of related fields highlight a series of programming coordinated by the College of Communications and the College of Information Sciences and Technology in mid-September.

“Digital Week,” scheduled for Sept. 14-17, includes eight events — information sessions, lectures and panel discussions, as well as networking and social opportunities. All of events are free and open to the public.

“The set of events is designed to engage with students, faculty and professionals around the theme of digital media — a topic of growing importance in the advertising, entertainment, information technology, public relations and telecommunications sectors,” said Lee Ahern, an associate professor in the Department of Advertising/Public Relations who organized the weeklong effort. “Digital technology and big data are reshaping industries of all types at a frantic pace, but perhaps no industry is undergoing as far-reaching and rapid a transformation as communications. Digital Week will explore these trends and developments. The goal is to provide perspective on what to expect from an industry that has defied expectations — digital media.”

Activities scheduled for the week include:

Sept. 14

  • Meeting: First meeting of the academic year for the AdClub will include a focus on digital trends (6 p.m., Carnegie Cinema)
  • Lecture: “Using Periscope and Other Smartphone Tools on Deadline for Sports,” Jim MacMillan, digital journalist (8 p.m., Carnegie Cinema)

Sept. 15

  • Panel: Digital Media Professionals, featuring Mia Aquino of VH1, Mark Dent of BillyPenn.com and Mary Nahorniak of USA Today (6 p.m., Carnegie Cinema)
  • Info Session: Undergraduate Digital Media Research (7:30 p.m., Carnegie Cinema)

Sept. 16

  • Networking/social hour (6:30 p.m., Carnegie Building, second floor lobby)
  • Keynote Lecture: “Key Trends in Digital Marketing,” Elise James-Decruise, senior director and head of global training, New Market Institute (7:30 p.m. Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library)

Sept. 17

  • Panel: Digital Ad/PR Professionals, featuring Penn State alumni Rachel Brown of Adroit Digital, Patric Fyock of Harmelin Media, Brad Groznik of Groznik PR, Leslie Malysiak of Google and Jon Mercuri of Media Math (5 p.m., Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library)
  • Info Session: Comm/IST digital minor (6:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library)

For more information about the week, visit http://comm.psu.edu/current/digital-week online.

Last Updated June 2, 2021