Cylor Spaulding, left, receives the 2015 Educator of the Year award from Jeffrey Davis, APR, Co-President of PRSA-MD Chapter at the PRSA-MD Best in Maryland Awards Gala at the Baltimore Hilton.
Cylor Spaulding, assistant professor in the Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies, was selected as the 2015 Educator of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Maryland Chapter in a gala celebration earlier this week at the PRSA Best in Maryland Awards Gala at the Hilton Baltimore. PRSA is the world’s foremost organization of public relations professionals.
“It’s certainly an honor,” said Spaulding, “particularly since it’s coming from my colleagues in the industry. I work very hard to make sure that my students are prepared to go into the public relations industry, and that they are provided with skills of value for their future employers. So, it’s great to know that my approach is appreciated.”
In the words of his students, Spaulding is a strong mentor fully invested in their success.
“Dr. Spaulding knows how to engage his students in awesome class discussion and as a professor, he made class interesting and related what we were learning in class to real life experiences and current events,” his students wrote.
In the words of his peers, Spaulding is “an outstanding researcher in the public relations field.”
“He is the author of multiple publications and a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences,” said Cynthia Cooper, Ph.D., chairperson for the Department of Mass Communication and Communication Studies. “Dr. Spaulding often uses his scholarship to enhance the educative content of his courses.”
Spaulding spent almost 10 years in the public relations industry, working for agencies like Rogers & Cowan and Weber Shandwick. He has worked with clients across industries ranging from technology and entertainment to non-profit, managing media relations and consumer relations campaigns for clients like Activision, EA Sports, The Hazelden Foundation, id Software, Microsoft and more. His research interests include historical aspects of public relations, public relations and the LGBT community and entertainment public relations.
Spaulding holds a Ph.D. in communication for the University of Miami, an M.A. in strategic public relations from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in journalism from Arizona State University.
Chartered in 1947, PRSA has more than 22,000 public relations and communications professional members, in addition to more than 10,000 university and college students through the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
PRSA provides professional development, sets standards of excellence and upholds principles of ethics for its members. It also advocates for greater understanding and adoption of public relations services, and acts as one of the industry’s leading voices on pivotal business and professional issues.
Formed in 1961, the PRSA-MD Chapter brings together local leaders in public relations and communications from all practice areas.
