USC Annenberg created an environmental public relations course - the first of its kind at a major research university - in which students learn about the rapidly changing field of environmental PR while gaining valuable skills applicable to careers in the industry.
The class, which started Jan. 12 and is taught by Senior Vice President and Co-Founder of MS&L's Global ECO Network Megan Jordan, gives students a toolkit they can reference in their future jobs while developing their critical thinking skills. The course studies the pivotal role public relations played in thrusting environmental issues into the public agenda. It examines the evolution of the environment becoming a national concern, the factors that led to the breakthrough, and the PR industry it helped produce.
The class covers environmental activism, public policy and public affairs, corporate sustainability, agency specialties, influencer marketing, advanced technology and digital PR. Students will leave the class with a basic understanding of complicated environmental issues, including their advanced technology, policy and regulatory concerns.
"This class is an important piece in our overall strategy of providing students with a core knowledge that applies at a macro level across the entire PR field, along with a series of highly specialized courses demonstrating the disciplines of work and areas of expertise," said Jerry Swerling, director of PR Studies and the USC Annenberg Strategic PR Center. "This class is particularly timely and much-needed because of the unique nature of expertise required for people to go into environmental public relations."
Scheduled speakers in the class of nine students include: Joel Makower, co-founder and executive editor of Greener World Media, Inc.; Tom Fulks, California spokesperson for the Diesel Technology Forum; Shad Balch, environment and energy specialist at General Motors; Roy Kim of the California Fuel Cells Partnership; Joe Carberry, former head of corporate communications for Visa; Reiner Musier, chief marketing officer of APX Environmental Commodities Consulting; and Britta Justessen, regional director of the World Wildlife Fund; among others.
"They're the top thought leaders in the industry," Jordan said of the guest speakers. "The class - with fewer than 10 students - gives the students practically one-on-one communication with top-caliber guest speakers. The students have the opportunity to form relationships with our guests and ask direct questions to some of the true decision-makers in the field."
She said employment opportunities in the industry will continue to grow for students and recent graduates.
"Startup companies need marketing sophistication to take them to the next level," she said. "It is clear that many consumers' purchases are influenced by a 'green halo.' Anything that drives sales is looked at closely, and an increasing number of jobs in the green PR space are sprouting."
Jordan has 20 years of experience in developing and managing complex, multi-faceted PR campaigns in her role as senior vice president and co-founder of MS&L's ECO Network. She has led environmental initiatives on behalf of a range of clients, from Fortune 500 corporations including General Motors to non-profit organizations such as Green Technology and Heal the Bay. Leveraging her knowledge of consumer and influencer-driven public relations, and her work with environmental NGO's and enthusiast groups, Jordan develops comprehensive integrated marketing programs engineered to propel reputations and cement credibility with key opinion leaders and target audiences. Jordan received her bachelor's in public relations from the University of Southern California and her master's in mass communications from California State University, Northridge.
