University Students Run Social Media Conference

University of Scranton Department of Communication and Media students launched the annual Social and Digital Media Conference.
The University of Scranton Department of Communication and Media hosted the inaugural Social and Digital Media Conference on April 30. The conference was organized by fifteen students in the Events Management course offered through the Department of Communication. From left, first row, are conference speakers: Dorien Russell from Barneys New York; Christina Hitchcock from It is a Keeper Blog; Jon Silver from Golin New York; Henry Grant from Tierney Philadelphia; Scranton alumnus Eddie Ravert from Tierney Philadelphia; and Scranton alumnus Peter McManus from The Door New York. Standing from left are University students: Brian Lavin, Babylon, New York; Jillian Wall, Oxford, New Jersey; Julia Gantz, Havertown; Anna Pucci (gray sweater), Wilton, Connecticut; Jaqueline Brunner, Verona, New Jersey; Lauren Gallagher (glasses), Mahwah, New Jersey; Sabrina Olivo (tan sweater), Long Pond; Laura Riemer, Landsdale; Gabriella Basile, Oceanside, New York; Bri Baran, Hatboro; Victoria Pennington, West Wyoming; and Abigale Sutton, Clarks Summit; and Sufyan Mohammed, Ph.D., associate professor of communication. Absent from the photo were conference speakers Ryan Leckey, WNEP, and Kevin Teel, Pocono Raceways.
The University of Scranton Department of Communication and Media hosted the inaugural Social and Digital Media Conference on April 30. The conference was organized by fifteen students in the Events Management course offered through the Department of Communication. From left, first row, are conference speakers: Dorien Russell from Barneys New York; Christina Hitchcock from It is a Keeper Blog; Jon Silver from Golin New York; Henry Grant from Tierney Philadelphia; Scranton alumnus Eddie Ravert from Tierney Philadelphia; and Scranton alumnus Peter McManus from The Door New York. Standing from left are University students: Brian Lavin, Babylon, New York; Jillian Wall, Oxford, New Jersey; Julia Gantz, Havertown; Anna Pucci (gray sweater), Wilton, Connecticut; Jaqueline Brunner, Verona, New Jersey; Lauren Gallagher (glasses), Mahwah, New Jersey; Sabrina Olivo (tan sweater), Long Pond; Laura Riemer, Landsdale; Gabriella Basile, Oceanside, New York; Bri Baran, Hatboro; Victoria Pennington, West Wyoming; and Abigale Sutton, Clarks Summit; and Sufyan Mohammed, Ph.D., associate professor of communication. Absent from the photo were conference speakers Ryan Leckey, WNEP, and Kevin Teel, Pocono Raceways.

The University of Scranton hosted high school students and regional business professionals for the inaugural University of Scranton Social and Digital Media Conference (USSDMC) held in the DeNaples Center April 30. This innovative conference successfully brought together more than 110 students and industry professionals to learn from leading experts in the social media industry about the importance of social media and how it can best be used to bolster both personal and professional brands.

The conference featured five specialized panels, including advocacy, nonprofit and ethics, social media marketing, sports and entertainment, empowerment lunch (building your own brand), and a college student panel. The college student panel was led by current juniors and seniors at the University and focused on how students use social media to interact with each other on campus, as well as how they can utilize it as they enter the professional world. All other panels were led by social media experts and influencers from some of the world’s leading organizations like Golin, Tierney, Barneys New York, The Door, etc. Speakers shared personal stories about campaigns they have executed for national brands such as Mountain Dew, TD Bank, Disney, Olive Garden and more.

The conference was organized by fifteen students in the Events Management course offered through the Department of Communication. The class is part of the College of Arts & Sciences’ focus on creating experiential learning classes to better prepare students for the careers of tomorrow. Students designed each panel to address specific topics of interest and hand-picked speakers that would be most knowledgeable on those subjects.

Speakers included Ryan Leckey, WNEP; Dorien Russell, Barneys New York; Jon Silver, Golin; Henry Grant, Tierney; Eddie Ravert, Tierney; Christina Hitchcock, It Is a Keeper Blog; Peter McManus, The Door; and Kevin Teel, Pocono Raceways. Student speakers included, Kelly Ross o Wayne, New Jersey; Mark Miller of Archbald, Brian Lavin of Babylon, New York, and Amanda Tirador of Bloomfield, New Jersey. McManus and Ravert are alumni of the university.

The University of Scranton is leading the charge in cutting-edge education regarding communication in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The University’s Communication Department of Communication and Media offers six majors, including the new social media strategies major and business communication major, as well as an array of concentrations and minors including public relations, advertising, broadcast, journalism, sports communication and more.

For more information about USSDMC, email at ussdmc@scranton.edu or visit Facebook, Instagram or www.ussdmc.com.

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