Marcia DiStaso, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Public Relations Department chair, and Public Relations senior Gabriela Balayla have been recognized by PRNews as PR Trainer/Educator of the Year and PR Student of the Year, respectively. They were honored at the 2019 PRNews PR People Awards Luncheon in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 12.

The annual event showcases passionate communication professionals and budding PR leaders who are making communication matter in the marketplace.

DiStaso came to CJC from Penn State University in 2017. She is a national leader in research on digital/social media and financial communication/investor relations in public relations and is widely known and respected for her distinguished career in research, teaching, and service. Earlier this year, she was named to the PRNews PR Measurement Hall of Fame. She won the Public Relations Educator of the Year Award from the Public Relations Society of America  in 2016 and was recognized as an AEJMC Emerging Scholar. She also is a member of the highly acclaimed Arthur Page Society.

Balayla, was the founding president of the UF Hispanic Public Relations Student Association and has been working as a technology PR intern at BCW Global in San Francisco since June 2019. She graduated from CJC on Dec. 13, 2019.

Posted: December 13, 2019
Category: Alumni News, College News
Tagged as: Gabriela Balayla, Marcia DiStaso, PRNews PR People Awards