PRSA Maryland Names Dr. Leeanne M. Bell McManus the 2014 Educator of the Year

BALTIMORE, Nov. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Leeanne M. Bell McManus has been named the Public Relations Society of America Maryland Chapter's 2014 Educator of the Year for teaching and motivating students, engaging them in various community service initiatives and developing needed course curriculums.

McManus, an associate professor in the business communications department at Stevenson University, will be honored at PRSA-MD's Best in Maryland gala on December 4 at the Hilton Baltimore overlooking Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

"Dr. Bell McManus is an excellent classroom instructor – one who knows how to motivate and challenge her students," said Chip Rouse, Stevenson's associate director and department chair of business communications. "She demands quality performance and gets it. Her student evaluations are outstanding, indicating that she is reaching students on many levels and they are putting into practice the theory they are learning."

Rouse said McManus also developed several courses for the department, including an introductory-level Principles and Practices of Public Relations course. "Dr. Bell McManus fuels excitement in her students and encourages them to put into practice what they learn in the PR classroom," she added. "The students' research and activities give them lots of real-world practice."

PRSA-MD's Educator of the Year Award recognizes and honors exemplary undergraduate and graduate public relations/communications professionals that are excellent instructors and education leaders in their schools and communities. Awardees must have a history of participation in the Public Relations Student Society of America and/or other organizations dedicated to the advancement of the communications profession; be dedicated to the advancement of students within public relations/communications; and possess conduct consistent with the PRSA Code of Ethics.

McManus is co-author of two books, "Communication Ethics Literacy: Dialogue and Difference" (Sage, 2009), and "Conflict between Persons: The Origins of Leadership" (Kendall Hunt, 2014). She is currently working on her third book, "Event Planning: Communicating Theory and Practice." She also has published excerpts in Exploring Communication Ethics: Interviews with Influential Scholars in the Field and The Encyclopedia of Social Identity. In addition, McManus has published in the Atlantic Journal of Communication, Review of Communication, and Communication Annual: Journal of the Pennsylvania Communication Association.

In addition to McManus' publications, she has over 65 competitively selected convention papers and panels and is a journal reviewer for Communication Theory, Review of Communication, Communication and Religion, and Qualitative Research Reports. She teaches and conducts research in public relations, event planning, conflict, leadership, communication ethics and interpersonal communication.  

PRSA-MD's Best In Maryland gala also will honor the Lifetime Achievement Award winner, reveal the New PR Professional of the Year and present awards for excellence in public relations campaigns in 24 categories.

The evening will include a keynote address from Terrence O'Hara, a former journalist and editor of the Baltimore Business Journal who was also a financial services reporter for The Washington Post for nine years and director of executive communications for Fannie Mae. O'Hara is currently vice president of communications for UnitedHealthcare Medicare and Retirement. He will speak about the changing nature of corporate communications in a social media world, navigating a career in journalism and public relations, and what he believes are the most important communications strategies to follow in a digital world.

Gala tickets are available online at www.prsamd.org (click on event) or by calling 888-868-7772. For details, visit http://bit.ly/1CdPa9M.

SOURCE PRSA Maryland

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