Classroom Confidential: Reflections, Resolutions and Tips for the New Year
By Lorra Brown
January 2025
Inviting guest speakers into the classroom is a powerful way to bridge the gap between academic concepts and industry realities. It equips the next generation of PR and marketing professionals with practical and actionable insights.
Each semester, I have the privilege of hosting leaders at William Patterson University in New Jersey who generously share their expertise and offer advice and best practices for students and faculty.
Recurring themes often emerge, such as the importance of building connections, fostering collaboration, keeping abreast of technologies, trends and news, and maintaining professionalism. These insights underscore the need to stay current, nurture intellectual curiosity, and approach both daily tasks and new opportunities with strategic intent.
As we look ahead to 2025, I’m embracing many of these lessons in my own professional journey. Here are the standout takeaways from experts in public relations, brand communication, talent recruitment, social media and marketing that resonated most with me as we enter the new year.
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Lorra Brown
Lorra Brown is an associate professor of public relations and strategic communication at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J., where she also serves as graduate program director of the master’s program in integrated marketing communication and the school’s first PRSSA adviser. She is a former senior executive at Ogilvy and Weber Shandwick. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
