Advertising & Public Relations at UGA

AdPR’s New York Experience and Exploration Internship Program is officially underway! Today we are highlighting PR student Samantha Fein. This summer she is working as an Entertainment Marketing Intern at MAP360 Collective in New York City.

“One of my favorite experiences at MAP360 so far was helping execute a The League event at The Ned NoMad and seeing firsthand how much planning and coordination goes into bringing a brand event to life.”

AdPR’s own, Cameron Baum, is spending her summer as a Marketing Intern for The Home Depot in Atlanta! See what she had to say about her first weeks:

“I’ve been loving my time at The Home Depot! So far, the internship has been full of learning moments and a lot of opportunities to meet incredible leaders. I’m on the Loyalty team and have been spending the first few weeks gaining a deeper understanding of the team and our objectives. We also got to participate in a fireside chat with CEO Ted Decker and learn about Home Depot’s Core Values. I am so excited for the rest of the summer!”

Big congratulations to our AdPR faculty members, Stephen Jiwanmall and Ruoyu Sun, on completing the Active Learning Summer Institute program! 👏

They’re bringing back fresh ideas, innovative teaching strategies, and new perspectives that will help create even more engaging classroom experiences for our students.

From reimagining course designs to exploring new opportunities for collaboration and research, their commitment to growth reflects AdPR’s dedication to student success.

We’re excited to see these ideas come to life in our classrooms. We know our students will benefit greatly from it! 🎉

This past month, a group of our AdPR students have had the opportunity to explore Japan and visit companies that are pushing the media world to new heights! As their program wraps up, we wanted to highlight Advertising student Hayleigh Stang’s experience so far on this study abroad. Here is what Hayliegh had to say about her time with AdPR Japan:

“Japan has been the most exciting and eye-opening experience! Getting to explore cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto has led to unforgettable memories. I have been so lucky to immerse myself in Japanese culture and everything we are learning through this program. Company visits to APCO and Edelman in Japan led me to discover new insights in the world of PR and Advertising and really changed my perspective. I am so happy to have done this program and to have met such wonderful people along the way!”

Five days. Fifteen incredible organizations. One unforgettable week in NYC. 🗽

Our AdPR NYC Maymester students spent the week learning from professionals across media, advertising, public relations, technology, and communications while exploring the many career paths our industry has to offer.

📍 TODAY Show
📍 Hearst Magazines
📍 BBH at Publicis Groupe
📍 M·A·C Cosmetics
📍 IMAX
📍 Golin
📍 Ketchum
📍 The New York Times
📍 TikTok
📍 MLB Headquarters
📍 Giant Spoon
📍 Klick Health
📍 Ruder Finn
📍 Johannes Leonardo
📍 Ogury
📍 Google
📍 Museum of Public Relations

The week also included a UGA Alumni Mixer and a Yankees game, creating opportunities for networking, learning, and unforgettable memories.

Thank you to every organization that welcomed our students and shared valuable insights, and a special thank you to our AdPR alumni who helped make this experience possible!

This past semester, AdPR’s Isabelle Lovejoy was a Publicity Intern at the CNN Atlanta Office. Here is what she had to say about the experience:

“Interning at CNN during my last semester at UGA was the perfect way to conclude my college career. Thanks to the UGA Career Fair and AdPR Connection, I had the opportunity to meet with recruiters from WBD several times over the years which aided me in eventually landing an internship.

Through my projects, I strengthened my skills in media landscape analysis, clip reporting, targeted media lists, pitch drafting and strategy, cross-platform promotion, breaking news monitoring, and media strategy development. One of the most rewarding parts of my internship was exploring how news organizations can better connect with Gen Z audiences and understand their news consumption habits and perceptions.”

Last week, we were honored to celebrate the accomplishments of our Advertising and Public Relations undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. graduates at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Convocation ceremony! 🎓

We are incredibly proud of each of our students and the lasting impact they have made on our AdPR community. We can’t wait to see all they accomplish as they begin their careers or continue pursuing higher education.

Welcome to the AdPR alumni family, graduates! ❤️🖤

We are beyond thrilled to announce that Blake Witmer, a Public Relations major here at Grady College’s AdPR department, has been selected as the University of Georgia's Spring 2026 Undergraduate Commencement student speaker.

Throughout her four years at UGA, Blake has been a dedicated and passionate member of the Grady College community, throwing herself into every opportunity that came her way. She took part in AdPR's prestigious New York City Study Away Internship program, where she gained hands-on professional experience at two internships, one at the Public Relations Museum and another at Makeable, a creative design agency.

We cannot wait to hear from Blake at graduation and are so proud of all she has accomplished. Congratulations Blake!🎓❤