March 28, 2024

Judith Turner Phair Honored With 2014 David Ferguson Award (PRSA News Release)

WASHINGTON DC (October 11, 2014) — Judith Turner Phair, APR, Fellow PRSA, president of PhairAdvantage Communications LLC, will be presented with the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)’s 2014 David Ferguson Award tonight at the PRSA International Conference in Washington DC.

Awarded by the PRSA Educators Academy, the David Ferguson Award annually recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of public relations education on the part of public relations professionals.  The award honors the late David Ferguson, APR, Fellow PRSA, in recognition of his outstanding support to public relations education as PRSA president in 1985 and, later, as co-chair of the PRSA Educational Affairs Committee.

“The Ferguson Award is the highest honor bestowed upon a public relations professional by the Educators Academy of PRSA,” said PRSA Educators Academy Chair-Elect, Marcia W. DiStaso, Ph.D.  “Judy Phair’s contributions to the public relations profession and academe made her an excellent candidate for the award.”

Previously, Phair served as the vice president of communications for the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC®) and was the 2005 president and CEO of PRSA.  She was also the vice president for public affairs for the Council of Competitiveness, the vice president for institutional advancement at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, the assistant dean for external relations for Johns Hopkins University, and vice president of public relations for Goucher College.  She received the PRSA Gold Anvil Award in 2010.  Phair is currently a member and immediate past co-chair of the PRSA Educational Affairs Committee, PRSA representative to the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC), co-chair of the PRSA MBA Program, and member of the Commission on Public Relations Education.

About the Educators Academy In 1978, college and university public relations educators, both full and part time, and practitioners who share with educators a commitment to improving the quality of teaching and scholarly research in the field, were invited to be members of the Educators Academy. Established that same year, the Educators Academy was developed to reach those college and university public relations educators and practitioners to further the advancement of teaching public relations in higher education.

About the Public Relations Society of America
PRSA is the largest professional organization serving the U.S. public relations community. With a mission to “advance the profession and the professional,” PRSA provides news and information, thought leadership, continuing education and networking opportunities; sets standards of professional excellence and ethical conduct; and advocates for the business value of public relations and greater diversity among public relations professionals. Based in New York, PRSA comprises 112 local Chapters; 14 Professional Interest Sections that focus on specific industries and practice areas; and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which is active at more than 320 colleges and universities.