Jennifer Gross, a 1999 Westminster College graduate, recently received the Public Relations Student Society of America Rising Star Award.

"The award goes to the outstanding professional who has been in the public relations field less than five years," said Dr. Deborah Mitchell, assistant professor of English and public relations at Westminster College. "The first words she spoke in her acceptance speech were about the program here at Westminster, and the head start that gave her in her career."

While at Westminster College, Gross was instrumental in establishing a local chapter of the PRSSA. She also served internships with Ketchum Public Relations and St. Francis Hospital.

"I am honored to have received the 2003 PRSSA Rising Star Award, and am grateful for the experiences that have lead me to this point in my career," Gross said. "The education that I received from Westminster, especially the curriculum of the public relations major, fully prepared me for a successful career,"

Gross is currently an account manager with Skutski & Oltmanns, Inc., a public relations agency in Pittsburgh, where she services accounts across a wide spectrum of industries, including education, construction, entertainment, consumer goods, business-to-business, and technology.

"I perform activities related to collateral development, media relations, event planning, and management and new business development," Gross said. "I also supervise the internship program here."

The Westminster connection runs deep for Gross. Her parents, John and Susan Shifler, are Westminster graduates, and her husband, Brad, also graduated from Westminster.

For more information on the Westminster College public relations major, contact Dr. James Perkins, professor and of English and Public Relations, at (724) 946-7347 or e-mail jperkins@westminster.edu.

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