November 4, 2005 — The Department of Communication’s annual public event, A Town and Gown Forum, will feature Pamela Fogle, this year’s Parry D. Sorensen Distinguished Lecturer. The annual gathering that celebrates the important role professional communicators play in the education of Communication students at the U will be held Tuesday, November 8, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. in the Idaho Ballroom at the Little America Hotel, 500 South Main Street, Downtown Salt Lake City.
Drawing from her extensive experience as a public relations professional, Fogle’s presentation, From Barney Clark to Cold Fusion: Lessons Learned During a Career in Public Relations, will focus on the unique and significant international stories that she was involved with throughout her career. Such stories include the implant of a total artificial heart in Seattle dentist Dr. Barney Clark in 1982 and the announcement of the achievement of fusion on a tabletop at room temperature, also known as “cold fusion.” These stories “tested all aspects one may encounter in media relations,” Fogle says. “Each of these stories involved drama, stunning technological developments, the pioneering efforts of extraordinarily interesting people, human spirit and enterprise, suspense, squabbling among scientists, complications posed by the intervention of lawyers, and harsh criticism from the university community and from reporters. Each of these stories provided opportunities to learn valuable lessons in public relations.”
Pamela Fogle is Director of Marketing for MountainStar Healthcare, where she designs and integrates the marketing and communication for two of MountainStar’s six network hospitals in Northern Utah. Fogle has also held such positions as Director of University of Utah’s Office of University Communications where she designed and implemented the University’s communications, serving more than 45,000 students, faculty and staff.
Fogle has won many prestigious awards for her work, including regional Golden Spike awards and National CASE medals. Most recently she earned First Place, Excellence in Best Demonstrated Practice, and First Place, Best Performance in Membership Growth from the Hospital Corporation of America out of 190 hospitals nationwide.
The Lectureship and the annual Town and Gown Forum were created to honor the distinguished career of Communication Professor Emeritus Parry D. Sorensen who created countless professional internships to ensure that experience in the professional workplace is an integral part of the U students’ education.
A reception honoring Parry D. Sorensen and Pamela Fogle will be held immediately following Fogle’s Forum presentation.