The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications announces the appointment of Robert W. Grupp—a long-time leader in the nation’s public relations community—as director of its Master of Arts in Mass Communication (MAMC) program specialization in Global Strategic Communication.

Established in 2012, the online graduate degree program offers a focused curriculum combining traditional theory with practical exploration of emerging technologies to help professionals develop effective communication strategies.

Grupp, who is president at management consultancy Grupp Global Partners LLC, joined the College two years ago as adjunct instructor in the Global Strategic Communication program where he created and currently teaches the Capstone Course for working professionals. He has served for six years on the College’s Public Relations Advisory Council. Previously, Grupp was President and CEO of The Institute for Public Relations, which is co-located in the College in Gainesville. He served on the Board of Trustees of this independent non-profit for eight years.

“Bob has all of the necessary abilities and skills to excel as a graduate program director,” said Michael Weigold, Ph.D., associate dean for Undergraduate Studies and director of Distance Education in the College. “Bob has the experience, wisdom, judgment and passion to provide the necessary leadership, incorporate senior sector professionals in our students’ experience and help this established program to grow.”

Grupp has been active in higher education and serves on the Public Relations Advisory Council for the Fulbright Scholar Program of the U.S. Department of State, administered by the Institute of International Education. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the biannual International Public Relations Summit in Indonesia, and he is a long-time advisor to the China International Public Relations Association (CIPRA) in Beijing.

“We are excited to have a professional of his caliber leading the online Master’s program in Global Strategic Communication, said Dean Diane McFarlin. “His extensive experience and industry insight will be an asset to both students and the College.”

Grupp chairs annual Summits on Strategic Communications in Washington, D.C. and in London. These popular professional conferences—held consecutively for the past six years—focus on sharing best practices in corporate, military and government communications and public affairs. He is past president of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and co-chaired the IPRA Public Relations World Congress in Beijing with Li Daoyu, former Chinese ambassador to the United States.

For three decades, Grupp led communications teams and managed public affairs in corporations, multi-national organizations and non-profit institutions. From 2001-2008, he served as vice president of Corporate and Public Affairs at Cephalon, Inc. an international biopharmaceutical company and has held leadership positions in corporate communication at Eli Lilly and Company, Dow Corning Corporation and Consumers Energy.

Earlier in his career, he served as editor for daily newspapers in Florida and Illinois, and he received the prestigious National Headliner Award for excellence in journalism.

Further information about the program and application process is available online.

Posted: June 22, 2015
Category: College News
Tagged as: Distance Education, Global Strategic Communication, Graduate Studies, Public Relations, Robert Grupp