Laurie Wilson has been named the new director of the Office of Academic Internships at Brigham Young University, replacing James Backman, who has returned to a full-time faculty position in the J. Reuben Clark Law School.
Wilson is a professor and former chair of the Communications Department and has received many teaching and research awards, including the Karl G. Maeser Excellence in Teaching Award.
She also served as executive director of BYU's Washington Seminar Internship Program, changing the format to allow for year-round participation.
In 1990, the National Public Relations Society of America named Wilson outstanding advisor of the year. Wilson was inducted into the PRSA Hall of Fame in 1995 and was named PRSA's Outstanding Educator in 2001.
Wilson received her doctorate from American University in Washington, D.C., and worked for a number of years as a marketing and communications specialist in Washington, D.C.
The Office of Academic Internships coordinates with off-campus companies as well as campus departments to help students gain practical experience in their fields of study while receiving academic credit.
Writer: Thomas Grover
