In January 2015, the Reed College of Media was awarded a grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to launch a project aimed at revitalizing West Virginia communities through integrated branding efforts and creative strategies. The Community Branding Initiative consisted of three pilot project communities—Matewan and Whitesville in the southern coalfields and Grafton, a bedroom community of Morgantown—in which Strategic Communications faculty and students worked to create unique research-based branding plans that catered to each community’s needs. Principal Investigator and Project Director Dr. Rita Colistra will take you on a branding journey to discuss the experiences, successes and challenges of this enriching process as well as the positive outcomes and impacts for the communities involved.
Rita Colistra's Bio
Dr. Rita Colistra is an Associate Professor of Strategic Communications in the Reed College of Media at WVU. She has obtained nearly $200,000 in both grant and client funding for her students to implement more than 15 strategic communications campaigns for communities and organizations. A national-award-winning
professor and scholar, Colistra has been the recipient of a state Public Relations Educator of the Year Award, a national Promising Professor Award, a national PR SuPRstar Award and a Faculty Excellence in Civic Engagement Award, among others. Colistra and her students have won 18 Crystal Awards and eight Honorable Mentions from the West Virginia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for their client campaign work serving West Virginia communities and organizations. She recently served as the principal investigator and project director for the Benedum-funded Community Branding Initiative and plans to facilitate future work in that area.
Rita Colistra, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Strategic Communications, Reed College of Media
Breakout Session 3: 1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Breakout Session 4: 2:30-3:15 p.m.