MANAGER OF MEDIA RELATIONS NAMED AT UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Fayetteville, Ark. -- Rebecca M. Wood, 30, of Fayetteville, has been named manager of media relations for the Office of University Relations, University of Arkansas, effective immediately.

Since 1994, Wood had been serving as coordinator of recruitment publications in the Office of University Relations, managing the production of all primary recruitment publications and videos needed by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as well as editing and writing for various University publications. Over the last three months, she had been serving as interim media relations manager.

"Ms. Wood has been doing a terrific job in her interim role," said Roger L. Williams, associate vice chancellor of University relations and the administrator to whom she will report.

"She has an abundance of the qualities needed for success in this position~intelligence, enthusiasm, creativity and a strong work ethic. She also has a deep knowledge of, and great respect for, the news media.

"Ms. Wood also is familiar with the University and its goals, and has gained the confidence of the faculty, administrators, staff and students with whom she's worked," he added. "She will be a key player in our efforts to build the kind of visibility for the University that positions it as a nationally competitive research university and capstone of Arkansas higher education."

As manager of media relations, she will be responsible for building a proactive communications program that showcases the University's strengths, intellectual resources, academic achievements, competitive advantages, and unique position in the higher education marketplace.

She will coordinate the University's communications and relationships with the news media on a local, statewide and national basis; respond quickly to requests for information from the media; serve as a spokeswoman for the University; supervise media relations staff; account for the performance of the media relations program and otherwise assist with public relations, communications, and marketing initiatives at the request of the associate vice chancellor.

Prior to joining the University in 1994, Ms. Wood worked as a beat reporter for Donrey Media, covering the University of Arkansas from the Fayetteville bureau of The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas.

Before that, she worked as a beat reporter for Montgomery Publications of Junction City, Kansas and as a free-lance reporter for the Fort Riley Post. From 1988 to 1991 she worked as a general news reporter and copy writer for KARV radio of Russellville.

She is a 1991 graduate of Arkansas Tech University in Russellville with a B.A. in journalism and public relations.

She is married to Ron Wood, a court reporter for The Morning News, and has a one-year-old daughter, Maggie Jane.

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