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Merle visits Drake to present “Secret Life of a Passport”

Patrick Merle
Patrick Merle

The Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication welcomes Patrick Merle, Ph.D., to share his international public relations experiences in the inaugural lecture of the Drake University Public Relations Distinguished Lecture Series.

His talk, “Notes From the Field: The Secret Life of a Passport,” will be held in Sussman Theater in Drake University’s Olmsted Center at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The event is free and open to the public.

The lecture series is designed to encourage students to consider the dynamic careers they can pursue with a public relations degree. Merle’s visit will expand students’ perspectives of the future and inspire them to envision career choices in international public relations, global politics, and journalism.

Audience members will learn from his first-hand international experience as Merle addresses relevant aspects that arise when American professionals encounter multinational issues.

Merle is an assistant professor at the School of Communication at Florida State University. He has worked previously as a professional journalist covering domestic issues and international affairs for global news organizations. He will share his experiences covering definitive world events like 9/11 in New York City, the London subway attacks, and the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Merle’s lecture kicks off the Central Iowa PRSA Institute, a daylong seminar for professional communicators in Iowa. Follow the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #DrakePR, on Facebook with the “Drake PR and MCL” group, and at sjmc.drake.edu.

Throughout the week Merle will visit public relations, politics, and business classes, working with students to recognize how these disciplines intersect and their importance in global communication today. He will also meet with student groups, faculty, and athletics administrators during his time on campus.