Angelica Deleon, Graduate Student and Fellowship Recipient

The College of Communication and the Arts awarded its first-ever research fellowship to a member of the University's Class of 2017, Angelica Deleon. This fellowship is a pilot program by Renee Robinson, Ph.D. and Ryan Hudes Ph.D., who envision this position as one that represents the continued evolvement and innovation of the College's graduate studies program portfolio. The fellowship position affords prospective and current students the opportunity to explore research outside of the classroom and collaborate with a faculty member to pursue topics of interest.

Robinson shares, "This fellowship allows the student to bridge their curriculum and interests to produce a piece of work that can be carried through to publication and someday into their doctoral program." She also highlights that the research papers created during this program are tailored toward the student and their interests. Robinson is currently collaborating with Angelica DeLeon to explore topics related to technology, organizational management and communication.

Deleon '17, a first-generation college graduate of the College's Public Relations program, established her company, Leon, an eCommerce petite women's clothing brand in 2015. Deleon's business venture has gained recognition from global companies including Google and Forbes8. She attributes the nuanced public relations and business skills, pragmatic mentorship career advice, and professional development opportunities she acquired during her undergraduate career as a competitive edge while conceptualizing her company.

During her undergraduate studies, Deleon was actively involved in the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter serving as President during her Senior year, CHAMP, a scholar and work-study at the Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute, and was selected to represent the University at the 2017 National Bateman Competition. Deleon secured a marketing internship at Mercedes-Benz, which she explains was the starting point to her passion in public relations and marketing.

Like a daring few, Deleon pursued an international marketing career in the world's fastest-growing economy, Beijing, China. Most recently as a team member at McCann Worldgroup, she crafted global marketing strategies for clients like MGM Resorts, IBM, and Qualcomm. Her time abroad expanded her views on how emerging technologies have the potential to impact billions of lives.

"Pioneering the fellowship program as the first M.A. candidate while pursuing a critical research topic of my choosing is an opportunity, I feel privileged to pursue," Deleon shares. "The fellowship affords me the valuable time to refine my research, writing and presentation capabilities, continue to build a portfolio, and develop skills which are highly valued in an international workplace."

Inspired by her time abroad and her workplace communication technology course, Deleon hopes to investigate topics at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies in order to contribute to the field of research. In this position, while focusing on technology and communication, she will further delve into topics that include how corporations leverage emerging technologies to impact our future and how these products of the future are effectively marketed to consumers on a global scale.

As the first graduate research fellow within the College of Communication and the Arts, Deleon advises, "Make the most out of this moment. The fellowship intends to support your research topic with the careful guidance and mentorship of a faculty member coupled with access to a plethora of academic resources that help test and validate your research assumptions." Deleon notes, "This opportunity encourages M.A. candidates to remain at the forefront of their industry, contributing nuanced and innovative research findings while simultaneously building the confidence as public relations practitioners to bridge the gap between research findings with real-world critical practice."

Currently, the research fellowship program is a pilot, but there are plans to continue awarding exceptional applicants as part of the Fall 2020 admissions cycle. Fellows are considered based on materials submitted as part of the application process.

The College of Communication and the Arts currently offers three Master's-level programs, including Museum Professions, Communication, and Public Relations. In addition, four dual-degree options, including three accelerated B.A./M.A. programs and a dual M.A. degree with the School of Diplomacy and International Relations are offered.

For more information about Graduate Studies within the College of Communication and the Arts, please contact Ryan Hudes Ph.D.

Categories: Alumni, Nation and World