FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Distinguished Advertising Educator Award Goes to Scott Hamula of Ithaca College
Associate Professor Hamula will be honored as the 2019 recipient of the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) annual award for 30 years of excellence in advertising education.
WASHINGTON DC, May 9, 2019—Scott Hamula, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Strategic Communication at Ithaca College, has been selected as the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Advertising Educator Award. Hamula will be honored at the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) Luncheon during ADMERICA, AAF’s national conference, on June 7.
Awarded annually, the Distinguished Advertising Educator Award recognizes the best advertising professors in the country. Nominees for this award must demonstrate excellence in teaching and student advisement, a record of scholarly research, publications and professional experience, as well as active involvement in the advertising industry and its organizations, academia and the community.
In addition to being a full-time radio advertising professional, Hamula began his teaching career in 1989 as an adjunct professor at three community colleges. He became a full-time professor at Keuka College in 1994, and moved to Ithaca College shortly thereafter. At Ithaca, Hamula co-created the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) major and is now a tenured associate professor, IMC Program Director, and the Department of Strategic Communications Chair.
A dedicated servant to the advertising profession, Hamula has been an active member and leader of many organizations. He received the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)’s Advertising Division’s Outstanding Service Award in 2016 for his service as a member and former officer. Since 2016, Hamula has served as a faculty member of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), a unit of the National Advertising Division (NAD), Advertising Self-Regulatory Council (ASRC) and Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB). In addition, he is the faculty advisor for the Ithaca AAF college chapter, Park AdVenue, and advises the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team each year. Nationally, he serves on the AAF’s National Education Executive Committee (NEEC) as the chair-elect and District Two faculty representative. He was also recently appointed to Adweek magazine’s Academic Council.
Hamula’s biggest impact is in the classroom with his students. Students and colleagues frequently reference his passion for advertising education, noting his “pure enthusiasm” and celebrating him as “a champion for his students.” One former student said, “[Hamula] gave me the knowledge, strength, and opportunity to be prepared for my career.”
Ithaca College has made it to the NSAC finals six times under Hamula’s leadership. A former team member said, “he encouraged us with true joy and excitement to perform well. He was our biggest cheerleader and his enthusiasm was contagious amongst the entire team. We felt like we were competing not just for ourselves but also for Scott. We were his team and we wanted to make him proud. That is the type of loyalty and fondness Scott encourages from every one of his students.”
Associate Professor Hamula will be honored at ADMERICA, AAF’s annual national conference, on Friday, June 7 at The Diplomat in Hollywood, FL. Each year, the conference brings leading advertising professionals, agencies, clients, media companies and college students under one roof for education, inspiration, innovation, collaboration and celebration of the advertising industry. The conference also honors the industry’s best work during the American Advertising Awards and Mosaic Awards, and showcases future talent during the NSAC finals. For more information about ADMERICA and to register for the conference, please visit aaf.org/admerica.
For more information about the Distinguished Advertising Educator Award, please contact Laura Roha or visit the AAF’s website at aaf.org.
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