Austin Lacter is a communication specialist tasked with managing the University of Oregon’s award winning student-run PR firm. He oversees 60 student account executives as they execute real campaigns for 14 client accounts.
A member of Allen Hall Public Relations (AHPR) since January of 2012, Lacter is currently the agency’s Firm Director. He earned this role in part because of his success leading the team that served the Friendship Foundation for International Students (FFIS), a nonprofit that exists to help foreign students at the UO adjust to life in the U.S. Lacter and his team created strategic partnerships with on-campus organizations whose members have an inherent interest in working with international students. For example, the team built a relationship with UO Study Abroad Department heads by pairing study abroad candidates with international students from the region they plan to visit. By connecting these interested parties in mutually beneficial relationships, the team revamped FFIS’ volunteer recruitment efforts, creating unprecedented student volunteer interest.
In addition, Lacter serves as the digital strategist for the University’s School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC). Since starting in July 2013, he has grown the SOJC’s Twitter following by 30 percent, in addition to increasing engagement across the board. Lacter also uses Facebook and Instagram to shine a spotlight on student work, campus life, world-class faculty and prominent alumni to build the school’s reputation as one of the best in the nation.
Lacter is set to earn a B.A. in journalism with a focus in public relations this June.
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