One top award just wasn’t enough for University of Wisconsin Oshkosh alumnus Shane Arman ’10.
After being named the Young PR Professional of the Year Award during PRWeek in New York this spring, he recently earned an Outstanding Young Alumni Award from his alma mater.
PRWeek’s highly competitive Young PR Professional of the Year Award is a symbol of achievement and leadership.
“It immediately sets the winner apart from all others,” said Julie Henderson, a professor in the UW Oshkosh journalism department. “Judges are drawn from among the senior-most level within agencies, in-house departments, nonprofit, academia and government.”
Arman’s success post-college and during his work as an undergraduate helped him achieve such an honor. He graduated cum laude from the University Honors Program with a journalism degree, a public relations emphasis and a business administration minor. He excelled in his classes as well as in campus clubs and organizations.
“UW Oshkosh provided an unbelievable foundation for my career,” Arman said. “At UW Oshkosh, I learned the networking, team-building and professional skills I used to get hired and be successful at my first job. I learned how to be a leader, how to be resourceful and what really, really hard work felt like.”
While at UWO, Arman was heavily involved in Reeve Union Board, an event-planning committee that organizes concerts, speakers and other popular events on campus. Beginning as the public relations director for the Concert Committee, Arman worked his way up to Reeve Union Board president. UWO also presented him with the 2010 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and the 2010 UW Oshkosh Student Leadership award.
Arman’s career began with an internship with Burson-Marsteller, a public relations and communications company in Chicago. Upon graduation, Arman was immediately hired full-time and received his first of two promotions within four months. He is now a member of the agency’s sports marketing specialty, fan experience. His two major clients are MetLife and Discover.
Arman’s nomination for the Young PR Professional of the Year Award was influenced by his participation and strong focus on sports marketing, event-driven public relations and media relations. As a representative of MetLife, Arman attended Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis to help leverage the company’s status as a new stadium sponsor and a first-time Super Bowl advertiser.
In order to make his mark and build exposure, Arman planned and executed a project to build and place an 18-foot ice sculpture of the New York skyline at the stadium. The Burson-Marsteller team also was able to make an appearance on Radio Row and secure more than 350 million media impressions and nearly 200 story placements.
For Discover, Arman became the go-to resource for increasing the company’s sports and entertainment sponsorships. He was the on-site manager for the company’s “Coaster to Coaster Tour,” a program that brought Discover families to five Six Flags theme parks in order to demonstrate the awards and benefits available through the credit card.
Through his creativity, drive, leadership skills and hard work, Arman was able to drive outstanding results for both clients, generating success for Burson-Marsteller.
“Even on paper, this is the guy you want on your team,” one PRWeek judge said about Arman. “He’s a leader.”
Arman and nine other UWO alumni award winners will be honored at a banquet during Homecoming Weekend, October 11-12. They will attend a reception, dinner and awards program in Reeve Memorial Ballroom on Friday, and will have the opportunity to watch the Homecoming football game from the press box at Oshkosh Sports Complex on Saturday. Award winners will be escorted onto the field during halftime by Chancellor Richard Wells for recognition.
The Alumni Awards Dinner will be held beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 in Reeve Memorial Union. Reserve your spot at the event by calling (920) 424-3349 or sending an email to alumni@uwosh.edu. Tickets are $30 per person.
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