Department of Communication

Advisors and Officers

Meet Our Community Advisors: Sam Harmer is the Public Relations Manager for Lexar Media where he heads media product reviews, event promotions, and social networking. Harmer holds a BA in Communication from Boise State University, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Harmer believes the most important aspect of PR is to understand your audience.
Contact us: http://www.facebook.com/people/Prssa-Boise-State/ http://twitter.com/BoiseStatePRSSA boisestateprssa@gmail.com	Beth Toal is the Director of Public Relations and Communication for St. Luke’s Health System. Beth has worked for St. Luke’s for 11 years and is responsible for the Health System’s strategic public relations planning, media and community relations programs, internal communications, issues management and crisis response activities. Toal holds a B.A. in Communication from Boise State University in 1993 and MA in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University in 2006. Beth is married to her husband Mike and has two children Christopher and Anna. Morgan the golden retriever rounds out the Toal family.
Meet Our Faculty Advisor: Mary Frances Casper, MSPR, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Boise State University and Public Relations Certificate Program Director. She is the faculty advisor to the PRSSA chapter at Boise State University. Casper is serving as a 2010 Member-at-Large for PRSA Idaho chapter, and is a member of the PRSA Educator’s Academy, the National Communication Association, and the International Communication Association.
	Meet our Officers: President Andy McCutcheon can be described as the fuel to a fire. When inspiration is needed he will be the one to light the match. To call him outgoing is an understatement. There is never a dull moment from this twenty-two year old junior, which is all a part of his natural charm. Obstacles are never too colossal and optimism is just second nature. Well on his way to a bright future in public relations, so bright he is going to have to wear shades.
	Elyse Ballweber is a senior working on her Communication Degree, with a minor in Art History, and a Public Relations Certificate. She loves to stay busy, and in her own words, “there is never a dull moment in PR.” Elyse has worked on many event and promotional campaigns during her time at Boise State and looks forward to continue as an avante-grade event planner post graduation.
	David Liddel is currently in his fourth year at Boise State University majoring in Communication with a Certificate of Public Relations. He has been a member of PRSSA for the past two years and this year he was elected University Liaison. Liddell will never be found without a smile on his face.
	Ashley Goodell is a wrapping up her undergraduate career with a Communication degree and Public Relations Certificate. Passion drives her to accomplish things she would have never thought possible. After graduation she plans to head to graduate school for athletic administration in the spring. Ashley’s real passion is volleyball and hopes to one day find her dream career by pairing love of the game with public relations. This driven individual plans on taking club sport athletics to heightened recognition worldwide with the skills she learned from the public relations program.
	Brooke Berston is the Historian for PRSSA the Boise State Chapter. She transferred to Boise State in spring semester of 2009 from the University of Nevada Reno. Berston will be graduating with a Communications degree and Public Relations certificate in spring of 2011. Her passions are her friends, family and social media. She enjoys learning new things about social media and the PR field. Berston recently opened a social media consulting business. She looks forward to graduating and building her business.
	Emma Miller has served two years as the Lead Coordinator for Student Events at North Idaho College. Since then Miller has transferred to Boise State University to begin her degree in Communication and Public Relations Certificate. For the last three summers she has worked with a nonprofit in Sandpoint, Idaho, The Festival at Sandpoint. This semester she is working with Special Olympics Idaho planning multiple fundraisers including Breakfast With Champions. Miller will graduate in the spring of 2010 and hopes to go into a career of fundraiser coordination for local nonprofits.