Three Parkies (count 'em, THREE!) are among "most promising minority students"

This just in from the American Advertising Federation (check out the list!):

AAF Tackles Advertising Industry's Urgent Diversity Hiring Needs by Announcing Most Promising Minority Student Honorees

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 23, 2007-As part of its longstanding agenda to proactively address the multicultural hiring needs of the advertising industry, the American Advertising Federation's (AAF) Most Promising Minority Students (MPMS) Program will bring 50 talented minority students to New York to meet with top advertising, media and agency companies. The MPMS Program, now in its 11th year, is the advertising industry's largest and most comprehensive diversity hiring solution. This year's 50 graduating advertising seniors represent 34 colleges (see list below). The program will be held February 6-8, 2007, at the New York Athletic Club in New York City, with a February 7 celebratory awards luncheon as its centerpiece.

With recent controversy over the lack of multiculturalism in the advertising industry, corporations continue to explore strategies for broadening employee diversity. The AAF is aggressively addressing that need with a number of strategic recruiting programs, especially the long-standing MPMS Program. Managed by the AAF Mosaic Center on Multiculturalism, MPMS has provided more than 300 minority candidates by connecting recruiters with advertising students that demonstrate excellence.

"The AAF is committed 100 percent to increasing the ranks of minority talent among top advertising corporations," said AAF President & CEO Wally Snyder. "This year's prestigious Most Promising Minority Students Program is the perfect example of that pledge, showcasing the extraordinary talents of those that are destined to be great assets to our business."

This year's presiding luncheon chair is Frank Cooper, vice president, marketing, Pepsi-Cola Company, which is the Most Promising Principal Underwriter; co-chairs are Sheena Payne, manager of advertising and promotions, American Airlines, which is the Most Promising Official Airline, and Jill Manee, vice president/publisher, the Ad Age Group, which is the Most Promising Trade Media Partner.

Finalists include:


Adnan Ali, Southern Methodist University
Carla Ballecer, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Antonio Banos, Texas State Univ - San Marcos
Ekta Batra, Ithaca College
Frances Biver-Vasquez, Pennsylvania State University - University Park
Mariella Brodersen, University of San Francisco
Danya Jo Brown, University of Oklahoma
Thomas M. Chan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Maeden Cruz, Art Institute California - San Diego
Larene Faye DeGuzman, Pennsylvania State University - University Park
Nikasha Dicks, Paine College
Jessica Dinkelman, Ball State University
Dohnia Dorman, University of New Mexico
Iliana Espineira, University of Florida
Lamonica Falkuay, Syracuse University
William G. Frierson, University of South Carolina
Timothy Frisby, University of South Carolina
Rhea S. Goffe, Minnesota State University, Moorhead
Jovanna Gomez, Florida State University
Robert O. Gonzales, University of Oklahoma
Jose A. Gutierrez, University of Texas - El Paso
Becca Han, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Brenda Hernandez, University of Texas - Pan American
Helen Hsu, University of Georgia
Nancy Jeng, University of Texas at Austin
Alyssa Joy Johnson, Howard University
Lauren K. Johnson, Howard University
Joela Kemp, Iowa State University
Miao Jun Kuang, Pace University
Nivedita Kulkarni, Washington University
Stephanie LaCapra, Pennsylvania State University - University Park
Ronald Lam, Ithaca College
Carolyn Larson, Ithaca College
Gina Lawrence, Spelman College
Gong Liu, University of Central Florida
Jeremy S. Monton, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Olga Montserrat, University of California, Berkeley
Gretta A. Moody, Hampton University
Shara Moon, University of Central Florida
Lani Nguyen, Chapman University
Andrew V. Nhem, University of Oregon
Luiza Raposo, University of Georgia
Nicole L. Reed, Howard University
Shelecia R. Rogers, University of Louisville
Lauren Strazisar, Ohio University
Tramell Tillman, Jackson State University
Bienvenido Torres III, University of Florida
Nayeli Valentinez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Charlene Wang, University of Georgia
Russell W. Wyman Jr., Southern Methodist University