July 12, 2004 :: No. 12

Communications Lecturer Receives Distinguished Service Award
From Public Relations Society of America

Dennis Gaschen of Orange, a lecturer in communications at Cal State Fullerton, has received the Distinguished Service Award from the Orange County Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) — the organization’s highest honor to an individual.

A member of the Cal State Fullerton faculty since 1994, Gaschen has taught classes on public relations principles, public relations writing, corporate and nonprofit public relations and served as faculty adviser for the College of Communications’ annual Communications Week activities for seven years. The spring event offers a series of lectures, workshops and programs designed to expose students to various fields of communications.

Gaschen also has served for several years as faculty adviser to PRSSA, the student chapter of PRSA.

The professional organization’s award is presented to a public relations professional for “outstanding contributions to the public relations profession and to the community.”

With this recognition, Gaschen becomes the third member of Cal State Fullerton’s Communications Department to receive the honor. Emeritus professors Norm Nager and Robert Rayfield were honored in 1988 and 1990, respectively.