Award: $10,000, 3 awards

Established in 2023, the Geoffrey M. Curtis Scholarship awards three rising junior or senior undergraduate students who are pursuing a career in public relations, journalism, or communications and are BIPOC identified with a $10,000 scholarship.

Scholarship recipients will also be offered the opportunity to interview for a paid, full-year internship opportunity with the Institute for Public Relations during the award school year. The internship will be managed directly by the Institute for Public Relations.

Geoff Curtis is former executive vice president, corporate affairs and chief communications officer at Horizon Therapeutics. During his more than 25-year health care communications career, Curtis has worked domestically and internationally in various roles on both the client and agency side including at Edelman, Abbott Laboratories, GCI and W2O Group (now Real Chemistry). Curtis is a committed mentor and coach to young professionals and undergraduate students, and he and his wife are avid philanthropists committed to education equity. He has made a grant to the PRSA Foundation to make this award available to all eligible communications students.

"I am passionate about and an advocate for education/education equity and have made it my philanthropic mission to do what I can to reduce barriers to education," said Curtis. "We need more diversity in the communications field and I’m hopeful that this scholarship is a step in helping to make that a reality."

Eligibility:

• Registered as a full-time undergraduate student at an accredited four-year college or university.
• A rising junior or senior.
• BIPOC identified.
• Pursuing a major in public relations, journalism, or communications (strategic, science, digital/social)
• A GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.

Application:

• The completed online application form.
• A resume.
• A letter of support from a professor or advisor.

Application Deadline: April 30, 2024