Name: Maegan Gudridge
Title: Public relations coordinator, Division of Student Affairs

How long have you been at USC? I started the first week in October 2005.

Can you talk a little about your background? I did my undergraduate work at the College of Charleston and went to graduate school here at USC for journalism and mass communications. While I was in grad school, I was a graduate assistant in USC's Office of Media Relations, which was terrific. It was a great addition to my graduate education. I also spent some time at South Carolina ETV Radio, the state's NPR affiliate, as a reporter and producer.

What did you do after graduate school? After I graduated, I was the public relations and marketing director for a nonprofit arts organization, the Perkins Center for the Arts, in Moorestown, N.J., just outside Philadelphia. After a couple of years, I came back to USC.

What brought you back? I missed it, and I really, really missed working in higher education. I enjoyed my time working with media relations and wanted to get back to the University. And I wanted to get out of the snow and ice.

Did you have a background in the arts? I did. In college, I majored in arts management, which focuses on the business side of the arts. I also was a stage manager for several theater companies in college and after.

Can you describe your position as public relations coordinator? I'm part of the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. I'm responsible for public relations for the Division of Student Affairs, coordinating the promotion of things that are relevant to the division as a whole, as well as providing support to the different units, all the departments within Student Development and University Housing, Enrollment Management and Student Life. I help to promote the division, the programs and events that it sponsors, the staff, and some of the great students that we come in contact with every day.

Do you promote those events and programs to local media? To promote to the media, I work through the Office of Media Relations as their point of contact for the division. I focus on promotion on campus to students, faculty, and staff. I'm also working on some publications and working with University Publications to create an annual report and a brochure that we can use on campus and off to let people know what Student Affairs does. Many people don't realize the variety of programs and activities encompassed by the division. Student Affairs is everything from housing to admissions. Students are in contact with Student Affairs even before they come on campus and then throughout their academic careers: everything from getting into the University to where to live, what activities to be part of, and the career center, which helps them find jobs even after school. We follow them and hope to help them throughout their careers here.

Is the position new? It is. And because it's new, I've had the freedom to develop the position as I figure out how best to promote the division and to work with people on staff to tailor my role to meet their needs. It's been great, and I got off to a fun start. When I began in October, Homecoming came up pretty quickly and then the Carolina-Clemson game followed. Since then, I've been getting to know the people and the programs in all of the departments.

What's the best part of your job so far? Meeting everyone in Student Affairs has been terrific. It's an exceptionally talented group of people. They're really passionate and so committed to helping students.

Can people get in touch with you with ideas? Absolutely. They can call me at 7-4172 or e-mail me at gudridge@gwm.sc.edu. We're always looking for good stories about students. There are so many students who are already involved in programs. But there are also other terrific students at USC who are doing wonderful things. I'd love to be put in touch with them.

What are your interests outside of work? Are you still involved in the arts? Just as a fan. I gave up stage-managing a long time ago, but I love to go to concerts and art exhibits. I'm having fun decorating my apartment, too. I'm a design geek.

1/06