UNC Charlotte Communication Studies Professor Alan Freitag received the prestigious Infinity Award from Public Relations Society of America-Charlotte on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at an evening gala.
The Infinity Award honors a public relations professional whose character, career and service represent the highest standards and who excels in the practice of public relations and/or has accomplished an outstanding one-time achievement. Recipients have dedicated their careers to the practice of public relations, have achieved substantial success in their professional work and represent the highest standards of ethical conduct in the practice of public relations.
PRSA Charlotte acknowledged the outstanding contributions Freitag has made over the years to his students, fellow faculty members, the public relations profession, the national Public Relations Society of America organization and to Charlotte’s PRSA chapter.
With more than 300 members, the Charlotte Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America is one of the region’s largest and most active chapters. Past Infinity Award honorees select the Infinity Award recipient.
Also at the event, PRSA Charlotte presented the 2016 Pegasus Award to Kay Carter, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. It is given to a respected leader who has made significant contributions to the betterment of the community, enhancing its reputation and prestige through the effective use of exceptional communication and public relations practices.
“PRSA Charlotte takes tremendous pride in honoring Charlotte’s outstanding public relations professionals and leaders in our community annually with our Infinity Award and our Pegasus Award,” said Christy Phillips-Brown, chapter president. “Dr. Alan Freitag and Kay Carter are not only successful professionals, but as citizens of the Queen City, they are significantly contributing and impacting our community in immeasurably positive ways.”
UNC Charlotte faculty, staff, students and alumni attended the event in honor of Freitag. Freitag currently serves as assistant dean of UNC Charlotte’s Graduate School. He came to UNC Charlotte in 1998 after a 22-year career as an officer in the United States Air Force. He served in a variety of public affairs roles for the Air Force, including stints with the Strategic Defense Initiative at the Pentagon and in Europe. Achieving the rank of full professor at UNC Charlotte, Freitag served as associate chair of the Communication Studies Department, president of the Faculty Council and Fulbright Scholar at Poznan University of Economics in Poland.
Image: Alumni join Freitag at the event. Shown: Kristyn Callaway, Seth Kingdon, Megan Parks, Alan Freitag, Courtney James, Natalia Schiappacasse.
