<p><span class="p-body"><i><b>Launches Scholarship to Honor Founder John Doorley and Support Students’ Continued Professional Development</b></i></span></p> <p><span class="p-body"><b>NEW YORK, November 17, 2025 </b>– The <a href="/content/sps-nyu/homepage.html">NYU School of Professional Studies</a> (NYU SPS) recently celebrated the 20^th anniversary of its award-winning graduate degree program in Public Relations and Corporate Communication (PRCC) and launched a career development scholarship to honor the program’s founder and former professor, John T. Doorley, Jr. (M.A. ’80). </span></p> <p><span class="p-body">The NYU SPS PRCC program launched in 2005 with the first cohort graduating in 2008. Since its inception, the program has prepared more than 1,200 graduates to navigate and lead in today’s fast-changing landscape. Alumni hold communication leadership roles in top corporations, agencies, nonprofits, and government organizations across more than 40 countries. The NYU SPS PRCC program was named winner of the 2021 <i>PRWeek</i> Award for Outstanding Education Program, an award it first won in 2009 and 2010, and is routinely named to the annual <i>PRNEWS</i> Education A-List.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Doorley was the founding academic director of the NYU SPS PRRC program, leading it from 2005 through 2014 and building a strong foundation for success. Before joining academia, he built a distinguished career in the healthcare industry, culminating in 12 years as Head of Corporate Communication at Merck &amp; Co. A pioneering voice in reputation management for more than four decades as a practitioner, scholar and author, he has been a passionate advocate for nurturing emerging talent and advancing the field of communication through both his professional and academic leadership.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">To honor Doorley’s legacy, NYU SPS announced a new scholarship program in the founder’s name to support graduate students as they seek to grow their careers and contribute to the advancement of the profession. Initial gifts by several donors, including former faculty and friends of the program, mark the start of a year of fundraising. </span></p> <p><span class="p-body">“There has never been a more critical time for professional communicators,” said Kathleen Rennie, Chair of the Integrated Marketing and Communications Program at NYU SPS.  “Since day one, this program has moved at the speed of industry to prepare master’s students for a wide variety of careers in our function, both in agency and corporate roles. We continue to educate the profession’s rising stars in the center of the media, marketing, and public relations capital of the world. We hope this scholarship will serve to help honor our rich heritage while also continuing to position our program and students for future success,” added Rennie.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">“With an employment rate averaging above 90 percent within six months of graduation, the NYU SPS PRCC program continues to set the standard for PR education,” said Martin Ihrig, Associate Dean of the NYU SPS Division of Programs in Business. “Our blend of academic rigor and real-world application, taught by industry experts and leading scholars, keeps our graduates at the forefront of ethical, strategic, and global communication practice.”</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Doorley commented, “Strong communication skills have always been crucial to business success, and reputation management is now at the top of every leader’s agenda. I’m proud of what the dedicated NYU SPS PRCC program professors and staff have built over the last two decades and hope that this scholarship will continue to afford more development opportunities for hardworking and talented NYU students for decades to come.”</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">More than 80 students, alumni, and industry icons joined the anniversary celebration, generously hosted at the Bryant Park offices of Brunswick Group, the leading global advisory firm specializing in critical issues and corporate relations. Brunswick has a longstanding commitment to identifying and nurturing the industry’s top talent, supporting the NYU SPS PRCC program’s mission to educate and advance ethical, strategic, and innovative communicators and leaders worldwide.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">To learn more about the program, visit <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-public-relations-and-corporate-communication.html">NYU SPS PRCC</a> or follow on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/nyuspsimc" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nyuspsimc" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. To make a donation, visit the<a href="https://www.givecampus.com/schools/NewYorkUniversity/20th-anniversary-of-the-public-relations-corporate-communication-master-s-program/?a=11433706" target="_blank"> John T. Doorley, Jr. Scholarship</a> webpage.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body"><b>About NYU SPS DPB and the Integrated Marketing and Communications Department<br /> </b><a href="/content/sps-nyu/about/academic-divisions-and-departments/division-of-programs-in-business.html">NYU SPS Division of Programs in Business (NYU SPS DPB)</a> provides an applied, professional education for students interested in becoming leaders in the functional areas of business, including integrated marketing and communications, human capital management, information security, management and technology, and financial planning and taxation. In addition to the celebrated <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-public-relations-and-corporate-communication.html">MS in Public Relations &amp; Corporate Communication</a>, other NYU DPB Integrated Marketing &amp; Communications degree programs include its <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-integrated-marketing.html">MS in Integrated Marketing</a> and the <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/executive-masters-in-marketing-and-strategic-communications.html">Executive MS in Marketing &amp; Strategic Communications.</a></span></p> <p><span class="p-body"><b>About NYU SPS<br /> </b>Established in 1934, NYU SPS is an internationally recognized university that offers diverse students access to practical, real-world preparation to thrive in their careers while building the next generation of industry leaders ready to embrace tomorrow’s innovations and challenges and lead change in global workplaces.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">The NYU SPS global community is made up of industry professionals, doers, and trailblazers shaping the future of industries, positioning the School as an idea incubator across real estate, hospitality, global affairs, sports business, integrated marketing and communications, HR, professional writing, and more.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Today, NYU SPS offers one of the most diverse portfolios of educational offerings at NYU, including graduate degrees, bachelor’s degrees for traditional and degree completion students, associate degrees, continuing education courses, and certificate programs.</span></p>