TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dr. Karla Gower has been named director of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, headquartered at The University of Alabama.

Appointed by the Center’s board of advisors, she succeeds Dr. Bruce Berger, chair of the UA advertising and public relations department, who will continue to serve on the board.

Gower, an associate professor of public relations at UA, has practiced both law and public relations and has conducted research in public relations history and legal issues affecting the field. She is the author of three books and numerous scholarly articles, chapters and conference papers.

Before joining the UA faculty in 1999, Gower received her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and her master’s degree from Arizona State University. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, the International Communication Association, and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and its public relations division.

“Dr. Gower becomes director at a significant period of growth and development for the Center,” Berger said. “Her professional experience and research in public relations and the law bring unique value to the Center’s mission and programs.”

In 2005, the UA Board of Trustees established the Center, named for public relations leader and UA alumna Betsy Plank, to develop and recognize outstanding performance in the profession and the classroom. It sponsors research, national awards and service programs to advance the understanding and practice of ethical and responsible public relations.

In addition to national leaders in the practice and education, the Center board includes an ex officio position for the president of the Public Relations Student Society of America, which represents more than 9,800 members in 295 colleges and universities.

The Center is housed in UA’s College of Communication and Information Sciences. UA’s public relations program, with nearly 600 students, is the largest undergraduate degree program in the College. The program is the 12th in the nation to be reviewed and certified by PRSA.

The College is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 10 in number of doctoral degrees awarded and in its research programs.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.