Sara Withrow
- Title
- Senior Director, Philanthropy & Alumni Communications and Adjunct Faculty
- Sara.Withrow@erau.edu Email
- Department
- Department of Humanities & Communication
- College
- College of Arts & Sciences
Areas of Expertise
Public/Media Relations, Journalism, Editing/Copy Editing, PublicationsEducation
- M.S. - Master of Science in Mass Communication, Middle Tennessee State University
- B.A. - Bachelor of Arts in Journalism: French, Angelo State University
Currently Teaching
- COMD 360: Public Relations
- SPCH 219: Speech
Courses Taught
COM 495B/595A Grant WritingUser Publications
(2011-2021). Lift magazine, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Journals and magazines, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons: https://commons.erau.edu/lift-magazine. [Editor and writer]
(2011-2021). Annual Report on Philanthropy/Philanthropy Impact Report, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Journals and magazines, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons: https://commons.erau.edu/philanthropy-report. [Editor and writer]
Withrow, S. (2008). Merry Christmas v. Happy Holidays: Newspaper Discourse and the Holiday Greeting Conflict, 1980-2007. [Master's thesis, Middle Tennessee State University]
Professional Experience
I have more than 19 years of communications and public relations experience working for nonprofits and in higher education, most recently as senior director of communications/editor for the department of philanthropy and alumni engagement at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2011-2021). I've also worked as a journalist in roles ranging from managing editor to staff writer for a variety of newspapers and magazines. I recently returned to "true" journalism, and am working behind-the-scenes as the chief copy editor for FLYING magazine. In 2018, I developed and taught a combined undergraduate/graduate experimental course for Embry-Riddle in grant writing. The service-learning course incorporated the best practices that I learned working as a grant writer for nearly a decade for a nonprofit in San Diego County, California, as well as research and curricula from teaching colleagues at peer institutions.
Memberships and Credentials
Vice President of Student Services, Florida Public Relations Association, Volusia/Flagler Chapter (2021-2022)
Member, Florida Public Relations Association (2019 - present)
Member, Public Relations Society of America (2015 - 2019)
Member, Women in Aviation International (2015 - present)
Member, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (2011 - present)