Sara Withrow

Title
Senior Director, Philanthropy & Alumni Communications and Adjunct Faculty
Email
Department
Department of Humanities & Communication
College
College of Arts & Sciences

Areas of Expertise

Public/Media Relations, Journalism, Editing/Copy Editing, Publications
  • M.S. - Master of Science in Mass Communication, Middle Tennessee State University
  • B.A. - Bachelor of Arts in Journalism: French, Angelo State University
  • COMD 360: Public Relations
  • SPCH 219: Speech
COM 495B/595A Grant Writing

(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]

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. 

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)