MUNCIE, Ind.- Educators will get an inside view on digital trends and techniques at Ball State University's "Digitally Conscious: Effectively Integrating Technology into the PR Classroom" conference October 4-5.

The conference, hosted by the Department of Journalism, will be held in conjunction with the nationally recognized Vernon C. Schranz Distinguished Lectureship in Public Relations on October 3.

The conference highlights the needs of educators in teaching the technology skills demanded of today's graduates, including online public relations, convergence, and practical tips for Web-based instruction.

The program is sponsored by the iCommunication initiative, funded by a $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. The initiative will produce graduates who will take the lead in an exciting new industry, which produces creative and innovative digital media content as art, entertainment, information, news, simulations and interactive learning environments.

"In a constantly changing profession, it is absolutely vital for practitioners to stay abreast of changing technology," said Robert Pritchard, assistant professor of journalism at Ball State.  "We are excited to be bringing in world-renowned speakers to help educators develop professionals who can compete in the challenging PR environment."

The conference features presentations from noted educators and public relations practitioners, including keynote speaker Shel Holtz, president of Holtz Communication + Technology, Concord, Calif.  Holtz is the author of "Public Relations on the Net," now in its second edition. Holtz is also a five-time winner of the International Association of Business Professional's Gold Quill award.

Other presenters include:

• Emily Avila, a business communications consultant who has worked in television and public relations for 16 years. She is the co-author of "Connecting Online: Creating a Successful Image on the Internet."
• Larry Burriss, dean of the College of Mass Communications at Middle Tennessee State University. He developed one of the nation's first online courses for media law classes.
• Chris Harper, formerly with the Associated Press, Newsweek, ABC News, and ABC's "20/20." He is the Roy H. Park Distinguished Chair at Ithaca College.
• Jim Parham, vice president of public relations at Hirons & Company, with offices in Indianapolis and Bloomington. He served as chief of staff in Washington, D.C., for The National Park Service.

The Vernon C. Schranz Distinguished Lectureship honors Christopher Komisarjevsky, president and CEO of Burson-Marsteller.  His presentation, "Integrity: The Final Frontier," will be 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 3, in Cardinal Hall.

Established by Ball Corporation in 1979 to honor Vernon C. Schranz, the company's first public relations officer, the annual Schranz lecture is the first endowed lectureship in public relations created at a university.