Osita Iroegbu is a native of Richmond, Virginia.

Iroegbu is assistant director of university relations at Virginia State University. She is also an adjunct instructor at VSU, teaching public relations courses in the Department of Mass Communications. In that capacity, she integrates service learning, community engagement and social media/traditional campaigning in order to provide students with an in-depth experience and perspective into PR and its power to solve critical issues of our time.

Previously, Iroegbu was employed at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where she reported on education, community news, crime, public safety, government, and general assignment news.

Iroegbu earned a master’s degree in journalism and public affairs from American University in Washington, D.C. in 2003. She is also a graduate of the University of Delaware where she earned a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in journalism and a minor in Spanish.

She has been a member of PRSA Richmond for two years.

Q&A:

Q. What first drew you to a career in communications?

Iroegbu: I have always been intrigued by the fact that people are influenced by the information that they consume. That consumption in some way, whether big or small, implicitly or explicitly, shapes their attitude and consequently their behavior. I often tell students that communication is power. My passion and calling has always been to educate and inform. Since childhood, I have always felt compelled to foster positive change that generates understanding and harmony between people, communities and societies. I began my full-time work as a journalist at The Richmond Times-Dispatch where I covered education, crime, public safety and general assignment news. As a Richmond native, growing up in a Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority community, I felt compelled to tell the stories of the youth and families that often go untold and to shed light on important issues affecting community members. Now, as a public relations professional, I am able to tell the stories and help create programs, partnerships, messages and strategies that impact people and communities for the better. Open communication and public service is a cornerstone of public relations and of my personal and professional drive. It is an extremely rewarding profession that encompasses my love for education, community service, partnership cultivation and communications.

Q. Do you see any advantages and insights you bring to the table in your position at Virginia State University, and to the PR profession in general because of your race and background?

Iroegbu: Diversity comes in many forms, ethnic diversity being one of them. As a first generation Nigerian-American, I have a unique cultural and societal perspective. I believe every person holds a distinct quality that can be used to educate and elevate minds, and in turn, the global society. Being a granddaughter of a Nigerian chieftain is one distinct quality of mine. I have an awareness of the challenges and struggles of global issues and concerns as well as the influences, strengths and advancements of various cultures. Because of this, I am able to expose students, faculty and staff to thinking beyond the local community and help bring attention to news and events that promote global and multicultural understanding. It’s important that we all realize that we are part of a global community. As public relations professionals, we touch lives that touch more lives. We must remain cognizant of what and how we disseminate. Promoting healthy, human relationships must be at the core of our communications.

Q. How do you define diversity and what does it mean to you?

Iroegbu: As I mentioned before, diversity comes in various forms, including ethnic diversity and functional diversity. Ethnic diversity is the acceptance and celebration of the various cultural backgrounds. Functional diversity deals with varying ways humans and the public relations profession operate. We each have particular skills, talents, assets and qualities that are formed via our individual experiences. We are able to utilize our unique, individual skills to strengthen the whole. This type of diversity creates organic solidarity in our workplaces and within our societies. This is important in public relations because we must be able to relate to different publics in ways that are meaningful and specific. Therefore, we must create environments that reflect the various ways in which we are unique, including diversity in cultures, functions, ideas, age, gender, etc. With the ever-evolving profession of public relations, it is evident to see how it encompasses diverse functions, such as new media, writing, partnership-building and media relations.

Q. What are some examples of diversity in your workplace?

Iroegbu: In higher education, it is critical to foster diversity of ideas. It is important to allow students to think critically and form opinions and interpretations based upon instruction, academic research and experiences. We function in a marketplace of ideas. These ideas give birth to concepts and realities that form the framework for how we function on a daily basis. Just think of the advent of social media and how that has transformed public relations and mass communications in general. It took someone to think outside the box to create tools such as Facebook and Twitter that have served as a metamorphosis to various industries. Virginia State University is utilizing new media to effectively communicate with and engage our audiences. Our faculty, staff and students at VSU use and demonstrate various, creative ways of communicating and engaging internally and externally. From mentoring at risk youth, to tutoring, to participating in service-learning projects at home and overseas, our students are getting unique and life-changing experiences in what it means to be a partner and leader on a local and global scale.

Q. What are some ways you see PRSA Richmond developing and enriching its diversity efforts?

Iroegbu: It’s good to see PRSA Richmond reaching out to its current and future members and constituents in an effort to foster deeper understanding and engagement. I hope PRSA continues to be a leader in diversifying the PR profession in terms of its members’ respective skills, assets, cultural backgrounds, functions, and ideas. It’s imperative that we remain forward looking as a collective agent of communicators of social and global change.