NEWS RELEASE

Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2006

Contact: Angie Joe
713.743.8153 (office)
713.617.7138 (pager)
ajoe@uh.edu

AAF NAMES UH STUDENT AMONG MOST PROMISING MINORITIES
Kamal Admitted to Advertising Association’s
10th Annual Most Promising Minority Students Program

HOUSTON, March 15, 2006 – The American Advertising Federation (AAF) named a University of Houston School of Communication senior, Mahjabeen Kamal, one of its most promising minority students.

As part of the Most Promising Minority Students (MPMS) Program, Kamal traveled to New York City to meet with prominent media executives like Ann Fudge, chairman and CEO of Young and Rubicam, and Wally Snyder, president and CEO of AAF. Kamal was one of 51 students honored by the AAF. This year’s recruiting event was the largest to date with a 25 percent increase in the number of students nominated. For 10 years, the program has brought the nation’s most talented minority students to New York.

“It was an outstanding opportunity to meet people who are extremely focused and diligent in their pursuit of the future,” said Kamal. “It’s not every day one meets a crowd like this.”

Before coming to America, Kamal worked at the Bangladesh affiliate of McCann Erickson Advertising Ltd. and read news for Bangladesh Radio. Every evening, her voice was broadcast to countries including Sri Lanka, Nepal, China and even the United Kingdom via Bangladesh Radio’s external service. During her time in Houston, she has had internships with KRIV-FOX 26 and TopSpot Internet Marketing Solutions. Last fall, Kamal participated in the Edventure Partners Marketing Program where she developed a marketing campaign for the Recording Industry Association of America.

UH advertising Adjunct Professor Bob Culpepper nominated Kamal for the program, and accompanied her to New York. Kamal was on creative teams for two of Culpepper’s advertising campaigns classes. Her work helped the teams to earn two 2006 AAF Addy awards in the student category. Kamal was also voted Most Valuable Player in Culpepper’s campaigns class last fall.

“The School of Communication is like a close-knit family,” said Kamal. “I want to take my experience and all the things that I’ve learned back to Bangladesh and share them with those that have similar dreams.”

Kamal is the first UH honoree of the Most Promising Minority Students Program. She is currently a human resources assistant in the C.T. Bauer College of Business Dean’s Office and plans to graduate this spring.

About the School of Communication
UH’s School of Communication aims to produce graduates who are educated in communication, technologically proficient and ethical. Distinguished alumni include former White House Deputy Press Secretary Peter Roussel and Jim Nantz, CBS broadcaster.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.