PRSSA National Committee Members

A Brief History | The First Chapters | National Committees

Kimberly Gouz

Kimberly Gouz joined the National Committee from the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, Fla. She graduated in May 2008 with majors in public relations, political science and Jewish studies and a concentration in Israel studies. Upon graduation, she was awarded the 2008 Dean’s Cup for Professional Promise and the 2008 Jack Detweiler Professional Promise Award for Public Relations by the College of Journalism and Communications.

As national vice president of member services, Kimberly co-founded and managed the first International Taskforce, a research group committed to increased awareness and understanding of international public relations. She also supervised the Affiliate Program, wrote the updated PRSSA Membership Guide and created the PRSSA C.H.A.R.T. Guide. Her involvement in PRSSA earned her a National Gold Key Award and National President’s Citation in 2006 and the Elaine Averick Award for Outstanding PRSSA National Committee Member in 2007.

At the local level, Kimberly served as the 2005-2006 vice president of member services of her Chapter and worked as a member of UF’s student-run firm, Alpha Productions. In her role as UF vice president of member services, Kimberly established and headed her Chapter’s first student-to-student mentoring program. She was awarded the 2005 President’s Award and was a member of the winning team for the 2005 Day-of-Competition at National Assembly.

Kimberly has held public relations internships at Allstate Insurance Company in Northbrook, Ill., David Greenberg Communications in Gainesville, Fla., and Pantin/Beber Silverstein in Miami. In December 2005, Kimberly co-found The SHPiEL, the only completely student-run Jewish newspaper in the country, working as its managing and production editor in 2006 and first editor-in-chief in spring 2007. Kimberly has published more than 30 articles in the Independent Florida Alligator and written for FORUM since summer 2005. She served as an associate editor of the University of Florida International Review in 2007-2008.

Outside of her work in public relations and journalism, Kimberly enjoys traveling and researching. As a 2007-2008 University Scholar, Kimberly conducted research on identity politics and the Israeli feminist movement in Haifa, Israel. Her research paper, Is Sisterhood Global? Politics of Identity and Israeli Feminism from 1996 until Present, was awarded a University Scholars Program Best Research Paper Award.

Kimberly will commence graduate studies at the University of Chicago in Autumn 2008 in the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS).

Favorite Quotes:
“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. . . The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.” - Ayn Rand

“I get by with a little help from my friends.” –John Lennon