Melvin Sharpe

Sharpe_Melvin_webSCHRANZ LECTURER 2011

Dr. Melvin L. Sharpe began his career at Ball State University in 1981 where he molded the public relations sequence into the highly regarded program it is known as today and educated hundreds of students for over 25 years.

During his long and illustrious career in public relations, Dr. Sharpe has been granted 30 awards including the PRSA Outstanding Educator Award, the Outstanding Professional Service Award and in 2000 was named one of the ten most outstanding public relations educators by PR Week. The Ball State community also recognized his talents: he was given the Outstanding Faculty Service Award in 2000 as well as being inducted into Ball State’s Journalism Hall of Fame in 2006.

Outside of the classroom, Dr. Sharpe is regarded as one of the top international public relations consultants. He founded the Indiana Public Relations Conference, the International Public Relations Research Conference and turned the Vernon C. Schranz Distinguished Lectureship series into the premier lecture series it is known as today. He is also highly regarded for the book he published in 1984 with Sam Black, Practical Public Relations: Common-Sense Guidelines for Business and Professional People.
Prior to his 26-year tenure at Ball State, Sharpe served as president and chair of the Hoosier PRSA chapter as well as teaching public relations at the University of Texas at Austin.

Since retiring from Ball State in 2007, Dr. Sharpe has kept himself immersed in the public relations field through consulting and writing.