For many students, college learning looks like an hour-and-a-half stay in a lecture hall. For the students of Pamela Brubaker, Ph.D., learning is making marketing strategies for a real-world startup.
Most recently, Brubaker led students in a project for a local company called Moon Scooters, which sells and rents electric scooters to clients around Utah County. Both the professor and the business are tied to the Ballard Center for Social Impact, which provides funding to ideas like Moon Scooters and offers students many opportunities for hands-on skill application.
Students love to be a part of a good cause—especially my communication students. The Ballard Center provides a cause-focused platform that motivates students and gives them real-life experience.
As an associate professor of Public Relations and the Associate Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Communications, Pamela plays a pivotal role in guiding communication students. She actively encourages them to engage with the diverse programs offered by the Ballard Center.
“Students love to be a part of a good cause—especially my communication students,” Pamela shared. “The Ballard Center provides a cause-focused platform that motivates students and gives them real-life experience.”
The Ballard Center aims to address the world's most pressing social problems. To support this goal, the center offers a variety of social impact university courses, student employment opportunities, research initiatives, and collaborations with external organizations. Some of these programs include the Social Venture Academy, the Social Innovation Projects, and the Ballard Scholar program.
“Many of my public relations students are involved with the Ballard Center. They are building their resumes with impressive social impact projects, working with real companies,” Pamela noted. “One of our recent projects involved developing a comprehensive marketing strategy for Moon Scooters, a venture-funded client of the Ballard Center.”
Faculty fellows at the Ballard Center, like Pamela, benefit from the opportunity to conduct research utilizing the center's resources. With Moon Scooters, she says her students were empowered to try out what they were learning by creating marketing and promotional materials.
“Working with Moon Scooters through the Ballard Center was transformative for my students. It not only enhanced their public relations skills, but also showed them the power of social impact in business.”
Pamela emphasized that many BYU students are passionate about making a difference. She encourages all students who are committed to being change-makers to explore what the Ballard Center has to offer.
“The Ballard Center is a unique resource that allows students to blend their academic pursuits with a desire to create meaningful change,” she added.
Pamela Brubaker's dedication to integrating social impact into education helps prepare BYU students not just for successful careers, but for lives of purpose and contribution.