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Media and Diversity Expert to Speak Nov. 3 on Hattiesburg Campus

Mon, 10/19/2015 - 04:29pm

Bill Imada

An accomplished and highly regarded multi-cultural marketing professional will speak at The University of Southern Mississippi Tuesday, Nov. 3 on the effective use of old and new media to reach diverse groups in America.

Bill Imada, chairman, founder and chief executive officer of the IW Group, will present “Multi-cultural Media: Embracing diversity and the transforming American public” from 11 a.m. – noon at the Thames Polymer Science Research Center, room 101 on the Hattiesburg campus.

Imada founded the IW Group in 1990. The minority-owned and full-service communications firm has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York; its clients have included McDonald's, Warner Brothers, the U.S. Census, Met Life, Coca-Cola, Verizon, Walt Disney, Wells Fargo and Walmart, among many others.

“During his extensive career in multi-cultural communications, Mr. Imada has embodied a ‘get engaged and give back' philosophy and successfully applied this perspective to create a national agency that serves and advances diverse audiences,” said Dr. Vanessa Murphree, graduate coordinator and associate professor of mass communication. “I know our students and faculty will be excited to hear from someone who has created his own path to a successful career, while also expanding the minority perspective.”

Imada was recently appointed to President Barack Obama's Advisory Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders. He also serves on the boards of the Advertising Educational Foundation, California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, and Center for Asian American Media, and Coalition for Asian Pacific in Entertainment.

For more information about this event, contact the Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism at 601.266.4258. For information about the School, including its degree programs and faculty, visit www.usm.edu/mcj.