Lynn Appelbaum, Associate Professor and Director of the Advertising/Public Relations Program within the Department of Media & Communication Arts at City College, has been a public relations professional for more than 25 years, working in the public and private sectors in media relations, strategic planning and communications before joining City College in 1993.  

She organized the College's first chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America in 1996 and continues to serve as its faculty advisor. Under Lynn's leadership, the Advertising/PR program has grown four fold in as many years and now numbers 400.

She is a noted proponent of fostering diversity within the public relations profession and was responsible for the creation of the Fleishman Hillard Multi-Cultural Intern Scholarship Awards from 1994-96. In 2003 she helped create scholarship opportunities for talented CCNY PR students, awarded annually through the Foundation of Women Executives in Public Relations (WEPR).

In 2005, she co-authored a major study on diversity within the PR profession with Dr. Rochelle Ford of Howard University. She has written about mentoring and crisis communications for PRSA's Strategist and Tactics and is co-author of a textbook chapter on global corporate reputation.

Prior to coming to City College, Lynn was Press Manager for NBC News "Today" show, Director of Public Affairs for The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and Marketing Director of Merkin Concert Hall and the Lucy Moses Arts Center in Manhattan.

Appelbaum has been a consultant for numerous organizations,including MSNBC, The New York Public Library, The New York Road Runner's Club and the Hudson Guild Settlement House

She is a Board member and serves as Diversity Chair of the Public Relations Society of America New York (PRSA-NY) chapter, which was honored for its student diversity outreach program in 2007 by PRSA national. Appelbaum was awarded PRSA-NY's Dorf Mentoring Award in 1999, one of the highest awards bestowed by the chapter. She holds a BM from Ithaca College and MA in Arts Administration from Indiana University.

In 2006, she was elected to the College of Fellows of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). This is high impact award which less than 2% of the 22,000 membership achieve and recognizes Lynn's substantial and long standing input to her profession.

At the 156^th Annual Meeting of the College’s Alumni Association Lynn was awarded the 2008 Faculty Service Award in recognition of her outstanding commitment to her former students which she guides and mentors with grace and generosity. 

Her enthusiasm for teaching and mentoring is undeniable and one of her own measures of satisfaction is when she sees her students succeed in their scholastic and subsequent professional careers so the 2008 Faculty Service Award is very opportune and appropriate.