UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A Penn State alumnus who has crafted an award-winning career as a marketing communications strategist, consistently working with major global brands across a range of industries, will visit more than a half dozen classes and meet with academic leaders during a three-day visit to Penn State scheduled Sept. 12-14.
Adam Pietrala, a partner for global business development at FleishmanHillard New York, was selected for the student-focused visit as the 2022 Ben Bronstein Lecturer.
During his time on campus, Pietrala will meet with administrators and faculty members from the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. He’ll also visit a variety of classes — including the capstone public relations course as well as courses focused on digital advertising, media methods and research methods.
Pietrala has extensive specific experience with consumer packaged goods brands, including Bayer Consumer Health, Chase, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Walgreens and Starbucks, among others. He is skilled at leveraging data and pop culture to develop insights and ideas that drive consumers to action. His work has been recognized with a Cannes Lion as well as Big Apple and Clio, Silver Anvil, and SABRE awards.
Before joining FleishmanHillard, Pietrala led creative strategy at BCW. Before that, he created and developed the creative planning capacity at Citizen Relations. Earlier in his career, Pietrala worked in traditional account roles at both Ketchum and Edelman.
Pietrala serves on the board of the Peter Cicchino Youth Project, a division of the Urban Justice Center, which provides free legal services to homeless and street-involved LGBTQQ youth across New York City. He also serves on the Emerging Leaders Council for MedShare, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that recovers surplus medical supplies and equipment from hospitals and manufacturers and redistributes them to needy hospitals in developing countries.
A Pittsburgh native, Pietrala earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State in advertising/public relations. He later earned a master’s with honors from Columbia University, where he is also an adjunct instructor.
The Bronstein Lecture is made possible by an endowment from Penn State alumnus Ben Bronstein. Bronstein, who earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1961, was the founding director of public relations at the Penn State College of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center and held director positions in public relations at two statewide healthcare associations.
Bronstein, a member of the Mt. Nittany Society as a result of his lifetime contributions to the University, formerly served as president of the Lion’s Paw Alumni Association and the Mount Nittany Conservancy.
As an undergraduate, Bronstein was editor of the Penn State Student Handbook, a sportswriter for The Daily Collegian, secretary-treasurer of the Interfraternity Council (IFC), secretary of the IFC Board of Control (judicial/disciplinary body), president of Phi Sigma Delta social fraternity and a member of Lion's Paw and Skull and Bones senior leadership honor societies.