VBJ February 19

THE VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL
18 www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com
February 2019
Envisioning Our Future Together
EDUCATION
by
by
Drake Levasheff, PhD.
Steve Fillingim
The innovative spirit of our business
community is remarkable. This fall we
saw the launch of a new regional tourism
campaign that recognizes the destination
we’ve become, Explore Murrieta. The
campaign engages social media users
to tell their travel stories of exploring
the region’s wineries, hiking trails,
extreme sports and historic Western
towns – in essence, the story of us. The
business incubator at Innovate Murrieta
is developing strategic partnerships in
healthcare technology startups and is
currently working with three startups
in the launch stage.
And, the region’s business, industry
and educational leaders have
been brainstorming job growth in the
greater Murrieta/Temecula Valley and
studying regional economic patterns
and industries to plan educational pathways
for the next generation, ensuring
a well-educated labor supply essential
to attracting employers paying lucrative
wages.
Azusa Pacific University has also
been engaged in creating new educational
programs that support our region’s
emphasis on technology and healthcare
with the launch of a new Digital Media
and Communication program in 2019.
“The region’s focus on healthcare
tech is a great fit for our graduates,” said
Pamela Fisher, Digital Media and Communication
program director. “They’re
tuned into emerging technologies and the
role digital media plays in market awareness
via social media and digital storytelling
across media platforms – streaming,
social media, websites and print.”
Fisher moved to Temecula last
summer to launch the new bachelor’s
completion program after 15 years in
digital media for The San Francisco
Examiner, Gannett, The Oakland Tribune/ANG
newsmedia group. She has
served as a newsroom editor-in-chief,
digital magazine editor and, until 2016,
storytelling coach for The USA Today
network. She joined the faculty of Azusa
Pacific University in 2017 at main campus
as a journalism professor. “In our
program students will create editorial
content for clients, publishers, nonprofit
organizations or agencies and polish
digital storytelling skillsets across media
platforms: streaming, social media,
websites and print for client branding or
online news,” said Fisher.
Communication studies coursework
in the two-year bachelor’s degree completion
program will develop interpersonal
and conflict resolution skillsets:
personal presentation skills for client
presentations and meetings, negotiation
skills with clients, stakeholders, editors.
The university’s faith-integration
teaching model emphasizes faith-based
media ethics and communication best
practices.
Students will be trained to work
as a social media manager, a nonprofit
organization communication manager,
an audience engagement specialist or a
digital newsroom writer, editor or web
content creator. The field is growing 7
to 14 percent annually. A Los Angeles
Economic Development report found
over 200,000 professionals working in
digital media at nearly double Southern
California’s average salary of $59,890,
earning an average of $116, 820.
“We’ll work closely with local organizations
and businesses to develop
internships, and graduate placement in
marketing communication departments,
PR and ad agencies, healthcare, and
nonprofits,” said Fisher. The two-year
degree of 36 units is estimated at a cost
of $18,450. Classes begin in July.
Dr. Drake Levasheff is Senior Director
of Azusa Pacific University’s Murrieta
Regional Campus. He can be reached
via email at dlevasheff@apu.edu.
dlevasheff@apu.edu