V3 Communications Staff

Fuka grew up in rural North Dakota, a place so small that her high school graduating class consisted of 20 students. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota in 2006, then moved to Phoenix to thaw out. She is in her final semester in the Cronkite School’s Masters of Mass Communication program, specializing in public relations and digital media. Fuka does independent contract work for a variety of Valley businesses and services, including the city of Phoenix, Beauchamp Law Office, P.C., and Green Street Development. She specializes in crafting Web content, social media and practicing media relations. She also is the school’s New Media Innovation Lab project manager for content development and marketing and is an active member of the Public Relations Society of America. In her free time (also known as sleep), this soon-to-be-graduate dreams about beach vacations, a job with health insurance, knitting, a trip back to her alma matter, re-reading her favorite book “The Giver;” and finding the ever elusive, perfect pair of black wedges. Her Web site is at http://www.sophiafuka.com.

Vijayakumar graduated with honors from one of the best engineering institutions in India and worked as a software engineer. She began her graduate studies at the Cronkite School in order to marry her background in engineering and her interest in communication. Vijayakumar has worked in corporate, non-profit and cultural settings. She loves to travel and explore the plurality of society through food, music, dance and attire. She thinks food is a great way to meet people and hopes that eventually the world will understand that vegetarians can enjoy eating too. Find out more about Vijayakumar at http://www.public.asu.edu/~svijaya6.

Writing has always been one of McGillick’s greatest passions. Throw in her creative edge, knack for problem solving and inquisitive drive, and public relations seems like a natural career path for her. An undergraduate student in her senior year at the Cronkite School, McGillick is a member of Barrett, the Honors College at ASU and is a community assistant (also known as resident assistant or RA) at a residence hall on ASU’s Tempe campus. In her free time, she enjoys creative narrative writing, following politics and spending time with her family and friends. A native of Denver, Colo., McGillick hopes to return to the Rocky Mountain region after graduation in spring 2010 to work as a PR specialist. Check her résumé Web site at http://tinyurl.com/mcgillick.

Niu is an undergraduate student at the Cronkite School. She has a love for the written word as well as socializing, so she decided to pair those interests, majoring in public relations with a minor in communications. This semester she is taking 18 credits, interning with the Phoenix Symphony and working as a server on nights and weekends. Nonetheless, Niu finds time for Tetris and music of all kinds and is a huge fan of Arrested Development. Traveling is another passion; if she's not on the road at least once a month, even if it’s just a short weekend trip, she's lost! Oh, and her heart is definitely in San Francisco.

Lee is an Arizona native in the process of earning her bachelor’s degree in public relations at the Cronkite School. Always up for a new challenge, Lee believes a future in public relations will allow her to express her wide range of interests while introducing her to new areas. She hopes to assist non-profit organizations after graduating, but is still exploring a potential career in the corporate world. She plans to graduate in May 2011. When she’s not busy with class or the public relations lab, Lee enjoys listening to a variety of music, painting and running with her dog, Toki.

Rugeris is a Cronkite School senior who has been involved with public relations since 2006 when he first began interning for local PR firms. He also has had experience in news writing. Rugeris was born and raised on Long Island, N.Y., and is currently living in the downtown Phoenix area. His favorite hobby is snowboarding and his favorite vacation spot is Tinos, Greece.

Wu, a native of Beijing, graduated from People’s University of China in 1992 and worked as a national correspondent and domestic news editor at Xinhua (New China) News Agency. He helped found the Xinhua Daily Telegraph, one of the leading national newspapers in China, and operated a media consulting agency there. He has taught strategic media and public relations at the Cronkite School since 2005. Wu’s research interests include international public relations, crisis management, public diplomacy and political communication.