Loyola University Chicago

Dave DeVries            Joyce Lofstrom

Shawn Kahle             Cheryl McPhilimy

Robert Kornecki        Allan Schoenberg

DeVries has been a guest lecturer addressing issues on public relations writing and media campaigns at DePaul University, Chicago; Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.; Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.; and Roosevelt University, Chicago. He is a member for both PRSA and IABC.

He earned an MA in public relations and advertising at DePaul, and a BA in journalism from Indiana University.

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Shawn Kahle  joins the Loyola faculty this fall to teach Public Relations Writing. She brings with her 27 years of experience in senior-level communication positions, which range from non-profit to corporate and academic fields, and as a consultant and freelance writer. Currently she is a managing director at Arment Dietrich Inc., Chicago; a public relations firm with offices in Chicago, Denver and San Francisco.

Kahle has done course work toward her PhD in speech communication at Wayne State University, Detroit. She has a BS in Speech and Journalism from Ball State University, Muncie, Ind. She has taught courses at Wayne State in business writing, public relations and speech and coached the school's debate team.

She is a member of PRSA, IABC and the Publicity Club of Chicago.

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Robert Kornecki, a 35-year veteran of the public relations business, joins the Department of Communication part-time faculty this fall to teach Advanced Public Relations.

Kornecki earned a BS in Journalism from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb Ill., and attended an Executive Program in Leading and Managing Change at Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.

Starting his career as a summer intern at Burson-Marsteller, the world's fifth largest public relations firm according to Council of PR Firms, he went on to join Edelman Worldwide, where he remained for 17 years. He held several executive positions including global director - corporate practice.

Kornecki recently started his own independent publishing company, which he called Kornucopia Press. Kornucopia's first publication, a book entitled How to Thrive in the PR Business, shares life lessons with young people who aspire to a career in public relations.

When asked about his teaching philosophy, Kornekci said, “I try to keep it simple and engage professionals in the classroom so that they can teach students what they’ve learned.”

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Joyce Lofstrom joined Loyola’s faculty during Summer 2007 and taught Public Relations. Her passion for writing and extensive knowledge of public relations are two skills that have earned her positions at the Daily Herald, where she spent three years as a food editor, restaurant critic, and features writer. She now manages public relations and communications for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.

Lofstrom received an MS in HES-Communications and a BS in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She also continues to freelance, which is something she enjoys. Lofstrom plans to pursue PhD in the fall in Technical Communication at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

When asked about her teaching philosophy, Lofstrom said, “Take a look at the real world and how the subject matter applies today – and from a historical perspective.  I like to introduce different ways of learning other than just lecturing…and appreciate hearing from students what and how they like to learn.”

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Cheryl McPhilimy is president of McPhilimy Associates, a public relations and spokesperson coaching firm she founded in 1995.  She works with executives and corporations on issues of visibility and perception.  In addition to gaining experience at two Chicago agencies before starting her own, McPhilimy began her career on the media side, writing for the Daily Herald.

“Journalism is a terrific training ground for anyone interested in PR,” said McPhilimy.  “It gives you essential fundamentals, specifically an understanding what is newsworthy and a sense of writing cleanly and quickly.”

McPhilimy was Loyola’s first part-time practitioner faculty member and has taught Public Relations since 2006.  She earned a double bachelors degree in Latin and Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.

“Public relations is all about moving the needle, making something happen,” said McPhilimy.  “My goal is that my classes help students hone their abilities to think strategically and write effectively so as to bring about change, whatever the arena they find themselves in.”

Allan Schoenberg is a communication’s professional with a background in corporate communications. He is currently director of communication at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which recently made headlines with its announced merger with the Chicago Board of Trade.

Schoenberg joined the Loyola faculty in 2006 and teaches Public Relations. He has also taught courses at DePaul University on reputation management, ethics in communication, and media relations. When asked about his teaching philosophy, Schoenberg said, “Reputation is everything.”

He earned his MS in Communication Management from Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y. and a BS/BA in economics from Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.