This semester, Deborah Silverman's advanced public relations class is heading a project for the New York Alliance for Donation, and if successful, the team could make a difference in the lives of more than 300 Western New Yorkers in need of organ transplants.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently gave a $936,495 research grant to UB, SUNY Albany and the donation alliance. The grant aims to help students work to increase organ donation registry among their fellow college students.
The New York Alliance for Donation is a non-profit organization that specializes in organ and tissue donation.
Silverman said the class has two goals for the project.
"The first is to increase student awareness on the need for more tissue donors," Silverman said. "The second goal is to get 400 students to sign the organ donor registry card."
According to Silverman, there are currently 82,000 people waiting for organ transplants across the country. Of those 82,000, 350 are in Western New York.
"There is a real need for this education," Silverman said.
Potential donors are sometimes uninformed or wary of the procedures involved, since organ donation normally takes place after the death of the person who has agreed to donate, so the class is aiming to share the facts.
The class is divided into six different project teams: print media, broadcasting, Internet tactics, advertising and two special event teams. One special event team is in charge of the kickoff for this event, and the other is in charge of off-campus events.
Each group of three to five students will formulate tactics to better reach students based on the research they conduct.
"We did research on evaluating the traffic flow in the (Student) Union through the course of the day, and other groups did a survey that measured student awareness on organ tissue donors," said Dave Buselli, a senior communication major.
The class has also examined other public organ donation campaigns.
The Internet tactics team has paired up with a graduate information architecture class taught by Miguel Ruiz. A handful of Ruiz's students are working to develop a Web site for the project.
"We have the content, and they have the technical expertise to get the Web site running," Silverman said. "It gives the students a chance to work with others."
Right now the project is working to make the campus community aware of the need for organ donors.
"Later in the semester the second part of the project is to get students to sign organ tissue donor registry cards and to talk to families about that decision," Silverman said.
It is important for relatives of the registered donors to have prior knowledge of their family member's choice, said Silverman, in order to assure that the organs actually get donated after a death.
The organ donor awareness campaign will kick off in the Student Union on April 5. There will be tables set up for students to get information on the New York Alliance for donations and to sign the registry cards.
Junior communications major Jennifer Hankin said the team wants to book the Buffalo Jills - the cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills - as entertainment for the kickoff, and have President John B. Simpson speak out in support. Students are also trying to get local news media to cover the event.
The class is planning a Game Night for UB students at Game Zone on Sheridan Drive in Amherst to raise awareness of the donor alliance.
Shawn Riley, a senior mechanical engineering major, applauded the group for getting involved.
"It is a hands on experience versus just sitting in a class and getting lectured," Riley said.
