Professional development and networking for Oklahoma’s higher education communicators

The Oklahoma College Public Relations Association provides professional development and networking opportunities for new and seasoned communications professionals from public and private institutions of all sizes. From two-year colleges to four-year regional universities to R1 research institutions — and everything in between — we honor the creative imaginations of our member institutions in their marketing, communications and public relations efforts.

Our organization has evolved and grown with the communications field. Our members include public relations professionals, writers, designers, photographers, videographers, web developers, social media managers, development officers, event coordinators, managers and administrators.

We help communicators connect with professionals in similar roles at other institutions, share best practices for bringing the latest communications trends to higher education and recognize excellence by teams whose contributions are sometimes overlooked.

OCPRA holds three main programs each year: a two-day summer conference, a professional awards competition for all Oklahoma higher education communicators and a half-day fall workshop.

Fall Workshop

Join us Wednesday, Nov. 18 at Rose State College in Midwest City for the 2026 OCPRA Fall Workshop, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. 

This year's lineup:

• Keynote: AJ Griffin, CEO of the Potts Family Foundation

• Luncheon and awards: the Natalea Watkins Communicator of the Year and Rising Star presentations

• Jarred Smith, marketing consultant and author of Explainable: Why AI Recommends Some Brands and Ignores Others, on AI and brand visibility

• Emily Lang, partner at Price Lang Public Relations

2026 OCPRA Award Nominations

Know someone worth celebrating?

Nominate a colleague for the Natalea Watkins Communicator of the Year or the Rising Star Awards — winners will be honored at the workshop luncheon.

• Natalea Watkins Communicator of the Year nomination form

• Rising Star Awards nomination form

Volunteer Opportunities

The OCPRA Fall Workshop and Annual Conference are organized and executed entirely by dedicated volunteers. If you're interested in joining our volunteer team, we’d love to hear from you!

2025 OCPRA Award Recipients

Awards are presented annually at the OCPRA Fall Workshop.