An Ohio Dominican University (ODU) team of Public Relations and Marketing Communications students has placed third in the EdVenture Partners (EVP) and Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships “Invent2Prevent” spring 2024 competition, which empowered university and high school students to develop and deploy innovative initiatives that produce measurable results to prevent targeted violence and terrorism.

Competing against 25 collegiate teams, ODU students Brynn Mullet ‘24 (MBA ‘25), Makenna Riley ‘24, Katelyn Woodley ‘25 and Elizabeth Zerby ‘25 worked with their adviser, ODU Associate Professor of Public Relations Natalie Kompa, Ed.D., to develop “Shelve the Hate,” an initiative which provides resources tailored for middle school, high school, college and community libraries to help prevent online radicalization and targeted gun violence.

ODU’s team was one of three selected to present their project to executives with EVP and DHS on June 26, 2024, in Washington, D.C., where they were awarded the 3rd place prize of $3,000. The money will benefit ODU’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter.

“Participating in this program gave me so much real-world experience that I can now apply in my career,” said Riley. “The teamwork that it took to become a top-three national finalist is something I’ll never forget. I can't wait to share this experience with future ODU Panthers.”

“We are so grateful for the opportunity to participate in this competition and are proud of the work the students created,” added Kompa. “We plan to keep growing the Shelve the Hate movement and will be working on grants to expand Shelve the Hate nationwide. You can check us out at shelvethehate.org.”

ABOUT OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY
Ohio Dominican University is a comprehensive, four-year, private, liberal arts and master’s institution, founded in 1911 in the Catholic and Dominican tradition by the Dominican Sisters of Peace. The University has approximately 1,260 students and offers undergraduate degrees in 42 majors and nine graduate degree programs. Ohio Dominican University does not discriminate against any person in employment or educational opportunities because of religious preference, sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin, non-performance-related handicap or veteran's status.