Diane Krajicek is the Worick visiting professor for second year

Diane Krajicek brings an entire career worth of experience to the CoJMC
Diane Krajicek brings an entire career worth of experience to the CoJMC

Diane Krajicek is the Worick visiting professor for the College of Journalism and Mass Communications for the 2017-2018 academic year. This is her second year teaching at the CoJMC as the Worick visiting professor. She has previously worked with ad firms such as Bailey Lauerman and Ayres & Associates, formerly in Lincoln.

Krajicek is teaching the capstone course, ad campaigns, and enjoys working with students. She said the biggest thing students learn in the class is how to be accountable to each other.

“The class doesn’t work unless everyone contributes, even if that means doing work that isn’t part of your job description,” Krajicek said. “You have to do work that needs to get done. The class also teaches great organizational skills. There are a lot of parts and pieces that need to come together at certain times and the team has to figure out how to make that happen.”

Krajicek brings an entire career worth of knowledge to the campaigns course and CoJMC students. Her advertising career started shortly after she dropped out of college in the late 1970s. Krajicek was working as a cashier at a grocery store when she was offered a position in an advertising agency.

“A gentleman buying meat and cheese came through my register and said he had a job that he thought I would be better at,” Krajicek said. “I did clerical work at the ad firm for a couple years. It was a different time for women back then. My position was called Girl Friday. If you wanted a career people would suggest being a teacher or a nurse. I didn’t really want to do either of those things.”

After working at the ad agency for a couple years, Krajicek decided to return to college and graduated from UNK in 1976 with a degree in journalism. After graduating, she took a job at a small agency in Omaha before moving to Lincoln and taking a position at Ayres & Associates as a media director. She worked there for 18 years and eventually became the vice president of account planning.

In 2000, Krajicek took at position as a senior account planner at Bailey Lauerman, when the office was primarily housed in Lincoln. In 2010, Krajicek became the senior brand strategist & director of research. She left Bailey Lauerman after working there for 15 years.

After leaving Bailey Lauerman, Krajicek started consulting on her own. She offers branding, campaign and research support. She helps with branding or campaign projects that need a foundation in research and strategic direction. She also provides research services for CoJMC students and has worked with the National Student Advertising Competition in the past.