About me
Ken Hagihara is a full-time lecturer in the Department of Communications and is the owner and president of Integrity Public Relations Inc. He currently serves as the national faculty adviser for the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and faculty adviser for the Cal State Fullerton chapter.
Hagihara’s 26-year military career, which initially started as a satellite communications technician in the United States Air Force, took a turn in 2008 when he received his commission as a Navy public affairs officer. During his 12-year career as a Navy PAO, he had the opportunity to work in various roles of increasing responsibility and leadership in traditional public affairs activities such as international exercises, developing strategic public affairs guidance, writing news and feature articles, planning and executing events, and earned his certification as a Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer. However, as a PAO for the Office of Navy Outreach, Hagihara established a niche as one of the top community outreach officers. He planned and executed Los Angeles Navy Week in 2011, the largest and most complex Navy Week in history. Hagihara was the PAO responsible for raising awareness of the Navy in large metropolitan areas across the country through Navy Weeks and executive outreach missions. As Deputy Public Affairs Officer for U.S. Third Fleet Headquarters, he was appointed the outreach officer for the first Los Angeles Fleet Week in 2016 and continued in that role until retiring in 2020, at which time he was appointed to the board of the Pacific Battleship Center and continues to fill that role for the Navy as a civilian.
Hagihara earned his Associate of Arts degree in business administration from Orange Coast College, a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a public relations emphasis from California State University, Fullerton, and his Master’s in Communication Management from the University of Southern California
