From the Penn State EcoCAR garage to the Motor City, Cheyenne Foran’s interest in the automotive industry races through her veins. Now a Talent Acquisition Branding & Social Engagement Program Manager, Foran first acquired her automotive skills when she was placed on the Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team (PSU AVT) through Happy Valley Communications, a student-lead PR firm in State College, Pennsylvania. It was here that she was first introduced to the EcoCAR 2 project.
Foran was part of Penn State’s 2012-2013 award-winning EcoCAR 2 Year Two team, which brought home PSU’s first-ever Overall First Place win in the EcoCAR program! The following year she held the position of communications manager for PSU AVT and gained valuable PR skills, along with a some more in depth knowledge of hybrid technologies. And to top it all off, PSU AVT also introduced Foran to her (now) husband, a fellow team member!
Following graduation, Foran was able to obtain amazing opportunities with Weber Shandwick and TRW Automotive – now known as ZF Friedrichshafen AG. She attributed all of these successes to her experiences with the EcoCAR 2 program.
Foran believes working as the communications manager during her undergraduate career gave her a leg up in the industry, compared to other young PR professionals who were solely learning about communications in the classroom . Her experiences led her to become the first social media specialist for TRW Automotive, where she was given the responsibility to lead global social media initiatives.
Foran also thanks the EcoCAR program for giving her a group of lifelong friends that have also moved to Michigan to pursue careers in the automotive industry.
Foran currently works for HARMAN International and recently received her master’s degree in strategic communications at The University of Iowa. She believes this degree will help expand her current industry knowledge and allow her to specialize her skills in digital and social communications.
