Our department prepares students to be creative problem solvers, writers, managers, policy and communication decision makers, media planners and analysts in the fields of mass communication, advertising and public relations. This program emphasizes persuasive communication skills in traditional and new media that are essential for effective communication in the 21st century. The undergraduate program offers majors in both advertising and public relations.
Mary Ellen Barto has more than 30 years experience working in advertising and media agencies, client marketing organizations, and as an industry consultant. Prior to joining UGA, Mary Ellen worked for Luckie & Co, establishing a Media Center of Excellence within the agency. She also spent 13 years as Vice President of Brand Media and Field Marketing at Arby’s Restaurant Group, where she oversaw strategic media planning and field marketing for the company, managed multiple agency relationships, and was part of the marketing leadership team responsible for the brand’s revitalization. Mary Ellen also held senior positions in some of the industries most respected advertising agencies, including Ogilvy & Mather/Mindshare (New York and Atlanta) and BBDO/OMD (Atlanta), working with a diverse array of clients, including consumer package goods (Kraft Foods, Hershey, Pepperidge Farm, McCormick), telecommunications (ATT), insurance (Nationwide,) financial (American Express) hotels (Sheraton Hotels), Tourism (US Virgin Islands Tourism), as well as retail and QSR brands.
Mary Ellen has an undergraduate degree in Business/Psychology from Albright College (Reading, Pennsylvania).
She joins UGA as Manager of the Talking Dog Agency, guiding and supporting and growing the student-led organization.
About: Hye Jin Yoon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia. Her research expertise is in humor advertising and humor psychology, with growing interest in sustainable marketing and advertising.
Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Georgia
M.A., Mass Communication, University of Georgia
B.A., Mass Communication, Korea University
Research Interests and Activities
Yoon’s primary research interests are humor effects and schema incongruity processing in advertising. Other research interests include health and environmental issues in advertising and their impact on consumers and society, digital and social media advertising, and network and sentiment analysis. Her work has been published in the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Business Research,International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Health Communication, Health Communication, and Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, among others.
Abstract: Using an experimental tool that tracks the viewers’ real-time ad skipping behavior, the current research tested when and why a highly arousing emotional appeal ad that induces a set of […]
Hye Jin Yoon, Yan Huang, and Mark Yi-Cheon Yim (2022), “Native advertising relevance effects and the moderating role of attitudes toward social networking sites,” Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing. Abstract: […]
Abstract: In this research, we seek to provide effective message strategies to communicate stigma associated health issues such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), by exploring the roles of humor, STD […]
Abstract: Consumers are increasingly in support of sustainable marketing and demarketing has received attention as a viable strategy in response to this growing sentiment. As only a few studies focused on testing […]
Abstract: Research into the effects of femvertising on individuals and society is needed and the purpose of this study was to gauge the nature of the campaign ‘Always #LikeAGirl’, one […]
Faculty and doctoral graduates in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations in Grady College were the most visible authors or co-authors in the three leading peer-reviewed advertising research journals from 2008-2019, […]
Abstract: A pseudo-review is a type of online user-generated review (“review”) posted on an e-commerce website that often resembles an authentic review on the surface, telling an exaggerated story about […]
Abstract: Humor is a popular appeal used in global advertising and with the growing use of comedic violence ads in the U.S., it is a worthwhile endeavor to see whether […]
Abstract: Twitter has become an important means of communicating alcohol industry CSR campaigns. However, little is known about individual differences in consumer responses to CSR campaigns in the context of […]
Hye Jin Yoon and Jeong-Yeob Han has been awarded the Faculty Seed Grants in the Sciences Program ($9,720) through The Owens Institute for Behavioral Research (OIBR) for their proposed project Abstract: People have been found to […]
Abstract: A pseudo-review is a type of online user-generated review (“review”) posted on an e-commerce website that often resembles an authentic review on the surface, telling an exaggerated story about […]
Abstract: Humor is a popular appeal used in global advertising and with the growing use of comedic violence ads in the U.S., it is a worthwhile endeavor to see whether […]
Paper to be presented to American Advertising Academy (AAA) conference, San Diego, CA. Abstract: Given the prevalent use of social media in disseminating public service announcements (PSAs) encouraging healthy behavior, […]
Dr. Yoon’s teaching interests including media planning, digital media, international advertising, consumer psychology, and quantitative research methods.
Experience
Prior to coming to UGA, Dr. Yoon has worked at SMU as a professor for nine years.
Awards and Fellowships
Journal of Interactive Advertising Best Reviewer Award, 2019
Journal of Advertising Best Reviewer Award, 2018
Sam Taylor Fellowship Award, 2012, 2014-2018
ICA Communication and Technology Division, Top Three Faculty Paper, 2011
American Academy of Advertising Dissertation Award, 2010
About: Dr. Clementson teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level public relations. His research examines the effects of public figures and politicians dodging questions. When he isn’t on campus teaching, running experiments, and cheering for the Bulldawgs, he loves watching the Atlanta Braves and the Oakland Athletics, and he plays the drums. He and his wife Laura have a son, Edward, who is bilingual in English and Brazilian Portuguese.
Ph.D., Communication, The Ohio State University
M.A., Communication Studies, University of Miami
B.A., Political Science, James Madison University
Research Interests and Activities
Dr. Clementson runs experiments testing how politicians and business spokespersons dodge reporters’ questions and whether audiences notice. He builds theoretical models that explore how the public will cognitively process deception in media interviews. His latest studies assess whether the public can detect when a company spokesperson is dodging questions amidst a company crisis, and the different ways a public figure might deceive audiences. His work has been published in Journal of Communication, Public Relations Review, Political Psychology, Communication Studies, Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Discourse & Communication, Mass Communication and Society, International Journal of Sport Communication and Journal of Political Marketing. His research has also appeared in Politico, NPR, NBC News, the Boston Globe, the Daily Mail, Scientific American, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Houston Chronicle, the Huffington Post, the New York Post, the Washington Examiner, New York magazine, Psychology Today and Newsweek.
Abstract: Public relations and strategic communication are offered in communication departments with a field of study largely geared toward professional communicators. The majors place a heavy emphasis on internships which […]
Abstract: This paper combines theories of identification and image repair to explain why an organization in crisis should avoid designing messages that engage in “spin.” An experiment is reported (N = […]
Abstract: Perceptions of a crisis communicator’s sincerity drive reactions to an organization’s response amidst a scandal. However, a spokesperson can nonverbally appear sincere while deceptively evading questions and can appear […]
Abstract: U.S. presidential candidates aspire to have a “presidential image.” Political communication researchers, media pundits, political scientists, pollsters, campaign consultants, and other political marketers speculate about who is “presidential” and […]
Abstract: Crisis communication scholars have suggested that sincerity is critical to an effective crisis response, and a robust body of research suggests that certain mannerisms and communication styles can make […]
Abstract: Mass communication research has long indicated that during a scandal an organization’s spokesperson should exude sincerity. However, no research has examined the deceptive and misleading nature of sincerity. In […]
Abstract: U.S. presidential candidates aspire to be perceived as “presidential.” Political communication researchers, political scientists, pollsters, campaign consultants, and media pundits speculate about who is “presidential” and “unpresidential.” No prior […]
Abstract: Journalists serve as deception detectors for voters. Sometimes politicians refute journalists’ assertions. How do voters discern whom to believe? Based on cognitive sequences posited by truth-default theory (TDT), experiments […]
David Clementson has won the Reviewer of the Year award for the journal Mass Communication and Society. The editor said, “This year we worked hard to identify one winner on […]
Clementson, D. E., & Xie, T. (2021, May 27-31). The power of political journalists as deception detectors and how politicians reactivate voters’ truth-default [Paper presentation]. International Communication Association 71st Annual […]
Abstract: The public considers politicians to be deceptive. Empirical research, however, indicates voters fail to notice deception from politicians in practice. An experiment was run in which U.S. voters (n […]
Abstract: Truth-default theory (TDT) holds that people tend to passively believe others without consciously considering whether they are being told the truth. But do voters have a truth-default toward politicians? […]
Abstract: Journalists serve as deception detectors for voters. Sometimes politicians refute journalists’ assertions. How do voters discern whom to believe? Based on cognitive sequences posited by truth-default theory (TDT), experiments […]
Abstract: This article expands situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) to narrative persuasion. In a randomized experiment featuring a news interview of a scandalized company, an organization’s spokesperson responds to a […]
Abstract: This paper reports a test and extension of the model posited by the theory of crisis response narratives, in which the public manifests identification with a spokesperson who tells […]
Abstract: This article applies interpersonal deception theory (IDT) to crisis communication. As strategic communicators, spokespeople representing organizations in crisis often evade questions in media interviews. Upper management and legal counsel […]
Every two years the International Association of Language and Social Psychology selects a Top Paper Award. This year the award was given to David Clementson for “Truth Bias and Partisan […]
Clementson, D. E., & Xie, T. (Grady PhD student) (2020, Nov.). Effects of partisan bias on perceptions of evasion in a political news interview. Paper to be presented at the 106th […]
Clementson, D. E., & Xie, T. (Grady PhD student) (2020, Nov.). Narrative storytelling and anger in crisis communication. Paper to be presented at the 106th National Communication Association conference, Public […]
Clementson, D. E. (2020, Nov.). Narrative persuasion, identification, attitudes, and trustworthiness in crisis communication. Paper to be presented at the 106th National Communication Association conference, Public Relations division, Indianapolis, IN. […]
David Clementson was awarded a $9,800 grant from UGA Office of Research’s “Faculty Seed Grants in the Sciences” for my proposal entitled “Deceptive Evasion in Politics: Addressing a Divide in […]
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to test the effects of narratives in crisis communication. This research assesses how organizations benefit from using stories in their media responses, relative […]
David Clementson received a Top Paper Award for “Let Me Tell You Our Side of the Story: Narrative Immersion in a Crisis Communication Media Interview.” Paper to be presented at […]
David Clementson was one of three people nationally to receive a seed grant from the Glen M. Broom Center at San Diego State for his study investigating the effectiveness of […]
David Clementson received a $500 grant from the Glen M. Broom Center for Professional Development in Public Relations, at San Diego State University to test narrative persuasion strategies and crisis […]
Abstract: Journalists often accuse politicians of dodging questions. Truth-default theory (TDT) predicts that when journalists serve as de facto deception detectors, the audience will process the messaging through a cognitive […]
Abstract: People are often exposed to polarized viewpoints in web comment sections. Inspired by attribution theory and framing theory, this article tests the effects of comments that frame a politician […]
Abstract: Upwards of 200 studies over the past hundred years have reported on the relationship between public relations practitioners and journalists. However, no experiment has compared the group members’ perceptions […]
Dr. Clementson’s teaching specialties include: introduction to public relations (graduate-level), public relations (honors undergraduate-level), public relations campaigns (undergraduate- and graduate-level) and quantitative research methods.
Experience
Dr. Clementson’s public relations and political communication research is inspired by his professional background. He worked in journalism, politics and public relations for about a decade. He was a journalist for newspapers and magazines, primarily covering politics and government. He ran successful political campaigns for Democrats and Republicans in several states along the U.S. East Coast. He also served as a communication director for a public relations, marketing and advertising firm, a professional opposition researcher for politicians, and the director of communication and press secretary for Attorney Generals. Before coming to UGA, Dr. Clementson was an assistant professor of public relations at California State University, Sacramento, where he was a co-advisor to PRSSA.
About: Dr. Pfeuffer teaches strategic communication research and management. His research interests include the psychology of advertising effects and native advertising regulation.
Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Minnesota
M.C.M., Communication Management, University of Southern California
B.A., Communication, George Mason University
Research Interests and Activities
Dr. Pfeuffer’s research takes a social psychological approach to the examination of advertising effects. His work is at the nexus of online advertising, consumer behavior, and consumer protection and explores the effects and mechanisms of native and covert online advertising formats. Recently, he has focused on the effects of sponsorship disclosure in electronic word-of-mouth communication. He has presented his research at national and international conferences.
Abstract: Brand Studios have become ubiquitous in news outlets across the United States. Situated in news organizations with the attention of audiences that brands hope to reach, these in-house creative studios […]
Alex Pfeuffer, assistant professor of advertising, and Joe Phua, associate professor of advertising, were awarded a AAA Research Fellowship Award for a 3-year research project studying vlogs and trust cues […]
Panel proposal accepted for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference, August 2022. Panelists: Alexander Pfeuffer, Ava Sirrah, Columbia University (PhD candidate).
A multi-method study (Study 1: Focus groups; Study 2: Survey; Study 3: Online experiment) will examine user-generated COVID-19 vaccine information in social media-based vlogs to (1) identify eWOM content attributes […]
Abstract: Getting to Yes is a collaboration with The Tri-County Rural Health Network, UMAS, GSU, and UGA. The overall goal of this work will be to understand the drivers of the […]
Abstract: Trust is a significant factor in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) effects. Consumers often need to form judgments about others using heuristic cues when they cannot rely on previous cumulative experiences with […]
Abstract: Online, consumers often cannot develop trust through cumulative experiences with another party but must instead rely on heuristic cues for their trust formation. Drawing on the theoretical construct of […]
Abstract: Forest certification has emerged as a market-based tool to safeguard the sustainability of the world’s forests. Since media can shape public opinion, this study examines media treatment of forest […]
Abstract: Trust is a significant factor in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) effects. Online, consumers often need to form judgments about others using heuristic cues when they cannot rely on previous cumulative […]
Abstract: Facing the rising trend of sponsored product reviews posted on social media, government regulatory agencies have published industry guidelines requiring disclosure of sponsorship in social media product reviews. However, […]
Abstract: Addressing the problem of increasing sponsored eWOM and diverse and confusing disclosure practices, this study examined the effects of different types of sponsorship disclosure messages on (1) consumers’ trust […]
Abstract: Addressing the problem of increasing and diversifying sponsored eWOM on social media, this study examined the effects of different types of sponsorship arrangements and disclosure messages, with focus on […]
Marilyn Primovic seeks to understand the ways media influences consumer decision making.
Completing both her B.A. in journalism and M.A. in advertising and public relations from the Grady College in four years, Primovic was named Deborah Norville Journalism Scholar, Peyton T. Anderson Journalism Scholar and M. Tyus Butler Journalism Scholar. While a student, she worked as an investigative reporting intern at America’s largest major market news station, WSB-TV Atlanta. She has worked as a marketing assistant for UGA Recreational Sports since 2016, receiving the highest honor in the department, the Michael G. Warren Award, in 2017.
Primovic looks forward to using these experiences to inform persuasive communication research that can be applied to the field.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Tom Cullen specializes in teaching public relations writing and communication. Cullen also serves as Program Manager to the Crisis Communication Coalition (CCC).
MFA, Narrative Media Writing, University of Georgia, 2021
M.A., Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, 2018
B.A. (Hons), 1st Class, History, University of Liverpool, 2015
Teaching Specialties
As instructor-of-record for ADPR5920: Public Relations Communication, Cullen specializes in teaching students real-world writing skills. Known for taking a holistic approach to student development, Cullen frequently mentors students applying to internships, jobs and graduate school.
In 2021, the College of Journalism and Mass Communication recognized him as its “Public Relations Teacher of the Year.”
Neila Grimsley is presently working as the Program Coordinator for Dr. Grace Ahn’s Virtual Fitness Buddy Ecosystem study, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Within this role, she is collaboratively working to coordinate recruitment efforts and data collection at each of the projects’ YMCA after-school sites in Metro-Atlanta. She is also in charge of overseeing logistical and administrative aspects of the project and provides support and oversight to current graduate students. Neila received her Masters in Public Health from the University of Georgia in 2011 and her degree in Child and Family Development and Public Relations from UGA in 2009.
About: Dr. Read teaches Media Strategy and Insights and Analytics. Research interests are media psychology/effects, identity and representation, and psychophysiology.
Ph.D., Mass Communication, Indiana University
M.A., Experimental Psychology, Appalachian State University
B.A., Psychology, Georgia State University
Research interests and activities:
Dr. Read is the director of the Brain, Body, and Media (BBAM) Lab. Her research blends perspectives in communication, social psychology, psychophysiology, and neuroscience to investigate information processing in media as it applies to social contexts. Her main avenue of research examines aspects of information processing and cognition/emotion associated with the perception that underlies and effects that result from exposure to mediated representation of identity (e.g., models, spokespeople). Her other projects build upon this research focus by using what we know about information processing in mediated environments to contribute to prosocial outcomes, including technological and messaging interventions to improve health and well-being.
Teaching specialties:
Her teaching specialties include media strategy, research methods, media psychology/psychophysiology, advertising and society, and consumer neuroscience.
Awards and Fellowships:
• ADPR Outstanding Advertising Teacher Award (2020)
• Annie Lang Dissertation Award from the Information Systems Division of the International Communication Association (2019)
• Indiana University Dissertation Fellowship (2017-2018)
• Indiana University Provost’s Travel Award for Women in Science (2016).
Joseph Watson, Jr. is the inaugural Carolyn Caudell Tieger Professor of Public Affairs Communications at Grady College. In this role, Watson oversees the first program in the nation to provide students with practical training in the strategy and practice of public affairs communications focused on public policy and politics.
Watson brings 20 years of experience in public affairs, campaigns and communications to Grady College. He served as an appointee in the Administration of President George W. Bush where he led the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s domestic policy office. Professor Watson also worked on Capitol Hill, serving as Legislative Director and Legislative Counsel to former U.S. Senator Peter G. Fitzgerald of Illinois.
Prior to joining the faculty of Grady College, Professor Watson established and led the public affairs communications group for Exelon Corporation, a Fortune 100 company. At Exelon, he managed award-winning public advocacy campaigns that successfully raised public and policymaker awareness of the value of nuclear energy, culminating in the enactment of unprecedented new legislation and rules promoting nuclear energy in Illinois and New York. Prior to leading Exelon’s Public Advocacy group, he managed federal government affairs for the company in Washington, D.C.
Donna LeBlond is Administrative Associate I in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. She handles office workflow, form processing, scheduling, and maintaining records. Donna also assigns classes for more than 720 majors, and is proficient with Argos, Banner, Degree Works and CAPA. Donna has completed UGA’s Diversity and Inclusiveness Certificate offered through Staff Training and Development. In 2011, she earned the Vera Penn Grady Staff Award of Excellence.
Donna graduated from Athens Area Technical Institute in June 1993 with a secretarial science diploma. That same year she began working at Grady College as receptionist/secretary in the Dean’s Office. In 1998, she was promoted to administrative associate and began working in the AdPR department. Donna has served for two terms on Staff Council, including stints on the following committees: Executive, SRG Generic Bylaws, and co-chair of the Pay & Classification Committee.
