Our Grady faculty are experts in their fields of research and study, and they are frequently called on by media to apply their knowledge to what is going on in the world today. Below are places where you can find some of our #GradyExperts in the news.
King Distinguished Professorship in Advertising established
The Karen W. and Daniel J. King Distinguished Professorship in Advertising has been created in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, announced Charles N. Davis, dean of Grady College. Karen King, a Jim Kennedy Professor of New Media and professor of advertising, has taught at Grady College for 35 years. She is retiring this […] learn more
How journalists are handling news about the coronavirus outbreak
Editor’s note: this feature originally appeared on the UGA Today website. Journalists face some unique challenges when they try to report accurately on a major infectious disease outbreak like the one associated with COVID-19, according to professor Glen Nowak, director of the Center for Health and Risk Communication at Grady College and a former director of media […] learn more
Clementson awarded grant from Broom Center for theory-driven industry research
Grady College researcher, David Clementson, was competitively awarded a research grant from the Glen M. Broom Center for Professional Development in Public Relations. Clementson, an assistant professor of public relations, will conduct an experiment to test the effectiveness of narrative appeals used by PR spokespeople. Some of his recent research has included the effect of […] learn more
Nowak discusses how news media face COVID-19 challenges
Editor’s note: this feature originally appeared on UGA Today. Journalists face some unique challenges when they try to report accurately on a major infectious disease outbreak like the one associated with COVID-19, according to professor Glen Nowak, a former director of media relations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and director of the Center for […] learn more
Focus on the Faculty: Nathaniel Evans
Editor’s Note: This feature was originally posted on the UGA News website, which includes the complete question and answer profile. Nathaniel Evans, an assistant professor in Grady College, conducts research that has implications for policymakers and regulatory bodies that enforce advertising policy and protect consumers. The following is an excerpt of some questions that Evans […] learn more
Faculty profile: Joseph Watson, Jr.
According to Joseph Watson, Jr., to understand a person, one has to understand who his heroes are and who he admires. Watson, who spends his days teaching about public advocacy, issues management and shaping public opinion in political contexts, focuses on the ideals of individuals who have helped guide his professional path. “Encouraging civility and […] learn more
Grady professors publish in second edition of textbook aimed at teaching excellence for communicating cross-cultural issues
María E. Len-Ríos, associate dean and public relations professor, recently co-edited and was a co-author in the second edition of “Cross-Cultural Journalism and Strategic Communication: Storytelling and Diversity.” The textbook is also co-edited by Earnest L. Perry, associate dean for graduate studies at the Missouri School of Journalism. The book is a collaborative project featuring […] learn more
Remembering Ron Lane
A memorial service is planned on Feb. 23, 2020, at the Classic Center in Athens from 2 until 4 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., there will be a sharing of memories. Grady College lost an alumnus, former professor, Fellow and friend when W. Ronald Lane died on Feb. 6, 2020. Lane, who earned his undergraduate degree […] learn more
Yan Jin named Kitty O. Locker Outstanding Researcher Award Recipient
Yan Jin, assistant department head of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, has been named the recipient of the Kitty O. Locker Outstanding Researcher Award, presented at the annual international Association for Business Communication (ABC) conference October 25, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Jin is also associate director of the Center for Health & Risk […] learn more
Grady associate professor tests virtual reality program in Brunswick
Virtual reality is no longer just a futuristic technology found only in sci-fi movies and video games. Now, VR programs are being used for treatment of PTSD, training medical students, and now, preparing at-risk communities for natural disasters. Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn, an associate professor of advertising, developed a virtual reality program that recently made […] learn more
Recent Faculty Research & Accolades
Congratulations to Ann Hollifield, professor emerita, on participating as a panelist in the plenary session at the Global Media Forum in Bonn, Germany, in late May. The session took place in the former German Parliament Chambers and was broadcast by Deutschewelle.
WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging platform, has selected a research team including Yan Jin, Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Grady College and assistant department head of advertising and public relations, to analyze how misinformation spreads and its impact on elderly during disease outbreaks. Read more.
Grady College faculty members Keith Herndon and Grace Ahn have been honored by the UGA Office of Instruction for incorporating innovation in their teaching. Keith Herndon, William S. Morris Chair in News Strategy and Management, Director of the James M. Cox Jr. Institute and Professor of Practice in Journalism, is one of four professors campus-wide who received the Creative Teaching Award. Grace Ahn, Associate Professor in advertising and Director of the GAVEL Lab, was recognized as an outstanding First-Year Odyssey Seminar instructor. Read more.
Karen Whitehill King, a Jim Kennedy New Media Professor and professor of advertising, has been appointed president of the American Academy of Advertising.
“I am honored to serve as President of the American Academy of Advertising,” King said. “Members of the AAA are scholars and professionals interested in research and education in the advertising field. Many of us think of this organization as our academic and professional home.” Read more.
“…Free-to-play (F2P) mobile games…can be quite satisfying: not just as ways to 'waste time' but as satisfying ways to meditate."#GradyExpertspic.twitter.com/WFSIprSSEX
“…this is not a winning suit, but it's of a piece with Trump's efforts to attack and delegitimize the press as an institution.”#GradyExpertshttps://t.co/uXKfJqHcFE
Janice Hume, the Carolyn McKenzie and Don E. Carter Chair for Excellence in Journalism, is quoted in Adweek about the importance of obituaries. (April 23, 2020)
Shira Chess, associate professor in EMST, writes in MIT Press about top mobile games for non gamers. (March 23, 2020)
Jonathan Peters,
Carolina Acosta-Alzuru of our @AdPR_UGA faculty is quoted in The Washington Post about the first telenovela, “El Corazon Nunca se equivoca,” that features a gay couple. (pay wall)
Congratulations to Vicki Michaelis and Carlo Finlay of Grady Sports for having their New Approaches to Promote Diversity and Inclusion grant renewed. This grant helps support the UGA-Grady High School Sports Broadcast Program: t.uga.edu/5bS
Congratulations to Dean Charles Davis (MA ’92), on the publication of the second edition of “Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records,” with co-author Dan Cullier.
Andy Kavoori has been selected for a Fulbright award. He will serve as the Garcia-Robles-Fulbright Distinguished Chair in U.S. Studies at the Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico for the Spring 2020 academic term. He will teach courses on American Media, Culture and Politics, plus conduct ethnographic research on Son Jarocho, a regional and diasporic entertainment media form.
Taylor Cole Miller, assistant professor, Entertainment and Media Studies, will be the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and UGA nominee for a Whiting Public Engagement Fellowship from the Whiting Foundation. This is a national and very prestigious competition. The Whiting Public Engagement Fellowship celebrates and supports faculty in the humanities who embrace public engagement as part of the scholarly vocation.
Congratulations to Lori Johnston (ABJ ’95, MFA ’17), of our Department of Journalism, for being named a finalist in the Religion Reporting Excellence Awards presented by Religion News Association. Johnston is being recognized for for her writing for The Washington Post.
Glen Nowak, director of the Center for Health & Risk Communication and professor of advertising, will participate in a panel session on vaccination hesitancy at the June 4, 2019, meeting of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) in Washington, D.C. NVAC is a Department of Health and Human Services advisory committee. He will present research that Michael Cacciatore, Nate Evans, and Nowak completed regarding vaccination confidence and hesitancy.
Congratulations to Juan Meng, associate professor of public relations, for receiving the Most Dedicated Reviewer recognition from the International Communication Association Public Relations Division.
Jeffrey P. Jones, Executive Director Peabody Awards, Lambdin Kay Professor, Entertainment & Media Studies, talks about the 78th annual Peabody winners in Variety, May 17, 2019. “We look for stories that are very connected to the sociopolitical world, or the moment that we’re in as a society,” Jones said.
Congratulations to John Weatherford, lecturer in the New Media Institute, on being selected to participate in the 2019 UGA Active Learning Summer Institute. Hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Institute is a three-week intensive program for 12 faculty to redesign courses and implement evidence-based instructional strategies that engage students in the learning process.
Bryan Reber, the C. Richard Yarbrough Professor in Crisis Communication Leadership and AdPR department head, and Juan Meng, associate professor of public relations, publish the North American Communication Monitor, addressing topics including “fake news” and how to tackle it, how communicators provide insights for decision-making and leadership performance. The survey is sponsored by the Plank Center at the University of Alabama.
Wojdynski studies media consumption
As a faculty member, Bart Wojdynski derives satisfaction from seeing the switch flipped within the minds of his students.
“I love watching students develop interests they didn’t know they had,” he said. “My goal is to try to meet students at the intersection of what they want out of a class and where they might want to go in the future.”
Booker T. Mattison, an assistant professor at Grady College, is an author, filmmaker and educator who prepares students for careers in the state’s booming film and television industry.
What are your favorite courses and why?
My favorite course is “Advanced Production” because I am able to midwife compelling and diverse narrative short films from our supremely talented entertainment and media studies students. Since this is a capstone course, I have the opportunity to work with content creators who are about to graduate and make their mark in the world.
WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging platform, has selected a research team including Yan Jin, Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Grady College and assistant department head of advertising and public relations, to analyze how misinformation spreads and its impact on elderly during disease outbreaks. Read more.
Grady College faculty members Keith Herndon and Grace Ahn have been honored by the UGA Office of Instruction for incorporating innovation in their teaching. Keith Herndon, William S. Morris Chair in News Strategy and Management, Director of the James M. Cox Jr. Institute and Professor of Practice in Journalism, is one of four professors campus-wide who received the Creative Teaching Award. Grace Ahn, Associate Professor in advertising and Director of the GAVEL Lab, was recognized as an outstanding First-Year Odyssey Seminar instructor. Read more.
Karen Whitehill King, a Jim Kennedy New Media Professor and professor of advertising, has been appointed president of the American Academy of Advertising.
