Lance Porter named King Distinguished Professor in Advertising

Lance Porter (MA ’98, PhD ’02), a leading scholar and practitioner in digital marketing and internet strategy, has been named the inaugural Karen W. and Daniel J. King Distinguished Professor in Advertising. Porter will join the faculty in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations in Fall 2024.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Lance Porter return home to raise our advertising research to new heights,” said Charles N. Davis, dean of Grady College. “We are confident that our inaugural King Professor will embody the attributes that made Dr. King an iconic figure at Grady College.”

Porter has taught at Louisiana State University Manship School of Mass Communication since 2004, most recently as a tenured professor. He served as interim associate dean of undergraduate studies and administration from 2020 to 2022 and is the founding director of the Social Media Analysis and Creation Lab at LSU. He held a joint appointment with LSU’s interdisciplinary Center for Computation and Technology.

“Dr. Lance Porter’s years of experience and stellar records in advertising education and research will only continue to contribute to our program,” said Juan Meng, head of Advertising and Public Relations and Georgia Athletic Association Endowed Professor. “His leadership and vision as the inaugural King Distinguished Professor will push the advertising legacy left by Dr. King to greater heights and truly be an inspiration to students and colleagues.” 

In addition to scholarship, Porter also has rich background of industry experience. He has served since 2004 as president of New Media Mind, a consultancy serving international clients with digital marketing needs. From 2000 to 2004, he worked at Walt Disney Motion Picture Group as executive director of digital marketing and director of internet strategy.

“I am so humbled and honored to join the faculty as the inaugural King Distinguished Professor, Porter said. “Karen King is a legend, and I owe both my professional and academic careers to the Grady College. I am beyond excited to be able to return home.”

Porter’s research focuses on digital media and how it effects media landscape, culture and power dynamics. He is the author of two books, including “The Disformers: Social Media, Disinformation and Elections,” currently in press, and “Politics, Propaganda, and Public Health,” which he co-authored with Laura Crosswell. He is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters covering a variety of subjects including social word-of-mouth patterns, engagement of women in political discussions online and teen social media use, to name a few recent subjects.

“Dr. Porter is an educator who is popular and admired by his former students and colleagues at LSU,” Karen King said. “Grady ad students will benefit from his enthusiasm for teaching and his knowledge of digital advertising and of the industry.”

The King Distinguished Professor was created by Karen and Daniel in 2020 when Karen retired after teaching advertising at Grady College for 35 years. Karen was a Jim Kennedy Professor of New Media and a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, UGA’s highest teaching honor. Karen was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Advertising this March.

Daniel taught briefly at Grady College, leading a law and public relations class, and he regularly teaches an international arbitration class at the University of Georgia School of Law. He is a retired partner of King & Spalding’s Atlanta and New York offices.

Porter has received numerous academic and industry awards, including the Class of 1941 Alumni Professorship in 2019, LSU’s top university peer award recognizing excellence in instruction at the undergraduate level.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in banking and finance from Mississippi State University, furthering his education with a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in mass communication from Grady College.

Author: Sarah Freeman, freemans@uga.edu