PhD Profiles

Research Interests:
Political and international communication with an emphasis on race, culture and social movements.

Why Grady?
“As a native Georgian I was aware that Grady College ranked among the best schools of communication in the country. I thought it offered a friendly and collaborative environment that isn’t present at some places I looked at. I also wanted to live in a city that was affordable and closer to my family.”

Fun Fact:
While a student, Howard wrote a book about media literacy in partnership with the Georgia Humanities Council and Atlanta Press Club.

Women who are freelance photojournalists. “I feel honored to have the opportunity to learn from them, and I hope to share what I have learned in a way that provides meaningful, positive change for women in photojournalism.

Why Grady?
“The biggest reason I decided to return to UGA for graduate school was the support I felt from faculty. I felt like I would have people cheering for my success if I decided to go here.”

Advice:
“When considering pursuing a Ph.D. or deciding on what specific program you would like to attend, make yourself aware of the environment you’ll be in as well as the resources available to you.”

Research Interests:
“How media context affects processing and evaluation of digital ads. “I’m grateful to my collaborators from the Digital Media, Attention, & Cognition Lab. It is their support and hard work that make this award more meaningful.”

Why Grady?
“I learned that it’s home of the renowned Peabody Award, offers different concentrations to suit student interests, and enjoys a good reputation nationwide. In addition, it’s in a southern state of subtropical climate with mild winters.”

Fun Fact:
Last Fall, Sun was the lead author on a paper that earned recognition at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication virtual conference.

Research Interests:
Experiences of marginalized communities including immigrants and racial and ethnic minorities in the public relations and media industries. “It takes a whole village to get a Ph.D. In my case, the village might be a global one.”

Why Grady?
“The college has one of the most respected journalism and mass communication programs for graduate students.”

After graduation:
“I would love to work in academia researching DEI in PR and media practices and empowering students. Ultimately, I am open to positions that serve public interests.”

Professor of Public Relations, University of Georgia
Recipient of the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award

Research Interests:
Dr. Acosta-Alzuru specializes in critical and cultural studies, international communication and women’s studies.

What lessons learned at Grady have helped you the most?
“Everything I needed to learn to become a professor and scholar I learned in our College. I learned how to turn my intellectual curiosity into rigorous research because I was taught by great researchers. I learned how to be a better teacher because I had fulfilling classroom experiences that challenged and nurtured me.”

What about your field appeals to you the most?
“Understanding and unraveling the links between media, culture and society is what I do and what appeals the most to me.”

Associate Professor of Public Relations, Indiana University

Research Interests:
Browning’s research focuses on organization-public relationships (OPRs); more specifically, the impacts organizational ethics and actions have on these relationships within business and political contexts.

Why Grady?
“I knew I wanted to study public relations and that Grady was basically an Ivy League program for that. The diversity of perspectives was evident to me even in my early campus visits. On top of that, the faculty and graduate students were incredibly welcoming, and I felt I could build a home at Grady, both intellectually and personally.”

What is Athens like?
“Awesome. Just flat out awesome. Sure, UGA is a major part of the culture, but there’s so much more going on. The music scene is stellar. The restaurants are amazing. The big events are awesome.”

Professor and endowed chair of public relations, University of Oregon
Recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award

Research Interests:
Dr. Curtin’s research encompasses cross-cultural public relations, public relations history, and development of critical/postmodern approaches to public relations theory.

What are your memories of your time at Grady College?
“When I think back to my time at Grady, it’s the people who stand out. My professors, across the board, exposed me to a rich variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives, and my own research is so much better and stronger for that.”

Best advice for someone considering a Ph.D. program?
“Pick a program not for the one professor you want to study with simply because they study just the precise area you think you want to. Instead, be open to having your intellectual horizons widened to include areas you never considered before.”

Assistant Professor of Spanish-language Media, University of Nevada, Reno

What are the program strengths?
“There are many strengths to this program, from amazing faculty to challenging courses, from an inclusive environment to a rich alumni network. UGA’s College of Journalism and Mass Communication is truly a unique place where you are invited to grow intellectually and personally.”

Best advice?
“Pursuing a Ph.D. is hard and time consuming. You need to approach it as an educational journey that will allow you to delve deeply into topics that fascinate you. As such, make sure you choose well the companions for your journey and enjoy the entire process.”

Research Interests:
Her primary research is in the areas of health communication and strategic public relations, focusing on the role of messaging content, technology use, visual attention, emotions, and cultural psychology

What are the program strengths?
“There are several strengths of our program. First, our program is a diverse and tailored program. Graduate students can receive very good, solid training in these fields. More importantly, graduate students can also tailor this training to build their own research agenda and expertise.

Second, our program provides a diverse and strong lab resource, such as DMAC eye-tracking lab, BBAM psychophysiology lab, SeeSuite social media analytics lab, and virtual reality lab.

Third, Grady College is an international student friendly program among faculties, students, and staff. People respect each other and treat each other equally.”

Research Interests:
Her research interests focus on digital media as well as the role of the internet and social media affordances on audience perceptions, attention and behavior.

Why Grady?
“Grady College’s Mass Communication Ph.D. program is renown for its rigor and quality. But ultimately, my decision to come to Grady College was based on the school’s and the University of Georgia’s commitment to fostering excellence and diversity.”

Favorite Memory?
“My favorite memory as a Ph.D. student was working as a senior researcher at Grady College’s Digital Media Attention and Cognition (DMAC) Lab. The team would pitch study ideas and work collaboratively to bring those projects to fruition. It was honestly so cool to conduct eye-tracking studies, meet over Jittery Joe’s coffee, and then apply our individual strengths to share our work with others in the field. The experience fostered camaraderie between cohorts, teamwork, and opportunities for graduate students to explore different research interests.”