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FULL-TIME FACULTY

Advertising and Strategic Public Relations and Intergrated Communication faculty

Meg Algren Algren, Meg Ph.D., APR, Kent State University, 1997
Office: STA 112. Phone: (410) 704-5641. Email: malgren@towson.edu. Website: wwwnew.towson.edu/mccs/people/Algren.htm
Dr. Algren has more than 20 years of experience as a working journalist and a public relations practitioner. Her research interests include relationship development between organizations and their publics, public relations pedagogy, and roles of public relations professionals.
Garry Bolan

Bolan, Garry A.B.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 2004.
Office: VB 205D. Phone: (410) 704-4657. Email: gbolan@towson.edu
Mr. Bolan specialists in public relations, advertising and corporate communication. He is the former director of advertising and publications for Maryland Casualty Company and creative service manager for PHH Corporation. As well as past president of the Baltimore chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.

Clemons, Dionne A.B.D., Howard University, 2008

Office:  SA 131, Phone (410) 704- 3457.  Email:  dclemons@towson.edu      
Prof. Clemons has more than a decade of private and public sector experience in journalism, technical writing, public relations and public affairs.  Her research interests are focused on public relations' impact on policymaking and federalism, and government's perception of public relations.  Specifically, she has done research on the co-orientation of the public relations role in public sector environments. 

Kim, Kwangmi Ko Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1995.
Office: VB 206. Phone: (410) 704-3194. Email: kkim@towson.edu. Website: pages.towson.edu/kkim
Dr. Kim specializes in advertising and society, international advertising, advertising campaigns, political economy of mass communication. Her research interests include globalization of the transnational advertising agencies in Asia, media coverage of U.S. cigarette trade talks and policy, and commercialization and representation of women in advertising.

Kong, Ying Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 2007
Office: SA 127. Phone: (410) 704-4139. Email: ykong@towson.edu
Dr. Kong teaches media planning, advertising research methods and principles of advertising. Her research interests include health campaign effectiveness, advertising message framing, international communications and consumer behavior.

Jung-Sook Lee

Lee, Jung-Sook Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1994
Office: VB 205C. Phone: (410) 704-2601. Email: jslee@towson.edu
Dr. Lee was a market research analyst at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Madison, Wisconsin; assistant manager at the International Advertising and Public Relations Division at the Hyundai Heavy Industries Co in South Korea before joining the faculty at TU.  Dr. Lee is the coordinator of the undergraduate unit that includes advertising and public relations.

Mark McElreath

McElreath, Mark Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1975
Office: VB 208A. Phone: (410) 704-3803. Email: mmcelreath@towson.edu
Dr. McElreath specializes in evaluatiing research, public relations, organizational communication, integrated communication and ethics.  He is the author of Managing Systematic and Ethical Public Relations Campaigns and member of the Commission on Public Relations Education and member of the Universal Accreditation Board. 

Vilela, Alexandra M. Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2006

Office: SA 123. Phone: (410) 704-2031. Email: avilela@towson.edu

Dr. Vilela has more than 10 years of professional experience in advertising, marketing, public relations and journalism. Current research in Cause-Related Marketing, with key aspects involving the effects of the type of social cause sponsored (health, non-health causes) and the influence of psychographics (values) and demographics (gender) in consumer responses. Interests also include civic engagement issues (volunteering), philanthropy/charity, and health/social campaigns.

Journalism and New Media Faculty

Jenny Atwater M.A. University of Missouri School of Journalism, 1995

Office: SA 129 Phone: 410-704-2004 Email: jatwater@towson.edu

Ms. Atwater specializes in broadcast Journalism; newswriting and reporting. She has more than 10 years professional experience as a TV News reporter and has earned two Capital Region Emmys.

Sean Baker Baker, Sean Ph.D., Univeristy of Washington (Seattle), 2000
Office: VB 208B. Phone: (410) 704-5856. Email: sbaker@towson.edu. Website: www.towson.edu/~sbaker/
Dr. Baker sepcializes in cultural studies and crime in the media. Current and historic news representations of minorities. Information technology: historic, current, and future perspectives. Television studies, with a focus on meaning construction, issues of subjectivity, and technology.   Dr. Baker is the Graduate Director for the department.
Charles Flippen

 

Flippen, Charles Ph.D., University of North Carolina, 1979
Office: MC 114B. Phone: (410) 704-3250. Email: cflippen@towson.edu
Dr. Flippen speicalizes in journalism, photojournalism, newswriting, news reporting, and news editing. He is the author of Liberating the Media: The New Journalism. Research into audience analysis of popular culture. Reporter, free-lance writer and professional photojournalist. Chair of the department.

Beth Haller

Haller, Beth Ph.D., Temple University, 1995
Office: VB 205B. Phone: (410) 704-2442. Email: bhaller@towson.edu. Wbsite: www.towson.edu/~bhalle
Dr. Haller specializies in feature writing, newswriting and reporting;  media law and ethics;  media portrayal of people with disabilities; and online journalism. Coordinator of the undergraduate unit that includes journalism and new media. Research areas: mass media images of disability issues and people with disabilities, news media history, the alternative and ethnic press. Co-Editor of the academic journal (2003-2006), Disability Studies Quarterly.

Lauffer, Kimberly Ph.D., University of Florida, 2000
Office: MC 202. Phone: (410) 704-3195. Email: klauffer@towson.edu.  Website:   http://pages.towson.edu/klauffer/klauffer/Index.html
Dr. Lauffer specializies in media writing, ethics;  health communication;   media and disability;  science communication;   journalism education; news media and framing.
Lieb, Thomas Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1991
Office: VB 211C. Phone: (410) 704-4138. Email: tlieb@towson.edu
Dr. Lieb specializes in mass media and society with emphasis on media coverage of women and minorities; writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and books; publishing on the World Wide Web;  journalism education; and media graphics. 
 Jad Melki

Melki, Jad Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 2008
Office: SA 104. Phone: (410)704-3942. Email: jmelki@towson.edu. Website: www.jadmelki.com
Dr. Melki specializes in research methods, media and society, media literacy, media and war, Arabic Media. Research director of the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda (ICMPA). A broadcast and online journalist for over 10 years. He was on the team that won a Webby award for the coverage of the 2006 Hezbollah-Israel war (Kevin Sites, The Hot Zone, Yahoo! News).

Nichols, Sandra Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2003

Office: MC 200. Phone: (410) 704.3761. Email: slnichols@towson.edu
Dr. Nichols specializes in mass communication and society; newswriting and reporting; writing for new media; the press in a democracy; media representations of marginalized groups, and youth civic engagement.

Spaulding, Stacy Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 2005.
Office: VB 205A. Phone: (410) 704-2407. Email: sspaulding@towson.edu. Website: www.towson.edu/~sspauldi
Dr. Spaulding has experience in print, broadcast and online journalism. Her research interests include the history of journalism, radio and women journalists.
 Lingling Zhang

Zhang, Lingling Ph.D., Washington State University, 2008

Office:  SA 162, Phone:  (410) 704-3458.  Email:  lizhang@towson.edu

Dr. Zhang teaches mass communication research methods, theory, and effects courses.  Her research is focused on cognitive processing of narratives and sociocultural and psychological effects of media messages.  Specifically , she has done research on entertainment education, health information campaigns, media and stereotypes, media use and decision making.

Communication Studies Faculty

Barnett, Jacqueline Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, 2006

Office:  SA 168, Phone:  (410) 704-2889.  Email:  jbarnett@towson.edu

Dr. Barnett's areas of interest (both teaching and research) include research methods, health communication, interpersonal communication, and gender communication.  Her research track has focused on doctor-patient "mis" -communication, adolescent and college binge drinking, and behavior change in health campaigns such as tobacco cessation.  Whether it's quantitative, qualitative, evaluative, or applied, she's never met a research project she doesn't like!


Carabas, Teodora Ph.D., Ohio University, 2004
Office: SA 126. Phone: (410) 704-4855. Email: tcarabas@towson.edu
Dr. Carabas studies rhetorical theory and criticism, advocacy and argument, political communication/public sphere theory, and media ecology. Her research and teaching interests focus on the study of public discourse and on the role that communication technologies play in structuring the interaction between civil society and the state.
Audra Colvert McMullen, Audra Ph.D., Ohio University, 2000
Office: MC 202. Phone: (410) 704-3605. Email: amcmullen@towson.edu
Dr. McMullen specializes in organizational communication, training and development, conflict management, and communicating with people with physical disabilities. Dissertation is an ethnographic study of the organizational culture in the National Federation of the Blind. Research area: communicating with people with disabilities. Advises students who use qualitative methods and rhetorical theory. 
Elizabeth Skinner

Skinner, Elizabeth M.A., Southwest Missouri State University, 1994

Office: MC 205C. Phone: (410) 704-5354. Email: eskinner@towson.edu
Ms. Skinner specializes in argumentation and debate.  Her interest includes rhetorics and ideology, feminism and gender studies, culture and communication, computer mediated communication and political communication and public address. Assistant director of forensics.

 Jennifer Struve

Struve, Jennifer Ph.D., Howard University, 2008

Office:  MC 205B.  Phone (410) 704-2888.  Email:  jstruve@towson.edu

Dr. Struve studies intercultural communication and rhetorical theory and criticism. Her research focuses on the way in which culture and cultural identity is infused in individual and public rhetorical choices. Her teaching interests include intercultural communication, gender and communication, rhetorical theory and criticism, and political communication. 

 

Turowski, Lisa M.A., Towson State University, 1986.

Office:  SA 173.  Phone:  (410) 704-3039.  Email:  lturowski@towson.edu

Prof. Turowski teaches introductory courses in both the mass communication and communication studies majors, as well as courses in public speaking, organizational communication, and media theory.  She serves as both a FYE advisor and a TU Care advisor.  For five years she served as Campus Director of the  Southeast Europe Youth Leadership Institute.  She has taught communication and leadership seminars in both the U.S. and Europe, and has consulted on grant proposals for international programs.

Richard Vatz Vatz, Richard Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1976
Office: VB 211B. Phone: (410) 704-3107. Email: rvatz@towson.edu. Website: www.towson.edu/~vatz
Dr. Vatz specializes in persuasion, language and psychiatry, political rhetoric. Recipient of 4 outstanding teacher awards and 4 University merit awards. Author of more than 250 articles, reviews and papers in professional journals and newspapers and convertions. Commentator on local radio and TV as having guested on PBS' Firing Line, CNN's Larry King Live and Crossfire, and Donahue Show. Associate Editor, USA Today Magazine.

Visiting Faculty

Potter, Lester MBA., Averette University, 1998
Office: VB 208C. Phone: (410) 704-3235. Email: lpotter@towson.edu. Website: wwwnew.towson.edu/mccs/people/Potter.htm
IABC-Accredited communicator and an IABC Fellow, IABC's highest honor and a candidate for a doctorate in Instructional Technology at Towson University.