SCHOLARSHIP & ENGAGEMENT

Relations Research. He wrote two book chapters, including “Network approaches to public relations theory & practice” in Public Relations Theory III and “Toward a multi-dimensional network model of CSR initiatives” in the Routledge Corporate Social Responsibility Communication (CSR) Handbook. He published three articles, including “Putting stakeholders’ engagement in the equation: Proposing the integrated network engagement model” in Public Relations Review; “Threat appraisals and emotions in crisis: Examining information seeking and sharing in Hurricane Florence” in the Journal of Applied Communication Research; and “Interorganizational homophily and social capital in civil society networks: Do birds who seek the same feather get the worm?” in Communication Monographs.

CLAIRE M. SEGIJN won the Top Paper Award, Special Topics ‘Digital advertising, artificial intelligence, and technological innovations’ from the Ad Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication at their annual conference in August 2022 for the paper “Chilling effects as a result of corporate surveillance in digital advertising. A comparison between American and Dutch media users.” She wrote the paper with Joanna Strycharz from the University of Amsterdam. Additionally, Segijn was named an Associate Editor for the Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising.

ERICH SOMMERFELDT was elected vice chair of the public relations division of the International Communication Association.

ALLISON STEINKE became the Public Relations Student Society of America’s chapter faculty adviser in August 2022. She helped build the chapter up to 14 official members, including a seven-member executive team. In a consultant capacity, she served as editor for Anselm House’s 40th Anniversary book, 40, celebrating the ministry organization’s 40 years of service to and with faculty, staff, and students on the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus.

CHRISTOPHER TERRY presented the top paper, “Counting formats: A test of the internal competition theory at the foundation of FCC media ownership policy” in the NCA Communication and Law Division in New Orleans in November. He also gave interviews to MPR on broadband deployment in the state and a series on political advertising on WCCO Radio. In December, Terry was on a panel called “How Should the FTC Address Deceptive Endorsement Advertising Online?”

BENJAMIN TOFF published an article in Political Communication on the emotional impact of news called “How news feels: Anticipated anxiety as a factor in news avoidance and a barrier to political engagement.” It was (partly) the subject of an interview Toff did on Minnesota Public Radio in August.

EMILY VRAGA created a day-long event that took place on Oct. 20, 2022 and included her moderated panel titled “How Covid Has Changed Health Communication: A New Path Forward” with panelists Sun Joo Ahn, Seth Noar, and Vish Viswanath (M.A. ’86, Ph.D. ’90). This event brought together leading scholars across the nation to discuss the lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, and where health communication can go from here.

Wiley Publishers awarded MARCO YZER a book contract for an edited book on mental health communication called The Handbook of Mental Health Communication. Yzer and his co-editor Jason Siegel (a professor of psychology at Claremont Graduate University) are currently finalizing the list of authors for the 37 chapters of the book. The book will be published in 2024.

ALVIN ZHOU (left) presented a conference paper, “Shaping corporate character via chatbot social conversation: Impact on organization-public relational outcomes” at this year’s Public Relations Society of America Educators Academy Summit and won its top faculty paper award.