She teaches courses in public relations and research methods. She earned a doctorate in journalism from the University of Missouri and a mater’s degree in mass communication from the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on health communication, crisis communication, relationship management in public relations, and corporate social responsibility. She is currently interested in how social media can be effectively utilized for branding, building relationships, and health promotion. Her research and research collaborations won five Top Paper awards at national and international conferences. Her work has appeared in a number of refereed journals, including Journal of Public Relations Research, Journal of Health Communication, and Journal of Business Ethics.