The Public Relations/Strategic Communications Research Group was formed in Spring 2018 to facilitate scholarly discussion and productive collaborations in public relations and strategic communications research. The group is dedicated to conducting empirical research on public relations topics, issues, and trends. Student-faculty collaborators aim to produce high-quality research papers for submission to public relations and strategic communications conferences (e.g., AEJMC, ICA, IPRRC, PRSA, etc.) and scholarly journals.
Doctoral Student Members (2020-2021)
Khalid Alharbi, Jackson Carter, Carl Ciccarelli, Yu-Jin Heo, Shudan Huang, Kate Stewart, Nanlan Zhang
Alumni Members (2020-2021)
Joon Kyoung Kim, Assistant Professor, University of Rhode Island
Nandini Bhalla, Assistant Professor, Washington and Lee University
Our student members’ work has been presented at top conferences and published in various scholarly outlets.
Recent publications
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Li, J-Y., Kim, J.K., & Alharbi, K. (2021). Exploring the role of issue involvement and brand attachment in shaping consumer response toward corporate social advocacy (CSA) initiatives: the case of Nike’s Colin Kaepernick campaign. International Journal of Advertising. Advance online publication: doi:10.1080/02650487.2020.1857111
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Overton, H.K., Choi, M., Weatherred, J., & Zhang, N. (2020). Testing the viability of emotions and issue involvement as predictors of CSA response behaviors. Journal of Applied Communication Research. Advance online publication.
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Li, J-Y., Overton, H.K., & Bhalla, N. (2020). Communicative action and supportive behaviors for environmental CSR practices: An attitude-based segmentation approach. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 25(2), 171-186.
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Kim, J.K., Overton, H.K., Bhalla, N., & Li, J-Y. (2020). Nike, Colin Kaepernick, and the politicization of sports: Examining perceived organizational motives and consumer responses. Public Relations Review, 46(2), 1-10.
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Li, J-Y., Kim, J.K., Overton, H.K., Bhalla, N., Zhang, N., Choi, M., & Moon, W. (2019). What shapes environmental responsibility perceptions? Measuring value orientations as a predictor of situational motivations and communicative action. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 13(3), 214-232.
Recent awards
2020
- 2020 AAA Best Student Paper Award (Khalid Alharbi, Joon Kim, Chris Noland, and Jackson Carter). Watch Podcast.
- 2020 Bryce Rucker Research Award, University of South Carolina (Chang Won Choi)
- 2020 Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Award, University of South Carolina (Minhee Choi)
- 2020 AEJMC Graduate Research Award, Mass Communication & Society Division (Yu-Jin Heo)
- 2020 AEJMC Promising Student Professor Award (2nd Place) (Yu-Jin Heo)
2019
- 2019 AEJMC Susanne A. Roschwalb Grant for International Study and Research Award, Public Relations Division (Won-ki Moon)
- 2019 Breakthrough Graduate Scholar Award, University of South Carolina (Joon Kim)
- 2019 Bryce Rucker Research Award, University of South Carolina (Nandini Bhalla)
2018
- 2018 AEJMC Top Student Paper Award, Magazine Division (Nandini Bhalla)
- 2018 AEJMC Susanne A. Roschwalb Grant for International Study and Research Award, Public Relations Division (Minhee Choi)
- 2018 AEJMC Annual Conference Moeller Student Competition Award, Mass Communication and Society Division (Nandini Bhalla)
- 2018 AEJMC Annual Conference Inez Kaiser Award, Public Relations Division (Nandini Bhalla)
- 2018 AEJMC Annual Conference Kappa Tau Alpha Award (Nandini Bhalla)
- 2018 ICA Conference Top Student Paper Award, Public Relations Division (Nanlan Zhang, Yicheng Zhu, and Joon Kim)
- 2018 IPRRC Peter Debrecency Corporate Communication Award (Nandini Bhalla)
- 2018 Bryce Rucker Research Award, University of South Carolina (Joon Kim)
- 2019 AEJMC Top (2nd place) Student Paper Award (Yu-Jin Heo)