MEDIA COLLEGE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Program Coordinator for MDMS
As the coordinator for the Multidisciplinary Studies major and the college's minors, Hawley is responsible for all undergraduate online programs offered by the College of Media. He recruits, advises and supports the college's MMS majors and declared minors as well teaches the orientation and capstone classes in the MMS program. Most recently, he served as Program Developer and Undergraduate Online Programs Coordinator for the College of Media. Before joining the College, Hawley was an account executive at Bowers Broadcasting in Morgantown, W.Va. There, he managed and recruited advertising clients, conducted market research, implemented advertising campaigns and provided customer service.
Alan Christopher has not yet decided what he wants to be when (and if) he grows up. He and his family live in Austin, Texas, the live music capitol of the world. His company, DAC Marketing, is primarily engaged as a manufacturer's representative in the promotional products industry in the Southwest.
Alan earned two Bachelor's degrees from Rice University in Houston, Texas, and did graduate work in the MBA (abt) program at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He received a M.S. in Marketing and a Graduate Certificate in Social Media Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University. He completed his Ph.D. in Business from Northcentral University with a concentration in Marketing.
As a speaker and trainer, he does several seminars on different business topics each year and does small business consulting and sales training for clients on advertising, branding, marketing, management, computer technology, integrated marketing communications, social media and e-commerce. As a manufacturer's rep, Alan has helped his suppliers grow their business with increasing sales and new marketing expansion throughout the Southwest using many of the skills he teaches his customers.
Professionally, he earned his industry's (PPAI) highest designation, the Master Advertising Specialist (MAS), in 1993. He has authored many articles in industry publications on promotional products, technology issues, social media, relationship marketing and advertising and promotions.
Within his professional industry, he has six times been named Promotional Products Association International Speaker of the Year, South Central Region. In 1996, PPAI honored him with the 1996 Veteran Facilitator Award. PPAI bestowed its highest honor on Alan, the Distinguished Service Award in 2002. In 2012, he was named Promotional Products Business magazine Rep of the Year. He was recognized in the inaugural PPAI Fellowship program in 2014.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Manager for Amazon Ad Products and Shopping Experiences
Alyssa Aguiar has spent years working in roles across brand marketing, product and ad sales to bring to life inspiring new ad products and campaigns to billions of social media users around the world. She has worked at companies such as Pinterest, Microsoft/LinkedIn, Amazon, and TikTok. Her areas of expertise from her industry experience include social media marketing and measurement, as well as advertising and e-commerce products and user experiences.
Throughout her career, Aguiar has managed social media campaigns from idea to market for brands including but not limited to: Microsoft's family of brands such as Xbox and LinkedIn, Apple, Walmart, Paramount Pictures, Accenture, Bank of America, L'Oreal, Stitch Fix, Jessica Alba's The Honest Co., Kate Hudson's Fabletics and Rihanna's Savage X Fenty. Aguiar has created global and on-demand marketing education pathways for internal new hires as well as enterprise advertisers in topics such as full-funnel marketing, non-linear consumer purchase paths, KPIs and meaningful metrics, campaign optimizations, organic and paid marketing strategies and the growing importance of influencer marketing.
Additionally, she was also a Global Partnership lead during her time at LinkedIn, advocating for LinkedIn's disabled employees and their advocates by working with LinkedIn's workplace team to provide accessible and inclusive virtual workspaces and project managing events to create community and belonging moments working with LinkedIn's PR team to host guest speakers such as Trevor Noah, Serena Williams, Matthew McConaughey, and Twitter's head of accessibility creating the first ever cross-tech partnership for diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
Aguiar's most recent accomplishment is spearheading an unprecedented marketing measurement cross-platform partnership between TikTok and Amazon, allowing their mutual advertising customers to measure the success of their campaigns and identify the conversion contribution of each platform more accurately.
Aguiar is a double major in both business administration and marketing from California State University Stanislaus and continued her education at Stanford University in data analytics. She currently resides in the Easy Bay area of San Francisco, California.
Job Titles:
- Multimedia Specialist
- Specialist for the Marketing Communications
Andy Pickens is a proud alumnus of West Virginia University. Pickens is the multimedia specialist for the Marketing Communications online programs. His responsibilities include working closely with instructors to build and maintain graduate and undergraduate online courses, as well as shooting photos and videos. Pickens uses his photography and videography skills for all Data Marketing Communications, Digital Marketing Communications and Integrated Marketing Communications events.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Instructor at WVU Reed College of Media
- Marketing Communications and Events Manager / Master of Business Administration ( Temple University )
With over 20 years of experience, Anissa Cooke-Batista has a well-developed sense of what it takes to achieve organizational goals. She has held Marcom positions of increasing responsibility at leading non-profit, financial services and technology companies.
Cooke-Batista's global event management expertise spans the full range of corporate event strategy, promotions, and operational execution which includes programs, branding, key messaging, global alignment and financial management. She is recognized for her integrated marketing and communications expertise and has consistently shown an exceptional ability to analyze and solve marketing challenges on both strategic and tactical levels. The international scope of her experience adds yet another strength to her skill set.
Cooke-Batista is currently an adjunct instructor at WVU Reed College of Media teaching event strategy and execution. She previously taught management courses at Berkeley College and marketing courses at Strayer University. She discovered her passion for teaching in 2005 when she taught an undergraduate e-Commerce course at the Metropolitan College of New York to a diverse group of adult undergraduate students. She enjoys sharing her experiences with students and feels strongly that it keeps her current with advances in the marketing field.
A dedicated advocate for giving back to the community, Cooke-Batista has served on the Board of Directors of the Neighborhood's Resource Center, Clara's Heart and Alvey's Education Never End Programs, Inc. At a previous employer, she founded and acted as the first chair of the Black Employee Network affinity group operating under the chief diversity officer and the Corporate Responsibility Council. In that capacity, she created numerous diversity & inclusion programs designed to promote equity and harmony in the workplace.
Job Titles:
- Director of News for University Relations
- Director of News for WVU University Relations
April Kaull is the Director of News for University Relations, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the unit, which is charged with telling West Virginia University's story.
April joined University Relations in January 2015 after a 20+ year career as a broadcast journalist in West Virginia including vice president of news operations for West Virginia Media, LLC. where she also anchored and served as the executive producer for the company's nightly statewide newscast. She has received numerous awards from The Associated Press for her work, including "Best Documentary (1998)" and best "Enterprise Report (1997, 1998)" and "Feature Report (1999)." April also earned The Associated Press' Douglas Southall Freeman Meritorious Award for Public Service Through Television Journalism in 2014.
She graduated from WVU in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in journalism and in 2016 earned a Master of Science in integrated marketing communications. She has served as an adjunct faculty member of the Reed College of Media for more than 15 years. In 2004, April was recognized with the P.I. Reed Young Alumni Award.
Job Titles:
- Teaching Assistant Professor
Ashton Marra joined the college's faculty in August of 2018, where she teaches news writing, video storytelling and community-focused journalism.
Job Titles:
- Professional Technologist at the WVU Reed College of Media
Austin Rupp serves as the Professional Technologist at the WVU Reed College of Media. He manages the College's web presence. One of Rupp's primary functions is to implement and maintain the University brand and College strategic messaging in all digital collateral. He creates websites and HTML emails. In addition, Rupp maintains College blogs, SEO, analytics, and quality assurance.
Job Titles:
- Special Features Editor, Huntington Beach Local News
Dr. Tonelli's teaching style and philosophy implements an understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of the online college student. In the course room she generates leadership, emphasizes a skill set of perception to recognize opportunities to learn, and presents engaging concepts and ideas that may otherwise be overlooked. These characteristics, coupled with collaboration and encouragement, strengthen both the professional and personal success of her students.
Dr. Tonelli's main focus during course facilitation is her students' success. She contributes excellence and innovation in the classroom and shares significant experience gained over her career in the fields of journalism, public relations, marketing, advertising, research, mass media, sociology, international travel, economics, and commercial real estate.
Dr. Tonelli received her B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Irvine, a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix; attended the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School for Communication; and went on to complete her Ph.D. in Business; Organization and Management from Capella University. She has spoken internationally, and has over 30 articles published with The Local News, Huntington Beach as Special Features Editor, in Intellectbase International Consortium, and the Association of Employment Practices and Principles.
Dr. Tonelli has been a speaker and presented before the State of California's State Legislature, University of California Irvine, Capella University, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, California State University Fullerton, California State University Long Beach, and Goldenwest College. During business hours she is Vice President, Orange County Leasing Division at NAI Capital Commercial Real Estate Services, Worldwide; and has traveled to 22 countries and 3 continents.
Her television and periodical experience includes: Animal Planet "Pet Story" (2000 - 2008), Huntington Beach City Council, Huntington Beach, CA (1999 - 2004) project Self-Sufficiency program funding, Our Town (September and November 1993)panel discussion, coordination of the Interstate Policy between Med-i-Cal of California and Nevada's "Flight For Life" helicopter rescue service (1992), Sierra Style Magazine Folsom/El Dorado, CA (2007), U.S. Underground Report (2006), High Society Magazine (2008), interviewed by New York Times (2009), People Magazine (2001), and invited to appear on Oprah (1995).
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President of Communications for the West Virginia University Foundation
- Associate Vice President of Communications for the WVU Foundation
- Professor
Prof. Nevin was a constant contributor to the discussion board. He encouraged our class to interact with one another and provided us with thought-provoking questions and insight to strengthen the discussions and provide us with additional feedback for our overall marketing plan.
Bill Nevin is associate vice president of communications for the West Virginia University Foundation, the private fundraising arm of West Virginia University.
In his role at the Foundation, Nevin oversees all areas of internal and external communication and marketing. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2007, he spent six years with WVU News & Information Services (now University Relations/News) as assistant director and external communications manager.
A native of Ottawa, Illinois, Nevin has nearly 40 years of experience in broadcasting and announcing, having worked in news departments at radio stations in West Virginia, Illinois and Missouri. His undergraduate degree is in radio-television from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Nevin is currently the voice of the WVU Marching Band - the Pride of West Virginia. He also serves as public address announcer for WVU football at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, WVU men's basketball at the Coliseum, WVU baseball at Monongalia County ballpark, as well as the West Virginia Black Bears minor league baseball team. He also is a freelance announcer and emcee for numerous events and voiceover projects. In 2019, Nevin was honored by the National Association of Sports Public Address Announcers as the Bob Sheppard College P.A. Announcer of the Year.
Nevin earned his master's degree from WVU in Integrated Marketing Communications in 2006 and has been an adjunct instructor in the program since 2007. He also teaches undergraduate voice performance classes in the Reed College.
Nevin and his wife Cindy have two children, Ciara and Connor, who are both WVU grads.
Bobbie Rathjens Seasoned Marketing & Communication Professional M.S. in Marketing Research (Michigan State University) blr00008@mix.wvu.edu Bobbie Rathjens has 15 years of industry experience in marketing and communications. Rathjens most recently worked as the director of marketing at Boyne Highlands Resort (a nationally recognized golf and ski resort). View Profile: Rathjens
Brenda Sisler is an administrative assistant in the WVU Reed College of Media. Her responsibilities include providing administrative support to the dean, faculty, staff and students. She also manages course scheduling and payroll, provides academic affairs support and assists with an assortment of other office essentials.
Job Titles:
- Technology Coordinator
- Technology Coordinator for the WVU Reed College of Media
Brett Collins serves as the Technology Coordinator for the WVU Reed College of Media. He manages the network system, access issues and all computer maintenance and updates. Collins also is responsible for all audio-visual equipment and server access.
Job Titles:
- Founder & Principal at Cara Verwholt Consulting
Cara Verwholt is Founder & Principal at Cara Verwholt Consulting, which provides strategic guidance to marketing leaders during transformational events such as go-to-market launches, rebrands, and distribution strategy pivots.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Marketing at Thompson Restaurant Group
With over 35 years of marketing experience, Carol Pasquariello knows what it takes and how to build a brand.
Pasquariello is currently the vice president of marketing at Thompson Restaurant Group, part of Thompson Hospitality - the country's largest minority-owned food service and one of the largest retail food and facilities management companies in the country. At Thompson Restaurant Group, she leads the marketing division for 18 different restaurant brands nationwide.
Job Titles:
- Teaching Associate Professor
Catherine Mezera joined the WVU Reed College of Media in the fall of 2013. She teaches courses in advertising, copywriting, graphic design, and creative strategy as part of the advertising and public relations program, in addition to the undergraduate integrated marketing communications online major.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean of Online Programs
Chad Mezera is the Assistant Dean of Online Programs for the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University (WVU). In this role, he oversees all online courses offered by the college and leads the online programs support team.
Job Titles:
- Harrison Omnicom Visiting Professor in Advertising
Chuck Borghese is the Harrison Omnicom Visiting Professor in Advertising at the College of Media. Prior to joining the College, he was the New York City group creative director at Merkley + Partners as well as a lecturer at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.
Job Titles:
- Creative Leader
- Shott Teaching Assistant Professor
Chuck Scatterday is a creative leader with more than 30 years in the television production industry. During his career in producing network television live, remote and studio events, he mastered making split decisions under pressure, providing hard feedback, working collaboratively and deploying creative alternatives quickly and efficiently, with an appreciation for resources and budget.
Job Titles:
- Program Director for Online Programs
- Program Director of Online Programs for Reed College of Media
Cindy Hart is program director of online programs for Reed College of Media's marketing and communications program. She oversees program curriculum, course development projects, and support of online instructors.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Advertising, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University
With over 20 years of experience, Craig Davis has held integrated and interactive roles for agencies like Denstu Corporation of America, Poppe Tyson, USWeb/CKS, Arnold Worldwide and Saatchi & Saatchi NYC.
Craig has worked on high profile CPG brands such as Procter and Gamble's Bounty brand, GlaxoSmithkline brands Nicorette, NicoDerm CQ, Commit, and Tums. For Hershey's he was responsible for the digital launch of the new Take 5 candy bar. He also has extensive experience working on technology and business-to-business accounts like Canon USA, Millipore Corporation, Avaya and Pay By Touch.
Craig was an adjunct professor at Pace University in New York City, where he taught graduate-level marketing courses before accepting his role as a full-time visiting professor and then becoming an assistant and associate professor at Ohio University.
Craig has written two marketing-related textbooks: The Advertising and PR Account Management Workshop and The New Account Manager: Redefining the Crucial Role of Account Service in the Changing Business of Advertising and PR. His third book titled, Media Strategy and Planning Workbook: How to Create a Comprehensive Media Plan is under contract and will publish in 2020.
Craig is a native of West Virginia and has Bachelor's degrees in both Journalism and Business from West Virginia University and a Master's degree in Corporate Communication from Duquesne University. He also holds a Certificate of Internet Technologies from New York University.
Job Titles:
- Professor
- Professor at the WVU Reed College of Media
Dana Coester is a professor at the WVU Reed College of Media and creative director for the College's Media Innovation Center.
Job Titles:
- Digital Marketing Professional
Danielle Rohe is a digital marketing professional with 15 years of experience. She has worked across nearly all aspects of digital marketing after starting out as a "new media" assistant for a radio group.
Rohe has worked in web development, influencer marketing, public relations, and data analysis for organizations in automotive, retail, SaaS, and more. Rohe is most passionate about data-driven content marketing and search engine optimization, and she currently leads the content and SEO data and analytics for Autotrader.com and KBB.com.
After having spent a lot of time in highly technical roles, Rohe wanted to get back to more strategic and content-driven work, so she completed her Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University in December 2022. She loves helping others understand the more technical side of digital marketing. Rohe has done just that by teaching SEO and coding classes for local organizations; presenting SEO webinars, which can be found on her site; writing for the HubSpot blog; and running a session for Google Search Central's own Unconference. She's excited to now teach students at her alma mater.
Rohe is from Cincinnati, Ohio where she lives with her husband, daughter, and old dogs. When she isn't behind a computer screen, you can find her at live shows-whether rock concerts or musicals-or, when the weather is nice, at a theme park or the community pool.
Job Titles:
- Lecturer in Graphic Communications at Clemson University
Daryl Stevens has spent the past 30 years in the design and advertising industry working, with clients spanning from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Corporations, agencies, and publishers nationwide have relied on Stevens to provide creative solutions and strategic consulting. His websites have won international awards and his illustration work has graced the pages of national consumer and business magazines.
Stevens is now a Lecturer in Graphic Communications in the College of Business at Clemson University where he teaches web design and digital marketing courses. He has also taught creative design at Belmont University, Watkins College of Design and O'More College of Design with over 12 years of experience in higher education. Stevens holds a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts from Marywood University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Middle Tennessee State University.
Stevens has provided creative solutions for clients such as Coca-Cola, Major League Baseball, Nissan, Nortel, Lucent, GM, Gilead, Johnson & Johnson, Kite Pharma, Knoll, Sports Illustrated, John Kay and Steppenwolf, Yahoo! Internet Life, Simon & Schuster, Sony PlayStation, Children's Television Workshop, Consumer Reports, Information Week, Computer Life Magazine, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Warner Brothers Records, Ziff-Davis Publishing and ZZ Top.
Stevens brings his extensive professional experience into the classroom helping students learn creative goal-driven design and marketing.
Job Titles:
- Teaching Associate Professor
David Smith is a Teaching Associate Professor at the West Virginia University Reed College of Media, where he has taught courses in visual journalism, video for social media, brand storytelling, drone journalism, augmented and virtual reality (AR & VR) and international study abroad.
Demetrius A. Greer serves as an academic advisor in the WVU Reed College of Media. Greer joined the advising team in August 2013. Greer has a strong affinity and penchant for working with first-generation students. He is often called upon to work with students who need academic transformation. Greer oversees the MOVE (Motivating Others Via Engagement) Peer Mentoring Program for the college. Mr. Greer has taught MDIA 101 online since summer 2016.
Dr. Diana Knott Martinelli was named dean of the College of Media in 2019, after serving as the College's associate dean for eight years and as acting dean of the College of Media from 2015-2016.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor at the WVU Reed College of Media
- Teaching Associate Professor
Dr. Bob Britten is an associate professor at the WVU Reed College of Media. Britten has been working in journalism and news design since his junior year of college, when he was "promoted" from movie reviewer to managing editor of his campus newspaper.
Dr. Rita Colistra is an associate professor of public relations in the Reed College of Media. She returned to her home state in 2008, after earning her Ph.D. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Roy H. Park Fellow. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from West Virginia University.
Job Titles:
- Principal Consultant, WORD IT! Strategic Marketing in Communications Freelance Writer and Editor
Dr. Stephanie Miclot has more than 20 years of professional and academic experience working in integrated marketing communications, specifically, social media, online, print, broadcast, corporate and literary journalism, public relations, investor relations, advertising, and circulation, product, customer and pharmaceutical marketing.
As a practitioner-educator, she has worked for several public and private companies, including Pearson Publishing, Advantage Sales and Marketing, Freedom Communications, Inc., Allergan, Experian (formerly TRW), Ernst & Young and Toshiba America, Inc., along with several daily and community newspapers including The Fresno Bee and The Pensacola News Journal.
In addition, Miclot has more than 20 years of teaching experience as business and marketing professor, an adjunct instructor and associate professor of communications and marketing. She has also served as an organizational communication corporate trainer, communications consultant, community college journalism advisor, and a collegiate journalism judge.
Miclot holds a doctorate in Emerging Media, an MFA in Creative Writing, an MBA and bachelor's degree in Journalism/Communications from the University of West Florida, an MBA in Marketing and MFA in Creative Writing from National University.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at WVU Reed College of Media
- Director of Graduate Studies
Dr. Steve Urbanski is an associate professor and director of graduate studies at WVU Reed College of Media. He has 28 years of experience in design, editing and reporting with newspapers such as the Post-Gazette in Pittsburgh; the Herald-Standard in Uniontown, Pa.; the former Sun-Tattler in Hollywood, Fla.; the Mountain-Statesman in Grafton, W.Va.; The Spirit in Punxsutawney, Pa., and the former Dallas Times Herald.
Job Titles:
- Communications Coordinator, North Little Rock School District
Dustin Barnes, APR, serves as the Communications Coordinator for the North Little Rock School District. As the principal spokesperson for the district, Barnes serves on the executive leadership team and oversees strategic communication efforts on behalf of the district and its nearly 9,000 students and 1,500 employees. Barnes views himself as the district's storyteller as he positively promotes how students are challenged in the classroom and in extracurricular activities to become global leaders and thinkers. Having a passion for education and young people, Barnes finds himself perfectly positioned to motivate today's youth by crafting a narrative that encourages students to achieve their career aspirations.
Elizabeth Oppe, Ph.D., is a West Virginia native and a WVU alumna. She joined the College of Media's faculty in Fall 2011, and is a teaching professor in the public relations program.
Job Titles:
- Advisor for the Reed College of Media
- Undergraduate Academic Advisor
Emily Gerber serves as an undergraduate academic advisor for the Reed College of Media. In her role, she helps students transition to college, navigate their program and succeed post-graduation.
Job Titles:
- Administration
- Teaching Professor, Journalism Program Chair
Emily Hughes Corio joined the WVU Reed College of Media in August 2011 and teaches courses in audio and video storytelling and special topical reporting courses. In 2018 and 2019, she co-led a collaborative reporting project that brought together faculty and students from WVU and George Washington University. In 2019, the team focused on in-depth and explanatory reporting on the opioid epidemic's impact to children in West Virginia.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator
- Undergraduate Advising Coordinator
Emily Roush serves as the Undergraduate Advising Coordinator at the WVU Reed College of Media. She works closely with the advising office and assists the advising team during high traffic advising season.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Communications
- Director of Marketing and Communications for the WVU Reed College of Media
Erica Lindsay is the director of marketing and communications for the WVU Reed College of Media. She manages the execution of the College's integrated marketing communications plan, the implementation of high-profile events and efforts to identify and produce stories that promote the College's students, alumni and faculty.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor at the Reed College of Media
- Associate Professor, Advertising and Public Relations Program Chair
Geah Pressgrove is an associate professor at the Reed College of Media where she teaches introductory, skills and advanced courses in the advertising/public relations program. Pressgrove is also the faculty advisor for the award-winning WVU PRSSA chapter.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs
Gina Martino Dahlia is the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs for the WVU Reed College of Media. In this role, she assists in the planning, development and direction of academic programs. Dahlia is also the Managing Director of the Media Innovation Center and a Teaching Professor at the College of Media.
Job Titles:
- Teaching Assistant Professor
As an interdisciplinary artist, Heather works and teaches in a variety of media. She currently teaches for the Interactive Design for Media major program offered by the Reed College of Media and Creative Arts College at West Virginia University.
Job Titles:
- Demand Generation Leader for GE Aerospace / Master of Business Administration ( Valdosta State University )
- Generation Leader for GE Aerospace
Jasmine Carver is a demand generation leader for GE Aerospace and works part-time as a digital marketing tutor with CareerFoundry.
Carver is excited to help students apply the digital marketing concepts she learned in a corporate setting across various industries such as diagnostics, medical devices, environmental solutions, software as a solution (SaaS), and artificial intelligence.
Carver holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Valdosta State University. She is currently working on her Ph.D. with a focus in Marketing at Liberty University and is on track to graduate in Fall 2024.
Carver lives in sunny San Diego, California.
Job Titles:
- Owner of WV Content Marketing Queen / Master of Business Administration ( Ohio University )
Jeri Knowlton is the WV Content Marketing Queen (LLC) that specializes in helping businesses grow through strategic marketing initiatives, authentic content, and data-supported tactics that solve problems for the client.
Knowlton started her content marketing company in July 2022 so she could assist with the oftentimes daunting task of telling their story. The integrated strategy complements the story to build affinity and connection and bring the business growth to reach, engagement, following, click-throughs, and bottom lines.
Job Titles:
- Teaching Assistant Professor
Jesse Wright joined West Virginia University in February 2020 as a Mellon Foundation funded practitioner in residence.
Job Titles:
- President of Sanderson Media Group
- Visiting Assistant Professor at Arizona State University
In addition to his teaching role in the WVU Reed College of Media's online programs, Jimmy Sanderson is President of Sanderson Media Group, a consulting firm that works with organizations and executives in developing social media strategy. Sanderson spent 5 years as a professor in communication studies, maintaining an active research agenda on the influence of social media on sport.
He has authored or co-authored 53 academic journal articles, and 19 book chapters. He is the author of It's a Whole New Ballgame: How Social Media is Changing Sports and along with Chris Yandle, Developing Successful Social Media Plans in Sport Organizations.
Sanderson completed his Ph.D in Communication Studies in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. He also worked for over 10 years in Human Resources Management.
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Communications Professional
- Sponsorships Manager for XRAY.FM
Londergan has spent more than a decade in the sports and entertainment industry in several different marketing and communications roles, including work with the University of Louisville, Portland Trail Blazers, SB Nation, Seattle University, USA Rugby, and minor league baseball. He also spent more than five years writing and producing educational content for Front Office Sports.
Londergan grew up in southern Ohio. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Sport Administration from the University of Louisville in 2014 and a Master of Science in Sport Administration and Leadership from Seattle University in 2017.
Job Titles:
- Professor
- Professor at the WVU Reed College of Media
Joel William Beeson is a professor at the WVU Reed College of Media. Beeson's research is informed by two decades of research in community media, digital humanities and documentary studies using emerging media.
Professor John Temple is a nonfiction author, investigative journalist and screenwriter. His books and television writing chronicle dramatic true stories of American life and illuminate critical current events and issues.
Joseph is an assistant professor at the WVU Reed College of Media who has expertise in media history and culture and teaches Media Ethics and Law.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication at the WVU Reed College of Media
Julia Daisy Fraustino, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of strategic communication at the WVU Reed College of Media. She is founding director of the Public Interest Communication Research Lab (PIC Lab) in the WVU Media Innovation Center.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Communication, Eastern Kentucky University
Dr. Kathy Previs earned a Ph.D. in Communication from The Ohio University's E.W. Scripts College of Communication in 2007. She has an M.S. in Mass Communication from Middle Tennessee State University (2000), and holds a B.A. (1988) from Virginia Tech in Communication Studies, with an emphasis in Public Relations. She also earned a certificate from the Contemporary History Institute at The Ohio University
Job Titles:
- Senior Strategist at Campus Sonar
Katlin Swisher is a senior strategist at Campus Sonar, a higher education agency that uses social listening research to help campus pros achieve their goals. In this role, she is dedicated to using data and storytelling to help campuses build trust with their audiences, support strategic planning and branding efforts, and inform organizational change. She is also an instructor of media at WVU.
Swisher holds a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts in higher education administration from WVU and served as the managing editor for the Graduate Student Journal of Higher Education. In 2012, she graduated summa cum laude and as a University Honors Scholar with a bachelor's degree in journalism from WVU. She was named WVU's Ms. Mountaineer for 2011-2012 and a WVU Foundation Outstanding Senior and Public Relations Outstanding Senior.
Her research interests include West Virginia higher education, land-grant universities, strategic planning, higher education policy, and higher education access. Swisher has presented research at the American Marketing Association's Higher Education Symposium, American Educational Research Association, Association for the Study of Higher Education, College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals, National Rural Education Association, and West Virginia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and she is a member of the national journalism honorary Kappa Tau Alpha. She currently serves WVU as a member of the Women's Leadership Initiative and as a professional mentor for the Reed College of Media. Her previous professional roles at WVU include assistant director of marketing and communications, admissions counselor, enrollment marketer and communicator, and overseeing New Student Orientation.
Kisstaman Epps (Kiss) Adjunct Instructor M.A. in Communications with an emphasis in Corporate and Organizational Communication (West Virginia University) Kdepps@mix.wvu.edu Kisstaman Epps grew up in Pittsburgh and relocated to Charleston, WV in 1995. She loves the country roads of West Virginia. Epps earned an M.A. in Communications with an emphasis in Corporate and Organizational Communication from West Virginia University. View Profile: Epps
Epps has been a staff member at WVU in various roles for the last 10 years. She is currently an adjunct instructor and teaches non-verbal communications at WVU.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing
- Director of Marketing and Community Relations at Dow Credit Union
LaShanta Green is the director of marketing and community relations at Dow Credit Union. Her recognized successes include ideating and implementing measurable and meaningful change.
As the head of marketing, she has made it her mission to incorporate strategy and storytelling to engage constituents, colleagues, members, and the community in a clear, compelling way. Green's recent accomplishments include leading the reimagining of the credit union's brand.
Green earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in Marketing and a certificate in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Texas A&M University. She also graduated with a Strategic MBA with concentrations in Leadership and Economic Development from the University of Houston-Victoria.
Green has been honored with prestigious awards, such as the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Rising Star Award. Her dedication to the field is further demonstrated by being elected to serve on the Marketing & Business Development Executive Committee for CUNA.
Green enjoys providing leadership and strategic counsel in community-based roles, specifically initiatives that have an impact on community members' health, wealth, and well-being. Before her role at the largest credit union headquartered in the Great Lakes Bay Region, Green worked in higher education administration and ran her own consultancy, serving non-profit organizations and small businesses.
Green is a Texas native and moved to Midland, Michigan, in June 2021.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Journalist
Lois Raimondo is an international award-winning journalist. Before joining the College of Media faculty, Raimondo most recently worked as a staff photographer at The Washington Post. Prior to her 10 years at the Post, she worked as a freelance photographer and writer and spent four years as chief photographer for The Associated Press bureau in Hanoi, Vietnam. Raimondo's work has appeared in such publications as National Geographic, The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Newsweek and Time.
Job Titles:
- Independent Marketing and Business Development Consultant
Lynn Burkholder has more than 30 years of marketing, communications, and business development experience. She has served in management and leadership positions with a variety of service industries including hospitality, tourism, gaming, and entertainment.
Currently, Burkholder serves as an independent marketing and business development consultant helping clients grow their businesses with existing and new customers.
Burkholder has more than five years of experience teaching business and marketing courses at the undergraduate level as well as developing undergraduate marketing curriculum.
She holds a Master of Business Administration from Shippensburg University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from George Washington University.
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Communications Professional
Mary is the Director of Development for the Reed College of Media. In this role she has the pleasure of engaging with our alumni, and friends, to help them find a way to connect with and give back to the College that is meaningful to them.
Job Titles:
- Teaching Associate Professor
Mary Kay McFarland joined the WVU Reed College of Media in the summer of 2009. She teaches visual and multimedia journalism. Before coming to WVU, McFarland worked at The Charleston Gazette as a staff photographer and multimedia editor.
Job Titles:
- Director of Performing Arts Admission at Baldwin Wallace University
Matthew Miller is a graduate of WVU's Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications (Class of 2009). He has 24 years of sales/marketing experience including more than 21 years in higher education as a recruiter, enrollment manager, and instructor. He is currently the Director of Performing Arts Admission at Baldwin Wallace University. At BW, Miller is responsible for the recruitment of students into music and performing arts related programs offered by the Conservatory of Music, which features the #1 ranked B.M. in Music Theatre program in the country. Prior to joining Baldwin Wallace, Miller was the Dean of Enrollment at The North Coast College (formerly Virginia Marti College of Art & Design) in Lakewood, Ohio, as well as their sister school, the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. He oversaw all recruitment, retention, and marketing efforts for both colleges and sat on their Executive Boards.
Prior to joining The NCC & NECI, he spent a decade at the University of Virginia where he was responsible for marketing and recruitment efforts for the executive format Master of Science in the Management of IT program. During this time, he enrolled in and graduated from WVU's M.S. in IMC program. In addition to UVA, he has experience at Tulane University (recruited MBA students until evacuating due to Hurricane Katrina) and University of Charleston (recruited undergraduate and transfer students and taught a first year transitions class). He started his career at KLAX-TV in Shreveport, Louisiana, as an account executive and hosted a morning infomercial/talk show that featured local entrepreneurs.
Miller's undergraduate degree is in telecommunications with minors in theater and film from Ohio University. He continues to dabble in the entertainment industry and was recently an extra in the Matthew McCaughey film "White Boy Rick."
In addition to his professional pursuits, he is an avid Cleveland sports fan and an entertainment trivia buff. But his true passion is his family of five, including three kids (ages 17, 8, and 7) and a wonderfully supportive wife that helps him keep everything in perspective.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Podcast Programming at IHeartRadio
Matty Staudt has been in broadcasting since he cracked a mic at the age of 16 in his hometown of Keyser, West Virginia. During his radio career, he has been an on-air host, morning show lead and Executive Producer at such legendary stations as WJFK in Washington DC, WNEW in New York City, Alice Radio (KLLC) and Live 105 (KITS) in San Francisco.
Job Titles:
- Teaching Professor at Iowa State University
Michael Wigton resides in Des Moines, IA, with his wife and three teenagers. He is a Teaching Professor at Iowa State University, where he received his undergraduate degree. He earned a Master's degree in Strategic Communication at Concordia University in St. Paul, MN. His thesis topic was Student Learning Through Social Media.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Instructor of Social Media Strategy at the WVU Reed College of Media
- Marketing and Brand Strategist
Nadia Chochol is a marketing and brand strategist with 20 years of experience in the luxury fashion, education, and professional development industries. Chochol has spearheaded branding and social media initiatives to increase brand awareness and drive revenue for Fortune 500 companies and non-profits.
Additionally, Chochol is an online adjunct instructor of social media strategy at the WVU Reed College of Media. Chochol holds certifications in HubSpot content and email marketing, Google Ads, SEM Rush PPC and SEO, as well as Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
Chochol holds a Master of Science in Marketing from Florida International University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Georgia State University.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Instructor
- Adjunct Faculty Member
- Adjunct Instructor at Southern New Hampshire University
Natalie Eddy has been an adjunct faculty member for the WVU Reed College of Media since 2004. She is the lead instructor for the public relations minor and teaches Introduction to Public Relations, Writing for Public Relations, Applied Public Relations and IMC for Public Relations.
Eddy is also an adjunct instructor at Southern New Hampshire University, teaching a variety of public relations and media online classes. Eddy is a veteran journalist with a wide variety of professional experience, ranging from strategic communication writing to magazine and newspaper reporting. She has served as external relations writer/editor for the WVU Reed College of Media and worked as a public relations specialist at WVU News and Information Services and the WVU Health Sciences Marketing Group. Prior to coming to WVU, Eddy worked as a reporter for two newspapers, covering everything from governmental meetings to murder trials.
Eddy earned a bachelor's and master's degrees from the College of Media, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1996. She has received numerous writing awards throughout her career as a journalist and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, Society of Professional Journalists, Society of Environmental Journalists and Kappa Tau Alpha.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, WVU Health Sciences Center Office of Research and Graduate Education
- Position of Executive Director for the WVU Health Sciences Office of Research
- President of the University
Nicole Beason currently holds the position of executive director for the WVU Health Sciences Office of Research and Graduate Education. In this role, she provides vision, leadership and support for student enrollment efforts. She creates and implements strategic recruitment and enrollment plans utilizing data and best practices as well as leads university-wide initiatives to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion recruitment and retention goals. Preceding this leadership role, she served as the Associate Director for Research Infrastructure. In this role, she designed, implemented, and optimized multi-channel programs to build brand awareness, engagement, and advocacy for the research and graduate education mission at the WVU Health Sciences Center.
Before joining the Office of Research and Graduate Education, Beason served as the Marketing Manager for the WVU Reed College of Media's online programs. She led the strategic marketing efforts for the online programs as well as planned and executed the INTEGRATE conference - a conference for integrated marketing communications professionals in Morgantown, DC, and Chicago. Beason has worked as an adjunct instructor with the WVU Reed College of Media since 2015. She holds an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications (2017), an M.A. in Elementary Education (2010) and a B.A. in Multidisciplinary Studies (2007), all from West Virginia University.
Beason is the President of the University Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association. She is also a member of the Association of National Advertisers and the Public Relations Society of America. She volunteers her time advocating for non-profit organizations such as the Bodice Project and the Lungevity Foundation.
Patrick Warner has worked in marketing since 2003, and has spent over seven years at The Nielsen Company, a global leader in market research.
He was responsible for recruiting and managing multicultural families across the United States, to participate in the collection of data to accurately reflect consumers' media habits. In 2014 Warner received the Nielsen Audio Sales Representative of the Year award. Prior to his employment at The Nielsen Company, he worked at British Petroleum and US Foods. Warner is currently employed by General Motors (his present role is a brand ambassador for OnStar), a perennial Fortune 500 company.
In 2003 Warner married his passion for journalism and launched Amici 23, a prep football recruiting publication, which evaluated high school football talent. Amici's 23 subscribers included recruiting coordinators from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East Conference, and Ivy League. He was a regular guest on WNST 1570AM, a sports radio show located in Towson, Maryland.
Warner teaches MCDO at the University of Southern California and is an adjunct instructor of multicultural marketing in the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University. Warner holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from Eastern Michigan University. He also has completed certificate programs from both Cornell University in marketing strategy (concentration in social/new media marketing, distribution strategy/international marketing, and applied marketing) and Drexel University, respectively.
Warner, a native of Mount Vernon, New York now resides with his wife and two children in the Washington DC-Baltimore Area, where he's active in the Radnor-Winston Improvement Association, an area on the National Register of Historic Places. As a member of the Radnor-Winston Improvement Association, he has served as a block captain and treasurer.
In his leisure time, Warner enjoys mountain bike riding, swimming, kayaking, and traveling abroad.
Job Titles:
- Internship Director and Educator at Florida a & M University
Ranata M. Hughes, a Florida native, works as an internship director and educator at Florida A&M University School of Journalism & Graphic Communication. Prior to joining SJGC as a full-time faculty in 2017, Hughes worked as a public relations practitioner for over 10 years, specializing in the areas of marketing and travel tourism PR, event planning, media relations, strategic communications and nonprofit work.
Hughes has such passion for the work she does as a PR practitioner but enjoys the rewarding work of higher education. She has a love for helping students reach their academic and professional goals. Today, Hughes has former students working at companies such as Bloomberg, Edelman, M Booth New York and Disney.
When Hughes is not busy teaching classes or helping a student with professional development, she is planning a career event, collaborating with employers, advising a student chapter or working on a creative or research project. Hughes has been recognized on an international level and quoted in more than 250 publications across the globe, including Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch and the Associated Press.
Hughes' professional organizations include membership in the Public Relations Society of America, North Florida Public Relations Society of America and the National Association of Professional Women. As for honor societies, Hughes was inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha (the journalism honor society) and Golden Key International Honour Society.
Hughes holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from Florida A&M University and a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communication from Florida State University.
Renee Martin-Kratzer earned her doctorate and master's degrees from the University of Missouri. She worked five years as an assistant professor at the University of Florida and now teaches online for different universities.
Her professional experience includes working as a design editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune , the founding managing editor of Missouri Life magazine and as a web editor to an education site. She has taught a variety of classes ranging from feature writing to design to research methods. In 2009, she was selected as the University of Florida's College of Journalism's Teacher of the Year. Her research focuses on the effects of disturbing images and the use of anonymous sources in various media. She lives with her husband and four children in Columbia, Mo.
Job Titles:
- Motion Graphics Artist, West Virginia University
Inspired by his Grandfather, he started drawing at the age of 4. Stalnaker's professional career began during his senior year at West Virginia University with WVPBS for 15 years. Currently a Motion Graphics Artist at WVU, he is among a team that produces the University's national advertisements, holiday cards, and originally did the first animation for the Coliseum and Stadium. Also, for WVU he illustrated the book Musket's Big Adventure and animated Pete the PRT. He currently teaches Editing, Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator and 3D Animation at the George Romero's Filmmaking Program at the Douglas Educational Center in Monessen, PA.
Job Titles:
- Technology Manager
- Technology Specialist
Rick Bebout is a technology specialist; his primary responsibilities are to build and maintain all of the program's graduate courses and support our online students and instructors.
Job Titles:
- Patient Marketing Manager - Heartland Dental
Rob Weber has worked in healthcare marketing for more than 7 years and over 12 years in marketing communications. He has also taught in higher education as an adjunct instructor for over 6 years in the field of digital marketing, integrated marketing as well as marketing strategy. Weber currently teaches at Southern New Hampshire University and Black Hills State University as an adjunct professor.
By day, Weber works for the largest Dental Support Organization in the United States, Heartland Dental, as a Patient Marketing Manager. He leads a team of regional marketing strategists and works with dental practices to increase new patient flow and drive their marketing strategy. He has been an integral part of the marketing department and the growth of the company over the past few years.
Weber holds a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Illinois. He also holds a variety of marketing certifications in Google AdWords, Email Marketing, Mobile Marketing and Inbound Marketing.
Job Titles:
- Visual Storytelling Director at West Virginia University
In 1988, back when photographers souped Tri-X by hand, Scott Lituchy began his photojournalism career at The Jersey Journal.
Job Titles:
- Education Specialist
- Sports Marketing Consultant
Shani Compton is currently an adapted physical education specialist. She works with special needs students in eight (8) schools districtwide; assisting students with Autism, visual impairment, Downs Syndrome, and the wheelchair-bound, traveling to 3-4 sites daily. She supports students who won three (3) Medals in two Special Olympics of Northern California events: Track & Basketball and assisted in all event coordination, marketing, media coverage and public relations for the Special Olympics events.
She has taught courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, having worked in distance education for over ten years. She has instructed many courses including: The Economics of Sports, Sports Broadcasting, The Essentials of the Law in Sports, Leadership in Collegiate Athletics, Advising the Student Athlete among others. She has also been an instructor on many other educational levels including: middle school physical education teacher (grades 6-8), elementary physical education prep teacher, history teacher, resource specialist, special education teacher and adult education instructor. Before entering the field of education, she worked in the field of sports management as the Director of women's sports and marketing for a sports management agency. Due to this experience in the sports venue, she has developed excellent knowledge of sports business operations, contract negotiations, sports promotion, event marketing, marketing campaigns, project coordination, special events and entertainment marketing.
A native of Northern California, Compton has an (Ed.D) in education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction and is a Merit Scholar award winner. In addition to her master's degree (M.ED.) in Cross-cultural teaching and learning with a single subject credential in physical education, added authorization in adapted physical education), she earned a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology with an emphasis in sports management/marketing from California State University, East Bay. I also completed a Master of Science (MS) in Health, Kinesiology and Sport Studies with an emphasis is athletic administration in August 2019. In her spare time, she is an avid fan of professional basketball, enjoys running, working out at the gym, traveling and serving at her church.
Job Titles:
- Program Coordinator
- Special Events Coordinator for the Media Innovation Center
As the Special Events Coordinator for the Media Innovation Center, Shannon Cunningham oversees the scheduling, set up and management needs for events hosted at the center. She also maintains the day-to-day classroom and operational needs.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Faculty Member
- Director of Public Relations and Assistant Director of Admissions at the Linsly School
Stacey Creely is an adjunct faculty member in the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program at the West Virginia University Reed College of Media. After spending five years gaining experience on the agency side, Creely was in the first IMC graduating class in 2005. She also received a Bachelor of Arts from Bethany College in communications with a specialization in public relations.
Creely currently serves as director of public relations and assistant director of admissions at The Linsly School, an independent, coeducational boarding and day school for grades 5-12 in Wheeling, West Virginia. Prior to her appointment at Linsly, she was a senior account executive for James Communications, Inc., a strategic marketing, advertising and public relations agency headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Creely is involved in numerous community organizations including having served on the board of the Junior League of Wheeling, a service organization benefiting women and children, as well as volunteering with the Wheeling Symphony Auxiliary. Creely recently joined SeneGence International as an independent distributor. She resides in Wheeling with her husband Dennis, her daughter, Olivia and her dog.
Job Titles:
- Marketing Manager for Online Programs
Stefanie Moore Marketing Manager for Online Programs M.S. (West Virginia University) 304-293-5685 stefanie.moore@mail.wvu.edu As the marketing manager, Stefanie Moore implements marketing campaigns for all online programs, executes strategic recruitment events and an annual national conference. View Profile: Moore
Job Titles:
- Marketing / Public Relations / Branding Consultant
Susan Gaide is a marketing/public relations/branding consultant for the music, entertainment and sonic branding industries. During 41-year career, she has held leadership positions in music publishing, public relations, marketing and branding firms, has provided strategic direction and support for Sony Electronics, Fairlight USA, JBL Professional, AKG Acoustics, Fostex, Soundcraft and SRS Labs and has served as the architect of the Entertainment Media Promotion minor at West Virginia University's Reed College of Media, where she continues to instruct the courses she designed. She currently serves as president and chief brand strategist for ChromeOrange Music and ChromeOrange Media.
Timmy Eads is responsible for recruiting high school and transfer students to the WVU Reed College of Media.
Job Titles:
- Communications Account Representative at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Todd Hudak is a communications account representative at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and manages a wide variety of marketing communications projects.
Job Titles:
- Financial Manager
- Financial Manager at the WVU Reed College of Media
Valerie Burgess serves as the Financial Manager at the WVU Reed College of Media. Burgess joined the College in December 2013 and manages the financial and administrative functions of the College of Media. She works directly with the Dean to determine and oversee the financial objectives of the College.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Vincent Filak, Ph.D. is an award-winning teacher, scholar and college media adviser, who currently serves as a full professor and newspaper adviser at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He has published five textbooks in the field of journalism, including "Dynamics of Media Writing" (Sage, 2015), "Convergent Journalism" (2nd Edition; Focal, 2015) and "Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing (Sage, 2018). His sixth book, "Dynamics of Media Editing" is due out in 2019-20.
Job Titles:
- Academic Advisor for Online Programs
- Advisor for WVU Reed College of Media Online Programs
Wendy Ridenour is the academic advisor for WVU Reed College of Media Online Programs. Her responsibilities include proactively advising students in the online programs and providing support from initial course enrollment to graduation.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Communication, College of Communication and Design, Lynn University
Dr. Cal brings 20 years of advertising education and integrated marketing strategy experience to WVU.