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Cynthia Irizarry, PhD

Associate Professor, Advertising, Public Relations & Social Media

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Associate Professor, Department Chair & Graduate Program Director, Communications

Biography

Professor Cynthia Irizarry joined the faculty in the Department of Communication & Journalism in 2009. She arrived from Stetson University where she served as an Associate Professor of Communication Studies specializing in organizational communication, public relations, and health promotion. Her research has focused on service learning in public relations, crisis communication in healthcare industries, user engagement through hospital website design and social media practices, and diversity in healthcare settings.

Prior to a career in academia, Cynthia was a public relations specialist with the Ford Motor Company Technology and Engineering Division and the City of Detroit Department of Parks and Recreation.

Education

  • PhD, University of Nebraska
  • MA, Wayne State University
  • BA, Wayne State University

Research Interests

  • Cynthia’s current program of research explores the way in which health care organizations communicate with multiple audiences and stakeholders including hospital ehealth initiatives. Her research has appeared in many refereed conference programs, journal articles and book chapters.

Professional Activities

Cynthia has served as an editorial reviewer for several journals including Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, The Florida Communication Association Journal, The Electronic Journal of Communication, and the Journal of Health Psychology.

She has also provided communication consultancy services for many organizations. She worked for the Centers for Disease Control Foundation as a research associate examining advertising concepts and message design to promote vitamin use. She also served as a communication research consultant for the corporate headquarters of the National Kidney Foundation and advised the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Cancer Society and the Boston Debate League, involving students with the planning and promotion of large-scale events.

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Courses Taught

  • ADPR-101- Intro to ADPR
  • ADPR-177- Professional Communication
  • ADPR-2277- Public Relations I
  • ADPR-3376- Public Relations II: Research
  • ADPR-340- Health Communication
  • ADPR-425- Issues in Public Relations
  • ADPR-441- Risk and Crisis Communication
  • ADPR-4477- Public Relations IV
  • ADPR-4478- SL-Public Relations IV
  • ADPR-457- Integrated Marketing Commun
  • ADPR-737- Intercultural Communication
  • ADPR-751- Health Communication
  • ADPR-775- Crisis Campaign Management
  • ADPR-777- Public Relations
  • ADPR-779- Integrated Marketing Communication