Rosalynn Vasquez, PhD

Biography

Rosalynn Vasquez is an assistant professor of public relations in the Department of Advertising, Public Relations, & Social Media at Suffolk University. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in public relations. Her research primarily centers on exploring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the public relations industry and higher education, through research related to sustainability, ethics, leadership, and pedagogy. Her research has been funded through three Arthur W. Page Legacy Scholar grants focused on organizational listening (2020), sustainability communication (2022), and ethics (2024). She has published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, such as the Journal of Public Relations Research, Public Relations Review, Public Relations Inquiry, Journal of Public Relations Education, Public Relations Journal, Sustainability, Science Communication, and Corporate Communications: An International Journal. As a former PR practitioner, she worked in corporate, agency, and nonprofit for 15 years in Dallas and serves as an active member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA), and the Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE).

Education

• Ph.D. in Media & Communication, Texas Tech University
• Master of Business Administration, University of Dallas
• Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Texas A&M University

Research Interests

• Public relations leadership
• DEI
• Ethics
• Sustainability
• PR education

Selected Publications

• Topić, M., Vasquez, R.A., Merle, P., & Eng, N. (2025). Job Satisfaction and Career Adaptability through the Lenses of Bourdieu's Theory of Practice and Theory of Elites: A Comparison of U.S. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Communication Professionals. Journal of Communication Management. 
• Tefertiller, A., Vasquez, R.A., & Brammer, M. (2025). The Kids are Alright: Examining How U.S. Public Relations Students Ethically Navigate Artificial Intelligence. Journal of Public Relations Education. 
• Vasquez, R.A. (2025). Examining AI’s Role and Influence in DEI Creative Content. In R. Luttrell & A.A. Wallace (Eds.), Public Relations and the Rise of Generative AI. Routledge. 
• Vasquez, R.A. (2024). Examining the Role of Corporate Climate Change Communications. In B.F. Liu & A.M. Mehta (Eds.), The Handbook of Risk, Crisis, and Disaster Communication. (1st ed.). Routledge. 
• Harrison, V.S., & Vasquez, R.A. (2024). Sustainability and Stewardship: Examining How Motorsport is Addressing and Advancing Sustainable Development Goals. Public Relations Journal. 
• Neill, M.S., Vasquez, R.A., Broussard, S., & Gent, C. (2024). Bridging the Diverse Leader Gap in Public Relations Through Accreditation: Examining BIPOC Practitioners’ Motivations, Challenges, and Leader Development. Corporate Communications an International Journal. 
• Vasquez, R.A., Logan, N., Sisco, H.F., & Place, K.R. (2024). Actualizing the DEI Mission in U.S. Public Relations Classrooms. Journal of Public Relations Education. 10(1), 133-149. 
• Logan, N., Place, K.R., Sisco, H.F., Vasquez, R.A., George, A., Terdik, M., & Rai., R. (2023). Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Public Relations: Moving Beyond the Status Quo. In E. L. Toth & P. G. Bourland-Davis (Eds.), Commission on Public Relations Education 2023 report Navigating Change: Recommendations for Advancing Undergraduate Public Relations Education the 50th Anniversary Report (82-88). 
• Amazeen, M.A.; Vasquez, R.A.; Krishna, A.; Ji, Y.G.; Su, C.C.; & Cummings, J.J. (2024). Missing Voices: Examining How Misinformation Susceptible Individuals from Underrepresented Communities Engage, Perceive, and Combat Science Misinformation. Science Communication, 46(1), 3-35. 
• Vasquez, R.A., & Neill, M.S. (2023). Refined by Fire: Examining Acculturation, Resilience, and Crucible Experiences of U.S. Latinas in Public Relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, 35(5-6), 321-338. 
• Vasquez, R.A., & Neill, M.S. (2023). “Underpaid, Underserved, Undermined”: Examining the Identities, Challenges, and Coping Strategies of U.S. Latinas in Public Relations. Public Relations Inquiry, 12(3), 293-319. 
• Coman, I.A. & Vasquez, R.A. (2023). Organizational Social Listening & Corporate Climate Advocacy: Amazon & Amazon Employees for Climate Justice. In K.R. Place (Ed.). Organizational Listening for Strategic Communication: Building Theory and Practice. (1st ed.). Routledge. 
• Vasquez, R.A. (2022). CSR, CSA, or CPA? Examining the Corporate Climate Change Messaging Strategies, Motives, and Effects on Consumer Outcomes. Sustainability, 14(6), 3604. 
• Landrum, A. R., & Vasquez, R.A. (2020). Polarized U.S. publics, Pope Francis, and climate change: Reviewing the studies and data collected around the 2015 Papal Encyclical. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 11(6) e674.

Professional Activity

Dr. Vasquez is an active member of the Association for Education in Journalism in Mass Communication (AEJMC) PR Division where she currently serves as a vice chair of the DEI committee. Additionally, she serves as a regular academic journal reviewer for several top PR journals and conferences, and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Public Relations Education. She is a member of the advisory committee for the annual International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC) and serves as the DEI chair of the Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE). Lastly, she is a long-time member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and serves on the higher education & scholarship committee for the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA).

Awards & Honors

• 2025 Top Ethics in PR Pedagogy Award (Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication)
• 2025 Top DEI Research Paper Award, 1st Place (AEJMC, PR Division)
• 2024 Top Teaching Paper Award, 2nd Place (AEJMC, PR Division)
• 2024 Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grant for Ethics Training
• 2022 Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grant for Sustainability Communication
• 2020 Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grant for Organizational Listening