Department of Communication

Contact and Overview

Email Address

adamsmb2@appstate.edu

Office Hours

Monday: 12:00-1:30pm (by appointment)
Tuesday: 12:00-2:00pm (by appointment)
Wednesday: 12:00-1:30pm (by appointment)

Schedule an Appointment

Education

Ph.D., North Carolina State University
M.S., North Carolina State University
B.A., University of North Carolina Greensboro

Teaching

Currently Teaching (Fall 2024)

COM 3312 Crisis Communication
COM 3538 Strategic Thinking in PR
COM 4318 Public Relations Campaigns

Courses Taught

COM 2325 Public Relations Principles
COM 3312 Crisis Communication
COM 3418 Social Media Storytelling
COM 3538 Strategic Thinking in PR
COM 3538 Music PR, Publicity & Promotion in London
COM 4318 Public Relations Campaigns

Teaching and Research Specialties

Social Media
Activist Public Relations
Media Analytics
Public Relations Evaluation
Cultural Approaches to PR

Research

Publications

• Kinsky, E., Burke, J., Adams, M., Duhe, S., Stansberry, K., & Waxman, M. (2023). Strategy/Analytics/Insights/Data. In Toth, E. & Bourland-Davis, P. (Eds.), Navigating Change: Recommendations for Advancing Undergraduate Public Relations Education, The 50th Anniversary Report. http://www.commissionpred.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CPRE-50th-Anniversary-Report-FINAL.pdf
• Adams, M., Formentin, M., & Brunner, B. R. (2022). Building relationships through reciprocal communication: Understanding psychosocial factors in positive public relations mentorship. Journal of Public Relations Education, 8(3), 7-48. https://aejmc.us/jpre/?p=3195
• Adams, M. (2022). What would you do? (McCruelty ethics case) in Altstiel, T., Grow, J., & Jennings, M. Advertising creative: Strategy, copy, and design. Sage Publications.
• Adams, M., & Lee, N. M. (2021). Analytics in public relations education: Desired skills for digital communicators. Journal of Public Relations Education, 7(2), 44-76. https://aejmc.us/jpre/2021/08/31/analytics-in-pr-education-desired-skills-for-digital-communicators/
• Adams, M. B, & Johnson, M. A. (2020). Acculturation, pluralism and digital social advocacy in nonprofit strategic communication. Journal of Public Interest Communications, 5-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32473/jpic.v4.i2.p5
• Adams, M. (2020). Who’s out there? Using Google Analytics and social media data to research online publics. Journal of Public Relations Education, 56(2), 174-181. http://aejmc.us/jpre/2020/08/13/whos-out-there-using-google-analytics-and-social-media-data-to-research-online-publics/
• Adams, M. B., & Johnson, M. A. (2019). Acculturation, pluralism, empowerment: Cultural images as strategic communication on Hispanic nonprofit websites. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 1-19. doi: 10.1080/17513057.2019.1627483
• Brinson, N. H., Adams, M. B., & Wilcox, G. B. (2019). Toward Bridging the Advertising Academician–Practitioner Gap. Advertising & Society Quarterly, 20(2).
• Adams, M. B. (2017). How do social media managers “manage” social media? A social media policy assignment. Journal of Public Relations Education, 3 (2), 2017, 123-127.
• Adams, M. B. (2014). [Review of the book Television in the age of radio: Modernity, imagination, and the making of a medium, by Philip Sewell]. Journal of Communication, 64: E5–E11. DOI: 10.1111/jcom.12132

Journal Articles in Progress

• Adams, M. B. & Johnson, M. A. (2020). Acculturation, pluralism, and digital advocacy in ethnic nonprofit strategic communication
• Adams, M. B. & Lee, N. M. (2020). Analytics in public relations education: Practitioners expectations for new hires.
• Adams, M. B. & Formentin, M. (2020). Mentoring in public relations scholarship: An initial inquiry into best practices.

Conference Papers and Presentations

• Adams, M. B. & Formentin, M. (2020). Mentoring in public relations scholarship: An initial inquiry into best practices. To be presented during the International Public Relations Research Conference (23), Orlando, FL. (March 2020)
• Adams, M.B., Hill, D., Lee, N. & Stansberry, K. (2020, January). Incorporating Analytics into the PR Classroom. Virtual panel (Jan. 21, 2020) presented by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Public Relations Division.
• Adams, M. B., Lee, N., Low, L. & Stansberry, K. (2019, October). Digital media analytics: Pedagogical approaches and opportunities for curriculum integration. Panel presented at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Educators’ Academy Super Saturday Conference, San Diego, CA.
• Adams, M. B. & Johnson, M. A. (2019, August). Acculturation, pluralism and digital advocacy in ethnic nonprofit strategic communication. Presented at the 2019 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, Toronto, Canada.
• Adams, M. B. (2019, April). When Local Goes Global: Opinion Leadership, Activist Public Relations, and Viral Media. Presented at the Institute for Public Relations, The Bridge Conference, Washington, DC.
• Adams, M. B. & Johnson, M. A. (2018, August). Acculturation, pluralism, and empowerment: Cultural images as strategic communication on Hispanic nonprofit websites. Presented at the 2018 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, Washington, DC.
• Adams, M. B. (2017, August). Great ideas for teaching – Google analytics workshop. Presented at the 2017 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Adams, M. B. (2017, August). Great ideas for teaching – Social media policy. Presented at the 2017 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Brinson, N.H., Adams, M. B. & Wilcox, G. (2017, March). Toward bridging the gap: An examination of the advertising academician-practitioner divide. Presented at the 2017 American Advertising Academy (AAA) Conference, Boston, MA.
• Adams, M.B. (2016, November). Form and credibility in the crisis communication of university data breaches: An exploratory case study. Presented at the 102nd Annual Convention of the National Communication Association, Philadelphia, PA.
• Adams, M.B. (2016, April). Electric girls and spirit telegraphs: Feminine bodies and mediumship as communication technology. Presented at the 4th Biannual Conference, Gender, Bodies & Technology, Roanoke, VA.
• Adams, M.B. (2016, April). Multicultural images as strategic communication: A visual content analysis and expansion of multicultural public relations theory. Presented at the 86th Annual Southern States Communication Association Convention, Austin, TX.
• Adams, M.B. & Maldonado, C. (2016, April). Rhetorical intervention, location, and subjectivity in digital protest: A case study of the Saturday chores prankster counter-protest. Presented at the 86th Annual Southern States Communication Association Convention, Austin, TX.
• Adams, M.B. (2015, June). A visual case study: Multicultural images on Latino and Hispanic nonprofit websites. Presented at Viscom #29 - The Visual Communication Conference, Cannon Beach, OR.

Academic Honors and Awards

• Diedrich College of Communication, Graduate Program Research Award, Marquette University (2019)
• Third Place, Top Faculty Paper*, Minorities and Communication Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference, Washington, DC. (2018)
• North Carolina State University Graduate School Diversity Enhancement Award (2017-2018 Academic Year), $4,000. (2017)
• Second Place, Great Ideas for Teaching Competition, Public Relations Division Finalist, Great Ideas for Teaching Competition (all divisions.) Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Media 100th Annual Conference, Chicago, IL. (2017)
• Top Student Paper, Intercultural Communication Division, 86th Annual Southern States Communication Association Convention, Austin, TX. (2016)
• Recognition for Excellence in Classroom Teaching, North Carolina State Graduate Student Association & Department of Communication. (2015)

Organized Panels and Presentations

• Adams, M.B. (2016, August). Saturday chores “going viral: Lessons for strategic communication from a network analysis of a viral media event. Paper presented as part of the Network Approaches to Digital Media Research panel for the Communication Technology and Public Relations Divisions at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
• Adams, M.B. (2015, August). Social media metrics: The case for measurement and Google analytics. Presented at the 98th Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Pre-conference, San Francisco, CA.