The Department of Communication welcomes four new faculty members this fall.
Dr. Yoosun Ham
Yoosun Ham is a native of South Korea and a public relations scholar specializing in global public relations and strategic government communication. She joins Appalachian State from Indiana University's Media School, where she earned her Ph.D. in Public Relations and Strategic Communication, and also holds an M.A. from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, and a B.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Her research examines how organizations use strategic communication, including AI-mediated communication, to build relationships with foreign audiences and promote mutual understanding around issues requiring cross-national cooperation. She received the Top Student Paper Award at the 2026 AEJMC National Conference. Her dissertation examines how immigrants in South Korea perceive threats generated by misinformation on social media and how these perceptions shape their attitudes and behaviors toward host-country citizens, drawing on integrated threat theory, protection motivation theory, and social capital. Before entering academia, she spent five years working in global public relations agencies, collaborating with multinational corporations such as General Motors, and has contributed to public diplomacy research projects with South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korea Foundation. She currently continues to collaborate with Korean organizations on ongoing strategic communication projects.
Dr. Nicola Redl
Dr. Nicola J. Redl is joining the Department of Communication as an assistant professor in Electronic Media/Broadcasting and Digital Journalism, after working in Colorado, Mexico, Australia, and Germany. Her research focuses on media industries, news and algorithmic literacy, news habits, and audience perceptions of news credibility and value. Nicky holds a PhD in Media Research and Practice (Journalism) from the University of Colorado Boulder, a Master of International Relations from Macquarie University, and a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies (Journalism) from the University of Wollongong in Australia. As an audio and online journalist, she reported, produced, and hosted for the Australian public broadcaster, ABC, across Australia and some international locations, and covered European financial markets for Dow Jones Newswires and associated publications, including The Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch. She began teaching in 2019, first in Guadalajara, Mexico, and later in Colorado. Prior to her careers in journalism and academia, Nicky studied contemporary dance and spent four years working as a certified sports injury therapist with endurance athletes. She is excited to bring her experience in journalism, radio, and audio production to App State's academic community and, as a longtime trail runner, looks forward to exploring Boone's beautiful landscape.
Dr. Jorge Restrepo Garcia
Dr. Jorge Restrepo Garcia (Jorge Harris) is a mass media and communication scholar originally from Manizales, Colombia. He is enjoying his role as Assistant Professor of Mass Media in the Department of Communication at Appalachian State University.
He earned his Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Oklahoma, where he also completed a postdoctoral research appointment analyzing student retention, satisfaction, and sense of belonging at the First-Year Experience Unit. He holds a master's degree in International Communication from St. John's University in New York and a bachelor's degree in Mass Media and Journalism from Universidad de Manizales (Manizales University) in Colombia.
His research focuses on the intersections of mass media, political participation, and gender. He has published in a variety of communication and mass media journals, with research examining political campaigns in Colombia and the United States and how media can either facilitate or diminish the political participation of minority communities.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Restrepo Garcia has more than 12 years of professional experience in journalism and organizational communication. He has worked for Colombian state agencies, television stations in the United States, and nonprofit organizations. Most recently, he served as an Assistant Production Coordinator for Sesame Workshop (Sesame Street), where he supported the international team in overseeing productions across Asia and Africa.
In his free time, Jorge enjoys watching classic anime, traveling to new destinations, and preparing traditional Colombian dishes.
Dr. Sarah Whitmarsh
Sarah Whitmarsh, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Appalachian State University. Her research interests include policy and advocacy communication, especially on reproductive justice, and her dissertation focused on understanding power shifting and decolonization in philanthropy. She was a Roy H. Park Doctoral Fellow at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, where she received the 2026 Outstanding Ph.D. in Media and Communication Graduate Award.
Prior to UNC, Sarah spent nearly 20 years working in international development and global health, most recently with the William H. Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Sarah received her B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Georgia in Athens and M.A. in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in medical journalism. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys hiking, cooking, yoga, photography, and acting as an unofficial tourism promoter for her hometown of Savannah, Georgia.
Headshots of four new faculty
