About Me

Christmas 1966 — Dressed For Success!

This is where I am suppose to pound my chest, post selfies with famous people, or brag about my multiple accomplishments. Those who know me know I’m not a braggard nor do I post selfies of me eating, teaching, researching or traveling.

My desire is that, from my research and writing, you will come to understand that I have a passion for public relations, crisis communications, reputation management and more recently behavioural communications.

I am currently an associate professor of communications management in the Department of Communication Studies and Multimedia at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Since my graduation from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2005 with a Ph.D. in Mass Communications, I have been a faculty member at the DeGroote School of Business (2004-2011) and more recently the Faculty of Humanities (2011- present).

Prior to obtaining my Ph.D., I founded and lead an international public relations/crisis communications consulting company (Frontline Corporate Communications) from 1993-2004 with offices in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and Memphis, Tennessee. Before managed the public relations division of a Canadian advertising agency (1987-1993) and before that I was a Special Assistant to a federal cabinet minister in Ottawa (1982-1984).

In addition to my doctorate, I have a Bachelor’s degree in political science/law from Carleton University (Ottawa, ON) and a Master’s degree in communications management from Syracuse University.

I am currently member of the Board of Trustees for the Institute of Public Relations (Gainsville, Florida) and the A.W. Page Society (New York City). From 2006-2010 I was a member of the Board of the Canadian Public Relations Society, having the pleasure of serving as its National President from 2009-2010.

My academic research has been published in the Canadian Journal of Communication, the Public Relations Journal, the Research Journal of the Institute for Public Relations, the Journal of Public Relations Research, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, and the Journal of Professional Communications. I have received research grants from the Communications + Public Relations Foundation,  Institute for Public Relations, the Hamilton Port Authority, the Niagara Health System and Leger Marketing.

For more information on my career please visit my academic profile on ResearchGate

I’ve always preferred to be called Terry but you will notice that sometimes I list my name as Terence (Terry). That change started in 2001 when I started my Ph.D. program at Syracuse. I was enrolled in a course at the Maxwell School of Public Affairs with the instructor listed as TBD. When I showed up to the class the instructor’s name was written on the white board — “Terry Flynn”. I thought it might have been one of my doctoral colleagues who thought it would be funny, given the class was on conflict resolution. We were shortly introduced to another Terry Flynn who was a sessional instructor in the School. Soon I would find myself bumping into Terry at church, at the grocery stores and at other venues in and around Syracuse. And then there was the many times when I spoke to people at S.U. who were surprised that I was not she or she was not me. Anyway, I soon added my given name to all my manuscripts, business cards and nameplates — as a way of differentiating between she and me. So please feel free to call me “Terry”.