Graduate Supervision

I mostly supervise graduate students in four masters programs:

The McMaster-Syracuse Master of Communications Management (MCM)

The Master of Arts in Communication and New Media (MA)

The Master of Science in Communications Management (Syracuse/Newhouse)

The Master of Health Management (MHM — DeGroote School of Business)

Here is a list of my recent supervisorships:

MCM Program

2018    Sharlyn Carrington, Masters Capstone Project. “Reputation and representation: A study of Ontario public relations and its black female practitioners.”

2018    Elizabeth Young, Masters Capstone Project. “Getting on board: The role of boards in managing reputation risk.”

2018    Stephanie Longeway, Masters Capstone Project. “The quest to relate: How public relations professionals can be leaders in the management of stakeholder-organization relationships.”

2018    Tobi Day-Hamilton, Masters Capstone Project. “Launch: Launching a community STEM initiative.”

2018    Claire Ryan, Masters Capstone Project. “Managing maternity leave: the impact of maternity leave on relationship building and strategic management for female public relations practitioners in Canada.”

2018    Matt Radford, Masters Capstone Project. “Identifying internal publics: A quantitative study of employee segmentation and employee-organization relationships.”

2018    Robyn Hawco, Masters Capstone Project “Communication, engagement, and commitment: A study of the Me generation.”

2017    Parm Chohan, Masters Capstone Project “The impact of diversity and inclusion on corporate reputation, communications strategy and social citizenship”.

2016    Deanna Levy, Masters Capstone Project, “Hamilton Port Authority: Assessment of Community Engagement and Key Influencers Opinions.”

2016    Caitlyn Coverly, Masters Capstone Project, “The Pursuit of Influence: Chief Marketing Officers versus Chief Communications Officers in Corporate America’s C-Suite.”

2016    Lonny Kates, Masters Capstone Project, “PRoud and fabulous: The career experiences of gay male public relations practitioners in Canada.”

2016    Christine Bernard, Masters Capstone Project, “Enhancing Internal Communications: The Importance of Channel Preference for Increasing Employee Engagement.”

2016    Tajana Laskovic, Master Capstone Project, “Social licence to operate: Practical understanding of the concept and processes to attain and maintain it.”

2015    Victor Vrsnik, Masters Capstone Project, “From license to operate to license to lead: A case of corporate legitimacy and reputation”.

MA in Communication and New Media Program:

2017    Kayleigh Bateman, Major Research Project, “The role of social media within organizations to develop stronger two-way symmetrical communications.”

2017    Nina Cammalleri, Major Research Project, “Mis(sed)communication: An analysis of Ontario postsecondary sexual assault policies.”

2016    Matthew Belan, Major Research Project, “The use of the queer body in promotional media.”

2016    Christina Pellegrini, Major Research Project, “Leadership, communication and healthcare: Understanding the role of communications in building collaborative healthcare teams.”

2015    Sebastian Dobocz, Major Research Project, “Crisis, communications & Canadian hospitals: An analysis and evaluation of risk preparedness & crisis communications efforts in hospitals in Ontario.”

2014    Sara Weales, Major Research Project, “Communicating leadership potential: Navigating self-promotion and the corporate world as a young communication professional.”

M.Sc. in Communications Management (Syracuse University):

2017    Ken Kerrigan, Masters Capstone Project, “Our future in public relations: A profession’s identity crisis as it reaches its centennial”.

2017    Diane Riddell, Masters Capstone Project, “How stressed are we? The mental health and wellness of Canada’s public relations practitioners”.

2017    Mary Lynn Mack, Masters Capstone Project, “Motivating internal publics: Examining the role of internal corporate communications in driving employee engagement”.

2016    Stacey Hajdak, Masters Capstone Project “Mind the Gap: The Impact of Reporting Structure in Private Utilities on Communications Excellence”

2015    Kelly Gaggin, Masters Capstone Project, “Great expectations: Identifying linkages between external communications and the propensity for stakeholder advocacy”

2011    Clarke DuMont, Masters Capstone Project, “Don’t Be So Defensive: What and How Organizational Reputation is Determined in the US Aerospace, Defense, and Security Industry… and Why It Matters”

2010    Gail Dundas, Masters Capstone Project, “Corporate Reputation: Exploring the Relationship Between the Practice of Excellent Public Relations and Fortune ‘Most Admired’ Status”

2009        Kimberly Prentiss, Masters Capstone Project, “A Direct Link: How Employee Communications Programs Impact Corporate Reputation”

2007        Judy Stokes-Weber, Masters Capstone Project, “Managing and Measuring Reputation: Best Practices in State Conservation Agencies”

2007        Julie Naperlaski, Masters Capstone Project, “Breaking Through Barriers: Public Relations’ Pursuit of Recognition”

2007        Sarah Parker Hughes, Masters Capstone Project, “Learning From the Experts: How Nonprofit Organizations Build Social Capital Through Strategic Public Relations Management”

2007        Mark Ray, Masters Capstone Project, “Testing Excellence Communications in the U.S. Army: USAREUR Internal Communications Survey”

2006        Diane Thieke, Masters Capstone Project, “Talk to me: Making PR Meaningful to Business Executives”

2005        Linda Farmer, Masters Capstone Project, “Top 10 Secrets of Local Government Communicators”

2005        Michael Graca, Masters Capstone Project, “Show Me the Money: Investigating the Value of Brand Orientation in Managing Liberal Arts Colleges”

2004        Allan Schoenberg, Masters Capstone Project, “The Influence of the Corporate Public Relations Practitioner: An Exploration into the Sources of Leadership and Persuasion with Senior Management”

2003    Steve Freeman, Masters Capstone Project, “The Relationship Between Business Integration & Strategic Communications: A Qualitative Study”

Master of Health Management Program:

2017    Catherine Mackowski, Major Scholarly Paper: “Identifying Risk and Managing Reputation in Medical Regulation, is it Feasible?” Master of Health Management, McMaster University.

2016    Julie Holt, Major Scholarly Paper: “Risk management and risk assessment for public health in Ontario”. Master of Health Management, McMaster University.

2014    Martin Ruaux, Major Scholarly Paper: “Patient Expectations, Consumerism and Health Literacy: Examining influences on Patient-Centred Care Policy in Ontario.” Master of Health Management, McMaster University.

 2013    Maria Rotondi, Major Scholarly Paper: “Telemedicine and Change Management: The Puzzle Pieces to Success.” Master of Health Management, McMaster University.

External Examiner (Ph.D/Masters Committees)

I have also had the pleasure of being nominated to sit on Ph.D. and Masters committees in recent years. Here is a sampling of some of those recent assignments.

2017        Ph.D. Dissertation Defense. Matthew Tidwell. “May I offer you a gift card? An analysis of VW’s response strategy in the wake of its Dieselgate scandal”. University of Kansas.

2017        Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination and Oral Defense Committee Member, Matthew Tidwell. University of Kansas.

2017        Madison Williams, Thesis, “Campus ministries caught in promotional culture: An analysis of dialogic communication on non-profit’s Facebook pages. Master of Arts in Communication, Carleton University.

2014        Dustin Manley, Thesis, “Competencies, qualifications, and education in Canadian public relations and communications management,” Master of Arts in Professional Communication, Royal Roads University.