Dr. Willis's research is an intersect between mass communication and public health. She examines how people with chronic disease use online health communities to exchange content related to self-management behaviors and how that affects behavior. Additionally, Dr. Willis examines pharmaceutical company advertising and marketing strategies and how social media is now being employed to influence consumers' preferences regarding prescription medications.
keywords
computer-mediated communication, chronic disease self-management behaviors, online health communities, direct-to-consumer advertising, pharmaceutical companies' marketing strategies, engagement in online content
Teaching
courses taught
APRD 1002 - Introduction to Branding
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2019
Designed to help students acquire a basic understanding of brand and brand culture. Emphasis on theories and practical problems to learn effective ways of building a strong brand strategy. Encompasses every facet of making strategic decisions for a brand. Involves understanding the content a consumer requires, how the consumer will come in contact with the brand and what is the goal of the relationship between consumer and content.
APRD 1003 - Principles of Strategic Communication
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022
Introduces the foundations, nature, and practices of advertising and public relations and the various industry functions - including account management, market research, account planning, media planning, creative strategy, creative execution, branding, image reputation and crisis management. This course offers historical, organizational, financial, creative and critical perspectives concerning strategic communication.
APRD 2002 - Principles of Public Relations
Primary Instructor
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Summer 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Summer 2019
Overview of public relations practice and theory including history, media channels and relations, legal and ethical concerns, international and diverse perspectives, and career options. Cannot be taken concurrently with APRD 2000 or APRD 2003.
APRD 2004 - Introduction to Research Methods and Insights
Primary Instructor
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Summer 2023 / Spring 2024
Provides students with the fundamental skills necessary to develop research-based strategies to address challenges faced by advertising, public relations, and marketing professionals in their efforts to address client communication needs.
APRD 3003 - Strategic Communication Research Methods
Primary Instructor
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Summer 2018
Provides an opportunity to use and master quantitative and qualitative research methods. Students conduct research and analyze data to determine the target audience�s relationship with specific product categories and identify the emotional and practical needs that create brand relationships.
APRD 3105 - Public Relations Strategy and Implementation
Primary Instructor
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Summer 2020 / Summer 2021 / Spring 2022 / Summer 2022 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023
Exposes students to concepts in strategic planning and implementation of public relations efforts. Students will come to understand the organization's internal and external communications and identify potential crises in the development of public relations strategy. This class provides an overview of the public relations process and its application to the development of strategy. Students will also understand implementation and evaluation of strategy.
APRD 4405 - Strategic Communication Capstone
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2022
Puts into practice knowledge from previous coursework to plan and execute a strategic communication campaign. Students work with others, operating as an agency. Students will develop one or more strategic communication campaigns. In addition, students will practice organizational and leadership skills; design and layout skills; produce a plans book; and pitch the proposed campaigns to the class and the client.
APRD 4406 - Advanced PR Campaigns BATEMAN COMPETITION
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2023 / Spring 2024
Offers students the opportunity to develop and implement a PR campaign for a real-world client through the Bateman Competition, PRSSA's national case study competition for public relations students. Students in the course commit to both the fall and spring semesters in the same academic year for 6 total credit hours (4 hours of capstone credit plus 2 hours of upper-division elective credit). This two-semester course is equivalent to APRD 4405, and credit cannot be given for both.
APRD 4931 - Internship
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Summer 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Summer 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Summer 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Summer 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Summer 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Summer 2024 / Fall 2024
Internship course
APRD 7004 - Doctoral Professionalization Seminar
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2019 / Spring 2022
Introduces you to the university and gives you a chance to think out loud about what your academic future might look like. The course is designed to be responsive to your needs regarding your career, getting a job, getting tenure and teaching. In short, the course prepares you for a career in academia. Same as JRNL 7004.
APRD 7034 - Media and Health Communication
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2023
Advanced seminar that examines and critiques the literature on health communication in two specific areas: news about health and its impact on individuals, and health promotion campaigns. Same as JRNL 7034.
CMCI 1000 - Special Introductory Topics in CMCI
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2021
Investigates special introductory topics in media, communication and information. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours on different topics.
COMR 1000 - Communication and Community
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019
Introduction to how communication builds community by creating and sharing meaning. Examination of communication practices at the interpersonal level (friends and family), the group level (teams, classrooms and organizations) and the societal level (citizenship, social change, mass media). May be repeated up to 2 total credit hours.
FYSM 1100 - First Year Interest Group Seminar
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019
Creates a First Year Interest Group by linking a small first-year seminar with an existing introductory course on a related topic. Each seminar section will be linked to a different course and students in that FYSM 1100 section must be registered for that course. There will be a different co-requisite course for each seminar section.
JRNL 7004 - Doctoral Professionalization Seminar
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2019 / Spring 2022
Introduces you to the university and gives you a chance to think out loud about what your academic future might look like. The course is designed to be responsive to your needs regarding your career, getting a job, getting tenure and teaching. In short, the course prepares you for a career in academia. Same as APRD 7004.
JRNL 7034 - Media and Health Communication
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2023
Advanced seminar that examines and critiques the literature on health communication in two specific areas: news about health and its impact on individuals, and health promotion campaigns. Same as APRD 7034.
