Laura Richardson Walton, APR
Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Media Collaboration Laboratory
Ph.D., University of Southern Mississippi, 2006
M.A., Arkansas Tech University, 2003
Laura.Walton@ssrc.msstate.edu
662-325-1570
Dr. Laura Richardson Walton, APR joined the SSRC in June 2009 as the coordinator of the Media Collaboration Laboratory. The result of a partnership with the Department of Communication, the MCL is charged with promoting the work of the SSRC and its scientists. Dr. Walton oversees the work of communication interns enrolled in a Communication Practicum as they utilize a strategic mix of traditional publicity tools and new media technologies. Since the MCL’s inception, the SSRC has launched a new website, adopted several new logos and utilized a variety of new publicity pieces. One of the most visible aspects of the MCL is the maintenance of the SSRC’s Facebook and Twitter presence, which have generated increased awareness of the work of the Center’s scientists. In 2011, the Southern Public Relations Federation recognized the SSRC’s 2010 Annual Report with an Award of Excellence.
Dr. Walton is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and teaches a variety of public relations courses, including the research methods course and the capstone course for public relations students, PR in Organizations. Dr. Walton attained Accreditation in Public Relations in 2007 and in 2008, she was named both the Southern Public Relations Federation and Public Relations Association of Mississippi Educator of the Year. She was recognized by SPRF as a Senior Practitioner in 2009. She received the Arts and Sciences Teaching Award for Social Sciences in 2010.
Her research is primarily historical with a specific focus on crisis communication and social media as well as the use of public relations during the civil rights period. Her research has appeared in American Journalism,Journalism History, and the Journal of Sports Communication.
March 6, 2011SSRC 2011 Annual Report
Click here to download the PDF version. Click here for the interactive online version.
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