Public Relations Program Faculty

Bob Batchelor

Bob Batchelor is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. A noted expert on contemporary American popular culture, Bob is the author or editor of 10 books: The 1900s; Kotex, Kleenex, and Huggies: Kimberly-Clark and the Consumer Revolution in American Business; Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond; Literary Cash: Unauthorized Writings Inspired by the Legendary Johnny Cash; The 1980s; The 2000s; and the four-volume American Pop: Popular Culture Decade by Decade.

Bob has published more than 500 articles and essays in magazines, websites and reference works, including the Dictionary of American History, Inside Business magazine, PopMatters.com, The American Prospect Online and Public Relations Review. Bob is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of The Journal of Popular Culture.

Earlier in his career, Bob spent a decade working in corporate communication for a number of large companies, including Ernst & Young, Fleishman-Hillard and Bank of America. He is an internal communications specialist, focusing on executive communications, internal communications and technology. Bob served as senior writer on the 2001 PRSA Silver Anvil-winning team in B2B Marketing for Documentum (now part of EMC).

Bob graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in history, philosophy and political science. He received a master's degree in American history from Kent State University. His doctorate is in English literature from the University of South Florida, where he studied under Phillip Sipiora.

Bob's current research includes books on Updike, Bob Dylan, an analysis of cult popular culture, the history of sports in America and co-editing with colleague Danielle Coombs a three-volume collection: A New Look at Advertising History. He is also interested in public relations and marketing history. His blog is at www.pr-bridge.com.

Bill Sledzik

Bill Sledzik joined the Kent State University faculty in 1992 after a 15-year career in public relations counseling. That career included five years as head of his own firm, Sledzik & Associates, in Buffalo, New York, and service to such clients as General Motors, Uniroyal Tire Co., the Stroh Brewery and Waste Management of North America.

Bill teaches a range of public relations courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Currently, Bill heads the undergraduate Public Relations and Advertising sequences and is an associate professor. He holds degrees from Ohio University's E. W. Scripps School of Journalism and the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Bill's research and creative interests lie primarily in social media and its applications in public relations. You'll find him online at ToughSledding, Twitter, Facebook, Posterous, LinkedIn and Flickr.

Visit Bill Sledzik's Blog

Larry Leslie

Larry Leslie, Ph.D., is associate professor emeritus in the School of Mass Communications at the University of South Florida. A renowned expert on communication ethics, Larry also specializes in communication research methods, public opinion and postmodern culture.

Larry holds a bachelor's degree in English from Eastern Illinois University, a master's in English from Austin Peay State University and a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Tennessee. Previously, he served as a high school teacher, a community college teacher, and a disc jockey, news reporter and program director at radio stations in Illinois and Tennessee.

The recipient of numerous teaching awards, Larry has published a dozen journal articles and the critically acclaimed books: Mass Communication Ethics: Decision Making in Postmodern Culture (Second edition, 2004) and Communication Research Methods in Postmodern Culture: A Revisionist Approach (2010). His next book, Celebrity in the 21st Century: A Reference Handbook, is scheduled for publication by ABC-CLIO in 2011.

Tim Roberts

Tim Roberts is an instructor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. Previously, Tim served as public affairs manager at WCI Steel Inc., (now Severstal Warren) from 1994 to 2008. While at WCI, he managed all internal and external communication and oversaw the company's investor relations and government relations efforts. Prior to joining WCI, Tim was a reporter for The Vindicator in Youngstown from 1983 to 1994 and for The (Warren) Tribune-Chronicle from 1981 to 1983.

Tim was administrator of the Ohio Steel Council and chairman of the council's communications committee. He was vice chairman of the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce's Government Affairs Council and the chamber's political action committee. He was a 1998 graduate of Leadership Mahoning Valley and formally served as a board member of the Trumbull County chapter of the American Red Cross.

Tim earned a bachelor's degree in news-editorial journalism in 1984 from Kent State and a master's degree from Kent State in media management in 2010. He lives in Austintown, Ohio, and has two daughters.

Tim Smith

Professor Tim Smith joined the School of Journalism and Mass Communication faculty at Kent State University in 1986 after working for 19 years for the Akron Beacon Journal, leaving as managing editor. He has also worked for the Columbus Dispatch, the Painesville Telegraph and United Press International.

He has bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Ohio State University and a law degree from the University of Akron. He is the founder and director of the Media Law Center for Ethics and Access, which specializes in access-to-government issues, headquartered at Kent State.

In 1991, while on leave from the university, he served as a law clerk for now-retired Ohio Supreme Court Justice Craig Wright. In June 1991, he was named acting director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, a post he held until June 1994, when he returned to teaching reporting and media law courses. He has served as advisor to the Daily Kent Stater, the student newspaper, and is now legal advisor for all student media.

In addition to his teaching duties, Tim serves as a newspaper consultant, an expert witness in media law cases and as a lecturer on media relations, libel, invasion of privacy and public records issues. He is a member of the American and Ohio State bar associations and a founding member of the National Freedom of Information Coalition.

In 1996, Tim was given the John S. Knight award for excellence in the service of journalism by the Buckeye Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists. In 1997, he was selected as a fellow of the American Society of Newspaper Editors Journalism Excellence program, a summer newspaper residency for journalism professors. In 2000, he was one of three faculty members to receive the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Kent State University Alumni Association and the University Foundation. While on professional development leave in fall 2003, he worked in the Portage County Public Defender's Office.

Tim and his wife, Jane, an Akron school teacher, have three grown children, Randall, Rachel and Bryan.

Stefanie Moore

Stefanie Moore is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. She teaches a number of courses, including Media Writing and Online PR Tactics. She is also coordinator of Flash Communications, the student PR agency housed in University Communications and Marketing at Kent State.

Prior to joining JMC, Stefanie was an eight-year member of the University Communications and Marketing web team at Kent State. During her role as web coordinator, she managed the university's Search Engine Optimization project, usability planning and testing, accessibility efforts, content updates and many other web-related initiatives. During that timeframe, she also served as editor of e-Inside, the faculty and staff newsletter, which she migrated from a print to electronic format in 2002.

Before coming to Kent State, Stefanie worked in Naperville, Ill., for Laidlaw Education Services, the leading supplier of student transportation. There she was responsible for the employee newsletter, community relations initiatives and updates to the company intranet.

Stefanie earned a bachelor's degree in public relations in 1997 and a master's degree in information architecture and knowledge management in 2007, both from Kent State.

Sean Williams

Sean Williams is a faculty member in public relations at Kent State University, where he has taught the Public Relations Theory and Ethical Practice and Public Relations Tactics courses.

Sean is also the owner of Communication AMMO Inc. He helps leaders and companies improve their communication skills, build strategic communication plans, strengthen internal communication capabilities and measure the results of their public relations and overall communications programs. His clients include Avery Dennison, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, U.S. Endoscopy, Insurance.com and KeyBank.

His career includes senior communication positions for National City Corporation, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Joe Williams Communications and KeyCorp.

A University of Washington graduate, Sean is currently a member of the Institute for Public Relations' Commission on Measurement and Evaluation, and recently published a paper there analyzing the PR measurement program of a major financial company. He covered the same topic for PR News in its Aug. 17, 2009, issue, and the paper is now included in PR News Guide to Best Practices in PR Measurement, Vol. 4. In March 2010, he presented "Theoretical Perspectives in Social Media: Excellence versus Simple Information Provision," at the 13th Annual International Public Relations Research Conference. The paper, co-authored with Dr. Julie O'Neil of Texas Christian University, has been designated a "Best of Miami" selection by PRSA, and Williams and O'Neil will present their findings again at the PRSA National Conference in Washington, D.C. in October.

He is twice-published in the Journal of Employee Communication Management, and wrote for the Institute for Public Relations' Conversations online publication three times. He is the co-winner of the 2008 International Public Relations Research Conference Jackson-Sharpe Award for PR research authored by an academic and a practitioner, and presented the paper at the Conference.

Gene Sasso

Gene Sasso is coordinator for the Kent State master's degree in public relations online program. His career spans more than 15 years, including assignments building and managing in-house corporate communications departments, directing agency teams and delivering independent consulting services. With Ernst & Young and Saint-Gobain, Gene supervised global matrix teams with oversight of employee, media, public and government relations, crisis communication and branding, sales and marketing support. In agency and independent work, Gene has developed strategies and tactics for non-profit, emerging growth and pre- IPO enterprises. From early stage Internet and intranet enabled communications to more recent projects leveraging Web 2.0, search engine optimization, interactive stakeholder relations and advertising, social media has been integral to Gene's career.

A writer and award-winning creative director, Gene has experience in public broadcasting, broadcast journalism, newspaper and magazine writing and video, film and photo production. Gene earned an MBA from the University of Windsor and his Bachelor's degree from York University.