Faculty

David P. Keppel is an Associate Professor of communication at Slippery Rock University. He primarily teaches in the area of digital media production with an emphasis on digital design, the production of interactive multimedia, and an analysis of the issues inherent to communication technology. He also serves as a freelance designer, web developer, and a print and eBook producer for a variety of individuals and organizations around the world.

Associate Professor
Eisenberg 223A
david.keppel@sru.edu
724.738.2684

Department Secretary
Eisenberg 223
hannah.azarian@sru.edu
724.738.4111

Nick Artman is an Associate Professor of Strategic Communication and Media teaching in the areas of digital media production and serving as the faculty advisor for WSRU-FM and CRU. His research approach stems from a media ecologist perspective; specifically focusing on the interaction between media and how it affects human behaviors, perceptions, emotions, and feelings. He conducts research to provide students with current, real-world solutions to real-world problems.

Dr. Artman obtained his Ph.D. in Communications Media and Instructional Technology in December 2016 from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Prior to joining SRU, he spent 10 years as a freelance content creator, as well as 5 years as an instructional designer at Penn State, Gannon University and IUP.

Outside of the classroom, Dr. Artman serves as Producer of the Hello, SRU podcast, Communication Chair of the BEA Sports Division, Advisory Board Member for the SRU Center for Teaching and Learning, and is a member of the APSCUF Professional Development Committee. He is also a member of the Broadcast Education Association, the Media Ecology Association, and the Popular Culture Association.

www.ImDrArtman.com

Twitter: @ImDrArtman

Associate Professor
Eisenberg 213A
nicholas.artman@sru.edu
724.738.2667

Brett A. Barnett is a Professor of Strategic Communication and Media at Slippery Rock University. He teaches communication law, civil discourse and a variety of media production courses. A native of Bellville, Ohio, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunication and Electronic Media from Ohio State University, a master’s degree in Mass Media Communication from the University of Akron and a doctoral degree in Communication from Bowling Green State University. He has worked in the television and video industries, and his research interests include First Amendment law, communication ethics, Internet speech, the rhetoric of hate groups and other extremists, as well as the rhetorical nature of song narratives.

A recipient of the President’s Award for Scholarly and Creative Achievement, Dr. Barnett has published essays in various academic journals, including Ethical Space, the quarterly journal of the UK-based Institute of Communication Ethics, and the international journals Perspectives on Terrorism and Journal of Hate Studies. He is also author of the book Untangling the Web of Hate: Are Online “Hate Sites” Deserving of First Amendment Protection? Additionally, he has published essays examining the lyrical rhetoric of song narratives in peer-reviewed journals, including Metal Music Studies, the publication of the International Society of Metal Music Studies, and Relevant Rhetoric, the journal sponsored by the Communication and Rhetorical Studies Department at Idaho State University.

Dr. Barnett has presented research at a variety of national and international conferences, including annual meetings of the National Communication Association, Broadcast Education Association, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, National Homeland Security Association and the International Conference on Hate Studies. He has also presented research at a variety of regional conferences, including the annual meetings of the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association, Eastern Communication Association (ECA), Central States Communication Association (CSCA), Pennsylvania Communication Association, Ohio Communication Association and the New York State Communication Association. Additionally, he received top paper awards in ECA’s Communication Law and Ethics Interest Group and in CSCA’s Rhetorical Theory and Criticism Division.

Dr. Barnett has served various university roles and committees at SRU, including the President’s Commission for Disability Issues, President Norton’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leadership Team, University Tenure and Sabbatical Committee, University Promotion Committee and the University Professional Development Committee. Additionally, he has served as member of the Alumni Awards Committee and Media Hall of Fame Inductee Committee, chair of the Communication Scholarship Committee and as an advisor to the Prelaw Program. Beyond university service, Dr. Barnett has also served many years as judge for the Festival of Media Arts Faculty Video Competition of the Broadcast Education Association and reviewed essays for journals such as Western Journal of Communication and the UK-based journal Social Semiotics.

Professor
Eisenberg 213D
brett.barnett@sru.edu
724.738.2567

Dr. Franklyn Charles is an assistant professor in the communication department at SRU. He received his PhD in Media Studies from Ohio University Scripps School of Communication. Dr. Charles research interest includes AutoEthnography, Digital Storytelling, Media Production, and Caribbean Sound System Culture. His dissertation research examined how disruptive technologies have impacted the performance of competitors through the adaptation of new sound reproduction components. Dr. Charles enjoys teaching and working with enthusiastic students who are passionate about Media and Communication. In his spare time, he enjoys drone videography, 360 video production, and working on cars.

Assistant Professor
Eisenberg 222D
franklyn.charles@sru.edu
724.738.2125

Daniel Dieter is an Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication and Media teaching in the areas of Health Communication, Environmental Communication, and Mass Media. His research interests include healthcare and technology, in particular the human impact of media and advanced technology like artificial intelligence.

Dr. Dieter earned his PhD in Media and Communication Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in English at Youngstown State University, and a B.S. in Communication from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. For over 30 years prior to joining the SRU faculty, he served in strategic communication and media management roles in a variety of industries, most notably in positions with global responsibility in the medical device and pharmaceutical fields, in professional services, and in education, including his role as assistant director in the Marketing & Public Relations department at Geneva College where he also taught communication classes.

His academic research has been published in Process Improvement Journal, the Journal of Science and Popular Culture, the Journal of the American Society for Competitiveness, and Southern Communication Journal.

Assistant Professor
Eisenberg 213I
daniel.dieter@sru.edu
724.738.2574

Emily A. Dolan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Strategic Communication and Media at Slippery Rock University. She teaches core and elective classes in the department, including Communication Research Methods, Communication Concepts, Civil Discourse, and Persuasion.  

Dr. Dolan maintains an active research agenda, which focuses on message processing, with an emphasis on the effects of digital and social media on emotion regulation processes. Her work has been published in various journals including Media Psychology, Social Influence, The Pennsylvania Communication Annual, and College Media Review. Her work has also won or shared top paper awards at the annual meetings of the International and National Communication Associations. 

Dr. Dolan's service activities are centered around research methods, data analysis, and inclusion. At the University-level, she is a member of the University Assessment Committee and Institutional Review Board, which oversees human subjects research at SRU. She also currently co-chairs The President’s Commission on Women and serves on the faculty union (APSCUF) Social Justice Committee. At the department-level, Dr. Dolan serves as the faculty advisor to SRU's chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the official honor society of the National Communication Association. She also co-chairs the Department Assessment Committee and serves on various other committees, including Events, Recruitment, and Diversity. 

Associate Professor
Eisenberg 213B
emily.dolan@sru.edu
724.738.4030

Dr. Brittany Fleming is an associate professor and the faculty adviser for the award-winning student media organizations WSRU-TV and The Rocket. She received her doctorate in Communications Media and Instructional Technology from IUP in 2015, while working for the university's Center for Media Production and Research and reporting at Renda Broadcasting. Teaching in both the converged journalism and digital media concentrations in the department, Dr. Fleming continues to emphasize the importance of local journalism and convergence training in higher education through publications, presentations and panels with organizations such as the Broadcast Education Association and College Media Association. Dr. Fleming serves on the Executive Council for the Society for Collegiate Journalists, as a co-chair for SRU's President's Commission on Women and the secretary for the APSCUF Social Justice Committee. 

Under Dr. Fleming's advisement, SRU student media has achieved over 100 awards from national organizations such as Pennsylvania News Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and Society for Collegiate Journalists. Dr. Fleming's recognition for student media advising includes SRU's 2017 and 2021 Club Adviser of the Year and the National Broadcasting Society's 2018-2019 Adviser of the Year.

Associate Professor
Eisenberg 223B
brittany.fleming@sru.edu
724.738.2262

Thomas R. Flynn is a Professor of Integrated Marketing Communication. He is a former of Chair of the Department of Strategic Communication & Media and served as University Coordinator of Assessment for Slippery Rock University. He holds communication degrees from the University of Toledo (B.A.), Ohio University (M.A.) and the University of Nebraska (Ph.D.). 

His teaching specialties have included: integrated marketing communication, public relations, organizational communication, research methods and communication law. He is co-author of the textbook: Integrated Marketing Communication: A Consumer-Centric Approach for the Digital Era (Kendall Hunt Publishing, Inc.  2021).

He served as president of the Eastern Communication Association (2014-2015) and continues to serve as a member of its Executive Council. He also holds memberships in the National Communication Association and New York State Communication Association and participates in their annual conventions.

Academically, he has authored over a dozen publications and presented well over one hundred peer-reviewed conference papers. Recently, he has conducted a number of convention “short courses” on the development and curation of IMC programs in higher education at NCA and ECA.

Professor
Eisenberg 213H
thomas.flynn@sru.edu
724.738.2559

Dr. Fadoua Loudiy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Strategic Communication and Media. She teaches FYRST Seminar, Intercultural Communication, Propaganda, Civil Discourse, and Communication Concepts. 

Dr. Loudiy is the co-Director of the Middle East Studies Center and the faculty advisor to the UNICEF club. She is a member of the President’s Commission on Sustainability and actively contributes to the university’s efforts on global learning and DEI. 

Dr. Loudiy is the second Vice-President Elect of the Pennsylvania Communication Association. Her scholarship focuses on cosmopolitan learning, rhetorics of resistance, communication ethics, and philosophy of communication. She has published several journal articles and book chapters on human rights and transitional justice, and is the author of Transitional Justice and Human Rights in Morocco: Negotiating the Years of Lead (Routledge, 2019). 

https://slipperyrock.academia.edu/FadouaLoudiy 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fadoua-loudiy-ph-d/

Assistant Professor
Eisenberg 213F
fadoua.loudiy@sru.edu
724.738.4052

Christine Pease-Hernandez is an Associate Professor of Strategic Communication and Media at Slippery Rock University. She teaches Intercultural Communication, Communication Concepts/Theory, Civil Discourse, Communication Theory, and Interpersonal Communication.

A native of Bay City, Michigan, Dr. Pease-Hernandez received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Saginaw Valley State University, a master's degree in Interpersonal and Public Communication from Bowling Green State University, a master's degree in Professional Counseling from Central Michigan University, and a doctoral degree in Communication and Culture from Bowling Green State University. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in creating a student centered, inclusive, and engaging learning environment that challenges students to consider diverse perspectives.

Dr. Pease-Hernandez currently serves on the PASSHE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board of Advisors, and is a Co-Chair of the Hispanic/Latino Culture Series Planning Committee. Her extensive university service has included, DEI faculty development, Co-Chair of the President's Commission on Race and Ethic Diversity, Presidential Search Committees, CBISS Dean's Search Committee, Respect Campaign, and the Jump Start Advisory Board. She was also elected to serve APSCUF as an Alternate Delegate and appointed to serve as the interim president of the state Social Justice Committee. In the Strategic Communication and Media Department she has served on several committees. She advises between 30-35 students each academic year and was recently invited to serve on the university's Advising Task Force.

Dr. Pease-Hernandez engages in scholarship in the areas of infusing diversity into the curriculum, intergroup dialogue, implicit bias, navigating difficult conversations, and critical pedagogy.

International service activities include accompanying students on three community engagement/service-learning trips (2 to Bolivia, and 1 to Puerto Rico) and accompanying students affiliated with the Center for Student Leadership and Involvement on a leadership trip to Peru. She has also led spring break study abroad excursions to Spain and Portugal.

Dr. Pease-Hernandez serves as the faculty co-advisor to SOL (Student Organization for Latinos/Hispanics and Allies). Important areas of life fulfillment include spending time with her family and friends, cooking, practicing yoga, indoor-cycling, and traveling.

Associate Professor
Eisenberg 222A
christine.hernandez@sru.edu
724.738.2563

As an associate professor at Slippery Rock University, I bring more than 30 years of public relations and integrated marketing communication experience from agency, corporate and nonprofit settings into the classroom. My teaching focuses on career readiness, strategic thinking and real-world client experience, helping students bridge the gap between academic study and professional practice.

Before entering academia, I served as a senior vice president at Ketchum, one of the world’s leading global PR agencies. There, I developed national media strategies and secured coverage for major clients in outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, Dow Jones and the Today Show. I was also a member of the agency’s Global Media Network and helped lead Ketchum University, developing media relations training delivered to offices across six continents.

At Slippery Rock University, I teach courses including Introduction to PR and IMC, Case Studies in PR and IMC, Media Relations & Crisis Communication, PR & IMC Writing, Senior Capstone Seminar and PR & IMC Campaigns Capstone. Through the campaigns capstone course, students have partnered with nearly 80 businesses and nonprofit organizations to develop strategic communication campaigns.

In addition to my faculty role, I serve as the communication and innovation coordinator for the Haverlack College of Business. In this role, I lead communication initiatives that connect faculty, students, alumni and external partners and help create applied learning opportunities for students.

Experiential learning is central to my approach. I have led PR and IMC immersion trips to Denmark, Sweden and Spain, connecting classroom learning to communication practice in global settings. I also serve as faculty adviser to Rock PRSSA, the university’s student-run PR and marketing communication organization, which was named PRSA Pittsburgh’s Chapter of the Year in 2025 and 2026.

My scholarship explores the rhetoric of PR and IMC, crisis communication, brand marketing and brand activism, and I remain engaged with the profession through research, professional service and my role on the PRSA Pittsburgh board.

Earlier in my career, I served as manager of public/media relations for Rite Aid Corporation and director of communication for the Pennsylvania Gas Association, both in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Associate Professor
Eisenberg 213K
allison.peiritsch@sru.edu
724.738.4075

Li Pu is an Associate Professor of communication at Slippery Rock University. She teaches in the areas of broadcast journalism, international journalism and television production related courses.

Dr. Pu has been a member of several regional and national professional organizations including the National Communication Association, Broadcast Education Association, East Communication Association, Academy of Television Arts and Science (Academic Group), and International Association of Intercultural Communication.

Associate Professor
Eisenberg 213C
li.pu@sru.edu
724.738.2562

Dr. Quinn is a professor and former chair of the Department of Strategic Communication and Media. She teaches journalism, public relations, health communication, and media literacy courses. She is adviser to College Dress Relief, a sustainability and fashion-forward student digital and social media organization; coordinator of the department Advisory Board; and director of the department's internship program.

A Hazel Dicken-Garcia Distinguished Scholar of Journalism History, Dr. Quinn is an editor of The Civil War Soldier and the Press (Routledge, 2023: https://t.ly/tjRNh) and Adventure Journalism in the Gilded Age: Essays on Reporting from the Arctic to the Orient (McFarland, 2021: https://rb.gy/s75dix), recognized as “Best Edited Collection in Popular and American Culture” by the Popular Culture Association, 2022. Her research has been presented to communication, literature, and historical conferences across the country and published in an array of scholarly journals and edited books.

Dr. Quinn’s professional experience includes eight years as a public affairs specialist for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service in Boston, as well as ongoing consultation and pro bono journalism and public relations work. She has additional faculty experience at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Iona College, and Westmoreland County Community College, and is a former co-chair of the University Curriculum Committee.

Specialties: journalism and reporting, journalism history, public relations, strategic communication, publication production, writing, public affairs and government communication

Professor
Eisenberg 222B
katrina.quinn@sru.edu
724.738.2430

Nazmul is an Associate Professor of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)- Advertising at the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Nazmul completed his Ph.D. in Strategic Communication (Advertising) from the Gaylord College at the University of Oklahoma. His concentration was advertising. He completed his master’s from the same college. Dr. Rony received his Bachelor of Business Administration (major in marketing) and Master of Business Administration (major in international business) degrees from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Before starting his academic career at OU, he worked for more than six years in local and multinational companies as a marketing and brand executive. Dr. Rony also contributed as a feature writer in Bangladeshi national dailies. His areas of interest include researching social media advertising, consumer motivation, consumer attitude, and brand experience. He presented in international and national conferences, including the American Academy of Advertising (AAA), the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), the International Communication Association (ICA), and the National Communication Association (NCA). He is a recipient of “The 2017 Provost’s Certificate of Distinction in Teaching Award.” Dr. Rony is also an alum of the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) Education Foundation Visitor Professor Program (VPP). He also received funding from the Center for Positive Marketing and the ANA Education Foundation to research positive marketing.

Associate Professor
Eisenberg 213G
nazmul.rony@sru.edu
724.738.4977

Douglas Strahler is an Associate Professor of Communication at Slippery Rock University. He teaches in the areas of technology and multimedia. As an alum of the department ('05), his academic and professional training are in the areas of graphic design, web design/development, web 2.0 technologies and social media. He earned his masters degree from Syracuse University and his doctorate from Duquesne University in Instructional Technology and Leadership (Ed.D.).

Prior to joining the department, he was a co-owner of a graphic and web design studio, as well as an adjunct faculty member at Syracuse University and Onondaga Community College.

Dr. Strahler was awarded the 2016-2017 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at SRU. Outside of the Department, he serves on the Executive Council for the New York State Communication Association (NYSCA), where he was responsible for planning the 75th Anniversary Conference in 2017. He also serves as the Director of Social Media for the Eastern Communication Association (ECA).

Associate Professor
Eisenberg 213E
douglas.strahler@sru.edu
724.738.2566