Karen Lindsey
Assistant Professor of Strategic Communications
Department: Strategic Communications
Email: klindsey2@elon.edu
Phone number: (336) 278-5663
Professional Expertise
Brief Biography
Dr. Karen Lindsey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Strategic Communications where she joined the faculty in 2021. In 2022, she was selected as a Faculty Leadership Scholar. In 2024, she was appointed Faculty Director in Residence, a position reflecting her leadership in advancing student intellectual engagement and holistic development. She is faculty advisor to the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and mentors students in undergraduate research and across discplines.
Her scholarly and pedagogical work examines the intersections of race, gender, and organizational leadership, with emphasis on ethical communication practices. Her work bridges theory and practice through applied scholarship, public engagement, and industry collaboration. In 2024, she co-authored Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Strategic Communication: Becoming Culturally Proficient Communicators, a textbook adopted by multiple undergraduate programs.
Dr. Lindsey is an active public scholar and frequently invited speaker on brand and reputation management, inclusive communications, internal communications, and values driven use of artifical intelligence. Her national visibility includes a TEDx talk (2015) and she was selected as a featured presenter at South by Southwest (SXSW) in 2020. She regularly contributes as a guest speaker, podcast guest, advisor, and consultant to academic, nonprofit, and corporate audiences.
Prior to her appointment at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, Dr. Lindsey served as a lecturer in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University. Her higher education administrative experience includes appointments as Associate Vice President for Retention and Career Development at Mississippi College and Assistant Director of the Center for Career and Professional Development at Texas Christian University, informing her student-centered and career-integrated pedagogy.
Dr. Lindsey brings extensive professional experience in corporate communications and public relations to her academic work. She previously served as Vice President in Edelman’s Higher Education practice, where she advised university presidents and senior leaders on media strategy, brand safety, and institutional reputation management. Additional professional experience includes communications leadership roles with Northwestern Mutual, the Chicago Tribune, U.S. Bank, and Wisconsin Gas (now WE Energies), as well as consulting assignments with public and private univiersities, non-profits, and the U.S. Army and Department of Defense.
Dr. Lindsey is a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and a fellow of the Women in Leadership Development Institute (WLDI). Her service contributions extend to professional organizations and community engagement, including volunteer work with the Alzheimer’s Association, Meals on Wheels, and Girl Scouts of the USA.
News & Notes
Education
Azusa Pacific University - Doctor of Philosophy, Higher Education Administration-Organizational Leadership
Missisippi College - Master of Science, Corporate Communications
University of Wisconsin - Bachelor of Arts, Communication Studies
Courses Taught
ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, 2021-present
• STC 3120 Strategic Writing
• STC 2520 Foundations of Strategic Communications
• COM 2000 Inclusive Communications
• IDS 1150 Public Speaking
Texas Christian University, 2018-2021
• STCO 48833 Campaigns
• STCO 23123 Public Relations
• STCO 23123 Public Relations
• STCO 23123 Public Relations
• STCO 16103 Diversity
• STCO 16103 Diversity
• STCO 16103 Diversity
• STCO 16103 Diversity
• STCO 31423 Strategic Writing
• STCO 11103 Writing and Editing
• UNPR 10211 Intro to University Life
Mississippi College, 2013
• GBU 321 Business Communication
Leadership Positions
Chair, Faculty Admissions Committee
Faculty Director in Residence
Faculty Advisor PRSSA
Research
Women in Public Relations Leadership
Intersections of race, gender, and the formation of leadership identity
Inclusive Communications: Pedagogy and Praxis
Brand Safety
Executive Thought Leadership
Current Projects
(Under Contract) Narrative of Black Women Leaders in Public Relations, Peter Lang Publishers.
Publications
- Horsley, S., Kim, S., and Lindsey, K. (under review). Student Perceptions of Social Justice Discussions in College Classrooms. Communication Education Journal.
- Lindsey, K. (under contract), Leadership and the PR Profession: Narratives of Black Women. Peter Lang Publishers.
- Bush, L. and Lindsey, K. (2024). Routledge/Taylor Francis.
- Debrew, J. and Lindsey, K. (2022). Nursing Educational Perspectives.
- Lindsey, K. (2022). What Does Injustice Have to Do with Me? Engaging Privileged White Students with Social Justice. (Book review) Journal of Public Relations Education, Volume 8, Issue 3, pages 172-177, AEJMC.
Professional Activities
PRSA, member
AEJMC, member
Service Activities
ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ
- Chair, University Admissions Committee, 2025- presnet
- Faculty Director in Residence, 2024-present
- University Admissions Committee, member, 2024-present
- Advancing Equity Requirement Academic Committee, member, 2022-2024
- School of Communications DEI Committee, member, 2023-2024
- School of Communications Awards Committee, member, 2025-present
- ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Political Action workgroup, member, 2024-present
- School of Communications Curriculum Committee, member, 2022-2023
- Faculty Advisor, The Women’s Network-ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, 2024-present
- Faculty Leadership Scholar, cohort, 2022-2023
- Teacher-Scholar-Mentor Committee, member, 2021-2022
- CATL New Faculty Orientation, panelist, 2022
- ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Journal, Blind Reviewer, 2021, 2023
- Honors Thesis Committee Member, 2021-2022
- Christy Dickman, Thesis Title: Canceling the American Left and Right Thesis Committee Member, 2021-2022
- Camille Sholars, Thesis Title: Utilizing Crisis Communication to Mitigate Non-Profit Organization Risk, 2022
Texas Christian University, Strategic Communication Department and Other
- Aubrey Hudson Senior, Honors Thesis, advisor, 2021
- Student Strategic Communication Major, application reviewer, 2019, 2020
- Africana and African Studies, advisory committee member, 2019-2020
- Careers in Communication Conference, employer focus group facilitator, 2019
- TCU Nonprofit Communicators Conference, table discussion facilitator, 2019
- Women’s Basketball Team, mentor, 2019
- Frog Folio Steering Committee, member, 2015-2017
- Appointed to Intercollegiate College Athletics Committee, 2015-2017
- Appointed to Chancellor’s Strategic Planning Committee, LeadOn Initiative, 2017
Mississippi College
- Brand and Reputation Management Consultant, Office of the President, 2019-2021
- Appointed to University Housing Task Force; 2010-2011
- Appointed to President’s Student Retention Committee, chair; 2009-2012
- Appointed to University Strategic Planning Committee, 2010-2013