Jennifer Murdaugh

After 16 years in the advertising industry, I made a career change and now hold a full-time position at Lewis University. I am an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Communication Department and Program Director for the Public Relations and Advertising program. Additionally, I am the manager and faculty advisor for the College of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Communication social media accounts.

Teaching

I believe no qualities are more valuable to students than creativity and mindfulness. Creativity is a skill that can be learned. It is a teachable process, not an innate talent, and should be encouraged in the classroom. Creativity encourages students to question conventional approaches and develop innovative ideas. It is more important than ever that students learn to incorporate mindfulness it into the creative process and the classroom. My goal as an instructor is to help students understand the creative process, the importance of mindfully connecting with target audiences and clients, and the importance of mindfully creating innovative content. When developing my courses, I consider my students as my target audience. I narrow my focus to a single student and shape my lesson plans and instruction around that student. Here are the courses I currently teach.

Introduction to Human Communication

Human Comm introduces basic communication theories and examines communication techniques in three common communication settings: interpersonal relationships, group gatherings, and public gatherings. The public context includes a minimum of three speeches. At least one speech is informative, and one is persuasive.
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Strategic Communication

Strategic Comm introduces students to the fundamentals of strategic communication, including public relations and advertising, with an emphasis on social and persuasive foundations.
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Advertising Copywriting

Ad Copy is a skills course focusing on the creative aspects of advertising. Students will learn how to research information on both products and consumers and apply this information to develop a campaign strategy.
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Public Relations Writing

PR Writing explores the theory of public relations and teaches different forms and styles of writing. Students will engage in an experiential learning community project, creating essential public relations tools for a local non-profit organization. This hands-on experience aims to address local issues, meet community needs, foster civic responsibility, and deepen students' appreciation for public relations.
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Persuasion Theory

In Persuasion, students explore how messages and social situations motivate people and can be used to influence or protect individuals. They also analyze the persuasive effects of messages and create a mock persuasive campaign.
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Interdisciplinary Seminar – Advertising: The Marlboro Man to McDonalds

In IDS Advertising, during the first half of the semester, students learn about advertising and how it impacts our choices as consumers. In the second half of the semester, students study four iconic brands: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, Miller Lite, and McDonald’s, and how they influence our daily lives.
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SOCIAL MEDIA

In 2020, I created a social media presence for my college, CoHFAC. With the help of three to four of my Public Relations and Advertising majors, I manage and create content for Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube. This experiential learning and co-curricular experience positively impacts my students far beyond the classroom.

Instagram

Design
Image

Video continues to be the most engaging content, especially for Gen Z. Our content strategy includes developing authentic on-trend videos to connect with our student target audience while still being on brand for CoHFAC.

Our Fall 2023 Meme Campaign saw tremendous results. Accounts Reached was up 578%, and Accounts Engaged was up 45.3%.

Overall, our followers have increased by 424% in 3 years.

CONTACT

Click the button below to connect with me on LinkedIn for fun chats about teaching, social media, and photography!
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