Jamie Ward

Title

Associate Professor of Public Relations

Years at EMU

Six years

Why You Like Working Here

I love the students. A day hasn’t gone by where I haven’t encountered an amazing student. A lot of what I do involves working with students, and I love that. Everyday they challenge me, and they’re the most compassionate and driven students I’ve encountered. I’m always blown away by their dedication.

Favorite Campus Spot

I love that my office is right inside of the main CMTA office. It is not always the quietest place to work but I like that there are always students and faculty coming in and out or stopping by to say hello. It keeps me feeling connected. I also love right outside the Student Center. It’s such a pretty spot. I often walk there between classes or if I’m on campus for the day and don’t have meetings to relax.

Motivation

Wanting to be the best that I can be for students. Students are facing so many obstacles, especially this year. I want to be that professor that students can come to with concerns and questions, and be that professor that students just want to drop by and say hello to. Being that professor makes the classroom more comfortable. I open my classroom by asking students about good news happening in their lives. It’s important to me to make students feel comfortable and willing to come to class and learn, and to make the topic that we’re talking about engaging enough for them to care about it, too.

Surprising Fact

I am an animal lover and have a tremendous amount of animals in my house. We have had two dogs, a rabbit, two rats, and some fish. There is a revolving door of animals coming in and out of my house at any given moment.

Superpower

Time travel. I would love to be able to see people and pets that I have lost. I would also enjoy exploring historical events of the past and being able to see into the future.

Interesting/Fun Stay-at-Home Order Activity

I spent a lot of time with my family. We were able to slow down, and for me that was the best thing. Every night we were together. Nobody was running to practice, and I wasn’t running to Zoom meetings or class. That time spent with my family was so needed, and we’re all so busy that we don’t always think of that, so having that opportunity to be outside and take walks or ride bikes was really great for me. And it’s something that we’ve kept doing. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until we started doing it again.

Next Goal

I co-wrote an introductory public relations textbook that debuted recently. It’s a digital textbook that is paired with a first-of-its-kind public relations simulation. My goal is to test it out with students and make sure it meets their needs. I am also putting together a mentorship program for PRSSA students that will launch next year.

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