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Heather Riddell

Biography

Dr. Heather Riddell, assistant professor of communication, teaches social media, communication writing, and public relations courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Riddell has created technology-centered courses to prepare students for a digitally-converged communication industry. At the undergraduate level, students take part in high-impact practices that allow students to learn through experience. She recently opened a Social Media Lab to support the content creation needs of students. At the graduate level, students pair theories with public relations strategies to create impactful and compelling digital content. Graduate students participate in the Florida Public Relations Association Image Award competition and have won local and state awards. 

Riddell’s research interests have focused on social/digital media, media effects, and the role of user-generated content in crisis communication. She has also investigated issues of public relations and social media pedagogy.

 

 

Degrees & Institutions

Riddell has a Master of Arts in Professional Communication from Clemson University and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Communication from George Mason University.

 

Publications

Alpert, Bradshaw, Riddell, Chen and Chen, H. (2022). “Young adults’ attitudes towards vaping content on Instagram: Qualitative interviews utilizing the associative imagery technique” Nicotine and Tobacco Research

Riddell, Heather and Fenner, Christopher (2021) “Hey Google: A thematic analysis of Twitter users’ comments on the privacy of AI devices in the home.” Explorations in Media Ecology, 20:4, https://doi.org/10.1386/eme_000XX_XX.

Song, Charlie, Riddell, Heather, and Ryan, Stuart (2021) “Improving Students’ Oral Communication Skills Through an Interdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning Opportunity in a Sport Management Course” International Journal of Physical Education, Fitness and Sports 10 (3) DOI: 10.34256/ijpefs2133

Alpert, Jordan; Chen, Huan; and Riddell, Heather (2021) “Vaping and Instagram: A content analysis of e-cigarette posts using the Content Appealing to Youth (CAY) Index” Substance Use and Misuse 56 (6), 879-887. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2021.1899233

Riddell, Heather, and Fenner, Christopher, (2020) “User-Generated Crisis Communication: Exploring Crisis Frames on Twitter During Hurricane Harvey” Southern Communication Journal, 1-25, https://doi.org/10.1080/1041794X.2020.1853803

Riddell, Heather, and Broeckelman-Post, Melissa A., (2019). "An Analysis of the Impact of Preparation Assignments in a Public Speaking Course." Florida Communication Journal, 47 (1), 71-81.