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Heather Riddell indoor headshot.

Heather Riddell

  • Faculty Senate President & Trustee

Biography

Dr. Heather Riddell is an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of West Florida, where she specializes in social media, crisis communication, AI, and strategic digital engagement. With a Ph.D. in Communication from George Mason University and an M.A. from Clemson University, her research focuses on how individuals and organizations communicate during crises on digital platforms, examining the differences between user-generated and organizational messages on social media.

Dr. Riddell has designed and teaches a suite of innovative undergraduate and graduate courses, including AI and Strategic Communication, Social Media Content Development, and Social Media Management. She is also the architect behind UWF's undergraduate Social Media Communication Certificate.

Her award-winning scholarship has been published in Communication and the Public, Journal of Public Relations Education, and Explorations in Media Ecology, among others. She was the 2024 recipient of the Chuck Lubbers Award for Pedagogical Research and the SGA Distinguished Teaching Award for the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities.

Dr. Riddell has served on the Faculty Senate since 2021 and has held the positions of Chair of the Planning and Special Issues Committee and, most recently, Chair of the Academic Council.