Suzanne Horsley

J. Suzanne Horsley, Ph.D., is associate professor of public relations at The University of Alabama. She is a co-author of “The Media Relations Training Handbook” and the sixth edition of “On Deadline: Managing Media Relations.” She began her communication career in Virginia working for a decade in state government public affairs and university media relations before joining academia. At Alabama, she teaches courses on public relations writing, strategic thinking, media relations, crisis communication, and qualitative research methods. Her communication research in government, crises and disasters has been published in a variety of academic journals and handbooks. The Southern Public Relations Federation named her PR Educator of the Year in 2012.

While a volunteer public affairs spokesperson and trainer with the American Red Cross, Horsley deployed to numerous large-scale disasters where she worked with national and international media that covered the events. In April 2011, she did a “backyard” deployment when an EF4 tornado struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama, destroying 12 percent of the city. She was recognized for her public information and media relations efforts with several awards, including being named a White House Champion of Change in 2012. She has conducted media training for spokespeople in emergency management agencies and other organizations around the country.

Horsley is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington (B.A.), Virginia Commonwealth University (M.A.), and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Ph.D.).