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Cynthia Irizarry, PhD

Associate Professor, Advertising, Public Relations & Social Media

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Graduate Program Director, Communication

Biography

Professor Cynthia Irizarry joined the faculty in the Department of Communication & Journalism in 2009. She arrived from Stetson University where she served as an Associate Professor of Communication Studies specializing in organizational communication, public relations and health communication. Prior to a career in academe, Cynthia was a public relations specialist with the Ford Motor Company Technology and Engineering Division and the City of Detroit Department of Parks and Recreation.

Education

  • PhD, University of Nebraska
  • MA, Wayne State University
  • BA, Wayne State University

Research Interests

  • Cynthia’s current program of research explores the way in which health care organizations communicate with multiple audiences and stakeholders including hospital ehealth initiatives. Her research has appeared in many refereed conference programs, journal articles and book chapters.

Recent Publications

  • Irizarry, C. & Gallant, L. (2006). Managing diversity: Interpretation and enactment in a health care setting. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication. 7, 43-50.
  • Gallant, L., Irizarry, C., & Kreps, G. (2007). User-centric hospital websites: A case for trust and personalization. eService Journal, 5(2), 5-26.
  • Gallant, L., Irizarry, C., & Boone, G. (2008) Exploring the adoption needs for patients using ehealth. In E. Vance Wilson (Ed.) Patient-Centered eHealth,(pp. 201-216). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
  • Irizarry, C.A. (2010) Where does it hurt? The impact of gender diversity in a medical practice. In. J. Keyton and P. Shockley, Zalabak (Eds.) Case Studies for Organizational Communication: Understanding Communication Processes. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Gallant, L.M., Irizarry, C., Boone, G.M., & Ruiz-Gordon, B. (Forthcoming). Spanish content on hospital websites: An analysis of U.S. hospitals in concentrated Latino communities. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.

Professional Activities

Cynthia has served as an editorial reviewer for several journals including Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, The Florida Communication Association Journal, The Electronic Journal of Communication, and the Journal of Health Psychology.

She has also provided communication consultant services for many organizations. She worked for the Centers for Disease Control Foundation as a research associate participating in multi-phase, multi-modal study of advertising concepts and message design to promote vitamin use. She also served as a communication research consultant for the corporate headquarters of the National Kidney Foundation. She has also advised the Volusia Chapter of the American Cancer Society and the Volusia County Health Department on public health promotion campaigns.

Awards & Honors

  • Wayne State University Debate Talent Scholarship
  • Wayne State University Graduate Assistantship
  • University of Nebraska Graduate Assistantship
  • University of Nebraska Doctoral Research Fellowship
  • President, Florida Communication Association
  • Nominated for Suffolk University CAS Teacher of the Year
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Courses Taught

  • ADPR-101- Intro to ADPR
  • ADPR-177- Professional Communication
  • ADPR-2277- Public Relations I
  • ADPR-3376- Public Relations II: Research
  • ADPR-340- Health Communication
  • ADPR-425- Issues in Public Relations
  • ADPR-441- Risk and Crisis Communication
  • ADPR-4477- Public Relations IV
  • ADPR-4478- SL-Public Relations IV
  • ADPR-457- Integrated Marketing Commun
  • ADPR-737- Intercultural Communication
  • ADPR-751- Health Communication
  • ADPR-775- Crisis Campaign Management
  • ADPR-777- Public Relations
  • ADPR-779- Integrated Marketing Communication