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Dr. Karen Lindsey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Strategic Communications where she joined the faculty in 2021. In 2022, she was selected as a Faculty Leadership Scholar. In 2024, she was appointed Faculty Director in Residence, a position reflecting her leadership in advancing student intellectual engagement and holistic development. She is faculty advisor to the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and mentors students in undergraduate research and across discplines.

Her scholarly and pedagogical work examines the intersections of race, gender, and organizational leadership, with emphasis on ethical communication practices. Her work bridges theory and practice through applied scholarship, public engagement, and industry collaboration. In 2024, she co-authored Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Strategic Communication: Becoming Culturally Proficient Communicators, a textbook adopted by multiple undergraduate programs.

Dr. Lindsey is an active public scholar and frequently invited speaker on brand and reputation management, inclusive communications, internal communications, and values driven use of artifical intelligence. Her national visibility includes a TEDx talk (2015) and she was selected as a featured presenter at South by Southwest (SXSW) in 2020. She regularly contributes as a guest speaker, podcast guest, advisor, and consultant to academic, nonprofit, and corporate audiences.

Prior to her appointment at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ, Dr. Lindsey served as a lecturer in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University. Her higher education administrative experience includes appointments as Associate Vice President for Retention and Career Development at Mississippi College and Assistant Director of the Center for Career and Professional Development at Texas Christian University, informing her student-centered and career-integrated pedagogy.

Dr. Lindsey brings extensive professional experience in corporate communications and public relations to her academic work. She previously served as Vice President in Edelman’s Higher Education practice, where she advised university presidents and senior leaders on media strategy, brand safety, and institutional reputation management. Additional professional experience includes communications leadership roles with Northwestern Mutual, the Chicago Tribune, U.S. Bank, and Wisconsin Gas (now WE Energies), as well as consulting assignments with public and private univiersities, non-profits, and the U.S. Army and Department of Defense.

Dr. Lindsey is a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and a fellow of the Women in Leadership Development Institute (WLDI). Her service contributions extend to professional organizations and community engagement, including volunteer work with the Alzheimer’s Association, Meals on Wheels, and Girl Scouts of the USA.