The new Widmeyer Communications Professor in Public Relations brings her hands-on teaching style and research experience to West Virginia Universitys P.I. Reed School of Journalism.
Dr. Diana L. Knott, who is leaving her position at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to come back to WVU , will begin teaching courses in the public relations sequence this fall.
Knott boasts an extensive research record, strong professional experience and a passion for helping students succeed in their public relations careers. She earned her undergraduate (1985) and master’s (1995) degrees at WVU before earning her doctorate (2001) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Knott is the first person to fill the Widmeyer Communications Professorship in Public Relations, established in fall 2004 by Scott D. Widmeyer, a 1975 WVU P .I. Reed School of Journalism graduate.
Widmeyer Communications, with offices in both Washington, D.C., and New York City, is the largest independent public relations firm in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Widmeyer founded the firm in 1988 and it specializes in education, public affairs and business communications for a wide array of public- and private-sector clients. Widmeyer created the school’s first enhanced professorship, which allowed the school to hire an accomplished faculty member to teach public relations.
Diana’s addition to the J-School faculty is another step forward in elevating the P.I. Reed School of Journalism as a first tier program,Widmeyer said.Widmeyer Communications is proud to put its name behind this professorship. And, we look forward to continuing to partner with the University and Journalism School on other endeavors. Congratulations to Diana and welcome aboard.
In the classroom, Knott tries to engage students and to get them excited about the profession. Being a professional communicator is often fast-paced and dynamic, and she likes to include current issues, news events and promotional campaigns in her classroom teaching.
When possible, she also likes to incorporate service learning and real-world projects and activities into her courses.
I try to make students feel comfortable and valued, so they’re more apt to participate actively in class, to ask questions and to take initiative activities that are necessary for professional success,she said.College is a wonderful time of growth, change and development, and although there are also many challenges, I’ve found that encouragement and a sincere interest in students goes a long way toward helping them succeed.
Knott said returning to WVU as a teacher will be a unique experience.
It will seem strange to be in Martin Hall as a professor, after walking its halls as a student and alumna for so long,she said.Of course, teaching in the place where so many wonderful professors influenced my life and feeling as if I can give something back to the next generation of WVU students will be extremely rewarding.
Knott, who has published in Journalism Studies, Newspaper Research Journal, Public Relations Tactics, Transportation Research Record and a host of other publications, said she hopes to contribute both a strong academic and professional perspective to the school’s public relations curriculum.
I taught public relations courses at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at Elon University, while earning my doctorate at UNC , and have spent the last four years teaching and conducting public relations research at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University,she said.In addition, I sit on the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Educational Affairs Committee, so I’m familiar with outstanding PR programs and professionals around the country.
Knott intends to continue publishing and conducting public relations research.
The goal of research is to build upon and contribute knowledge to a field, and being able to share relevant findings with colleagues and students is satisfying,she said.Published research also helps build a researcher’s reputation and that of his or her school.