Kristie Byrum, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA,  is a global public relations scholar who bridges private enterprise and academia. She advances knowledge on corporate communication, counsels businesses and educates the next generation of leaders. She is the author of The European Right to be Forgotten: The First Amendment Enemy (Lexington, 2018).

By uniting real-world experience with academic knowledge, Dr. Byrum delivers the best practices of both worlds to business and academia. After more than 20 years in private enterprise serving as a journalist, public relations counselor, agency owner, and corporate communications executive, Byrum returned to the classroom to pursue a doctorate in rhetorics, communication and information design from Clemson University. Today, she is an assistant professor in the Mass Communications Department at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. With her research on the intersection of communication and corporate social responsibility, Dr. Byrum provides insights into the evolving public relations profession publishing scholarly work and engaging in the global dialogue of public relations scholarship. Through her past and present service to two PRSSA chapters, she helps students embrace public relations and promotes the inclusion of communications curriculum in MBA Programs. A recognized entrepreneur, she founded three public relations agencies and a venture-funded dot-com company.

As first lady Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Whether consulting to a corporate CEO or college student, Dr. Byrum encourages big dreams as part of achieving success. A veteran entrepreneur, she serves as a role model to businessowners and helps students visualize a bright future. With a dynamic flair and passion for the profession, Dr. Byrum provides a bridge between academia and private enterprise, giving her students, business leaders and the profession a valuable translator. With a global platform, she has recently addressed scholars in Greece, Canada, China, and England.