Who We Are
The Advertising Division serves as a bridge between academia and the professional advertising community. The division has a strong commitment to research, teaching and professional freedom and responsibility, which is expressed through the research sessions and panels that our members present at the AEJMC annual conference and through the additional activities sponsored by the division.
The 2020-21 Executive Committee
Taylor Jing Wen, Ph.D.
Head
Taylor Jing Wen, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina. She teaches media planning, account planning, and advertising principle classes, and am also a mentor of the student Ad Team for National Student Advertising Competition.
She enjoys inspiring and engaging students to appreciate the value of research and data in the advertising planning process.
Wen conducts research in consumer psychology and media effects in the context of marketing, health, and risk communications with a special focus on the construct of emotions.
Her research identifies multiple aspects of the construct of emotions, including mixed emotions, context- and ad-induced emotions, multiple dimensions of emotions — valence, arousal, and dominance, and psychophysiological measurement of emotions — eye-tracking, facial expression, skin conductance, and EEG. Her recent research focuses on affective computing and employs machine learning methods to explore the role of emotions in persuasion via text, image, and video analysis.
Wen joined the Advertising Division during her first year in the Ph.D. program at the University of Florida and started serving on the Executive Committee during her first year as a faculty at the University of South Carolina. During the past six years in the division, she had a chance to meet and maintain meaningful relationships with senior advertising scholars, established successful research collaborations with peers, and built high-impact mentorships with graduate students at different universities.
The year of 2020-2021 is exceptional in many ways. As the division head, Wen strives for two major goals to broaden the impacts of the division navigating through the pandemic: strengthen communications and enhance student involvement. She aims to cultivate strong networks in the advertising discipline through internal and external communications. Especially during this time of difficulty, she hopes the division can serve as the platform for information exchange on teaching practices, research ideas, and many others.
She is also dedicated to empowering graduate students who may be facing even greater challenges in job markets and life transitions. She seeks to offer service opportunities for graduate students in the division, create events for network building and mentorship, and provide financial support and award recognition.
Wen hopes to establish the division’s unique identity in the advertising professional and academic community.
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Saleem Alhabash, Ph.D.
Special Topics Chair
Saleem Alhabash is an Associate Professor in Michigan State University's Department of Advertising + Public Relations, where he also co-directs the Media and Advertising Psychology (MAP) Lab. His research focuses on the processes and effects of digital and social media within the context of persuasion. More specifically, his research investigates the cognitive and emotional responses, and psychological effects associated with using new and social media.
His research is geared toward understanding how digital communication channels can be used as persuasive tools, most recently in relation to marketing of alcohol as well as digital aggression across the lifespan. He also studies how new and social media can facilitate cross-cultural and international communication, with emphasis on changing attitudes and stereotypes of foreign nations.
In 2014, he was named the inaugural recipient of the American Academy of Advertising's Mary Alice Shaver Promising Professor Award and in 2018, he received MSU's Teacher-Scholar award. His research won best article, top paper, and top poster awards at national and international conferences.
Saleem received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Pre-academia, he worked in a youth nonprofit organization focusing on media and well-being. Saleem has been an active member of the AEJMC Ad Division for several years and is extremely excited to serve as a member of its executive committee.
Robin Spring, M.S.
Teaching and Pedagogy Chair
Robin is an associate professor in the Grand Valley State University School of Communications. Her professional work in radio, television, print and agency provide her with multi-faceted experiences in advertising and public relations. Her professional work has taken her from Michigan, to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Texas and back again.
Practical knowledge of client relations, strategic planning, creative campaigns, copywriting, sponsorships, partnerships, special events, celebrity promotions, media relations, sales, fundraising, and integrated marketing communications in various cultures and professional teams translate well in the Ad/PR courses she teaches. Currently, she teaches: Fundamentals of Advertising, Advertising Copywriting, Advertising/Public Relations Campaign, Advertising/Public Relations Agency Experience. Previously, Robin taught: Research Basics for Advertising and Public Relations, Concepts of Communication, Critical Interpretation, Interpersonal Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Speech, Story Making and Writing Corporate Communications.
Her research interests include advertising education, diversity, creativity, teamwork, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Robin is the Faculty Advisor for the GVSU National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) Team and also serves as the GVSU Student Advertising Club Advisor. She works with the American Advertising Federation of West Michigan (AAF-WMI) to connect students and professionals.
As the Teaching and Pedagogy Chair for the Advertising Division of the Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Robin chairs the Teaching Paper Competition, the Teaching Awards Committee and organized the Advertising Division Pre-Conference Teaching Workshop in 2020. She feels honored to serve the Advertising Division and invites comments, suggestions and connection with all our members.
Juan Mundel, Ph.D.
Vice Head
Juan Mundel. Ph.D. teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in advertising at Michigan State University. He is a co-director and founder of the Media Engagement Lab at DePaul University and Director of the Latino Media and Communication Program.
From an interdisciplinary background, his research includes media psychology, consumer behavior, and social media advertising.
He has published research in the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, and Journal of Marketing Communications.
He serves as Vice-Head for the Advertising Division at AEJMC, which he joined as a graduate student, and reviews manuscripts for the Journal of Interactive Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, among others.
He was selected among the “2020 35 Under 35” Young Leaders Making an Impact in Chicago awarded by Chicago Scholars.
Harsha Gangadharbatla, Ph.D.
Research Chair
Harsha Gangadharbatla is an associate professor of advertising at the University of Colorado Boulder. Over the last five years, he served as the founding chairperson of the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Design in the College of Media, Communication and Information.
He currently serves as the Research Chair for AEJMC Ad Division and he is also the current President-Elect of the American Academy of Advertising (AAA).
His research interests lie at the intersection of technology, business, and communication. He has authored (or co-authored) over 40 publications including conference proceedings.
He holds a BE in Electrical Engineering from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (India), an MA in Advertising from Michigan State University, and a PhD in Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin.
Sydney Dillard, Ph.D.
Professional Freedom & Responsibility Chair
Sydney Dillard, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Graduate Director of the Public Relations and Advertising master's degree program in DePaul University's College of Communication. Her areas of expertise focus on visual communication, health campaign development, and sustainable university-community partnerships for social change.
Her teaching experience spans advertising courses including Intro to Advertising, Graphic Design, Advertising and Health Campaigns, and Communication Ethics and Law, among others. Her scholarly work explores the relationship between power, privilege and choice in both advertising and health communication sectors.
Dr. Dillard is currently overseeing the development of the College of Communication Media Engagement Lab (ME Lab), Continuing Professional Education Certificate in Creative Advertising, and BRAND Summer Program (Building Resources for Advertising Needs and Diversity). She also serves as an executive board member in the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) as the Vice-Head of the Minorities and Communication Division and Professional Freedom & Responsibility Chair in the Advertising Division.
She also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Applied Communication Research. Outside of the academy she loves dancing, cooking, and being a child of God.
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Claire M. Segijn, Ph.D.
Graduate Student Chair
Dr. Claire M. Segijn is an Assistant Professor of Advertising at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
Her research is focused on the simultaneous usage of multiple media (e.g., media multitasking, synced advertising) and how this affects information processing and advertising effectiveness. Her work appeared it Journal of Advertising, Human Communication Research, Communication Methods & Measures, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, and International Journal of Advertising, among others. Furthermore, her work has been honored with several awards and grants of the American Academy of Advertising (AAA), the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), the European Advertising Academy (EAA), and the International Communication Association (ICA).
In 2020, she was granted the Mary Alice Shaver Promising Professor award of the American Academy of Advertising. She has taught several courses both to undergraduate and graduate students, ranging from individual supervision to teaching in front of large groups of students.
In spring 2019 and 2020, she was recognized for outstanding teaching and dedication to helping students learn.
Finally, she serves as the current chair of the AAA Global and Multicultural committee and as the Graduate Student Chair of the AEJMC ad division.