Mary Ann Ferguson

Mary Ann Ferguson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Public Relations Professor Emeritus, will retire from the College on June 1 after a 42-year career. Ferguson is best known as the researcher on the first experiment on public relations corporate social responsibility published in 1978, which led…

Corporate social responsibility and corporate social irresponsibility can make a difference on most consumer responses according to a new study by two University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) alumna and UFCJC Public Relations Professor Mary Ann Ferguson. “The Joint Effect of Corporate Social Irresponsibility and Social Responsibility…

By Lenore Devore, B.S. Journalism 1984 Public Relations majors don’t always appreciate the skills they can learn in a reporting class, but Erica Loewe, B.S. Public Relations 2011, said that class was the most instrumental she took while in the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. “It was…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications doctoral candidate Cen April Yue with Public Relations Associate Professor Rita Men and Public Relations Professor Mary Ann Ferguson are the recipients of the 2020 International Journal of Business Communication Outstanding Article of the Year from the Association for Business Communication (ABC).…

Organizational culture is a social glue that holds organizational members together and prescribes how things are understood, judged, and valued in an organization. The affective dimension of organizational culture, known as emotional culture, sets the tone for how organizational members feel. What can leaders do to promote the positive emotional…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications doctoral student Cen “April” Yue  is the lead author of “Examining the Effects of Internal Communication and Emotional Culture on Employees’ Organizational Identification” published in the International Journal of Business Communication on March 31. Yue, Public Relations Associate Professor Rita Men and…

Mary Ann Ferguson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Public Relations professor, is mentioned in a UF Women at Work profile of UF Vice President of Human Resources Jodi Gentry, M.A.M.C Public Relations 1989. Ferguson served as the chair of Gentry’s graduate committee and left a lasting impression…

By Lenore Devore, B.S. Journalism 1984 When a professor and mentor encouraged Mary Ann Ferguson to start thinking about research while she was getting her master’s degree in journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she decided to tackle the future of public relations. She presented a paper which was well-received…

Mary Ann Ferguson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Public Relations professor, is the recipient of the 2019 Journal of Public Relations Research (JPRR) Karen M. Russell Award for “Building Theory in Public Relations: Interorganizational Relationships as a Public Relations Paradigm,” the most-downloaded JPRR article during 2018.…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications faculty and graduate students were recognized at the 22nd annual International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC) in Orlando from March 7-9. Following are this year’s award winners. -Public Relations Professor Mary Ann Ferguson and doctoral student Cen “April” Yue received the Brigham…

Companies can have a variety of reasons for engaging in what the public considers socially responsible (CSR) practices. These motives can range from the purely philanthropic to desiring a favorable image to increasing revenue. In a crisis situation, a campaign to communicate CSR needs to be especially sensitive to public…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Public Relations Professor Mary Ann Ferguson and alumna Hyejoon Rim, Ph.D. 2013, authored “Proactive Versus Reactive CSR in a Crisis: An Impression Management Perspective,” accepted for publication by the Journal of Business Communication. Rim, the first author on the article, is currently…