Online Bachelor of Science Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communications

Hugo Ottolenghi has taught public relations, mass communications and journalism classes at the undergraduate and graduate level at FIU as an adjunct for 12 years. He is certified in online and hybrid instruction. He has worked in public relations for nearly a decade, serving businesses and professionals, and consulting with public relations firms. Early in his career, Ottolenghi was vice president of a national news company now known as bankrate.com. Ottolenghi holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College.

Heather Radi-Bermudez began her career as a public relations practitioner. Her research interests involve health communication and stigma communication in a digitized world. Her earlier work with non-profits led a grassroots movement to create public awareness for teen dating violence in Greater Miami which was recognized by Mayor Carlos Gimenez with a Mayoral Proclamation of “REAL Love Miami Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week.” Bermudez is passionate about communications and is committed to providing students with hands-on, real-world experiences both in and out of the classroom. She is a proud Golden Panther with two degrees from FIU – M.S. in Global Strategic Communications and B.S. in Mass Communication (Public Relations). 

Jessica Matias is the rare kind of business and creative professional that cannot only assess client marketing needs but also effectively deliver strategic communication solutions for both clients and agencies.  Jess began her educational career at Boston University where she earned a BA in Psychology, giving her an understanding of human behavior that she has applied to the world of marketing and advertising.  After earning an MBA in Marketing Management from Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business, she launched her career as she delved into both the advertising and marketing sides of the business. She has since developed and managed campaigns and communication plans for a variety of products and services ranging from educational services  (Pace University) to financial services (Fleet Bank & Western Union). After about 15 years in the industry, she decided that it was time to embark on a new career, making an impact in the business world from a different angle - in the classroom.  Jess joined the FIU family in 2013 as an adjunct professor and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jessica Delgado is an instructor in the Department of Communication. Prior to joining the department, she pursued a career in marketing and public relations within higher education and the arts and humanities fields. She has led media and branding campaigns; initiatives in audience development; overseen promotion for various art exhibitions and projects at The Frost Art Museum at FIU; and managed public relations for prominent community events. She has worked and taught at Miami Dade College and served as the Director of Marketing, Communication, and Events at the UM Libraries. Ms. Delgado received a Bachelors in Liberal Arts and a Masters in Communication from FIU.

Dr. Sigal Segev is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Arabic Language from Tel- Aviv University, a Master’s degree in Advertising & Public Relations from FIU and a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Leicester, UK. Dr. Segev’s research interests focus on green advertising, new media and multi-cultural communication. She teaches classes in both graduate and undergraduate levels, including communication research methods, strategic communication in public diplomacy, global communication, a seminar in crisis management, and a new course in public opinion and new media as part of the SCJ’s recently launched major in Digital Media Studies. 

Dr. Weirui Wang earned a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from Pennsylvania State University. She received a Master of Arts in Communication Studies from Virginia Tech University and Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. Dr. Wang’s research focuses broadly on health communication and new media. In 2012, Dr. Wang was a recipient of AEJMC emerging scholar award and named one of Florida International University’s Top Scholars. Her work has been accepted and published in Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, Health Communication, International Journal of Advertising, International Journal of Communication, and other peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Yu Liu, assistant professor in the Department of Communication, joined the faculty of the School of Communication + Journalism in the fall of 2012. Her primary research focuses on computer-mediated communication, specifically exploring diffusion of social media and how social media affects the civil engagement and collective action. She is also interested in studying cross-cultural consumer behavior. Yu Liu received her Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Miami. Prior to pursuit of Ph.D., she worked as a reporter at a weekly news magazine in Beijing, China.