Faculty & Professional Advisors
Who We Are
Amanda Sams
Dr. Amanda Sams is an assistant professor of integrated marketing communications at the University of Mississippi. Her research focuses on how social network interactions impact maternal health decision-making, specifically childhood vaccine hesitancy. She received her Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Florida, M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University, and B.A. in Journalism from the University of Alabama.
Her professional experience includes three years as the Public Relations Manager of Preferred Medical Group, a multi-disciplinary, multi-location medical practice, where she rebranded the company, co-led a merger, wrote and produced 18 television commercials, and generated ~$875,000 in potential revenue. She later held the role of Director of Sales and Brand Growth for Chick-fil-A in Lawton, OK, resulting in an outside sales increase of 600% over one year. Simultaneously, she owned and operated a social media consulting firm for more than two years before beginning her Ph.D.
Deborah (Debbie) Woodrick Hall
Dr. Bitt Moon (Ph.D., Indiana University) is an assistant professor of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) at the University of Mississippi. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses, including Introduction to IMC, Public Relations, and Reputation Management. She previously worked as a strategic researcher in the public relations industry and served as an advisory board member for government organizations’ public relations in South Korea.
Dr. Moon’s research examines the communication behaviors of publics, particularly information withholding and sharing, across various contexts in which organizations and publics build and maintain relationships. Her current research focuses on silence in organizational settings to develop strategic corporate communication practices. Dr. Moon serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Journal of Public Relations and is a member of the editorial board for theJournal of Public Relations Research.
Ms. Kim Marks Malone
Kim Marks Malone is an accredited PR professional, a retired Navy Public Affairs officer, a part-time PR consultant, and a full-time Public Relations and Journalism Professor at the University of Memphis and the adviser for the university's student-run strategic communication firm, Meeman 901 Strategies.
When she's not teaching public relations, she's busy helping Memphis small businesses and non-profits engage with their customers and tell their stories as an independent PR consultant. Her specialties include social media management, media relations, crisis communication, issues management, and organizational communication.