Communications Faculty and Staff
Dr. Tamara Gillis
Professor of Communications
gillistl@etown.edu | 717-361-1386
Tamara Gillis, professor of communications, teaches corporate communications and research courses at Elizabethtown College. Her most recent work include “The IABC Practical Guide for Professional Communication: A Global Standard Primer” (IABC, 2021). She is the author of numerous titles concerning workplace communication, organizational development, and change communication. Dr. Gillis serves as a corporate consultant and led the International Association of Business Communicators Executive Accreditation program at Royal Roads University.
Gillis is recognized globally for her work in education, training, change management and employee communication. Her research and consulting interests include change management, effective organizational design, and the impact of technology. She has served as a faculty member for the Institute for Shipboard Education’s Semester at Sea program and at Royal Roads University (Victoria, British Columbia) Centre for Applied Leadership and Management, as well as in mass media projects in Swaziland and Namibia. Research and consulting projects have led her to Australia, Canada, India, Ecuador and numerous of other countries.
Dr. Gillis is a Page Legacy Scholar of The Arthur W. Page Center, a recipient of The Ernest R. McDowell Award for Excellence in Public Relations, and the IABC Research Foundation Lifetime Friend recognition. She holds the designation of accredited business communicator through the IABC and was recognized as an IABC Fellow in 2014. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts in London. She was the first educator to serve as the chairman of the IABC Research Foundation.
Dr. Kirsten Johnson
Professor of Communications
johnsonka@etown.edu | 717-361-1258
Kirsten Johnson, professor of communications, primarily teaches video production and news writing classes. She also advises the Etown chapter of the Society for Collegiate Journalists. Prior to teaching, Johnson worked for nearly a decade in local radio and television. She began her media career at KRNT and KIOA radio in Des Moines, Iowa as an on-air personality and board operator. She then worked as a news producer at WOI-TV (the ABC affiliate in Des Moines) and at WGAL-TV (the NBC affiliate in Lancaster).
Johnson has a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, a master's degree in telecommunications from Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, and a doctoral degree in information science and technology from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her research interests include citizen journalism, perceived credibility on web sites and user created content. She has made presentations nationally and internationally on citizen journalism, has authored several papers on citizen journalism and user created content and has written a book chapter titled "Citizen Journalism in the Community and the Classroom in the book Public Journalism 2.0: The Promise and Reality of a Citizen-Engaged Press." She co-edited a book, titled "News With a View: Journalism Beyond Objectivity" and co-authored a textbook, titled "Shoot, Edit, Share: Video Production for Mass Media, Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations".
Dr. Kelly Poniatowski
Associate Professor
poniatowskik@etown.edu | 717-361-1371
Kelly Poniatowski is an associate professor of communications at Elizabethtown College. She earned her doctoral degree in mass communications from Penn State University. She earned her master's degree in corporate communications from Duquesne University and her bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown.
Poniatowski spent eight years in the sports industry in public relations, customer service and ticketing. She worked for the former Johnstown Chiefs (East Coast Hockey League), the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Capitals. She enjoys incorporating her on-the-job experience into the classroom. Dr. Poniatowski has most recently taught:
- Multimedia Journalism (Com 211)
- PR Writing (Com 355)
- Advanced Public Relations (Com 412)
- First Year Seminar (FYS 100)
Poniatowski’s research interests focus on gender, nationality, and race in sports. Previous research has looked at the framing of women in Olympic hockey. Currently she is researching gender and race in American Ninja Warrior.
Dr. Colin Helb
Associate Professor
helbc@etown.edu | 717-361-1387
Colin Helb, PhD is Associate Professor of Communications, teaching courses in media production, audio production, film, critical media studies, and media design.
Dr. Helb earned his doctoral degree from Bowling Green State University's American Culture Studies Program with emphases on popular culture; film, media and television studies; and popular music. Helb's book, Hardcore, Punk, and Other Junk: Aggression in Contemporary Music (co-edited with Eric Abbey), was published by Lexington in 2014. Additional research and publications explore gender politics in Hollywood, gender and technology in music production, cross-media marketing and convergence, and amateur media production.
Dr. Helb is active with the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA) and the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA).
Dr. Matthew Telleen
Associate Professor
telleenm@etown.edu | 717-361-1262
Matthew Telleen is associate professor of communications at Elizabethtown College. He earned his doctoral degree in communications from the University of South Carolina and his juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
Telleen previously has worked in corporate communications, print journalism and as an attorney in St. Paul, Minnesota. He teaches courses in Communication Law and Ethics, Communication Research Methods, Multi-Cultural Communications and Writing Across the Media. His research focuses on corporate political speech, commercial speech and First Amendment Theory.
Dr. Katherine Hughes
Associate Professor
hugheska@etown.edu | 717-361-1259
Katherine Hughes is associate professor of communications at Elizabethtown College. She earned her doctoral degree in mass communications, as well as her master's degree in television/radio/film from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She earned her bachelor's degree in mass communications from James Madison University.
Prior to teaching, Dr. Hughes worked in the fields of e-learning and web development as a designer and project manager.
Dr. Hughes teaches courses in Visual Communications (COM 130), Digital Photography (COM/ART 145), Presentation Skills (COM 210), PR Media Production (COM 235), and Photojournalism (COM 371). Additionally, she has served on honors committees for the Departments of Communications and Fine Arts. She also advises the Etown Photography Club.
Dr. Hughes leads a short-term study abroad program to Ireland. Students spend 3.5 weeks traveling across Ireland and Northern Ireland documenting their experiences through journalistic writing and photographs. For more information about Etown’s Study Abroad Programs, visit the Study Abroad page.
Dr. Hughes authored a textbook, titled “Graphic Design: Learn It, Do It” (CRC Press). This text is an introduction to the fundamentals of graphic design and the Adobe Creative Cloud applications used to put these concepts into practice.
Andy Williams
Director of Student Media
williamsaw@etown.edu | 717-361-6414
- AS in Telecommunications from Delaware Tech and Community College
Andy is an Emmy-nominated press photographer and has over 20 years of broadcast news experience. Most recently he was employed by WGAL-TV, an NBC affiliate in Lancaster, as a photographer covering central PA. Andy manages Etown’s student media including the student-run television (ECTV) and radio station (WWEC). He also works closely with student media board members. He is responsible for the vast inventory of technology within the Communications program, as well as securing the latest updates for best student experience. Andy collaborates with students and faculty on projects both inside and outside the classroom.
