Meet the Teacher: Mihaela Vorvoreanu

Today's "Meet the Teacher" features one of my favorite social media friends (as in, without social media I wouldn't know her very well) Mihaela Vorvoreanu of Clemson University. Among other things, she's 2008 fellow of the Society for New Communication Research, and she's always willing to give new social media tools a whirl. Here's what she had to say:

Q. What is the purpose of your blog? Which other social media do you use?

A. I intend my blog to be a site of establishing connections among ideas and people: PR educators, practitioners, students. I hope to translate some of the academic theories to show their utility for PR practice and to make sense of PR practice in light of concepts and theories.

I'm on Twitter (@prprof_mv), flickr, del.icio.us, FriendFeed, Plurk, Facebook, LinkedIn, Second Life, a couple of niche networks on Ning (PR Open Mic is of interest to your readers). I get accounts and try out several things, but I don't always end up using all of them, of course!

Q. Tell us a little about your school and how PR is taught there.

A. The PR courses at Clemson have just undergone some revamping and restructuring. We follow the classical intro-techniques-campaigns structure. All the courses I teach include social media, and from time to time I teach a special topics course in Internet PR.

Q. Your discussions at the Edelman Digital Bootcamp showed that you're integrating social media into many of your classes. What are some of the most successful ways you've incorporated social media into the classroom?

A. I think students benefit most from case studies and examples. I get my students to use twitter, to blog, and read blogs. What I'd like to do is help students create their social media habits. Of course, they use social media all the time even if they haven't heard the term. But I'd like them to understand how to use it professionally, and how to keep on learning by participating in the professional online community - even when I'm not around!

Q. Do you have any advice for other PR educators who are considering starting a blog or getting involved in social media?

A. Social media is not about technology, it's a culture. Take the time to listen and learn the culture, then jump in, don't be afraid. Your computer won't blow up, I promise :)

Comments

[Mihaela V]

Thank you, Karen!