Contact Information
476 Communications Building
Knoxville, TN 37996 alevensh@utk.edu
865-974-3048 (o)
202-580-5030 (c)
University of Maryland
Ph.D.
, 2012, Communication (Public Relations emphasis)
Dissertation: The Social Coast Guard: An Ethnographic Examination of the Intersection of Risk,
Communication, Social Media, and Government Public Relations
American University
Master of Arts, 2007, Public Communication
DePauw University
Bachelor of Arts, 2001, in English Writing, Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa
Assistant Professor , 2012 to present, School of Advertising and Public Relations, College of
Communication and Information, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Teach undergraduate courses in basic public relations writing, advanced public relations writing, public relations cases
(management), public relations professional seminar, and a doctoral seminar in advanced qualitative methods for communication research. Won College of Communication and Information’s 2014 Faculty
Teaching Award. Serve as official adviser for 31 undergraduate public relations majors (as of Fall
2015). Serve as faculty chapter adviser for Public Relations Student Society of America Sammie Lynn
Puett chapter. Mentor and serve on masters’ and Ph.D. student committees. Informally advise and mentor dozens of students each semester through resume and cover letter critiques, serving as references, helping secure internships and jobs, and connecting students with professional contacts for informational interviews.
Research interests: government communication, risk, crisis and disaster communication, social media management
Publications
Levenshus, A. B.
(Accepted). Building context-based knowledge of government social media communication through an ethnographic study of the U.S. Coast Guard. Accepted for publication in the Journal of Applied Communication Research.
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 1

Sundstrom, B. L., & Levenshus, A. B.
(Forthcoming). The art of tweeting: Integrating primary social media research into a public relations writing course. Invited chapter in
Hana S. Noor Al-
Deen’s
Social
Media in the Classroom. (Under contract with Peter Lang Publishing)
Levenshus, A. B.
Military public relations. (2013). In R. L. Heath (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of
Public Relations (2 nd
ed.) (pp. 565-567). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Levenshus, A. B.
Public affairs. (2013). In R. L. Heath (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of
Public Relations (2 nd
ed.) (pp. 709-711). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Liu, B. F., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2013). Opportunities, challenges and trends in U.S. federal government communication. Invited chapter in K. Sanders & M. J. Canel (Eds.), Government
Communication: Cases and Challenges (pp. 59-78) .
New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Levenshus, A. B.
(2013). [Review of the book Taking our country back: The crafting of networked politics ]. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 43 (4) , 924 -926.
Liu, B. F., Levenshus, A. B.
, Horsley, J. S. (2012). Communication practices of U.S. elected and non-elected officials: Toward a new model of government communication.
Journal of Communication Management , 16 (3), 220-243.
Liu, B. F., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2011). Crisis public relations for government communicators.
Invited chapter in M. Lee, G. Neeley, & K. B. Stewart (Eds.), The Practice of Government
Public Relations (pp. 101-124). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Horsley, J. S., Liu, B. F., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2010). Expanding the government communication decision wheel with four levels of government. Communication Theory , 20 , 269-295.
*Levenshus, A. B.
(2010). Online relationship management in a presidential campaign: A case study of the Obama campaign’s management of its Internet-integrated grassroots effort.
Journal of Public Relations Research , 22 (3), 313-335.

One of top 10 most downloaded JPRR articles of 2011 (as of May 2011); the only graduate student sole-authored article to be included in the top 10
Liu, B. F., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2010). Public relations professionals’ perspectives on the communication challenges and opportunities they face in the U.S. public sector. PRism ,7(1),
Available at http://www.prismjournal.org
Liu, B. F., Horsley, J. S., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2010). Government and corporate communication practices: Do the differences matter? Journal of Applied Communication Research . 38 (2), 189-
213.
Levenshus, A. B . (2009). [Review of the book Public relations: Strategies and tactics (9 th
ed.)].
Journalism Studies , 10 (4), 571-572.
Levenshus, A. B.
(2007). Public radio’s social media experiments: Risk, opportunity, challenge.
Center for Social Media . Available at http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/ resources/publications/public_radio/
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 2

Conference Papers/Presentations
Levenshus, A. B., Childers, C. C., Blakely, A., Winkler, R., (Accepted).
The forgotten internal agency: Recommendations for partnering with the university communications office to enhance
PR undergraduate programs. Abstract accepted for poster presentation at the 2015
PRSA
Educators Academy Conference in Atlanta, GA.
Ihlen, O., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2015, May). Extolling and extending dialogue: Proposing new directions for research on corporations’ use of social media.
Accepted for presentation at the
2015 International Communication Association Annual Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Palenchar, M. P., Heath, R. L., Levenshus, A. B.
, & Lemon, L. (2015, May). Marketplace commodification of risk communication: Consequences for risk bearers and implications for public relations. Accepted for presentation at the 2015 International Communication
Association Annual Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Levenshus, A. B., & Lemon, L. L. (2014, November). The minimized face of internal communication: An exploration of how public relations agency websites depict internal communication, its value, and connection to social media . Presented at the
2014 National Communication Association’s 100 th
Annual Convention in Chicago, IL.
Hoy, M. G., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2014, June). Familiarity: Friend or foe? Insights from retroactive think aloud eye tracking interviews on reading risk information on an Rx drug website . Presented at the American Marketing Association’s 2014 Marketing and Public Policy
Conference in Boston, MA.
Ihlen, O., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2014, June).
Digital dialogue: Crisis communication in social media.
Presented at the Corporate Communication International Conference on
Corporate Communication 2014 in Hong Kong; panel on social media & crisis communication.
Levenshus, A. B.
, & Briones, R. L. (2014, June). Engaging in the aftermath: An exploration of the post-disaster role and use of organizational social media in Joplin, Missouri.
Presented at the Corporate Communication International Conference on Corporate
Communication 2014 in Hong Kong.
Sundstrom, B. L., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2014, May).
The art of engagement: Extending dialogic strategies on Twitter. Presented at the 2014 annual conference of the International
Communication Association in Seattle, WA.
Levenshus, A. B.
(2013, August). The social Coast Guard: An ethnographic examination of public sector influences on the U.S. Coast Guard social media program. Presented at the 2013 annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication,
Washington, D.C.
Liu, B. F., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2011, August). A comprehensive analysis of the study of communication and counterterrorism: What we do and do not know and a proposed research agenda for closing the gap.
Presented at the 2011 annual conference of the Association for
Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, St. Louis, MO.
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 3

Sundstrom, B., Levenshus, A. B ., Hobler, M., & Aldoory, L. A. (2011, May). Toward a model of audience-directed health communication: Exploring health care reform advertisements.
Presented at the 2011 annual conference of the International Communication Association,
Boston, MA.
Kuch, B. A., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2010, October). Harnessing the Web for teaching writing for the Web: A new media makeover of the public relations writing course pedagogy. Paper presented at Public Relations Society of America Educators Academy, Washington, D.C.
Levenshus, A. B.
, Hobler, M., Sundstrom, B., & Aldoory, L. A. (2010, August). Eclipsing message meaning: Exploring the role of sponsor identity and cynicism in audiences’ perceptions of health care reform issue ads.
Paper presented at the 2010 annual conference of the Association for the Education of Journalism and Mass Communication, Denver, CO. (Poster received 2 nd place for visual communication)
Horsley, J. S., Liu, B. F., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2009, August). Expanding the government communication decision wheel with four levels of government.
Paper presented at the annual convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Boston,
MA.
Levenshus, A. B.
(2009, August). Maximizing the Internet’s relationship-building potential: The
Obama campaign’s strategic management of its Internet-integrated grassroots strategy.
Paper presented at the 2009 annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and
Mass Communication, Boston, MA.
Liu, B. F., Horsley, S., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2009, May). Government and corporate public relations practitioners: Peas in a pod or polar opposites?
Paper presented at the 2009 annual conference of the International Communication Association, Chicago, IL.
Liu, B. F., & Levenshus, A. B.
(2008, May). Testing the government communication decision wheel: Toward a new theory of government public relations . Paper presented at the 2008 annual conference of the International Communication Association, Montreal, Canada.
Refereed Conference Panel
Panelist, Embracing Opportunities to Build Community Resilience: Communication Approaches to
Fostering Community Preparedness, Adaptation, and Recovery , one of four panelists presenting research on a competitively selected panel at the 2015 National Communication
Association Conference in Las Vegas, NV.
Panelist, Teaching Digital Media Writing: Challenges, Opportunities, and Examples for Public
Relations Education, one of four panelists for competitively selected panel at the October 2014
PRSA Educators Academy Conference in Washington, D.C.
External Support for Research
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 4

Unfunded Proposals
$1.8 million (10 million Kroner) grant proposal, Trust and Dialogue on Climate Risk in a Hybrid
Media System (TaD), submitted to The Research Council of Norway. Co-primary investigator, along with primary investigator and project manager Oyvind Ihlen, University of Oslo, Norway; and Co-PIs
Andreas Schwartz, Ilmenau University of Technology, Germany; Britt-Marie L. Drottz Sjoberg,
Norweigan University of Science and Technology, Norway; Abbey Levenshus and Michael J.
Palenchar, University of Tennessee; and Anabella Carvalho, University of Minho, Portugal.
$1.8 million (10 million Kroner) grant proposal, Trust to the Test: Risk Situations and Response, submitted to The Research Council of Norway, Societal Security (SAMRISK) Program, 2015-2017.
Co-primary investigator, along with primary investigator and project manager Oyvind Ihlen,
University of Oslo, Norway; and Co-PIs Michael Palenchar, University of Tennessee; Andreas
Schwartz, Ilmenau University of Technology, Germany; Augustine Pang, Nanyang Technical
University, Singapore; and Britt-Marie L. Drottz Sjoberg, Norwegian University of Science and
Technology, Norway.
$2,450 grant proposal, What are the Rules of Engagement?: A Qualitative Analysis of U.S. Congress
Members’ Posted Facebook Comment Policies, submitted to the Arthur W. Page Center, 2014.
Primary investigator and project manager, Abbey B. Levenshus, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Funded Proposal
Part of four-country research team to receive an $18,000 (100,000 Kroner) pre-grant award from the
Norwegian Research Council related to the Societal Security (SAMRISK) Program, 2015-2017. Team members assembled in November 2013 in Oslo, Norway, to begin work on the larger grant proposal focused on research related to social media and community resilience.
University of Tennessee
PBRL420 – Advanced Public Relations Writing, Fall 2015
Intensive writing course focused on writing for media relations and digital/social media. Course delivery and content blends group discussion, critical analysis, and experiential learning through hands-on writing for Alzheimer’s Tennessee. Student teams analyze the client’s media coverage, assess their communication needs and then work in teams to develop traditional media products as well as social/digital content in support of a specific Alzheimer’s Tennessee event, program or function.
PBRL380 – Public Relations Professional Seminar , Fall 2015
Professional development seminar designed to allow students to explore career choices in communication – particularly geared toward public relations. Emphasis is placed on developing skills and techniques for both obtaining employment and advancing early career potential. Course explores career choices in public relations and includes resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, and portfolio preparation. Students also gain hands-on skills and experience with informational interviewing and networking.
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 5

PBRL490 Special Topics – Advanced Public Relations Writing, Spring 2015
Developed advanced writing course blending group discussion, critical analysis, and hands-on writing for real clients. Partnered with social media course to create an integrated digital campaign plan proposal and sample content for the University of Tennessee’s Media and Internal Relations team.
PBRL320 Public Relations Communication , Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring
2015
Intensive writing course where students learn to create a variety of public relations messages in varying formats for differing organizational objectives. Bring in guest speakers to lead hands-on writing workshops. Use university clients to give students real-world writing opportunities.
CCI643, Qualitative Communication and Information Research Methods II , Fall 2014
Doctoral seminar that seeks to increase students’ qualitative research understanding and proficiency by deepening their theoretical and practical understandings of qualitative epistemologies and methodologies
PBRL370 Public Relations Cases , Fall 2013
Cases and management class using research, analysis and planning. Partnered with the advertising management class for a joint client-based group research project with two client presentations over the course of the semester – one research presentation and a final campaign presentation
University of Maryland
COMM427 Crisis Communication , Spring 2012
Advanced communication course introduced theoretical and practical approaches to studying and practicing crisis communication
COMM483 Public Relations Seminar , Spring 2012
Senior capstone course that applied previous knowledge and skills in a semester-long campaign competition. Student groups worked on behalf of Mars and its agency of record, APCO Worldwide.
COMM352 Specialized Writing in Public Relations , Spring 2009, Fall 2009
Advanced writing course for senior public relations majors that introduced a variety of public relations specializations. Worked with colleague to develop new course strategies and implement more public relations theories and principles.
COMM352 Specialized Writing in Public Relations , Fall 2010 (Updated new media version)
Redesigned and taught pilot course for what is now a required senior capstone writing course in order to increase students’ social media literacy and writing skills while connecting social media to strategic organizational communication and key public relations functions (e.g., crisis management, relationship management, etc.).
COMM351 Public Relations Techniques, Fall 2011
Introductory public relations writing class that synthesized best practices, recent research, and cuttingedge public relations trends. Students worked with actual nonprofit clients.
COMM350 Public Relations Theory, Spring 2010, Spring 2011
Introductory public relations principles class that orients students to key public relations theory and practice
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 6

COMM298L Speak Up! People, Publics, and You, Summer 2011
Co-taught pre-college class for high school students as part of university’s Young Scholars Program offered through the Office of Extended Studies. Class explored all aspects of media and communication and taught students to critically analyze and produce effective messages, advocate for change, and write and speak with impact. As part of the class, I organized a Capitol Hill Day that involved securing a congressional room and recruiting high-level government communicators to come speak with students throughout the day about advocacy communication regarding distracted driving.
Speakers provided in-person professional feedback on students’ proposed strategic communication plans to curb teenage distracted driving.
COMM107 Oral Communication, Principles and Practice , Fall 2008
Hybrid undergraduate communication course covering intrapersonal, interpersonal, group and public communication aspects
American University
COMM 310 Public Speaking , Fall 2007, Spring 2008, Adjunct Lecturer
Undergraduate public speaking courses that culminated in public performances
COMM301 Introduction to Public Relations , Spring 2008, Adjunct Lecturer
Introductory public relations principles class that oriented students to key public relations theory and practice
George Washington University
Advanced Writing for Communications Professionals , Fall 2007, Facilitator for Prof. Donald Bates
Facilitated online course for the Graduate School of Public Management. Responsibilities included assisting with course execution and grading, as well as coordinating student communication, and holding weekly virtual office hours with students.
Introductory and graduate courses in communication/public relations theory, basic and advanced writing (including social media writing), strategy/campaigns/cases, research methods, qualitative methods, evaluation, communication theory, and public speaking
Special interest in political/government/military communication, online/social media communication, risk and crisis communication, counterterrorism communication
First Steps in the PR Job Search , January 2015, University of Tennessee
Presented to PR professional seminar students on early steps to take to secure a future public relations professional position. The presentation included an overview to the approach, specific steps, and highlighted informational interviews. A game allowed students to identify the do’s and don'ts of informational interviewing in a humorous, informal atmosphere.
Medal of Honor Project Briefing , February 2014, University of Tennessee
One of four faculty, and only member of the School of Advertising and Public Relations, to present to
Medal of Honor Convention leaders and Robert Stevens, Executive Chairman of Lockheed Martin,
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 7

about how I am incorporating the Medal of Honor Project into my public relations writing course. The service-learning project represents a unique university collaboration with the 2014 Medal of Honor
Convention that will be held in Knoxville. The presentation updated Mr. Stevens, a member of the
Congressional Medal of Honor Society Board, and other Medal of Honor Society and convention leaders about the experiential learning project’s progress and impact on students.
Social Media, Social Organizations, October 2012, Construction Financial Management Association,
Central Indiana Chapter
Presented in person regarding organizational social media use advantages and best practices with an emphasis on the 2012 presidential election
Connection, Not Control: Using Social Media to Hear, Understand & Engage Key Stakeholders ,
March 2012, Southern California Food Industry Conference
Presented via Skype to the Southern California Institute of Food Technologists Section
Work-Life Balance in Academia , November 2011, University of Maryland, Department of
Communication
Served as graduate student representative alongside faculty as part of department colloquium series
Personal and Professional Online Branding , October 2011, University of Maryland, Undergraduate
Communication Association
Developed and co-led interactive workshop for Department of Communication undergraduate students on “do’s and don’ts” of harnessing online communication platforms and tools for personal and professional development and “branding”
Social Media Education Trainings and Presentations , Fall 2010, University of Maryland, PR Faculty and Instructors

At biannual PR faculty/instructors meeting, developed and presented interactive overview on the influence of social media in public relations practice and education. Oriented instructors to revamped social media writing course we developed and would offer as a pilot course in fall
2010. Solicited feedback from current PR instructors on what social media training they would find most useful in order to tailor future trainings and orientations to their specific needs.

Presented and led trainings during fall semester; spoke at graduate teaching class on incorporating social media in pedagogy and class assignments; met individually with faculty members to help infuse current courses with social media; offered hands-on faculty and staff training on best practices and pitfalls to avoid when integrating social media into curriculum and pedagogy
Government Communication Career Panel , Fall 2010, University of Maryland, Public Relations
Student Society of America
Served as one of five panelists to discuss opportunities for communication careers with the federal government. Stressed importance of oral and written communication skills and particular need for students skilled in strategic online communication and relationship-building potential of social and new media.
Focus Group Training , Summer 2010, Purdue University, Marketing and Media Team
Presented hands-on, interactive focus group training for Purdue communication staff on how to design and moderate focus groups as well as analyze and put to use their data
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 8

Principles of Strategic Communication , Fall 2008, American University, Prof. Rick Stack
Presented lecture and facilitated discussion with master’s students on the participatory Internet’s influence on presidential campaigns
Public Relations Writing , Fall 2007, American University, Prof. Darrell Hayes
Developed and executed speechwriting presentation and group activity for master’s level writing class
Communication and Media in the 21st Century
, Summer 2007, Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership
Seminar Panelist
Presented and served as panelist before 300 high school students
Public Relations Case Studies , Spring 2007, Dr. Brooke Liu
Developed and presented special needs publics lecture and group activity for undergraduate students
Introduction to Public Relations , Fall 2006, Prof. Danielle Schwartz
Developed and presented crisis communications lecture and group activity
Political Communications Strategy , Summer 2006, George Washington University, Joe Rothstein
(Adjunct Lecturer)
Presented to and facilitated discussion with 30 graduate students on official and campaign political communication
Master’s Committees
Whitney Heins, Member (2013)
Yuhui Liu, Member (2013)
Amy Lawrence, Member (2014)
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination
Lindsey Bier, Member (2015)
Laura Lemon, Member (2015)
LaVerne Gray, Member (2015)
Sejin Park, Member (2015)
Dissertation Committees
Laura Lemon, Member (2015)
Sejin Park, Member (2015)
Melissa Graham, Member (2013)

2014, Recipient, College of Communication and Information Faculty Teaching Award

2013, Recipient of the College of Communication and Information Dean’s Summer Research
Fund, $2,000

2012, Recipient of the Charles Richardson Award, presented to the most outstanding Ph.D. student in the University of Maryland Communication Department
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 9


2011 Fall, Recipient of competitive Graduate Student Course Relief Fellowship

2011 Spring, Recipient of competitive Graduate Student Travel Award to supplement existing departmental funds in order to travel to conferences where I presented research

2010, Recipient of Arts and Humanities Improvement of Instruction grant for course redesign
(COMM352)

2010, 3 rd
Place, Top Research Paper Award, Bureaucrats, politicians, and communication practices: Toward a new model of government communication.
Paper presented at the 2010 annual conference of the Association for the Education of Journalism and Mass
Communication

2010, 2 nd Place, Visual Communication, Eclipsing message meaning: Exploring the role of sponsor identity and cynicism in audiences’ perceptions of health care reform issue ads.
Paper presented at the 2010 annual conference of the Association for the Education of Journalism and
Mass Communication, Denver, CO. (Poster received 2 nd
place for visual communication)

2007, Best Group Strategic Communication Plan, American University

2007, Outstanding Contribution to the American University School of Communication
Community

2015, Big Orange Family Campaign Executive Committee, University of Tennessee

2014-2015, Member, UT College of Communication and Information Social Media Week
Committee

2013-2014, Member, National Communication Association Public Relations Division PRIDE
Committee

Serve as reviewer for national conferences including the International Communication
Association and National Communication Association

Serve as reviewer for Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media , Communication Quarterly,
Journal of Communication, Journal of Public Relations Search, Public Relations Review

2008-2012, Served as a department Admissions Ambassador, speaking and meeting with prospective UMD communication graduate students

Spring 2011, Secured U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards as Department of Communication commencement speaker at the University of Maryland

2007,
Worked with American University’s School of Communication’s Institute for Strategic
Communication for Nonprofits on its conference in conjunction with the 2007 SILVERDOCS
American Film Institute/Discovery Channel Film Festival

2006, Served as co-organizer of Hoops for Home basketball fundraiser that united the
American University School of Communication to raise $2500 for emergency travel for an international graduate student
Communication Director Oct. 2007 – Oct. 2008
Macro Solutions, Inc., Arlington, VA
Conducted company-wide internal and external communications audit; developed and implemented strategies for improving communications including 2008 public relations campaigns; advised management on ongoing communications needs; developed public relations, communications, and rebranding plan for 2008
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 10

Communication Director Feb. – Aug. 2006
National Geographical and Political Software, Inc., Washington, DC

As first Communications Director for this growing national political software company, conducted internal and external communications audit

Implemented processes and structure for improved internal corporate communications plan

Created and oversaw branding and external communications strategy
Multiple Positions for U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02): 2001 – Feb. 2006
Member, Armed Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture Committees (has since left this committee); Co-Chair, Congressional Methamphetamine Caucus; Co-Chair, U.S. China Working
Group
Communication Director 2003 – Feb. 2006

Worked directly with Member and Chief of Staff to develop, implement, and evaluate communication strategies; served as spokesperson on local and national media issues

Created text for and implemented online and mass communication documents

Oversaw content, message and redesigns for Larsen Web site
Legislative Aide/Correspondent 2002 - 2003

Advised Member on policy; staffed Congressman for constituent and issue group meetings

Oversaw and implemented communication strategies with constituents for policy issues
Staff Assistant Aug. 2001 - 2002

Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Public Relations Division

International Communication Association, Public Relations Division

National Communication Association, Public Relations Division

Public Relations Society of America
Abbey Blake Levenshus, page 11