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A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications

Barbara DeSanto

Adjunct Associate Professor
Office: Kedzie 207 | 532-6890 | desanto@ksu.edu

Dr. Barbara DeSanto, APR, Fellow PRSA, traded in the boardroom for the classroom in 1995 when she earned her doctorate from Oklahoma State University. She has more than 20 years of professional public relations experience, including time spent in public relations tourism director in Florida and as a public information officer for Lee County, Florida.
 
DeSanto has taught more than 18 different public relations undergraduate and graduate courses; her favorites include public relations strategy and public relations writing. She has co-authored three books; the latest, Public Relations: A Managerial Perspective, with her long-time research partner Dr. Danny Moss at the University of Chester in the United Kingdom. Her research interests include public relations management, tourism and public relations, government public relations, and best practices in public relations course development and curriculum.
 
DeSanto has also created and taught more than 15 undergraduate and graduate public relations study abroad seminars in England, Australia, and Germany. She is currently developing a new international tourism seminar in Costa Rica in January 2014 and in northwest England in May 2014.
 
DeSanto maintains active professional ties with the Kansas City Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) chapter, where she also teaches seminars for professionals seeking Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) professional certification.
 
DeSanto and her husband, the "other" Dr. DeSanto, live in Manhattan with three orphan cats who allow her to pay the mortgage.

Recent Publications

Books

Moss, Danny, and DeSanto, Barbara. Public Relations: A Managerial Perspective. Sage, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-7619-4856-8. Book chosen by Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) United Kingdom as its core practitioner certification text.

Moss, Danny, and DeSanto, Barbara, Editors. Public Relations Cases: International Perspectives. Routledge Publishers, London and New York, October 2001. This is one of four international public relations casebooks in the world; it is currently in its fourth printing. Nominated for the National Communication Association's 2002 Pride Award. ISBN 0-415-23425.

Second edition with Dr. Danny Moss & Professor Melanie Powell published Autumn 2011. ISBN: 978-0-415-7736-2.

Sallot, Lynne and DeSanto, Barbara, Editors. Learning to Teach: What You Need To Know To Develop A Successful Career As A Public Relations Educator. Third edition. New York: Public Relations Society of America, 2003.

Book Chapters

DeSanto, Barbara. (In press). "Costa Rica Tourism: Public & Private Cooperation in a Central American Paradise." In the "Global Public Relations Casebook" Turk, J.V., Palusek, J. & Valin, J. (eds). Pearson Education , Inc., Boston. Publication date: Fall 2014.

DeSanto, Barbara & Matthews, Curtis B. "International Advertising and Public Relations: A Strategic Approach." In The Handbook of International Advertising Research. Hong Cheng, Editor. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, NJ. 2014. ISBN: 978-1-4443-3237-7

DeSanto, Barbara & Torres, Alejo. "Smart Money Week: The Chicago Federal Reserve Financial Education Initiative." In Public Relations Practices: Managerial Case Studies and Problems. Eighth Edition. Center, A.H., Jackson, P., Smith, S., and Stansberry, F.R. eds. Pearson Education , Inc., Boston. 2012. ISBN13: 978-0133127645

DeSanto, Barbara. Case study expert opinion in "Climategate: UK Climate Researchers' E-mails Cast Doubt on Scientific Support for Global Warming" D. Newsom case study chapter in Case Studies in Crisis Communication: International Perspectives on Hits and Misses, George, Amiso M. and Pratt, Cornelius B, eds. Routledge, London, United Kingdom, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-415-88989-6.

DeSanto, Barbara. "The Effective Design Guide." In Public Relations Writing: Form and Style Instructor's Manual. Ninth Edition. Doug Newsom and Jim Haynes, Editors. Belmont, CA.: Wadsworth, Wadsworth Publishing, January 2010. ISBN: 1439082723.

Refereed Journal Articles

DeSanto, Barbara, Moss, Danny, and Newman, Andrew. "Building an Understanding of the Main Elements of Management in the Communication/Public Relations Context: A Study of U.S. Practitioners' Practices." Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Autumn 2007, Vol. 84, Number 3, pages 439-454.