Samford University communication and media professor Betsy Emmons has been named president of the board of directors of the Alabama chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Emmons holds the national Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credential and is a nine-year member of the Alabama chapter. She has served on the board of directors in several areas, including programming, accreditation and professional development.

“Alabama PRSA is a strong chapter of the national PRSA organization, with active members throughout the state,” Emmons said. “The public relations industry never loses its importance even in our evolving media, and our PRSA chapter is continuing its goals of highlighting ethical, stakeholder-building communication and using our active network to be a voice for the industry.”

In addition to her courses in mass media, public relations and advertising, Emmons is the faculty adviser for Samford’s award-winning Public Relations Student Society of America's (PRSSA) chapter. She also is an active scholar, with research interests that include social media in sports, sports journalism and public relations.