Dr. Kati Sudnick, Assistant Professor
"One of the major benefits of IMC is that you get to be both marketing-minded and creatively inclined—it's that combination of business knowledge and an eye for good design and campaign elements that really sets you apart when you enter the marketplace."
Degrees Held
- Ph.D. — Duquesne University, 2020
- M.A. — Duquesne University, 2016
- B.A. — King's College, 2014
Career Highlights
I'm a brand spanking new faculty member so there aren't any career highlights yet, but I survived graduate school during a pandemic so that's pretty cool!
During my graduate studies, I also received the Richard H. Thames Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019 as well as the Top Graduate Paper Award for the National Communication Association's Human Communication and Technology Division in 2018 for a piece on empathy in social media.
In which online programs do you teach?
M.A. in Integrated Marketing Communication
What do you want students to learn in these courses? What is the expected learning outcome?
I really want students to walk away with a sense of the ethical goods they protect and promote not only in their IMC careers, but also in their day-to-day lives, recognizing how situated we are within our communities.
Why did you start teaching?
I always looked up to my teachers from kindergarten onward and, as I went through college back home in Pennsylvania, it became apparent that I really enjoy the creative nature of communication studies and would like to share my passion for it with others in the classroom. Six years of graduate school later, I'm so excited to share in learning with the students at UNCW!
What advice would you give to those considering this online program?
Don't be afraid to let your creativity shine! One of the major benefits of IMC is that you get to be both marketing-minded and creatively inclined—it's that combination of business knowledge and an eye for good design and campaign elements that really sets you apart when you enter the marketplace.
What is the one book you think everyone should read?
"Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age" by Viktor Mayer-Schonberger
Tell us something interesting about yourself that your students might not know about you.
I used to be a competitive singer in classical music, but now I stick to alternative rock covers and showtunes.