Hello!
Review my CV, resume, portfolio, or blog introduction for more information. My professional bio is on the University of Oregon website.
My name is Sandra Boone (she/her). I am a professional communicator with 15 years of experience working in public sector, nonprofit, and political settings. I am now a Ph.D. candidate in the Communications & Media Studies Ph.D. program at the University of Oregon. My research examines questions of equity and professional responsibility for public relations professionals with a sub-focus on the power of/in language. My dissertation examines the language ideologies and metalingual awareness that public relations practitioners hold
Before enrolling in a Ph.D., I managed communications at the University of Minnesota for Housing and Residential Life, Global Programs and Strategy Alliance, International Student and Scholar Services, and the Immigration Response Team. I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2020 with a strategic communication MA and a literacy and rhetorical studies minor, and I previously earned a BA in political science.
My academic research bridges the functionalist and critical/social-cultural perspectives in public relations research. I seek to challenge practitioners, students, and teachers to think more deeply about their responsibilities while also providing answers about what that means for the day-to-day work. As an emerging scholar-activist, my research is driven by a deep love for the field of professional communications but also frustrations with the limits created by a narrow focus on strategies, tactics, and organizational objectives. I also draw inspiration from the “social justice turn” in technical and professional communications.
In my professional work, I strive to bring an audience- and equity-centric lens to ensuring organizations give supporters the information they need, at the time they need it, and in ways they understand. To do this, I advise and counsel leadership and teams on communications strategy, message development, and supporter management. I also ask questions and make recommendations about what an organization must do to authentically live its values — both externally and internally with staff.
My work on equity concerns for communicators
I passionately believe all communicators must understand the immense power and responsibility that comes with our roles as storytellers and gatekeepers of information. This belief comes from times in my career when I recognized I was assuming I could do whatever I wanted with my organization’s stories and pictures — an idea that turned the people in them into little more than props or characters to be used for my organization’s benefit. While I did not feel I was asked to do anything “unethical,” I routinely questioned and recognized I was making mistakes due to being a white woman primarily focusing on the needs of my organization and what needed to happen to get my work done.
This interest led me to focus my final MA Capstone research on the need for ethical/equitable storytelling practices for strategic communication and public relations professionals. To focus my inquiry, I interviewed communicators at anti-trafficking organizations. I then created lists of recommended work practices to help communicators balance the need to create communications that meet organizational objectives while also respecting those they are communicating to and about. This project (along with the LRS coursework I did to prepare) greatly increased my commitment to using an equity-informed lens in communications, and it changed how I thought of my responsibility.
I’ve led workshops/conversations and written about ethical storytelling, DEI concerns for communicators, and changes needed in the nonprofit sector and academia. When doing this, I focus on providing examples from my journey (including my mistakes) in the hopes of encouraging others to reflect and recognize themselves.
Let’s connect
I am always happy to share and connect with others about communications, working for nonprofits, or equity/social justice. I am also available to discuss leading/co-leading workshops, giving presentations, and writing/research related to my interests.
Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter or LinkedIn!
Sandra Boone 