BIOGRAPHY

Heidi L. Wilson is an accomplished Professor, Administrator, Consultant, Speaker and Innovator hailing from Martinsville, Virginia. 

Wilson currently works as Department Head and Assistant Professor for the Department of Mass Communications at Virginia Union University. Along with her title as Chairperson, she also teaches courses such as Social Media, Media & Crisis Communications, Public Relations Campaigns, Event Planning, Public Relations Writing, Research in Public Relations and more. In 2012, Wilson designed a new Public Relations sequence on behalf of the Mass Communications department that was officially approved by the University Academic Review Committee and implemented Fall 2013. In May 2016, the first group of students graduated from Virginia Union University with a concentration in Public Relations. 

As chair, Wilson has led the department through re-branding efforts, fundraising campaigns, course development, and an inaugural mass communications week at the University. In addition, she has worked to increase the department’s enrollment and retention through programming, student organizations, field trips, student/alumni engagement, social media engagement, equipment upgrades and much more. 

Moreover, Wilson works as a consultant for clients who aspire to take their businesses to the next level. She provides services such as coaching sessions, writing services, social media strategy, branding, communications audits and more.  

Wilson's most recent accomplishments include developing the first agency course at Virginia Union University called "Panther Communications," designing a Minorities and Mass Media course which focuses on how different minority groups are portrayed in the media, and chartering the first Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter at Virginia Union University. 

In addition, she recently published an article in the Edward Waters College's HBCU FACULTY JOURNAL ON RESEARCH INITIATIVES titled, "New Media Negative Effects on Millennials and Generation Z at Historically Black Colleges and Universities."

Wilson also uses her knowledge, research and experiences to speak and teach at various events.  Her memberships include: National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.