Gemma Puglisi – Faculty Advisor
Gemma Puglisi is an assistant professor in the School of Communication and has more than 25 years’ experience in public relations, broadcast journalism and corporate communications. She is one of the leading experts called upon to discuss some of today’s biggest stories varying from the cable giant Comcast’s purchase of the NBC network, the fall of Governor Spitzer, the 2008 presidential election, the writers’ strike, the human rights issue in China, the fate of a death row inmate in the state of Georgia; to the personal lives of Britney Spears and Rosie O’Donnell.
She has appeared on CNN, WUSA-TV Channel 9, and “The O’Reilly Factor” on Fox News. She has been interviewed by XM’s Satellite Radio, abcnews.com; the Hollywood Reporter, Agence France Presse, Reuters, Media Life Magazine, the Washington Times, Entertainment Weekly, the Washington Post and the Cox News Service.
Her works have been published in The Washington Post, the Women’s Media Center site, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the AEJMC site, Voce Italiana, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Quill Magazine, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. In 2006, she was conferred the honor of the “Order of the Star” and knighted by the Republic of Italy for her contributions to education and promoting Italian language and culture.
Puglisi has been the faculty advisor for American Universty’s PRSSA chapter since 2005. Last October, her students won the opportunity to co-host the PRSSA International Conference with Howard and Maryland Universities.
Joshua Funk – PRSA Professional Advisor
Joshua Funk is the Director of Business Development for the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. In that role, he serves as the head of sales, marketing and communications for the 103 year-old Washington institution. Funk attended The Pennsylvania State University studying Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and serves on the University Relations Committee as the liaison to American University. In his spare time he enjoys playing soccer and golf, boating and cooking.