Meghan M. Dunn

BA., Communication Studies, Texas State University
MA., Communication Studies, Rhetoric, University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D., Communication Studies, Rhetoric, University of Colorado at Boulder

Dr. Dunn first came to St. John’s University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rhetoric, Communication, and Theatre, and joined the Mass Communication faculty in the Fall of 2022 as an Assistant Professor of Mass Communication and Public Relations. Her research investigates how information, knowledge, or truth(s) are conducted through emergent technologies or ‘novel’ media, especially by marginalized communities in times of disaster, crisis, and political upheaval. She is particularly invested in the kinds of rhetoric that emerge from sites of crisis and disaster when lives and livelihoods are on the line or at stake.

This research was inspired, in part, by her involvement in the Occupy Movement (OWS) and Occupy Sandy (OS), the latter of which is considered to be one of the largest grassroots disaster operations in the U.S. Her knowledge of community-led crisis response led Dunn to co-found Boulder Relief Co.—a non-profit and grassroots disaster relief ‘startup’ formed in the wake of the Boulder/Colorado Flood of 2013—before working as a consultant with the United Nations. There, she served as an Innovation Research Analyst in the Office of Information and Communications Technology and as an Information Management Specialist in the Department of Peacekeeping and Field Operations.

She continues to learn, teach, and write about the role of Public Relations and ‘Good Faith’ practices as they relate to peacekeeping and mission-driven initiatives. Dunn aspires to assist local and international organizations in developing “high fidelity” communication practices that best reflect the organization’s mission, vision, and ethos.Public Relations
PR Writing and Branding
Crisis Communication & Coordination
Digital and Transmedia Storytelling
RhetoricRhetorical Applications in Crisis Response
Public Relations & Strategic Communication
Crisis and Disaster Management & Response
Intralingual Translation Tools in Disaster Response
Select Rhetorical Topics (i.e., kairos, logos, chora, ethos)

Courses Taught