معرفی
Joan R. Harrell is a Lecturer in the School of Communication and Journalism and serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Programs in the Dean's Office at Auburn University’s College of Liberal Arts. She brings extensive professional journalism and public relations experience into her academic role, shaping ethical, socially conscious media practitioners.
Her educational background includes a DMIN from Chicago Theological Seminary, MDiv from Interdenominational Theological Center, MS in Journalism from Columbia University, and BS from Stephens College.
Her research centers on the intersection of media, ethics, race, religion, bioethics, and public health. She explores how unconscious bias, artificial intelligence, and cultural narratives influence truth-seeking in journalism. Her work emphasizes ethical engagement with marginalized communities, including descendants of the Clotilda, survivors of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and communities in food deserts.
Her recent publications focus on anti-racism in public relations, ethical community engagement in rural health, and confronting historical trauma in bioethics. These works reflect a consistent theme: restoring voice and agency to historically silenced populations through responsible storytelling and media practice.
- Honored guest lecturer, Harvard University Divinity School, 'Theological Bioethics Within Marginalized Communities Series'
As a mentor and educator, she supervises directed studies in investigative reporting, intergenerational Native American stories, and social change journalism. She has not received explicit mention of grant funding, but her leadership in strategic initiatives and digital humanities projects indicates active program development. She founded the Auburn University Becoming the Beloved Community digital humanities project and is part of the inaugural cohort of the Henry Luce Foundation Public Theology and Racial Justice Institute at Vanderbilt.
She is also an ordained minister in the American Baptist Church, integrating theological reflection with public scholarship. Her work bridges journalism, ethics, and community healing, positioning her as a unique interdisciplinary leader in communication and social justice.
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