Regina Waters, Ph.D.

Chair, Department of Communication
Professor
Office: Shewmaker Communication Center, Room 140
Phone: (417) 873-7251
E-mail: rwaters@drury.edu
Twitter: @h20s

Dr. Waters joined the communication department in 1993. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in advertising, public relations, and integrated marketing communication.  She contributed to the development of the university's graduate-level Social Media Certificate course, first taught during the summer of 2010.

Her research interests include organizational socialization processes, performance evaluations, professional mentorship, and academic advising issues. Her work appears in the Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships, NACE Journal, and the NACADA Journal.

Dr. Waters is the faculty advisor to AD/PR Club, Drury’s student chapter of the American Advertising Federation, and Ad Team. She is a member of the National Communication Association, The American Advertising Federation, The Association for Women in Communications, the Public Relations Society of America, and served as the president of the Southwest Missouri chapter of PRSA in 2005.

Education:
B.S., Public Relations, Southwest Missouri State University, 1988
M.A., Communication, Southwest Missouri State University, 1990
Ph.D., Communication, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001

Drury University faculty member since 1996
Professor since 2012

Representative Research and Presentations:

Waters, R.K., and Gilstrap, C. (2012).  Intern Performance Reviews:  The Supervisor’s Perspective.  NACE Journal (National Association of Colleges and Employers), 122(4), 27-31.

Waters, R.K., and Gilstrap, C. (2010).  Examining the Role of Peer Messages in the Anticipatory Socialization Process of the Internship Experience.  Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships , 44 (1), 6-12.

Waters, R. and Hamer, A. (2012). “Mentoring the Next Generation of PR Pros: Internships, PRSA Membership and Career Success.” Presentation at the 2012 Public Relations Society of America Midwestern Conference in Chicago.

Waters, R. (Oct. 2011).  “Using Guerilla Marketing to Connect with Your Audience.”  Presentation at the Association for Women in Communications National Conference in Tulsa, Okla. 

Waters, R. (Oct. 2011).  “Social Media 101:  Spark a Connection With Your Customers.”  Minorities in Business – Commercial Street Seminar, Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Springfield, Mo.

Awards:

  • Southwest Missouri Chapter of PRSA – Outstanding Faculty Award
  • Association for Women in Communications – Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award
  • Association for Women in Communications – Member of the Year (Springfield)
  • International Communication Association - Outstanding Teaching Award
  • National Academic Advising Association Outstanding - Faculty Advisor Award
  • Drury University Leadership Award
  • Drury University Faculty Advisor Award
  • Greek Excellence Award – Faculty of the Year
  • Mortar Board - Outstanding Teaching Award