Richard T. Robertson School of Communication

College of Humanities and Sciences

Current Students

Professor Joshua J. Smith

Joshua J. Smith, Ph.D.

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Assistant Professor

Interim Associate Director. Special assistant for innovative learning and AI. Co-Founder Media + AI

T. Edward Temple Building, 901 W. Main St.

Personal website

Lab website

AI and Communication

Media Psychology

Public Relations

Strategic Communication

Media, Art, and Text

10 Years of Service BadgeLogo for the media + ai lab at VCU

Education

Background

Joshua J. Smith, Ph.D. is an award-winning faculty member and Assistant Professor of Public Relations at the Richard T. Robertson School of Communication, where he currently serves as Interim Associate Director. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in public relations, mass communication, media, and artificial intelligence, with expertise in writing, strategy, media relations, and visual communication.

Dr. Smith previously served as Dean’s Fellow for Badges, Internships, and Experiential Learning, and as Sequence Coordinator in Public Relations, where he oversaw scheduling and adjunct faculty. He is currently Special Assistant to the Dean for Innovative Learning and AI Initiatives and is the founder of the Media + AI Initiative at VCU, an interdisciplinary effort advancing media and AI literacy across academic and professional contexts. His leadership in pedagogy has been recognized with the Excellence in Pedagogical Innovation Award, alongside numerous national awards for collaborative industry work.

With more than a decade of full-time experience in nonprofit, healthcare, and business communication and leadership, he continues to consult nationwide on award-winning campaigns that bridge professional practice and academic insight.

Dr. Smith earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mass communication with a focus on strategic public relations and completed a Ph.D. in Media, Art, and Text. His research explores media psychology, technology’s role in decision making, and the ethical dimensions of communication in digital environments.

He has contributed extensively to curriculum development at the school, college, and university levels, leading program overhauls, creating new courses, and strengthening the undergraduate Public Relations and graduate Integrated Communication programs. His academic work spans ethics, healthcare communication, media literacy, media psychology, and digital media tools.

Across his teaching, research, and service, Dr. Smith prepares students to become innovative early adopters, critical thinkers, and creative professionals. He is happiest when former students make good headlines or return to campus for coffee.

Service and Administration

  • Public Relations Sequence Coordinator (2016 - 2020)
  • Robertson Graduate Studies Committee
  • Branding & Outreach Committee (2020 - 2024)(Chair)
  • RS Admin Team (2020 - 2023)
  • Coordinator of Special Projects (2020 - 2021)
  • Online Teaching Task Force (2020)
  • Robertson Director of Communication (2020 - 2024)
  • VCU Strategic Enrollment Management Recruitment Committee (2020 - 2023)
  • CHS Graduate Marketing Committee (2020)
  • Dean's COVID Response Working Group (2020)
  • Instructional Innovation Council (2023-present)
  • CHS Dean's Fellow (2024 - 2025)
  • Robertson Interim Associate Director (Present)
  • Special Assistant to the Dean, CHS (Present)

Affiliations

  • Adobe Education Exchange (EdEx)
  • American Psychological Association (APA)
    • Division 46: Media psychology and Technology
  • Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
  • Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP)
  • International Communication Association (ICA)
    • Division: Public Relations | Children, adolescents and media
  • Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
    • Richmond Chapter, Board of Directors 2019-2022

Articles/Opinions

Accolades and Media Mentions

Awards

  • (2025) Excellence in Pedagogical Innovation Awards (EPIA) VCU Office of the Provost
  • (2025) Silver: Guaranteed Care Campaign, Marketing Effectiveness International | Healthcare | Medical Industry Marketing.  
  • (2024) Gold: Senior Insights Web Design, Hermes Creative Awards. Honored for outstanding website design and communication strategies in the medical/healthcare sector.
  • (2024) Honorable Mention: Guaranteed Care Campaign, MarCom Internal Awards. Advertising/Marketing | Ads | 1c. Advertising Campaign.
  • (2024) Honorable Mention: #Love > Shame: Driving National Change, MarCom International Awards. Strategic Communications | Communications/Public Relations | 120c. Communication Plan.
  • (2024) Honorable Mention: #RxSafe: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Hermes Creative Awards. Acknowledged for effective communication strategies in promoting public health and safety awareness.
  • (2024) Bronze: Senior Insights Website Design, Summit International Media Awards. Creative Website - Health Care.
  • (2024) Bronze: Senior Insights Consumer Website, Summit Creative Awards. Best Consumer Website (International) Health Care and Medicine. Recognized for excellence in consumer website development and digital marketing strategies.
  • (2023) Platinum: Media Careers Start Here, MarComm International Awards. Strategic Communications | Marketing/Promotion Campaign | 104c. Integrated Marketing.
  • (2023) Gold: Boosting Volunteer Applications, MarComm International Awards. Strategic Communications | Communications/Public Relations | 127c. Social Media Campaign.
  • (2023) Gold: #Love is > Greater Than Shame, Hermes Creative Awards. Recognized for strategic excellence in public relations during the pandemic.

Research

  • Smith, J. J. (2025). Technointerventionism: External Sources of Influence Shaping Parental Attitudes and Practices in Early Childhood Media Use (Doctoral dissertation). Virginia Commonwealth University. https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/8028/

  • Alkazemi, M. F., Alkhubaizi, N., & Smith, J. J. (2022). The implications of public health messaging strategies: How branding disease may improve public health awareness in the GCC. In N. Lan, Q. Wang, & B.-L. Sha (Eds.), Intercultural public relations: Realities and reflections in practical contexts (pp. [insert page range]). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315641720-13

  • Meganck, S., Smith, J., & Guidry, J. P. D. (2020). The skills required for entry-level public relations: An analysis of skills required in 1,000 PR job ads. Public Relations Review, 46(5), 101973. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101973

  • Lee, Y.-I., Zhang, Y., Jin, Y., Kim, S., Martin, E. F., & Smith, J. J. (2019). Opening the minds’ eye: The pivotal role of sympathy in depression coverage effectiveness. Communication Studies. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2019.1650086
  • Bajkiewicz, P., & Smith, J. (2019). On-camera media relations training for public relations students: A "Look Live" on-camera interview assignment. Poster session presented at the AEJMC Conference, Toronto, Canada.
  • Meganck, S., & Smith, J. (2019). Embracing public relations writing techniques in the classroom. Teaching Journalism and Mass Communication, 9(1), 41-44.
  • Meganck, S., Guidry, J., & Smith, J. (2019, April). Skills needed for entry-level public relations positions: An analysis of job listings. Paper presented at the BRIDGE Conference, Washington, D.C.
  • Anderson, R., Pang, A., Jin, Y., & Smith, J. (2018). Crisis communication and ethics: The role of public relations. Journal of Business Strategy, 39(1), 43-52.
  • Guidry, J., Jin, Y., Haddad, L., Zhang, Y., & Smith, J. (2016). How health risks are pinpointed (or not) on social media: The portrayal of waterpipe smoking on Pinterest. Health Communication, 31(6), 659-67. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2014.987468. Epub 2015 Oct 29. PMID: 26512916.
  • Jin, Y., Zhang, Y., Lee, Y.-I., Martin, E. F., & Smith, J. (2015). The effects of framing and attribution on individuals’ responses to depression coverage. Paper presented at the AEJMC Conference, San Francisco, CA.