18th Annual Grunig Lecture featuring Dr. Bey-Ling Sha

Dr. Bey-Ling Sha presents, "Identity Matters in Public Relations: Implications for Civil Society and National Democracy”

Faculty members, students, alumni, and friends of the department attended the 18th Annual Grunig Lecture on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Dr. Bey-Ling Sha, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, and Dean of the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University delivered the annual lecture, “Identity Matters in Public Relations: Implications for Civil Society and National Democracy,” to a large in-person crowd and over Zoom. 

Dr. Sha is a University of Maryland Ph.D. alum of public relations when the program was housed in UMD's College of Journalism. Dr. Sha has developed a distinguished academic career. She is currently Dean of the College of Media and Communication at TTU. She is also President of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) since 2025. She has published extensively and served as a journal editor of the Journal of Public Relations Research. And she has won many awards across her career. 

In the video clip from the lecture below, Dr. Sha defines "identity." 

Dr. Sha also discussed how the work from her master's and PhD programs helped her form her research identity. 

Importantly, Dr. Sha underscored the relationship between PR theory and practice through a discussion of applied research examples. 

The 18th Annual Grunig Lecture was presented by the University of Maryland’s Department of Communication. The lecture series honors Dr. James E. Grunig, Professor Emeritus, and Dr. Larissa A. Grunig, Professor Emerita, of the University of Maryland.

Two awards were presented at the Grunig Lecture. Dr. Sha was awarded the Grunig Alumni Award for Public Relations Excellence.    

Dr. James E. Grunig and Dr. Bey-Ling Sha 

In addition, COMM senior Briana May was awarded the Toth Outstanding PR Student of the Year Award. Named for retired Lecturer Richard Toth and Professor Elizabeth Toth, the Toth award recognizes academic excellence, leadership, and contributions to the PR field. 

L to R: Susan Simon, Briana May, and Dr. Elizabeth Toth 

Thank you, Dr. Sha, for an amazing lecture and to Drs. James and Larissa Grunig for their continued support for public relations and the field of communication. Special congratulations to Dr. Sha and Briana May on their awards! Thanks to all who attended and helped make this lecture very memorable and engaging!