Academic Director
Erich Sommerfeldt
Dr. Erich Sommerfeldt received his Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the Gaylord School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma in 2011 and his M.A. in Communication from Western Michigan University in 2008. He specializes in public relations, with research emphases in civil society and development communication, public diplomacy, social capital, and social network analysis.
He was selected in 2020 by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and the U.S. Department of State as a Jefferson Science Fellow. He was appointed as a Senior Advisor to the State Department in 2022. He is the chair of the public relations division of the International Communication Association, and Editor-in-chief of Public Relations Review. Hear more from Erich Sommerfeldt.
Outreach Director and Teaching Professor
Scott Meyer
Scott Meyer brings more than four decades of experience working at the intersection of strategy, communication and organizational transformation. He has partnered with Fortune 500 companies, founded and scaled his own firm, and served as CEO of Shandwick International and chairman of Weber Shandwick Worldwide, one of the world's largest public relations companies.
Over his career, he has led more than 150 strategic planning engagements across corporate, nonprofit and higher education settings, earning national recognition for his work and developing a practitioner's understanding of why strategies succeed or fail. Before joining the faculty at the University of Minnesota's Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, he served as chief marketing officer for the College of Liberal Arts. His international experience spans more than 60 countries. He is the author of The Experience Gap and remains active in volunteer leadership across several nonprofit organizations.
Greg Zimprich
Greg J. Zimprich is a senior communications leader and teaching professor whose work focuses on clarity as a driver of organizational performance. Over a 40-year career, he has held senior leadership roles at General Mills, Honeywell, and Medtronic, leading global communications, advancing executive visibility, and guiding enterprise change initiatives — helping organizations translate complex strategy into aligned understanding and action. He has supported more than 150 consumer product launches and served as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and a spokesperson to national media.
His work centers on leadership communication, strategic alignment, and connecting strategy to shared meaning within organizations. A certified executive coach, he served as a senior adjunct professor at Metropolitan State University from 2015 to 2024, where he led the transformation of the communications curriculum. He is also the founder of Curtiss Partners, a communication and executive coaching consultancy. He earned his M.A. in Mass Communication from Marquette University and his B.A. in Journalism and Psychology from Saint Mary’s University. His work has been recognized with more than 100 national, regional, and local industry awards. An active member of PRSA and former Minnesota Chapter president, he earned his APR in 2003 and was inducted into the College of Fellows in 2015.
University of Minnesota Faculty
The master's in strategic communications faculty members are a mix of University of Minnesota professors and professionals who work in the Twin Cities communications industry and bring real-world client situations and case studies to the classroom.
Bryan Anderson
Bryan Anderson teaches crisis communications in the Hubbard School’s Master of Strategic Communication program, where he helps students identify organizational crisis characteristics, understand the stages of crisis communication, and develop skills in planning and response. He also guides students in deconstructing crisis communication activities and applying best practices at each stage. Previously, Bryan served as Vice Chair of Communications at Mayo Clinic, where he led content management, media relations, and social media teams.
Katie Boylan
Katie Boylan served as executive vice president and chief communications and corporate affairs officer for Target,. In her role, she oversaw internal and external communications, sustainability initiatives, and risk and reputation management. Prior to Target, Katie was a senior vice president at Edelman and earlier in her career, she held positions at Weber Shandwick and Burson-Marsteller. In her agency roles, she supported leading brands including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Burger King and Land O’Lakes. Katie currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Hubbard School of Journalism and as a director at World 50, an executive development organization. She also serves on the board of Second Harvest Heartland and previously on the board of trustees for the College of St. Benedict, where she earned her B.A.
Jill Giefer
Jill Giefer is an award-winning insights professional with over 20 years of global experience across consulting and Fortune 100 companies, focusing on education, retail, financial services, healthcare, and nonprofit industries. She is currently the Founder and Principal Consultant at Insights Mode, where she translates complex data into actionable insights to develop, enhance, and measure brand, marketing, and customer strategies for her clients. Prior to Insights Mode, she had a 16-year tenure at Best Buy, most recently as Head of Insights and Customer Experience Measurement.
She is an alum of the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication M.A. in Strategic Communication program, where she is currently a part-time senior lecturer and the first alum to serve as an instructor. She holds a B.S. in Advertising with a Minor in French from Boston University and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for nonprofit BestPrep.
Amie Hoffner
Amie Hoffner is the vice president of corporate communications at American Dairy Queen Corporation (ADQ), the franchisor of more than 7,800 DQ restaurants in more than 20 countries. In this role, Hoffner leads a team of corporate communications and meetings, events, and travel practitioners responsible for managing the company’s reputation worldwide.
Prior to joining ADQ, she was vice president of corporate communications at TCF Bank where she led the function. Hoffner also worked in communications at Target Corporation, Nexstar Broadcasting, Corel Corporation, Primera Technology and Weber Shandwick.
She has won several professional awards, including national PRSA and SABRE awards in integrated communications and social marketing. Hoffner is on the board of directors of Minnesota PRSA and serves as a national PRSA Silver Anvil Awards judge. Hoffner holds a master’s degree in communications management from Syracuse University and bachelor’s degrees in communications and women’s studies from Hamline University.
Dan Mandle
Dan Mandle launched the Hubbard School’s undergraduate program curriculum on digital strategy over a decade ago and now leads the digital strategy course for the Master of Strategic Communication program's summer semester. His course helps students understand how organizations use digital channels to generate visibility, engage audiences and drive meaningful business outcomes. Students build a strong foundation in digital marketing and strategy while developing hands-on skills in website and conversion strategy, analytics, display advertising and email, among other channels. The course also explores emerging areas such as AI and generative engine optimization, helping students understand how search and discovery continue to evolve. Dan emphasizes practical application and critical thinking, challenging students to evaluate real-world performance and make informed strategic decisions grounded in data.
Outside the classroom, Dan leads the Data Science & Analytics team at broadhead, a Minneapolis-based creative marketing agency. Over a 25+ year career spent primarily agency-side, he has worked across a wide range of industries and brands, including Purina, Corningware, Invisalign, Land O'Lakes and 3M. His experience spans the full spectrum of marketing execution — from digital platforms such as websites, mobile applications and social media to traditional channels including radio, television and in-store environments — giving him a broad, practical perspective on how strategy translates into real-world performance.
Allison Steinke
Dr. Allison Steinke is an award-winning communicator, educator, and branding professional with a Ph.D. in Mass Communication. As lead author of Brand Thinking: Building Brands You Can Believe In (Bloomsbury Academic, 2025), Allison has extensive experience in both academic and commercial sectors. As an assistant professor for the Hubbard School of Journalism's Strategic Communication M.A. Program, Allison teaches thousands of students topics related to branding, digital media, and social media, while conducting pioneering research and collaborating with industry leaders to connect theory with practice.
Allison has managed cross-functional teams, led award-winning marketing campaigns and research projects, and produced engaging multimedia content. As a breast cancer survivor, wife, and mother, Allison is passionate about inclusion and accessibility. She approaches challenges with resilience and optimism, and focuses on being a positive influence in her community. Hear more from Allison Steinke.
Michelle Wood
Michelle Wood earned her Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006. She researched and wrote her dissertation on inoculation theory (resistance to persuasion) and teaches the Strategic Communication Theory course in the Professional M.A. Program. She has been an instructor at the Hubbard School since 2007, teaching various strategic communication courses for graduates and undergraduates. Michelle was previously a public relations counselor at Morgan & Myers Agency in Iowa and Wisconsin. She holds her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America. Hear more from Michelle Wood.