UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media welcomes 3 new faculty members

The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media welcomes new members Joseph Cabosky, Rick Clancy and Allison Lazard to the faculty this academic year.

“Joe, Rick and Allison are the perfect additions to our committed and talented faculty as the school changes our name and brand to the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media,” said Susan King, dean of the school. “Our faculty are gaining strong colleagues, and our students are gaining new teachers and mentors with the expertise and experience to help shape successful careers.”

Meet the school’s new hires:

Joseph Cabosky

Joseph Cabosky joins the school’s faculty as an assistant professor from its doctoral candidate ranks where his creative work and research has focused on public relations data analytics, particularly in the areas of niche and minority publics in entertainment and politics. His work aims to create a better understanding of how to measure public relations activity, as well as consumer and voter behavior.

Cabosky has worked in strategic communication and media development for a number of clients. In Los Angeles, he worked in the entertainment industry where he held a development position for Eclectic Pictures. He has since done public relations, strategic communication and media development work for corporate, nonprofit and political clients in a number of sectors and locations, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Denton, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.

“Getting a chance to be part of the Tar Heel team is a dream come true,” Cabosky said. “Spending the coming years with such a great community of Media and Journalism School staff, faculty and students is certainly an opportunity to be cherished. Tar!”

He earned his B.F.A. from Chapman University and his J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law. He will complete his doctoral dissertation at UNC this summer.

Rick Clancy

Rick Clancy – a veteran corporate communications executive, accredited public relations thought-leader and social media pioneer – becomes the school’s first Edgar Thomas Cato Distinguished Professor in public relations.

“It’s a thrill to have been invited to join the school’s distinguished faculty as its first Cato professor of public relations,” Clancy said.  “With the growth of the PR sequence, I hope to contribute valuable lessons learned from my years of professional experience that will bring even more honor to the school and help our students excel in their careers as they move ahead.”

Clancy is the former senior vice president of corporate communications at Sony Electronics, where he served on its management committee as executive champion for company-wide social media initiatives. He was the company’s first corporate blogger and drove the development of Sony’s first interactive social networking community, its Facebook page, YouTube channel and Twitter debut.

Prior to joining the faculty, Clancy headed public relations for Covario, Inc., a recently acquired search and content marketing agency and software firm based in San Diego. He has also held a variety of key communications roles with New York-based advertising and public relations agencies Creamer Dickson Basford and JWT, and with Wall Street investment firms Drexel Burnham Lambert and E.F. Hutton.

Clancy earned his bachelor’s degree from Bethany College in West Virginia, where he serves on the board of trustees. 

Allison Lazard

Allison Lazard joins the school as an assistant professor after earning her Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin.

Lazard’s research revolves around a core interest in how visual design influences message perception and engagement in the digital environment where individuals encounter visual messages at unprecedented rates.

Her educational and professional experiences combine to give her a unique research agenda that contributes to a larger body of theoretical knowledge in advertising, visual communication, health communication and science communication.

"It is an honor and privilege to join the School of Media and Journalism faculty in their relentless pursuit of understanding and teaching effective communication," Lazard said.

Lazard earned her M.S. in Media Arts and Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and her B.S. in Visual Communication at Ohio University.