Suzanne Lowery Mims

Adjunct Faculty

Social media and engagement, public relations, writing in the digital age.

Suzanne Lowery Mims is a communication professional with experience ranging from Capitol Hill to the boardroom. Her career includes positions as a US Senate press secretary, a federal agency public information officer, and as a senior executive in advertising and public relations agencies. The best job she has ever had, however, is the one she has now: helping to launch careers. To that end, she guides students through hands-on projects that help build industry knowledge, develop job-ready skills and provide interview-quality writing and work samples.

Why study public relations? Professor Mims says it opens the door to many career pathways: https://youtu.be/6E0xAa3wgIk

What is COMM 204, Intro to PR, all about? Here's Suzanne's answer: https://youtu.be/qD981tLAxq0

Hear what Suzanne has to say about COMM 384, PR and Social Media: https://youtu.be/nacr8R68jlc

Suzanne calls Writing for PR (Comm 391/308) a "life hack" toward developing skills you'll use your entire career: https://coursemedia.gmu.edu/media/Writing+for+PR+/1_htdk55ge

Since 2012, Suzanne has been a member of The Insight Committee of leading communication executives who advise the department and sponsor student-focused events and mentoring. She spent five years as the academic director for the Global Public Relations Study Abroad Program in London during winter break, an intensive two-week immersion in global PR, social media, and strategic communication through interaction with leading professionals in agencies, corporations, government, public affairs, and nonprofits.

Suzanne earned a Master's degree in strategic communication at Mason with a focus on how social media have altered public relations as it has been practiced for the past 100 years. You can find her on Twitter @mimsPR. Visit her website for course descriptions and program summaries: http://mimspr.weebly.com/

Selected Publications

"Teaching audience analysis through worksheets: Approaching audience analysis as qualitative research,"
(2021) by Julia Hathaway, Elizabeth Duesterhoeft, Nicole Leavey, Karen Akerlof, Suzanne Mims & Katherine Rowan. The Journal of Public Relations Education, Vol. 7, Issue 2.

"PATHWAYS to Public Relations: Student Handbook" (2016) by Suzanne Mims, Katherine Rowan, and Daniel Walsch. https://publishing.gmu.edu/services/publications/pathways-to-public-relations/

"Principles of Public Relations: Communication 330 Student Handbook & Guide to PR Communication 330," 4th Edition by Katherine Rowan, Daniel Walsch, and Suzanne Lowery Mims https://www.kendallhunt.com/rowan/

Courses Taught

COMM 391/308 Writing for Public Relations

COMM 384 PR and Social Media

COMM 331 Campaigns: Advanced Principles of Public Relations

COMM 204 Introduction to Public Relations

COMM 411 Public Relations Practicum

COMM 392 GlobalPublic Relations Study Abroad in London (#UKPR16)

COMM 303 Writing Across the Media

COMM 335 Organizational Communication

Education

MA., George Mason University, 2012
B.S., Kent State University, 1976, magna cum laude

In the Media

#MasonCOMM Enters First ICCO University PR World Cup Challenge: https://chss.gmu.edu/articles/18234

MasonCOMM Team Wins AEJMC Great Ideas for Teaching Award https://communication.gmu.edu/articles/16537

Amid COVID19, Mason PR Students Target Fake News, Social Isolation and Support for Front Line Workers in Social Media for Social Good campaigns https://communication.gmu.edu/articles/14435

Mason Students Use Social Media for Social Good http://communication.gmu.edu/articles/9031

Real Projects, Real Results. https://newsdesk.gmu.edu/2014/01/real-projects-real-results-communication-students-find-strategy-pays/

Public Relations in 140 Characters or Less? It's #Comm399. http://communication.gmu.edu/articles/7480

Veteran Post Reporter Shares Tips and Tales from Courts & Cops Beat http://communication.gmu.edu/articles/6517

Public Relations Students Feed the Hungry, Fight the Flu and Find Funds http://chss.gmu.edu/articles/6370

GMU Students Dive into PR and Come Up With Results http://communication.gmu.edu/articles/4014