Senior Lecturer Gwyneth V.J. Howell

• Biography
• Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
• Grants / Current Projects
• Publications
• Professional Engagement
• Contact Details

Biography

I have more than fifteen years experience in corporate marketing and management roles and 8 years teaching at a range of Universities in Australia.

I have held senior management roles at Sheraton Hotels, Greyhound Racing Authority and Beaufort Properties. I have successfully managed a range of research projects for private and public sector organisations. I have extensive experience in the development, implementation and analysis of a range of traditional and non traditional research projects. My breadth of experience in marketing communication covers all campaign aspects from early development design, through creative direction, recruitment and hands-on operations, to complete account reconciliation and maintenance of ongoing projects.

Drawing from my research into the profession and using formal feedback of employees, graduates and practitioners, I believe that students must be taught "cutting-edge" public relations practice to be contemporary and relevant graduates. My teaching objectives have been drawn from my own professional experience and research and shaped by the University of Western Sydney's graduate attributes, focusing on engagement with the community. Where possible, my subjects make use of flexible learning that integrate web based teaching tools (e.g. WebCT, online role plays), innovative interactive exercises, guest lecturers and contemporary materials linked to experimental learning.

Professional Associations

American Marketing Association
Australian and New Zealand Communication Association Inc.
Public Relations Institute of Australia (NSW Board Member)
Public Relations Society of America
Marketing Institute of Australia

^ Back to top

Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise

Marketing Communication
Web 2.0
Public Relations
Issues and Crisis Communication

^ Back to top

Grants / Current Projects

My current area of research relates to my doctorial research in commercial rumours. Blogs, e-mail, and Web sites have reached fever pitch for organisations, in responding and monitoring rumours. My current research experiment is exploring email message effect on attitudes, beliefs and opinions of key stakeholders for a rumour targeted organisation.

Another current research project relating to Graduate Attributes of New Practitioners is in the final stage of completion, supported by the PRIA (National) and UWS. This project draws on the most substantial component of emerging public relations capital - new practitioners. While the study of the perceptions of public relations education provides an important comparison of the perceptions of educators and professionals, the process to date has left out one group - the student. This current research project is designed to determine the value of the qualifications and training of new practitioners, and their roles once in the profession.

I am currently working on a research project with colleagues from another Australian University to develop a set of benchmarks for professional practice in public relations, to establish a reliable snapshot of the educational, operational and professional expertise of public relations practitioners.

Funding Grants

College of Arts, Education, and Social Sciences E-learning Initiative Fund ($6,500)
Enhancing public relations education with role play learning

College of Arts, Education, and Social Sciences E-learning Initiative Fund ($10,000)
Helping communication students find an internship - through a more effective WebCT site for the communication internship unit

Cooperative Programs Development Fund ($5,000)
Helping communication students find an internship - through a more effective WebCT site for the communication internship unit

^ Back to top

Publications

Book Chapters

Howell, Gwyneth (2008). Spinning Out, Crisis Communication. (Eds) Mark Sheehan and Robina Xavier in Public Relations Campaigns, Sage Publications.

Howell, Gwyneth and Kate Mizerski (2008). Marketing Public Relations. (Eds) Mark Sheehan and Robina Xavier in Public Relations Campaigns, Sage Publications.

Journal Articles

Howell, Gwyneth and Rohan Miller (2008). "Puppies in Parks: Towards a New Model of Urban Animal Management". Journal of Business Research (Special Edition) vol.61:5, pp. 525-31 ISSN: 0148-2963.

Geaitani, Sylvia and Gwyneth Howell (2007) "Public Relations - no longer on the backburner" Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal, Vol 8(1), pp.121-136, ISSN 1440-4389.

Herger, Karl and Gwyneth Howell (2007) "The good the bad and the blogger, the public relations challenge of the Noughties" Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal, Vol 8(1), pp. 91-108, ISSN 1440-4389.

Howell, Gwyneth, Rohan Miller and Nicole Bridges (2006) "Golden Rule of Press Release, Get your facts straight!" Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal Vol 6 (2). ISSN 1440-4389

Howell, Gwyneth and Rohan Miller (2006) "The crisis life cycle model and its implications for communication strategy", Prism Vol 4(1). ISSN 1448-4404

Howell, Gwyneth (2006) "Ansett - Absolutely Going, Going, Gone." Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal. 2006 ISSN 1440-4389 Vol 7 (1).

Howell, Gwyneth, Rohan Miller (2006) "Setting the Public Agenda using Public Relations: James Hardie Industries' Management of Legacy Issues associated with Asbestos Products" Public Relations Review. Vol 35 (3) pp. 261-266.

Howell, Gwyneth (2006). MasterFoods and the Mars Snickers Recall - Practitioners using research to develop, craft and measure the message". Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal, Vol 7(2). ISSN 1440-4389.

Conference Proceedings

Howell Gwyneth, Mizerski, Dick, and Mizerski, Kate (2007). "Testing Online Strategies for Responding to an E-mail-Based Commercial Rumor". AMA Summer Conference, Washington DC, August 6-9, 2007.

Miller, Rohan and Gwyneth Howell (2006). "Assessing the impact of smoking bans in hotels, bars and taverns: implications for the consumption of smoking, drinking and gambling". American Marketing Association Marketing and Public Policy Conference, Long Beach California, June 2006.

Howell, Gwyneth and Rohan Miller (2006). "Puppies in Parks: Towards a New Model of Urban Animal Management". American Marketing Association Marketing and Public Policy Conference, Long Beach California, June 2006.

Howell, Gwyneth and Mizerski, Dick (2006). "Using informational processing theory to design commercial rumour response strategies on the World Wide Web". Forthcoming Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference Brisbane 2006.

Miller, Rohan, Gwyneth Howell and Dick Mizerski (2005), "The Causal Effects of TV Ads for Beer in an Underage 12 to 16 year old Australian Audience's Responses toward Beer " European Marketing Academy, May 2005 Milan, Italy.

Miller, Rohan and Gwyneth Howell (2005). "Did They Really Mean the Theory of Planned Intent? Empirically Considering Underage Teen Gambling" Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference Perth 2005.

Howell, Gwyneth (2005) "The University of Western Sydney public relations major - Industry accreditation and pedagogy for enhanced learning through the development of new public relations electives" College of Social Sciences Conference University of Western Sydney Bankstown 2005.

Miller, Rohan, Gwyneth Howell and Ray Stace (2003), "A Developmental Approach to Teaching Internet Marketing using an Online Role-play" Australian and New Zealand Marketing Association Conference 2003 Adelaide, South Australia, pp.1716-1720.

^ Back to top

Professional Engagement

I have been involved with the Public Relations Institute for more than 10 years in both Queensland and New South Wales. In 2003, I joined the New South Wales chapter and became actively involved in NSW branch. In 2005, I was nominated and elected onto the Board of the PRIA for New South Wales. I am also the Chair of the Golden Target Awards which recognises professional excellence within the industry context and sit on the National Education Committee as the New South Wales Representative.

^ Back to top