Gainesville, Fla. – The Institute for Public Relations (IPR) Board of Trustees has elected three new Directors for the IPR Commissions and Centers of Excellence. The Directors help guide the mission, research, and strategy of each of these centers based on critically important long-term areas of interest determined by Trustees.
“We are thrilled with the election of these new directors to our esteemed Centers for Excellence,” said IPR President and CEO, Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., APR. “We are confident that they will steer the Centers toward innovative research and growth.”
The three new directors are:
IPR Organizational Communication Research Center (OCRC)
– Geoff Curtis, IPR Trustee
IPR Measurement Commission
– Angela Dwyer, Head of Insights at Fullintel
IPR Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CDEI)
– Damion Waymer, Ph.D., Professor and Director at the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Geoff Curtis – IPR Organization Communication Research Center
Geoff Curtis is director of the IPR Organizational Communication Research Center beginning in 2024. Curtis succeeds Ethan McCarty, previous director of the Organizational Communication Research Center.
Geoff Curtis was most recently Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Horizon Therapeutics. He joined Horizon Therapeutics in 2015 and has more than two decades of global healthcare communications experience.
Prior to joining Horizon Therapeutics, Geoff served as senior vice president at Edelman Public Relations and as part of its National Health Media Team he led media strategy and execution for a large portfolio of pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device clients. Previously, Geoff was group director of the media practice at WCG, a W20 Group company, where he provided product and corporate communications counsel and handled ongoing media relations for a broad range of healthcare clients. Before WCG, he held a similar role at GCI Group.
Prior to joining GCI, Geoff served as a public affairs manager in the Pharmaceutical Products Division at Abbott (now AbbVie), where he led internal and external communications programs for the immunology, neuroscience, and oncology franchises.
Angela Dwyer – IPR Measurement Commission
Angela Dwyer is director of the Measurement Commission beginning in 2024. Dwyer succeeds Dr. Julie O’Neil, who previously served as director of the Commission.
Dwyer is Head of Insights at Fullintel. She helps brands improve business results through data-driven, actionable insights. She has worked at public relations agencies and media research firms consulting with brands across several industries including consumer, healthcare and automotive. She has presented and published several original, award-winning research papers on varied topics including news content that drives recall and engagement, the measured value of public relations and factors that increase trust.
Prior to her role at Fullintel, Dwyer was SVP of Measurement at Lippe Taylor, a NYC-based agency, where she developed a research-based metric to predict positive recall. Previously, she opened and managed PRIME Research’s new business and operations in Brazil and South America, where she worked with global brands on integrated media measurement projects.
Her contribution to the field has been celebrated with several industry awards. She has been recognized with a PRNEWS People of the Year Award as a Data & Measurement Game Changer, a PRNEWS Top Women Award in the Industry Champions Category, and an AMEC Rising Star recognition as an innovator in communication measurement.
Damion Waymer, Ph.D. – IPR Center of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Dr. Damion Wayner is director of the IPR Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion beginning in 2024. Dr. Waymer succeeds Emily Graham and Dr. Natalie Tindall, who previously served as co-directors of the Center.
Damion Waymer, a native of Orangeburg, SC, is the Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina. Prior to this appointment, he held varied administrative roles including the Senior Associate Dean of the College of Communication & Information Sciences as well as the Department Chair of Advertising & Public Relations at The University of Alabama.
Previously, Dr. Waymer led aggressive faculty recruitment and retention initiatives in his role as Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Development & Diversity at the University of Cincinnati. He spearheaded new faculty development opportunities, and he created annual university-level awards such as the Provost Exemplary Department Award where top departments were recognized for their excellence in a pre-determined area.
Dr. Waymer is a seasoned communication researcher and practitioner who has conducted respected research in the contexts of public relations, crisis communication, corporate social responsibility (CSR), branding, and strategic communication. He has held faculty appointments at leading research institutions such as Virginia Tech, University of Cincinnati, and Texas A&M University.
About the Institute for Public Relations
Founded in 1956, the Institute for Public Relations is an independent, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the science beneath the art of public relations™. IPR creates, curates, and promotes research and initiatives that empower professionals with actionable insights and intelligence they can put to immediate use. IPR predicts and analyzes global factors transforming the profession and amplifies and engages the professional globally through thought leadership and programming. All research is available free at www.instituteforpr.org and provides the basis for IPR’s professional conferences and events.
