Richard D. Waters, Ph.D., is a public relations educator and scholar whose research examines strategic communication, nonprofit communication, relationship management, and digital engagement. The author of over 115 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, he earned his Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Florida in 2007. Waters has published extensively on stakeholder relationships, fundraising and nonprofit communication, social media strategy, and public relations pedagogy. Waters is the editor of Public Relations in the Nonprofit Sector: Theory and Practice and co-editor of Coming out of the Closet: Exploring LGBT Issues in Strategic Communication with Theory and Research. He has authored numerous articles in journals including Public Relations Review, Journal of Public Relations Research, Journal of Public Relations Education, and Journalism & Mass Communication Educator. His teaching and scholarship frequently explore the intersections of ethics, crisis communication, and emerging communication technologies in organizational settings. Waters has also worked with nonprofit organizations and corporations on strategic communication initiatives and community engagement efforts.

Ph.D. in Mass Communication,  University of Florida (2007).

M.S. in Public Relations, Syracuse University.

A.B.J. in Public Relations, University of Georgia.

Public Relations, Nonprofit Communication, Fundraising Theory

PUR3002 (Public Relations Strategy), PUR3100 (Public Relations Writing), SPC4605 (Principles of Speechwriting), ADV5007 (Foundations of Integrated Marketing Communications), COM5535 (Communication Campaigns)

Select articles published while at Florida State University:

Waters, R. D., Ray, E. C. & Rolle, E. (2026). Shaping Future Professionals: Industry Perspectives on Graduate Internships. Journal of Public Relations Education, 12(1), 135-175.

Pressgrove, G., McKeever, B., McKeever, R., & Waters, R. D. (2024). Investigating Membership Retention:  Employing Public Relations Theory to Better Understand Relationship Management. Journal of Public Sector and Nonprofit Marketing, 36(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/10495142.2022.2130497

Waters, R. D., & Auger, G. A. (2023). Crowdfunding Door-to-Door in Digital Neighborhood:  Comparing the Solicitation Strategies and Outcomes of Nonprofits’ and Individual’s GoFundMe Campaigns. Journal of Philanthropy & Marketing, 28(4).

Waters, R. D., Auger, G. A., & Bortree, D. S. (2023). From Axial Codes to Z-Scores:  Charting the Diversity and Scope of 25 Years of Nonprofit Marketing Research Published in International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing. Journal of Philanthropy & Marketing, 28(4).

Xiao, A., Huang, Y., Bortree, D. S., & Waters, R. D. (2022). Designing social media fundraising messages:  An experimental approach to understanding how message concreteness and framing influence donation intentions. Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 54(1), 832-856. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640211022838

Hamilton, S. N., & Waters, R. D. (2022). Mainstreaming standardized sustainability reporting:  Comparing Fortune 50 corporations’ and U.S. News & World Report’s top 50 global universities’ sustainability reports. Sustainability, 14(6). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063442

Waters, R. D., Auger, G. A., & Husted, K. M. (2022). Media Relations Strategies of Philanthropic Foundations:  A Longitudinal Analysis of News Releases Produced by Top U.S. Foundations. Foundation Review, 14(3), 57-69.

Farwell, T. M., Waters, R. D., & Chen, Z. F. (2022). Revising SMART+IE: A Classroom Activity for Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Communication Campaigns. Advertising & Society Quarterly, 23(1). Retrieved from https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/853005.

Waters, R. D., & Farwell, T. M. (2022). Shaping tomorrow’s industry leaders by incorporating inclusivity into campaign planning curriculum:  Student reactions to the SMART+IE mindset in strategic communication efforts. Journal of Public Relations Education, 8(4), 183-239.

***See website link for PDFs of articles available via Google Scholar.