Biography

Arla Bernstein (Ph.D., University of Florida, 1998) is Assistant Professor. Her research merges her specializations in political communication with her longstanding instructional interest in public relations. Her research areas also include ethnicity and communication. Bernstein combines a strong background in public policy and urban planning (the focus of her B.A. and M.A. training) with her professional experiences as a former director of community development (in Marion County, Fla) and as former city planner for Miramar and Hollywood, Florida. Her research has appeared in Communication Quarterly and in several book chapters in volumes relating to political communication (for example, her “Political Discussion and Media Use: Contrasts Between Early and Late Campaign Phases” appeared in Kaid, Tedesco, Bystrom, and McKinney, eds., The Millenium Campaign: Communication in the 2000 Campaigns, Rowman & Littlefield 2003). Her research has also been published in the journal, Sex Roles
She is at work on a series of projects relating to political engagement and the predicates of public participation. At GSU, Bernstein has involved her students in projects relating to this topic, including public communication assistance for the Atlanta Regional Commission. Research Areas: Political Communication; Women & Politics; Feminism & Communication. Degree Track Affiliations: Ph.D. (Public Communication), M.A. (Mass Communication). Core Graduate Seminars Regularly Taught: Public Relations, PR Writing, PR Cases & Problems; Audience Studies. Dr. Bernstein is currently conducting a study on ethnicity factors for "health communication meets community planning."