Faculty and Staff Profile

Deanna Sellnow

Educational Background

Profile

Deanna Sellnow serves as the chair of the Department of Communication. She joins Clemson from the University of Central Florida where she served as a professor of strategic communication in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media. As chair, she cultivates an environment of excellence in research, teaching and service and prioritize the student experience so that all communication students are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in their future endeavors. Her primary area of research focuses on strategic instructional risk and crisis communication in a variety of contexts such as natural disasters, health epidemics and pandemics, biosecurity, terrorism and agricultural biotechnology. She has conducted funded research for agencies such as the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She has served as president of the Central States Communication Association where she was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.