Office Hours
Tuesday, 9:30–10:30 am
Wednesday, 1:30–3:30 pm
Education
Ph.D., The University of Alabama
M.A., The University of Alabama
B.A., Mississippi University for Women
About Me
Brandi Watkins is an assistant professor in the School of Communication and Journalism at Auburn University. She joined the Auburn faculty after a decade of working at Virginia Tech. At Auburn, she teaches classes in public relations and conducts research on the intersection of public relations and social media and digital technology. She is a co-advisor for the Auburn PRSSA chapter.
Watkins earned her accreditation in public relations (APR) in 2020. During her career, she has been selected to participate in a number of fellowship including the Flexible Teaching Fellows sponsored by Technology-Enhanced Learning and Online Strategies at Virginia Tech (2024), Plank Center Educators Fellowship by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations (2017), and Kopenhaver Center Fellowship by the Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for Advancement of Women in Communication (2016).
Watkins is the author of a book: Sports Teams, Fans, and Twitter: The Influence of Social Media on Relationships and Branding (Lexington) and edited three books: Research Perspectives on Social Media Influencers and Followers (Lexington), Research Perspectives on Social Media Influencers and Brand Communication (Lexington), and Digital Public Relations and Marketing Communication Trends in Africa (Routledge). Digital Public Relations and Marketing Communication Trends in Africa was awarded the 2025 PRIDE Book Award from the Public Relations Division of NCA.
Watkins has published numerous articles in peer reviewed academic journals including Public Relations Review, Journal of Communication Management, PRism, Journal of Public Relations Education, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Brand Management. She has presented her work at national and international conferences including the International Conference on Social Media and Society.