Communications Faculty and Staff
Dr. Tamara Gillis
Professor of Communications
gillistl@etown.edu | 717-361-1386
Tamara Gillis, professor of communications, teaches corporate communications and research courses at Elizabethtown College. Her most recent work include “The IABC Practical Guide for Professional Communication: A Global Standard Primer” (IABC, 2021). She is the author of numerous titles concerning workplace communication, organizational development, and change communication. Dr. Gillis serves as a corporate consultant and led the International Association of Business Communicators Executive Accreditation program at Royal Roads University.
Gillis is recognized globally for her work in education, training, change management and employee communication. Her research and consulting interests include change management, effective organizational design, and the impact of technology. She has served as a faculty member for the Institute for Shipboard Education’s Semester at Sea program and at Royal Roads University (Victoria, British Columbia) Centre for Applied Leadership and Management, as well as in mass media projects in Swaziland and Namibia. Research and consulting projects have led her to Australia, Canada, India, Ecuador and numerous of other countries.
Dr. Gillis is a Page Legacy Scholar of The Arthur W. Page Center, a recipient of The Ernest R. McDowell Award for Excellence in Public Relations, and the IABC Research Foundation Lifetime Friend recognition. She holds the designation of accredited business communicator through the IABC and was recognized as an IABC Fellow in 2014. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts in London. She was the first educator to serve as the chairman of the IABC Research Foundation.
Dr. Colin Helb
Associate Professor
helbc@etown.edu | 717-361-1387
Colin Helb, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Communications, teaching courses in media production, audio production, film, critical media studies, and media design.
Dr. Helb earned his doctoral degree from Bowling Green State University's American Culture Studies Program with emphases on popular culture; film, media and television studies; and popular music. Helb's book, Hardcore, Punk, and Other Junk: Aggression in Contemporary Music (co-edited with Eric Abbey), was published by Lexington in 2014. Additional research and publications explore gender politics in Hollywood, gender and technology in music production, cross-media marketing and convergence, and amateur media production.
Dr. Helb is active with the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA) and the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA).
Dr. Katherine Hughes
Associate Professor
hugheska@etown.edu | 717-361-1259
Katherine Hughes is associate professor of communications at Elizabethtown College. She earned her doctoral degree in mass communications, as well as her master's degree in television/radio/film from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She earned her bachelor's degree in mass communications from James Madison University.
Prior to teaching, Dr. Hughes worked in the fields of e-learning and web development as a designer and project manager.
Dr. Hughes teaches courses in Visual Communications (COM 130), Digital Photography (COM/ART 145), Presentation Skills (COM 210), PR Media Production (COM 235), and Photojournalism (COM 371). Additionally, she has served on honors committees for the Departments of Communications and Art & Design. She also advises the Etown Photography Club.
Dr. Hughes leads a short-term study abroad program to Ireland. Students spend 3.5 weeks traveling across Ireland and Northern Ireland documenting their experiences through journalistic writing and photographs. For more information about Etown’s Study Abroad Programs, visit the Study Abroad page.
Dr. Hughes authored a textbook, titled “Graphic Design: Learn It, Do It” (CRC Press). This text is an introduction to the fundamentals of graphic design and the Adobe Creative Cloud applications used to put these concepts into practice.
Dr. Kirsten Johnson
Professor of Communications
johnsonka@etown.edu | 717-361-1258
Kirsten Johnson, professor of communications, primarily teaches video production and news writing classes. She also advises the Etown chapter of the Society for Collegiate Journalists. Prior to teaching, Johnson worked for nearly a decade in local radio and television. She began her media career at KRNT and KIOA radio in Des Moines, Iowa as an on-air personality and board operator. She then worked as a news producer at WOI-TV (the ABC affiliate in Des Moines) and at WGAL-TV (the NBC affiliate in Lancaster).
Johnson has a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, a master's degree in telecommunications from Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, and a doctoral degree in information science and technology from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her research interests include citizen journalism, perceived credibility on web sites and user created content. She has made presentations nationally and internationally on citizen journalism, has authored several papers on citizen journalism and user created content and has written a book chapter titled "Citizen Journalism in the Community and the Classroom in the book Public Journalism 2.0: The Promise and Reality of a Citizen-Engaged Press." She co-edited a book, titled "News With a View: Journalism Beyond Objectivity" and co-authored a textbook, titled "Shoot, Edit, Share: Video Production for Mass Media, Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations".
Ali Lanyon
Adjunct Faculty
lanyona@etown.edu | 717-361-1308
Ali Lanyon is the co-anchor of abc27’s “Daybreak” from 4:30-7 a.m. Ali joined abc27 in 2002 as a reporter and became the morning show anchor in 2010. Ali has earned five regional Emmy awards since joining abc27, including twice being named Outstanding On-Camera Reporter in the Features and Human Interest category. Her most recent win came in 2024, when “Daybreak” was named Best Morning Show, smaller markets. Ali has three weekly segments, including What’s Going Around, Mommy Minute and Healthy Living.
During her career at abc27, Ali has reported on many important crime stories, including several death penalty trials and a recurring series examining local cold cases. She has also covered major political events including a one-on-one interview with Vice President Mike Pence leading up to the 2020 election. Ali has traveled to tell some of her most memorable stories. She reported from Shanksville on the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, went to Washington, D.C. to cover the death of President Ronald Reagan, and flew to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to follow local volunteer efforts. She has also traveled to Hollywood twice to take viewers behind the scenes of the hit show “Dancing with the Stars.”
Ali began her broadcasting career at WITN-TV in Greenville, North Carolina. She grew up in Royersford, Pennsylvania and attended Hofstra University on Long Island where she graduated summa cum laude and played Division I field hockey. She has two children, Alexander and Emerson. You’ll often find her cheering at her kids’ competitive swim meets or coaching her daughter’s lacrosse team. In 2023, Ali joined Elizabethtown College’s School of Public Service as an adjunct journalism professor.
Andy Williams
Director of Student Media
williamsaw@etown.edu | 717-361-6414
- A.S. in Telecommunications from Delaware Tech and Community College
Andy is an Emmy-nominated press photographer and has over 20 years of broadcast news experience. Most recently he was employed by WGAL-TV, an NBC affiliate in Lancaster, as a photographer covering central PA. Andy manages Etown’s student media including the student-run television (ECTV) and radio station (WWEC). He also works closely with student media board members. He is responsible for the vast inventory of technology within the Communications program, as well as securing the latest updates for best student experience. Andy collaborates with students and faculty on projects both inside and outside the classroom.
