Professor Pat Swann
For decades, Distinguished Professor of Public Relations and Management Patricia Swann has helped students prepare for careers in public relations and marketing by teaching them to think strategically and communicate effectively. Today, her influence continues to expand beyond the classroom through the publication of her latest textbook.
Swann, who was also the Interim Dean for the School of Business and Justice Studies for the 2025-2026 academic year, recently authored the fourth edition of Cases in Public Relations Management, a textbook published by Routledge that was originated by Professor Emeritus Ray Simon.
The text features a combination of new and updated cases that give students a practical view of how on-the-ground public relations is practiced today. The new edition includes cases on the Norfolk Southern Railroad derailment in East Palestine, OH, the social media influencer controversy involving Bud Light, JUUL’s illegal social media campaign, Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, the Barbie movie’s marketing campaign, and FTX’s business meltdown.
Showcasing both successes and failures in public relations management, the fourth edition text uses a problem-based case study approach that encourages readers to put their knowledge to the test to assess what has worked and consider alternate approaches to the situations these cases explore.
Swann credits Raymond Simon’s mentoring she received as a new professor at Utica University. “I remember one day he stopped by my office and asked: ‘Would you like to update my case study textbook?’ I thought, ‘Impossible!’ Writing a textbook seemed beyond my capabilities. Yet, the project intrigued me, as did problem-based learning approaches that case study provided. In deference to Ray, I rang up an editor at McGraw-Hill to ask about updating the out-of-print title and was shocked when the response was positive,” Swann recalled.
“What I didn’t understand at the time was that case study research was a perfect fit for my journalism and PR skillset,” Swann said. “I could interview and write. I could also synthesize multiple sources of information into a coherent story, while connecting pertinent concepts. Since the first edition, it’s been fascinating to develop these case studies and share them with students.”
This textbook has been adopted by more than 100 colleges and universities and has sold more than 10,000 copies since it was first published in 2007.
The publication of the fourth edition reflects Swann's longstanding commitment to bridging classroom learning and professional practice. Through her teaching, leadership, and scholarship, she continues to help prepare the next generation of communication professionals to navigate an increasingly complex media landscape.
A new Swann research project includes a chapter in a forthcoming 2026 book on the history of public relations. It will describe Raymond Simon’s significant contributions to public relations education. “This is an opportunity to solidify Simon’s work in the context of public relation’s development,” Swann said. “He was an educational trailblazer in many ways: he developed one of the first full-fledged public relations undergraduate curriculums; authored the first public relations-specific classroom textbooks for writing and case studies, in addition to a textbook for the principles course; and developing student potential through national student organizations and mentoring.
In addition to Cases in Public Relations Management, Swann has written two other textbooks: The Illustrated Guide to the Content Analysis Project (2020), and The Illustrated Guide to the Mass Communication Research Project (2023), both published by Routledge. Each textbook breaks down the academic research process. Swann illustrated these books with cartoons, using humor to aid comprehension, encourage reading and reduce research anxiety.
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