Rate My Professor Carolyn Smith Casertano

Carolyn Smith Casertano, APR, Fellow PRSA, is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Communication at the University of Arizona, where she teaches public relations courses and serves as faculty adviser to the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter. She earned a Master of Arts in Communication and Leadership from Gonzaga University and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Arizona. With more than two decades of experience as an award-winning communications professional, she specializes in strategic planning, message development and implementation, media relations, crisis communications, thought leadership, advocacy, and brand positioning. Smith Casertano owns and operates CC Communications LLC, focusing on marketing, communications, and public relations services. At the university, she led the curriculum development and process to create a new undergraduate degree program in public relations, set to begin in Fall 2026. She developed and teaches courses including Crisis Communication and Public Relations, Public Relations Ethics, Social Media and Public Relations, the first public relations study abroad classes in Orvieto, Italy, and the first global Introduction to Public Relations course for the University’s micro campus in Lima, Peru. She will lead the inaugural Student-run Public Relations Agency course in Fall 2026.

Smith Casertano has earned numerous honors, including induction into the Public Relations Society of America College of Fellows in 2023, designation as the 2020 Public Relations Professional of the Year, the PRSA Western District’s 2022 Platinum Service Award, and a PRSA Silver Anvil Award for her team’s work with the American Cancer Society. She holds accreditation in public relations (APR) from the Universal Accreditation Board, an Advanced Crisis Communication Certificate from PRSA, and certification as a mediator through the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. She is an inaugural Fellow of the University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Dean’s Office and was accepted into the Institute for Public Relations Elevate Society in 2026. Her professional influence is evident in leadership roles such as former Regional Representative for PRSA serving the North Pacific and Western Districts, past president of the Southern Arizona PRSA chapter, service on the PRSA Western District Board of Directors and leadership in the PRSA Educators Academy, chair of the Teaching Committee for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Public Relations Division, and participation in AEJMC’s Internship and Career Interest group. She speaks frequently to students and professionals on topics including public relations ethics, crisis communications, the future of public relations, and the impact of AI.