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About Johnny
Dr. Johnny Sparks is a Professor and Director of the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication at Ball State University, a position he has held since 2021. Prior to this, he served as Chair of the Department of Journalism at Ball State University from 2016 to 2021 and as Associate Professor with tenure in the same department since 2016. His academic career also includes roles as Associate Professor with tenure in Advertising and Associate Department Chair at Central Michigan University from 2013 to 2016, Assistant Professor in the Department of Advertising at Texas Tech University from 2009 to 2012, and Assistant Professor and Interim Graduate Coordinator in the Telecommunication and Film Department at The University of Alabama from 2006 to 2009. Earlier positions encompass research assistantships and fellowships at Indiana University and Director of Student Publications at Austin Peay State University. Dr. Sparks holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from Indiana University, an M.A. in Speech, Communication, and Theatre with honors from Austin Peay State University, and a B.S. in Journalism cum laude from Austin Peay State University.
Dr. Sparks' research applies social scientific theoretical perspectives from the intersection of communication and psychology to investigate how the structural features and content of advertising messages impact individuals' motivational, emotional, and cognitive processing of information. His current research additionally explores philosophical and pedagogical issues in mass communication. He has authored or co-authored 11 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals such as Psychology & Marketing, Communication Research, Communication Monographs, Communication Methods and Measures, and the International Journal of Advertising. Notable publications include "The effect of exposure to sexual appeals in advertisements on memory, attitude, and purchase intention: A meta-analytic review" (Wirtz, Sparks, & Zimbres, 2018, International Journal of Advertising), "Mechanisms underlying the effects of sexy and humorous content in advertisements" (Sparks & Lang, 2015, Communication Monographs), "Motivated processing of peripheral advertising information in video games" (Chung & Sparks, 2016, Communication Research), and "The effects of psychobiological motivational traits on memory of in-game advertising messages" (Sparks & Chung, 2016, Psychology & Marketing). He has also coauthored a refereed book chapter, seven refereed abstracts, and presented more than 20 conference papers, including two top papers in the International Communication Association's Information Systems division. Dr. Sparks served as President of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC) from 2023 to 2024. His honors include the American Advertising Federation District 6 Third Place (in-track) in the National Student Advertising Competition as Faculty Advisor in 2015, the University of Alabama Board of Visitors Teaching Excellence Award in 2009, and selection for The Last Lecture Series in 2009. He has served on over 50 graduate committees, directed several master's theses, and an American Advertising Academy award-winning doctoral dissertation.
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