UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A researcher who has spent their academic career ensuring that marginalized voices and perspectives are included in the study of strategic communication will present the annual Pockrass Memorial Lecture on April 14.

Erica Ciszek, an assistant professor at the University of Texas, will present “Voices & Representation: Amplification and the Limits of Visibility” at 5:30 p.m. April 14. The free public lecture, which will be presented virtually on Zoom, requires preregistration.

Before launching their academic career, Ciszek worked in advertising, public relations and market research and wrote for LGBTQ publications. As someone with professional experience in strategic communication working with nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies, Ciszek recognized the lack of diversity and representation that often characterizes the fields of advertising and public relations.

Through their research and teaching, Ciszek is committed to making a space for marginalized voices and perspectives that have historically been written out of research. Their research has been published in the top journals in the field, including the Journal of Communication, New Media & Society, Social Media + Society, and International Journal of Communication.

The Pockrass Lecture was named for the late Professor Robert M. Pockrass, a member of the Penn State journalism faculty from 1948 to 1977. He specialized in public opinion and popular culture, served as the graduate officer and taught radio news writing in the School of Journalism, a precursor to the Bellisario College.