College of Information and Communications

Advertising Faculty

As an advertising major, you will take classes with many School of Journalism and Mass Communications faculty. But here are some of the extraordinary faculty in your area of study. Click on the links to learn more about each of them.

RaeKwon J Groover, MFA

Rae Groover is a passionate creative professional with a background in graphic design and communications for nonprofits, as well as illustration and character design for entertainment. His teaching focuses on concept development and creative thinking techniques in a free-flowing conversational class style. He graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts with a Studio Art minor and the Savannah College of Art and Design with a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration.

Jameson L. Hayes, Ph.D.

Jameson Hayes is the director of the Social Media Insight Lab and an award-winning expert in social media advertising, computational advertising and biometrics. He is passionate about teaching students real-world analytics skills that prepare them to excel in the advertising industry.

Carmen Maye, J.D., Ph.D.

Carmen Maye is a licensed attorney who focuses on the law and creativity. Before law school, she worked in public relations and advertising, most recently as director of corporate communications for a major healthcare provider. In her previous life, Maye's work garnered awards for writing, editing and design. She is an author of Public Relations and Advertising Law, published by Routledge.

Marcia Cook Purday, APR

Marcia Purday, APR, is an award-winning professional who also teaches integrated marketing communications and creative strategy. She helps students develop and execute online marketing campaigns for real clients, giving them the experience they need to secure a career in advertising.

Tom Reichert, Ph.D.

Tom Reichert, dean of the College of Information and Communications, has written and edited several books about the uses and effects of advertising on professional practice and culture. His teaching specialties include an array of advertising courses including management, media planning, principles, and media sales.

Anna Turner

Anna Turner graduated from USC with a bachelor’s in visual communication and a master’s in mass communication. She worked in marketing departments for public agencies in the Columbia area for 10 years as a graphic designer and production manager before joining the SJMC faculty.

Wyatt Urmey

After graduating from USC with a major in advertising, Wyatt Urmey became an award-winning graphic designer, freelance writer and creative director. His early advertising work led to an enduring interest in international brands and tech. He was a student on the USC AAF Ad Team, which placed third in the nation, and then taught the Ad Team course in 1998, when it again captured third, an experience he recommends to all serious in-coming advertising students.

Kristin Walker

Kristin Walker is a seasoned advertising professional with 20+ years of agency and global brand experience. Her teaching focuses on brand strategy, consumer and competitive insights, and integrated marketing campaigns, with an emphasis on integrating AI into the research and campaign development process. She also advises the Student Ad Club, leads the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Study Abroad Program, and will serve as lead advisor for the 2026 Student Ad Team.

Taylor Wen, Ph.D.

Taylor Wen, an award-winning research expert in advertising psychology, is passionate about inspiring students with various cutting-edge neuromarketing techniques, like eye tracking and facial recognition.

Jeffrey S. Williams, MFA

Jeff Williams is a seasoned creative advertising professional who worked with a variety of brands and agencies over his 18 year career. His teaching focuses on creative strategy, content creation, SEO, conversion optimization and inbound marketing. Williams is a mentor for the National Student Advertising Competition and is the co-advisor for the Student Advertising Federation.

Linwan Wu, Ph.D.

Linwan Wu is the Associate Dean for Research and the media mastermind who teaches classes focused on data, research and media analysis. He mentors students each year in the Washington Media Scholars Foundation Case Competition, where his students won first place in 2018 and 2019.

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