Patricia Hernandez

At Johns Hopkins, Patricia Hernandez is the Assistant Program Director and a senior lecturer for the MA in Communication program.

Hernandez joined Johns Hopkins from Marian University where she developed a digital media study track, served as the adviser for the student newspaper and as co-director of the Honors Program. Hernandez has extensive experience in onsite and online course and program development.

Hernandez’s work has appeared in the Journal of Communication Education, Journal of Media Psychology, Journal of Psycho-oncology and the Handbook of Arab American Psychology. She has served in a consultant role for the CD, small businesses, and higher education institutions and was awarded a PRSA Silver Anvil award for an internship partnership program with the city of Riverside.

Outside of higher education, Hernandez currently serves as the National Capital Chapter President for the Public Relations Society of America where she fosters collaboration through educational, networking, and professional growth opportunities for communication professionals in the nation’s largest PRSA chapter. She previously served as the vice president of Character Education at the international social movement and nonprofit Because I Said I Would, where she led strategic communication and program development and implementation as featured on the NBC TODAY Show.

Hernandez received a Master of Science in life sciences communication from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she also earned a PhD in journalism and mass communication.

Her current research interest is health behavior change with a digital media lens. She has led and participated in service projects across six countries and three continents.