Biography

M.A. Michigan State University

Ph.D. University of Missouri, School of Journalism

Dr. Bokyung (Bo) Kim currently teaches at Rowan University as Associate Professor of public relations. She also serves as the Graduate Coordinator of the M.A. in Strategic Communication Program at Rowan. Kim’s research has been published in 18+ leading preferred journals, including Public Relations Review, International Journal of Strategic Communication, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Journal of Contingencies & Crisis Management, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, and more. She has written 42+ peer-reviewed conference papers and presented them at annual International Communication Association Conference, National Communication Association Conference, International Public Relations Research Conference and AEJMC. Her awards include “Top Paper” for the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Health Academy Spring Conference in 2010, Communication Arts & Sciences Summer Dean’s Fellowship at Michigan State University, and more.

Research Interests

Corporate communication research and consulting; organizational transparency, social media-based strategic communication; relationship/reputation management; social media in public relations

Publications

Hong, S., Lee, H., & Kim, B. (2023). Editorial: Self-Presentation During Self Quarantine Era. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1194898

Kim, B., Kim, S., & Hong, S. (2023). Are they still determining? Analysis of Associations among Ethnicity, Gender, Socioeconomic Status, Neighborhood Factors and COVID-19 Vaccination. Frontiers in Communication, 8. (Section: Health Communication). https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2023.1040797.

Hong, S., Kim, B., & Lee, S. (2023). A Public Health Crisis in the University: Impact of Crisis Response Strategies on Universities’ Transparency and Post-Crisis Relationships during COVID 19 pandemic. Public Relations Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2023.102287

Hong, S., Kim, B., Lee, M., & Kim, S. (2023, April). Integrating Public Health and Geography: A study of inequalities of income, education, and minority to predict obesity. Paper accepted and presented at the 7th Biennial D.C. Health Communication Conference (DCHC), April 28-29, 2023. 

Kim, B., Lee, S., & Hong, S. (2023, March). How to Become Truly “Sustainable”: A Study of Top Retail Brands’ Sustainability Reports and Consumer Evaluations on Corporate Sustainability Communications. Paper presented at the 26th International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC), March 2-4, 2023, Orlando, Florida. 

Hong, S., Kim, B., & Lee, S. (2023, March). The True Impact of Internal Factors on Organizational Authenticity during a Crisis: An Application of Fully Functioning Society Theory (FFST). Paper presented at the 26th IPRRC, March 2-4, 2023, Orlando, Florida.

Hong, S., Kim, B., & Lee, H. (2022). How Fortune 500’s Instagram Works?: Impacts of Humanized and Narrative Messages on User Engagement. Paper revised/resubmitted and accepted for a publication to Asian Journal of Public Relations. 5(1), 49-54.

Lee, H., Hong, S., & Kim, B. (2022). How Does it Depend?: A Systematic Review of the Contingency Theory of Accommodation in Communication Scholarship. Public Relations Review. 48(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2022.102148

Hong, S., Kim. B. & Lee, S. (2022). Too Close to Like?: How Social Media Influencers recast personal space between selfies and Instagram users. Communication Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2021.2011358

Hong, S., Kim, B., & Lee, S. (2022). The True Impact of Internal Factors on Organizational Authenticity during a Crisis: An Application of Fully Functioning Society Theory (FFST). Poster presented at the 2nd annual Ric Edelman CCCA Research Showcase, December 3, 2022.

Lee, S., Hong, S.., & Kim, B. (2022). Are Red and Blue Americans not Really Experiencing the Same Pandemic?: The Interplay of Crisis Response Strategies and Political Identity on Universities’ Transparency and Post-Crisis Relationships During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Paper presented at the 2022 ICA Preconference: Communicative Dynamics of the Pandemic and Identities on the Margins, May 26, Paris, France. 

Kim, B., Kim, S., & Hong, S. (2022). Are they still determining? Analysis of Associations among Ethnicity, Gender, Socioeconomic Status, Neighborhood Factors and COVID-19 Vaccination. Paper presented at the 2022 International Communication Association (ICA) Annual Conference (Division: Health Communication), May 26-29, Paris, France.

Kim, B. & Hong, S.& Kim, S.  (2021) The Integrated Model of Wearable Activity Tracker Use: Exploring Health Beliefs and Obesity Information Seeking Behaviors from a Nationally Representative Sample. Journal of Medical Internet Research – Formative Research. PubMed 5(9):e23237. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/23237

Kim, B., Hong, S. & Lee, H (2021) Brand Communities Appear on Instagram: Exploring Brand Community Markers Through Fortune 500 Companies’ Instagram. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 15(3), 177-192. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2020.1867556.