Headshot of Vanessa Bravo

Vanessa Bravo

Professor of Strategic Communications and Assistant Dean of the School of Communications

Department: Strategic Communications

Office and address: Schar Hall- Communications Bld, Office 202B 2850 Campus Box Elon, NC 27244

Phone number: (336) 278-5510

Professional Expertise

government-diaspora relations/advocacy, migration&comm, public diplomacy, internat. comm, Latinx, ethnic PR, journalism

Brief Biography

B.A., Universidad de Costa Rica; M.A., University of Florida; Ph.D., University of Florida. Fulbright Scholar at the University of Florida (2001-2003). Fourteen years as a journalist and editor at newspaper La Nacion (Grupo Nacion) in Costa Rica in positions such as online editor and features editor. Strategic communications director at Paniamor Foundation for a year. Co-editor of the book Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2021). Has published journal articles in Public Relations Review, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, International Journal of Communication, Journal of Public Relations Education, Public Relations Inquiry, Journal of Contingencies & Crisis Management, Diplomatica Journal, Rising Powers Quarterly, Mortality: Promoting the Interdisciplinary Study of Death and Dying, Global Media Journal, Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas (Spain) and Palabra Clave (Colombia). Has authored book chapters in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Strategic Communications (Routledge); The Routledge Companion to Public Relations (Routledge); Cases in Public Relations Ethics (Oxford University Press); Communication and Community (Hampton Press); International Public Relations and Public Diplomacy: Communication and Engagement (Peter Lang); and Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy (Palgrave Macmillan). Has presented research at AEJMC, ICA, and ISA, among others. Taught at the University of Florida, as a Ph.D. teaching assistant and instructor of record (2008-2011) and at the Universidad de Costa Rica (2005). Came to Elon University in 2011. Received the Elon School of Communications (SoC)'s Faculty Excellence in Research Award in 2017 and Elon University's Distinguished Scholar Award in 2022. Tenured & promoted to Associate Professor in 2017. Promoted to Full Professor in 2023. Strategic Communications Department Chair from June 2020 to May 2024. Assistant Dean of the SoC since June 1st, 2024.

Links

News & Notes

Education

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA (UF)                                                                      Gainesville, Florida. USA

2008- 2011      Ph.D. in Mass Communications.

  • Certificate in Latin American Studies.
  • Research areas: strategic use of social media in public relations, international public relations, diasporas as publics, journalism and public relations in Latin America.
  • Dissertation: Conceptualization of Diaspora Relations From the Government Viewpoint: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Diaspora Relations in the Cases of Costa Rica and El Salvador (Chair: Dr. Juan Carlos Molleda). Available through Google Scholar.

2001- 2003      Master of Arts in Mass Communications.

  • Fulbright Scholar.
  • Graduation with distinction.
  • Thesis: The Costa Rican press on the Internet: The first ten years (Chair: Professor Kurt Kent). Available at http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0000651 (or through Google Scholar).

UNIVERSITY OF COSTA RICA (UCR)                                                                San Jose, Costa Rica

Licenciatura degree in Journalism (1996). Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications (1994).

Courses Taught

In the School of Communications

  • COM498 Honors Thesis Supervision (to students Kimberly Wilson --2017 to 2019, Cameron Jackson --2016 to 2018, Tara Wirth --2015 to 2017, and Kathryn Jeffords --2014 to 2016).
  • COM499 Undergraduate Research
  • COM495 Great Ideas: Issues & Research (senior capstone)
  • COM312 Strategic Writing (as service-learning and regular course)
  • COM232 Public Relations and Civic Responsibility
  • COM110 Media Writing
  • COM100 Communications in a Global Age

In the Core Curriculum

  • GST436 Latinos in the United States and the Media
  • COR110 The Global Experience (emphasis on race relations, immigration and Latinx)
  • Periclean Scholars Class of 2025 faculty advisor courses (From Fall 2022 to WT 2025). Prefixes: PER and COR. 4-credit and 2-credit courses.

Leadership Positions

Assistant Dean of the School of Communications at Elon University (60+ full-time faculty, 1000+ student majors). (June 1, 2024 to Present).

Department Chair of Strategic Communications at Elon University (18+ full-time faculty, 400+ student majors, 50+ courses offered per year). (June 1, 2020 -- May 31, 2024).

Co-Chair of the Latinx/Hispanic Advisory Council (advisory body to the Division of Inclusive Excellence at Elon University). (Fall 2023-Present)

Co-Chair of the Latinx/Hispanic Implementation Team at Elon University (Fall 2019-Fall 2021)

Co-Chair of the Latinx/Hispanic Working Group at Elon University (Fall 2017-Fall 2018)

Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Latinx/Hispanic Employee Resource Group (ERG) at Elon University (Fall 2018 -- Present)

Grants Awarded

  • Summer 2020- Faculty Summer Research Grant to write chapters and edit chapters for the edited book by Bravo, V. & De Moya, M. ( Eds.) Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy (Palgrave-Macmillan), which was published in Fall 2021.
  • Summer 2013- Faculty Summer Research Grant to support study about the communication processes of Hispanic immigrants in the Triad area of North Carolina.
  • Summer 2012- Hultquist Grant and New-Faculty Summer Research Grant to support research writing efforts.
  • Spring 2012- Diversity Infusion Project (DIP) grant to develop the course GST436 Latinos in the United States and the Media.
  • Spring 2011- Susanne A. Roschwalb Grant for International Study and Research in Public Relations. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Public Relations Division. Travel to Costa Rica to conduct dissertation research in 2011.

Publications

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Post-Tenure

  • Bravo, V. (2025). When Migrants Oppose Other Migrant-Sending Countries’ Policies: Fighting Countries Who Are Supposed to Be Your Friends. In Disruption and Dissent in Public Diplomacy (pp. 187-205). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

  • Bravo, V. (2024). Centering DEI in Strategic Writing. In L.Bush and K.Lindsey (Eds.) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Strategic Communications (pp. 37-49). Routledge.

  • Bush, L., & Bravo, V. (2023). Systematically Applying DEI Accreditation Standards to a Strategic Communications Curriculum. JPRE, 8(4), 128-160.

  • Bravo, V. (2022). Toward better global thinking through Latin America's understanding of public relations. In Pompper, D., Place, K. R., & Weaver, C. K. (Eds.) The Routledge Companion to Public Relations. Taylor & Francis, pp. 19-32.

  • Bravo, V. & De Moya, M. (2021, peer-reviewed). Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy. Co-Edited Book. Global Diplomacy Series. Palgrave Macmillan. August of 2021. More info at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-74564-6

  • Bravo, V. & De Moya, M. (2021). Chapter 1: Diasporas from Latin America and their role in public diplomacy. In V. Bravo and M. De Moya (Eds.), Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy. Global Diplomacy Series. Palgrave Macmillan.

  • Bravo, V. (2021). Chapter 3: State-diaspora relations in El Salvador and Colombia: Building legitimacy at home while trying to protect and “court” citizens abroad. In V. Bravo and M. De Moya (Eds.), Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy. Global Diplomacy Series. Palgrave Macmillan.

  • De Moya, M. & Bravo, V. (2021). Chapter 6: The new Cuban diaspora. In V. Bravo and M. De Moya (Eds.), Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy. Global Diplomacy Series. Palgrave Macmillan.

  • De Moya, M. & Bravo, V. (2021). Chapter 13: Lessons learned and a future research agenda about Latin American diasporas in public diplomacy. In V. Bravo and M. De Moya (Eds.), Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy. Global Diplomacy Series. Palgrave Macmillan.

  • Bravo, V. & De Moya, M. (2021). Contesting the “Bad Hombres” narrative: US and Mexican media diplomacy and presidential strategic narratives about immigrants. Diplomatica Journal, 3(1), 47-73.

  • Dahal, L.. Idris, M. & Bravo, V. (2020). Case study: ‘It helped us, and it hurt us’: The role of social media in shaping agency and action among youth in post-disaster Nepal. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management.

  • Bravo, V. & Clark, N. (2019). Encyclopedia Entry: Diversity in News Organizations (4,000 words). In Tim Vos (ed.) et al.'s The International Encyclopedia of Journalism Studies. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell/ICA International Encyclopedias of Communication Series.

  • Bravo, V. & De Moya, M. (2019). Mexico`s public diplomacy efforts to engage its diaspora across the border: Case study of the programs, messages and strategies employed by the Mexican Embassy in the United States. Rising Powers Quarterly 3 (3), pp.173-196. Available at http://risingpowersproject.com/quarterly/mexicos-public-diplomacy-efforts-to-engage-its-diaspora-across-the-border-case-study-of-the-programs-messages-and-strategies-employed-by-the-mexican-embassy-in-the-united-states/

  • Bravo, V.,  Molleda, J.C., Giraldo, A.F., Botero, L.H.  (2018). Chiquita Brands: Its illegal payments to paramilitary groups in Colombia and the transnational public relations crisis that followed. In Hickerson, C. and Brunner, B. (eds.) Cases in Public Relations Ethics: Translating Ethics into Action (Oxford University Press)

  • Bravo, V. (2017). Coping with dying and deaths at home: How undocumented migrants in the United States experience the process of transnational grieving. Mortality: The Interdisciplinary Study of Death and Dying 22 (1), pp. 33-44.

Pre-Tenure

  • De Moya, M. & Bravo, V. (2016). The role of public relations in ethnic advocacy and activism: A proposed research agenda. Public Relations Inquiry, pp. 1-18.
  • Bravo, V. (2015). Applying the Situational Theory of Publics to the first external voting process for Costa Ricans abroad: Lessons for international public relations and public diplomacy. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas, 5(10), 124-140.
  • Bravo, V. & De Moya, M. (2015). Communicating the homeland’s relationship with its diaspora community: The cases of El Salvador and Colombia. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 10(1), pp. 70-104.
  • Bravo, V. (2014). The importance of diaspora communities as key publics for national governments around the world. In G.J. Golan, S.U. Yang, & D. Kinsey (Eds), International Public Relations and Public Diplomacy: Communication and Engagement. NY: Peter Lang.
  • Bravo, V. (2014). El Salvador and Costa Rica’s state-diaspora relations management. International Journal of Communication, 8 (22). Available at http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/1822
  • Bravo, V. (2013). Communicating external voting rights to diaspora communities: challenges and opportunities in the cases of El Salvador and Costa Rica. Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas,3 (5), 5-26.
  • Bravo, V. (2013). Studying diaspora relations in the field of global public relations. In P. Moy (Ed), Communication and Community. ICA Annual Conference Theme Book Series. New York: Hampton Press.
  • Bravo, V., Molleda, J.C., Giraldo, A.F., & Botero, L.H. (2013). Testing cross-national conflict shifting theory: An analysis of Chiquita Brands`transnational crisis in Colombia. Public Relations Review, 39 (1), pp. 57-59. (Available online 22 October 2012 at  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2012.09.006 )
  • Bravo, V. (2012). Engaging the diaspora: El Salvador and Costa Rica´s use of social media to connect with their diaspora communities in the United States. Global Media Journal – American Edition, 11 (21). Fall 2012 edition.
  • Giraldo, A.F., Botero, L.H., Molleda, J.C., & Bravo, V. (2011). Crisis transnacional global en relaciones públicas: El caso Chiquita Brands. Palabra Clave, 14 (1), pp. 31-52. Comunicación Estratégica. Universidad de La Sabana. Bogotá, Colombia.

REFEREED CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

  • Bravo, V. (2015, March). Communications and logistical challenges of the first external voting process for Costa Ricans abroad: Lessons learned and applications for international government public relations. Proceedings from the 18th International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC)’ 2015 (pp. 73-84). Holiday Inn University of Miami. Florida, March 4-8. http://www.instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/IPRRC18-Proceedings.pdf
  • Bravo, V. (2014, March). Public diplomacy relationship-building efforts with diaspora communities in the United States: Perceptions of Latino diaspora community members. Proceedings from the 17th International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC)’ 2014 (pp. 42-61). Holiday Inn University of Miami. Florida, March 5-9. http://www.instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/IPRRC17-Proceedings.pdf

BOOK REVIEWS (INVITED)

Bravo, V. (2019). Mastering business for strategic communicators: Insights and advice from the C-suite of leading brands. By Matthew W. Ragas and Ron Culp (Eds.), Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing, 2018, 288 pp. International Journal of Communication 13, pp.8-11.

Bravo, V. (2014). Diaspora Online: Identity Politics and Romanian Migrants. By Ruxandra Trandafoiu. Brooklyn, New York: Berghahn Books, 2013, 224 pages. International Migration Review, 48(2) (Summer 2014), pp.571-572.   

Presentations

Selected Presentations (50 most-recent)

Post-tenure

González de Bustamente, C., Reilly, J., Bravo, V. and Furtado, S. (2025). Costa Rican Journalism at a Crossroads: Emerging Concerns Over Press Freedoms and Economic Precarity. To be presented Aug.9 at AEJMC (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) annual conference. San Francisco, California. August 6-10. International Communication Division Paper Award to Best Paper focused on Latin America.

Bravo, V. (2025). Café Teórico: Conversando sobre acercamientos teórico-metodológicos para estudiar la diplomacia pública de las diásporas (Theoretical Coffee Time: Theoretical and methodological approaches to study the public diplomacy of diaspora communities). Zoom session with scholars from Mexico City and Puebla. Organized by AMEI (Asociación Mexicana de Estudios Internacionales – Mexican Association of International Studies). Hosted by Dr. Tania Gómez-Zapata (Universidad de las Américas – Puebla) and Dr. Eduardo L. Tadeo-Hernández (Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Xochimilco). April 29.

Bravo, V. (2025). Disruption and dissent in public diplomacy: The case of resistance of Central American and other migrants crossing through Mexico on their way to the United States. Presented at International Studies Association (ICA) annual conference. Chicago. March 2.

Bravo, V. (2024). Public diplomacy: conceptualization, theories, methods and the situation of Mexico in a changing U.S. political environment. Invited keynote speaker by Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), a public university, and Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO), a private Jesuit institution, both in Mexico City, Nov.18-21, including in a "conversatorio" with more than a dozen professors and researchers from UAM, IBERO, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP). More information at https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2024/12/04/vanessa-bravo-presents-research-at-two-universities-in-mexico-city/

Gomez-Zapata, T. and Bravo, V. (2024).  Internacionalización de los países a través del séptimo arte (el cine): China, Canadá, Colombia y México.  XXXVII Congreso Annual de la Asociación Mexicana de Estudios Internacionales (AMEI), Sección Comunicación Internacional, Diplomacia Pública y Cultural. Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua. Oct. 16-18. Chihuahua, México. 

González de Bustamente, C., Reilly, J., Bravo, V. and Furtado, S. (2024). Declining press freedoms and increasing precarity among journalists in Costa Rica. Presented at AEJMC (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) Pre-Conference: Worlds of Journalism Study. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. August 8.

Gonzalez de Bustamente, C., Reilly, J., Bravo, V. and Furtado, S. (2024). El caso de Costa Rica: Worlds of Journalism Study. LASA (Latin American Studies Association) Congress. Bogotá, Colombia, June 12-15. 

Bravo, V. (2024). Diaspora-sending countries opposing migrants in transit: The case of Mexico. Presented on April 4 at the session Dissenting Public Diplomacy. International Studies Association (ISA) Conference. San Francisco, California. April 3-6.

Bravo, V., Morales, P., Díaz-Bartolomé, G. (2024). Invited Panel: La diplomacia pública en America Latina: Escenarios y realidades. Organized by the Center on Public Diplomacy (University of Southern California) and ICA (International Communication Association)’s Public Diplomacy Interest Group. Online. March 6. 87 Zoom attendants.

Bravo, V. and Gómez-Zapata, T. (2023). The impact of the movies Coco and Encanto on the U.S. media coverage of Mexico and Colombia. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual convention. Entertainment Studies Interest Group. Aug. 7-10. Washington, D.C.

Bravo, V. (2022). Invited panelist to peer-reviewed panel “La Diplomacia Pública. Advancing Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Public Diplomacy Scholarship from and on Latin America.” With faculty panelists from the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Chile who work at DePaul University (Chicago), the U.S. State Department, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Universidad de las Americas (Puebla-México). Hybrid session. International Communication Association (ICA). Public Diplomacy Interest Group. Hyatt Regency. May 29. Paris, France.

Bravo, V. (2022). The Influence and Impact of Diaspora Activism in Latin America. International Studies Association (ISA) annual convention. International Communication Division. March 29-April 1. Nashville, Tenessee.

Bravo, V. (2022). Invited panelist to the peer-reviewed panel session Ampliando las Perspectivas sobre Diplomacia Digital desde el Campo: Visiones de las Americas (In Spanish. Translation: Expanding the perspectives about digital diplomacy from the field: Visions from the Americas). With faculty panelists born in Spain, Chile, the Dominican Republic and Mexico who work at Arizona State University, Georgetown University, California State University, DePaul University and Universidad de las Americas -Puebla (Mexico). International Studies Association (ISA). International Communication Division. March 29-April 1. Nashville, Tenessee.

Bravo, V. (2021). Invited panelist at international panel "Flipping the Script: Bottom-Up Methods for Diaspora Diplomacy Studies." With Drs. Alina Dolea (Bornemouth University, UK), Ilan Manor (Tel Aviv University, Israel), and Maria De Moya (DePaul University, Chicago). Organized by NACDI (North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative -- Led by the universities of Southern California, Queens (Canada), Carleton (Canada) and Iberoamericana (Mexico)). Nov.19. On Zoom.

Bravo, V. and De Moya, M. (2021). Invited panelists at international panel "Presentation of the book Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy." With Drs. Maria De Moya (DePaul University), Eduardo Luciano Tadeo Hernandez (U. Iberoamericana, Mexico),  Karla Valenzuela (U. Iberoamericana, Mexico). Organized by NACDI (North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative -- Led by the universities of Southern California, Queens (Canada), Carleton (Canada) and Iberoamericana (Mexico)). Nov.9. On Zoom.

Bravo, V. (2021). Invited panelist at international panel "Comunicación Global: Cómo se construye hoy la identidad de un país en el mundo" [Global Communication: How a country's identity in the world is built in contemporary times]. With Drs. Yadira Nieves-Espinoza (Universidad de Puerto Rico -Bayamon Campus), Marcela Ferre (Universidad Blas Pascal - Argentina) and Maria De Moya (DePaul University - Chicago). Organized by the Semana Internacional (International Week) at Universidad Blas Pascal, in Argentina. Nov. 3. On Zoom.

De Moya, M. and Bravo, V. (2021). New Cuban-American narratives about the homeland: Moving away from traditional storylines shared by “hardliners” via Twitter. AEJMC (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) annual conference. Mass Comm & Society Division. Aug. 4-7. Online  (Covid19).

Bravo, V. and De Moya, M. (2021). State-diaspora relations in El Salvador and Colombia from 2010 to 2020: Building legitimacy at home while trying to protect and "court" citizens abroad. International Studies Association (ISA) annual convention. International Communication Division. April 6-9. Online (due to Covid19).

Bravo, V. and Muñoz, S. (2021). The Latinx factor in the “browning of America”: The higher-education context. International Studies Association (ISA) annual convention. International Education Division. April 6-9. Online (due to Covid19).

De Moya, M. and Bravo, V. (2021). Twitter messaging by the "hardliners" versus the "new Cuban diaspora." Southeast Colloquium of AEJMC (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication). March 18-20. Online conference due to Covid19 (hosted by Elon University, North Carolina).

Bravo, V. (2020). The cultural relations approach to network diplomacy. NACDI (North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative)'s international summit "Cultural Diplomacy as Critical Practice." Organized by the universities of Southern California (USA), Queens (Canada), Carleton (Canada), Iberoamericana (Mexico) and the Royal Ontario Museum (Canada). Online summit. Sept.24-25.

Bravo, V. (2020). New Puerto Rican residents in Florida: Media coverage and media portrayals after Hurricane Maria. Presented at the Panel Session: The Role of the Media in Puerto Rico's Times of Crisis. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) 103rd annual conference. Political Communication & Minorities and Communication Divisions. Virtual Conference. August 6-9.

Bravo, V. (2020). Moderator and presenter at the Panel Session: Understanding public relations and public diplomacy in Latin America: Challenges and Opportunities in 2020. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) 103rd annual conference. Public Relations Division. Virtual Conference. August 6-9.

Bravo, V. (2019). State-diaspora relations in the cases of the governments of El Salvador, Costa Rica and Colombia, in comparison to Mexico. Keynote speaker for the international Diaspora Studies Series, organized by El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, in Monterrey (Mexico) and by Universidad Iberoamericana, in Mexico D.F. Discussant: Dr. Andrea Gonzalez, School of Latin American Studies at UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico). October 10. Virtual panel with online attendants from Latin America. See https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2019/10/16/vanessa-bravo-invited-as-keynote-speaker-for-virtual-panel-on-state-diaspora-relations/

De Moya, M. & Bravo, V. (2019). Perpetual foreigners: Negotiating the framing of Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans via Twitter after Hurricane Maria. Presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference. Minorities and Communication Division. Toronto, Canada, August 7-10.

Jackson, C. & Bravo, V. (2019). YouTube’s content influence on college-aged Black women’s decision to transition to natural hair. Presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference. Minorities and Communication Division. Toronto, Canada, August 7-10.

Bravo, V. & De Moya, M. (2019). A Foreign Problem or a Domestic Crisis? U.S. Media Framing of the Aftermath Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Presented at the International Studies Association (ISA)`s annual conference. International Communication Division. March 26-30. Toronto, Canada.

Bravo, V. & Munoz, S. (2019). Analyzing the experiences of Latinx students at a predominantly White institution in the U.S. South: The good and the bad. Presented at the International Studies Association (ISA)’s annual conference.  International Education Division (IED). March 26-30. Toronto, Canada.

Bravo, V. & De Moya, M. (2018). Contesting the ‘bad hombres’ narrative: How the U.S. and Mexican presidents attempt to shape migrants’ image in the media. Presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference. Political Communication Interest Group (PCIG). Top 3rd Faculty Paper Award. Washington, D.C., August 6-9.

De Moya, M. & Bravo, V. (2018). Engaging home audiences across the border: Message framing in the U.S. and Mexican embassies before and after the U.S. administration change. Presented at the International Communication Association (ICA) annual conference. Public Diplomacy Division. Top 3rd Faculty Paper Award. Prague, Czech Republic, May 24-28.

Bravo, V.  & De Moya, M. (2018). “Bad Hombres” versus “Good Migrants”: The Media Construction of the Figure of the Migrant in the United States and Mexico in the Trump Era. International Studies Association (ISA)’s annual conference. International Communication Division (ICD). April 4-7, San Francisco, California.

De Moya, M. & Bravo, V. (2018). Unwanted Attention: The Reputational Costs of the Dominican Republic’s Denial of Citizenship for People of Haitian Descent. International Studies Association (ISA)’s annual conference. International Communication Division (ICD). April 4-7, San Francisco, California.

Pre-Tenure

Bravo, V. & De Moya, M. (2017). Engaging home publics in host countries: Comparative study of strategic framing efforts by the United States, Mexico and Canada. International Studies Association (ISA) annual conference. February 22-25. Baltimore, Maryland.

Bravo, V. & De Moya, M. (2016). Communicating with and about the Diaspora: A three-country study. 19th International Public Relations Research (IPRRC) conference. March 2-5. Miami, Florida.

Bravo, V. (2015). Promising professors: Teaching approaches. Third-place competition winner. Presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference. Mass Communication and Society Division. San Francisco, California, August 6-9.

Bravo, V. (2015). Offline social networks in information-gathering processes among Latina migrants in New York and North Carolina. Presented at the International Communication Association (ICA) 65st Annual Conference. May 20-25. San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Bravo, V. (2015). Emerging publics in government communications: Domestic publics and diaspora communities. Panel organized and chaired at the International Communication Association (ICA) 65st Annual Conference. May 20-25. San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Bravo, V. (2015). Applying the Situational Theory of Publics to the case of the first external voting process for Costa Ricans abroad: Lessons learned and applications for international public relations and political communication. 18th International Public Relations Research (IPRRC) conference. March 5-7. Miami, Florida.

De Moya, M. & Bravo, V. (2014). The role of public relations In ethnic advocacy and activism: A proposed research agenda. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference. Public Relations Division. Montreal, Canada.

Bravo, V. (2014). Meaning of new technologies for the trasnational communication experiences of Latina migrants in the U.S.East Coast. International Communication Association (ICA) annual conference. May 22-26. Seattle, Washington, Communication and Technology Division.

Bravo, V. (2013). Communicating external voting rights to diaspora communities: Challenges and opportunities in the cases of El Salvador and Costa Rica. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference. International Communication Division. Washington, DC.

De Moya, M. & Bravo, V. (2013). Communicating the homeland´s relationship with its diaspora community: The cases of El Salvador and Colombia. ICA´s annual conference. Global Communication and Social Change Division. London, England.

Bravo, V. (2012). El Salvador and Costa Rica: Two Central American Opposite Cases in Their State-Diaspora Relations. AEJMC conference. Chicago, Illinois. International Communication Division.

Bravo, V. (2012). Diaspora relations: A specific type of relationship in the field of global public relations. ICA conference. Phoenix, Arizona, Public Relations Division.

Bravo, V. (2012). El Salvador’s state relationship-building efforts with its migrant community in the United States. ICA conference. Phoenix, Arizona. Conference Theme Division.

Molleda, J.C., Bravo, V., Giraldo, A.F., & Botero, L.H. (2011). Testing the Theory of Cross-National Conflict Shifting: A Quantitative Content Analysis and a Case Study of the Chiquita Brands’ Transnational Crisis Originated in Colombia. AEJMC conference. Public Relations Division. St. Louis, Missouri.

PRESENTATIONS AT PROFESSIONAL/LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES

Post-Tenure

Bravo, V. (2021). Invited panel moderator of session "Contextual Advertising and BLM (Black Lives Matter) Appropriation." With Drs. Mia Moody-Ramirez (Baylor U.), Yadira Nieves-Pizarro (U. Interamericana de Puerto Rico - Bayamon), Sydney Dillard (DePaul U.) and Juan Mundel (Arizona State University). AEJMC's (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) annual conference. Aug.6. Online (due to Covid19).

Bravo, V. (2020). Education with an equity lens: What democracy looks like to next-gen Public Relations leaders. Peer-reviewed panel proposal. Presented at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)’s Educators Academy. With professors Bey-Ling Sha (California State University - Fullerton, dean), Natalie T.J. Tindall (Lamar University) and María Elena Villar (Florida International University). Virtual panel hosted by the Institute for Public Relations (IPR). October 22.

Bravo, V. (2019). Leadership 101: Lessons learned, challenges addressed and things that make us go hmmm. Presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference. With Dr. Brooke Barnett, dean at Butler University; Dr. Jennifer Greer, dean at University of Kentucky; Dr. Amy Falkner, interim dean at Syracuse University, and Dr. Bey-Ling Sha, dean at California State – Fullerton. Moderator: Dr. Meghan S. Sanders – associate professor at Louisiana State University. Toronto, Canada, August 7-10.

Bravo, V. (2019). The intersection of Public Relations, diversity and inclusion: Implications for our field, from academia to the profession. With professors Joseph Cabosky (UNC-Chapel Hill), Arumina Krishna (Boston University), and Candace Parrish (Rollins College). Moderator: Shelley Spector, Museum of Public Relations. Virtual panel (on Zoom) organized by the Public Relations Division (PRD) of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). February 5. 29 participants.

Service Activities

POST-TENURE

Currently:

-At the university level

  • Latinx/Hispanic Council Co-Chair (Spring 2023 to present)
  • Faculty advisor of Mi Casa LLC (Living and Learning Community) at Elon, along with CREDE director Sylvia Munoz. Summer 2025 to Summer 2027.
  • President`s Advisory Council on Inclusive Excellence (PACIE) member (Spring 2020 to present)
  • Latinx Employee Resource Group Co-Coordinator and co-founder (Spring 2017 to present
  • Latinx Faculty Panelist at Viva Elon! admissions events, organized by Kimberly Romero. once in the Spring and once in the Fall. (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020).
  • Other activities: Presenter at Admissions events, Women's Resource Center in Alamance County (WRCAC) Board of Directors member, etc.

-At the School of Communications level

  • School of Communications Assistant Dean (June 1, 2024 to present)
  • Strategic Communications Department Chair (June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2024)
  • Adviser of 20-40 Communications majors every semester (mainly Strategic Communications) (since 2011)
  • Reviewer for the Elon Journal every semester since Fall of 2011.

Previously

-At the university level

  • Latinx/Hispanic Implementation Team Co-Chair (Fall 2019 to Fall 2022)
  • Committee member of the American Council on Education (ACE)’s Learner Success Pilot Lab at Elon, a grant-funded research project on mentorship, with nine other universities (Fall 2020-Spring 2022).
  • DEI Provost-Appointed Group on Professional Development and Evaluation. Member (Spring 2021).
  • Search Committee member for the positions of Associate Director of El Centro (Spring 2020) and Elon Graduate Education`s Director of Inclusive Excellence (Fall 2020).
  • Department Chairs Task Force member (Spring 2017-Fall 2019; university level)
  • Hispanic/Latinx Working Group co-chair (Spring 2017- Fall 2018; university level)
  • Other activities: Keynote Speaker at the ALANAM`s Women´s Institute annual conference (Spring 2020); and, in several occasions: Diversity Roundtables presenter; Race-Nicity presenter; Admissions events presenter, Intersect Conference at Elon presenter; etc.

-At the School of Communications level

  • Elon Journal Advisory Committee (Fall 2019 to Spring 2020) and Communications Fellows Committee (Fall 2019 to Spring 2020)
  • Teacher-Scholar Committee chair (2018-2019) and member (2017-2018) (School of Communications)
  • Adviser of 20-40 Communications majors every semester (mainly Strategic Communications) (since 2011)

PRE-TENURE

-At the university level

  • Second Language Proficiency Committee member (2014-2017; university level)
  • Faculty Adviser of the International Living and Learning Community (ILLC) in the Global Neighborhood (2013-2016)
  • Faculty-in-Residence at the Global Neighborhood, Building A, and member of the Global Neighborhood Association (2014-2016)
  • Global Education Curriculum Committee. Interim member. Fall of 2015.
  • FR&D Committee (Faculty Research and Development, university wide. Revision of sabbatical proposals, summer research proposals, funding proposals, distinguished scholar proposals, and more) (2013-2015)
  • Residential Campus Advisory Committee member (2013-2014)
  • Faculty-in-Residence at the Isabella Cannon Pavilion (2013-2014)
  • Academic Service-Learning Faculty Advisory Committee (2012-2013)
  • Service Learning Faculty Scholar (2012-2013)

-At the School of Communications level

  • Communication Fellows Committee member (School of Communications) (2013-2017)
  • Faculty Adviser of the PRSSA's (Public Relations Student Society of America) Elon Chapter (School of Communications) (2013-2016)
  • Diversity Committee member and chair (School of Communications, 2011-2012, 2012-2013)
  • Adviser of 20-40 Communications majors every semester (mainly Strategic Communications) (since 2011)
  • Member of five Faculty Search Committees (in 2017, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2013).

Awards

Post-Tenure

  • 2025: Top faculty paper focused on Latin America. International Communications Division. AEJMC. San Francisco, California. By González de Bustamente, C., Reilly, J., Bravo, V. and Furtado, S. (2025). Costa Rican Journalism at a Crossroads: Emerging Concerns Over Press Freedoms and Economic Precarity. Presented Aug.9 at AEJMC (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) annual conference. 
  • 2021-2022: Elon University Distinguished Scholar Award. University-level. May 11.
  • 2019: Institute for Diverse Leadership 2019-2020 Fellow. Selected, among 45 applicants, as one of 9 associate professors, across the United States, to be a 2019-2020 AEJMC’s Institute for Diverse Leadership (IDL) Fellow. Higher-education leadership trainings in Toronto (August 6, 2019), New Orleans (March 5-7, 2020), Chicago (April 24-25, 2020), Penn State University (date TBD, 2020), and San Francisco (August 6-9, 2020).
  • 2018-2019: Latinx/Hispanic Faculty Service Award. Elon University. Selected by Elon´s Latinx students. Awarded during the Gala Latina ceremony. Spring 2019.
  • 2018: Top 3rd Faculty Paper. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC) annual conference. Political Communication Interest Group (PCIG). This year, the PCIG received 94 paper submissions, it accepted 46 papers (49% acceptance rate), and it awarded the top-three faculty papers. The Top 3rd faculty paper was “Contesting the ‘bad hombres’ narrative: How the U.S. and Mexican presidents attempt to shape migrants’ image in the media,” by Vanessa Bravo (Elon University) and Maria De Moya (DePaul University). Washington D.C., August 6-9.
  • 2018: Top 3rd Faculty Paper. International Communication Association (ICA) annual conference. Public Diplomacy Division. This year, the PDD received 54 paper submissions, it accepted 24 papers (46% acceptance rate), and awarded the top-three faculty papers. The Top 3rd faculty paper was “Engaging home audiences across the border: Message framing in the U.S. and Mexican embassies before and after the U.S. administration change,” by Maria De Moya (DePaul) and Vanessa Bravo (Elon University). Prague, Czech Republic, May 24-28.
  • 2017: Excellence in Scholarship Faculty Award. School of Communications. Elon University.

Pre-Tenure

  • 2015: Promising Professors Award (third-place). Awarded by the Mass Communication and Society Division of AEJMC (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications). San Francisco, California.
  • 2015: Plank Center Educators Fellowhip, awarded by the Plank Center to spend two weeks at H K Strategies (Hill and Knowlton) in Tampa, Florida.
  • 2013: Faculty Summer Research Award
  • 2012: Hultquist Award (for Summer Research)
  • 2010: Doctoral Teaching Award. Center for Latin American Studies. University of Florida.
  • 2007, 2003 and 1999: Costa Rica’s National Prize of Music, as member of El Café Chorale choir.
  • 2004: Best News Website (awarded by the Costa Rican Ministry of Science and Technology). Received as the online editor for Nacion.com (newspaper La Nacion´s site).
  • 2001: Fulbright Scholarship. 2001 through 2003, at the University of Florida.
  • 2001: New Media Fellowship, Newspaper Association of America,
  • 1995: “Cristal Ecologico” Award on sustainable development news, awarded in Costa Rica by the University of Navarra (Spain), the University of Valencia (Spain), the Latina University (Costa Rica) and the Earth Council (international non-profit organization).