The comparisons between Grady College’s Kaye Sweetser and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz are hard to ignore. Both hail from small Kansas towns, both were taken in and raised by family members and both are devoted moms to small and cuddly canine companions (Toto for Dorothy and Ali, a two-pound Yorkshire terrier, for Sweetser). But that’s where the similarities end.
While Dorothy clicked her heels to get back to Kansas, Sweetser, who teaches public relations at UGA, intentionally sought a way out.
“I joined the Navy to get out of Kansas and to never be sent back,” she said.
Raised by grandparents in a retired Army household, Sweetser knew the many benefits the military offered. She also knew that she didn’t want to be “dropped into a place like I grew up in. So I picked the military branch that would get me as far away from Kansas as possible. That’s how I came to join the Navy in 1996.”
A seaman apprentice, Sweetser was given the job of journalist and sent to military school for training.
“It turned out to be wonderful,” she said. “It showed me this world of public affairs and public relations that I didn’t really understand could be a job or how much fun it was.”
After five years of active duty, during which she completed a bachelor’s degree in communication, Sweeter found herself at a crossroads. With hopes of making the military a career, she applied for a commission so she could become an officer. When the commission was denied, she resorted to her plan B which was to join the Navy Reserve, get her master’s and Ph.D. degrees on the GI Bill, and become a professor.
Today, Sweetser holds the rank of lieutenant and serves as a public affairs officer in the Reserve—all while teaching and conducting research at Grady. “They see the military the first day,” she said of the rigor and almost boot-camp-like experience for which she has gained a reputation. “My classes are not for the faint of heart. But I love it when I hear in the halls ‘Sweetser is really hard, but you’ll get so much out of the class.’ ”
She teaches undergraduate public relations research, public relations writing and public relations campaigns as well as graduate research methods. Sweetser also has offered a special topics course in social media, an area she incorporates into her classes and in which she has developed an international research reputation.
“Much of my research focuses on how people are using social media and how it can be used from a public relations perspective,” she said. “It’s what gets me up in the morning.”
A highly productive scholar, she was named a 2008 Fellow of the prestigious Society of New Communications Research, a global think tank dedicated to looking at how communication technologies are impacting society.
Sweetser’s research and teaching are closely intertwined, with social media at the forefront. Among the many tools and technologies she incorporates are Skype, instant messaging, Facebook, Twitter, podcasting, video chats, video camcorders, LinkedIn and YouTube.
At the same time, she doesn’t think you should use technology for technology’s sake.
“You should only use technology when it improves students’ experiences,” she said. “I’m not here to teach skills like video editing and using specific software. I’m here to teach big concepts, make them relevant to students and create leading practitioners.”
Even with her tough approach, the Lilly Teaching Fellow is a popular teacher who admits that there’s a bit of fun that goes along with social media.
“It’s something students can relate to. A lot of these tools they’re using in their personal life,” she said.
“It’s my job to show them how it can become a PR tactic that can be used professionally, so it’s not a really hard sell,” she added.
Neither are the benefits of Sweetser’s military service. Currently attached to the U.S. Southern Command in Miami, she goes away on military duty one week every three months.
“My continued active practice makes me a better teacher,” said Sweetser, who plans to leave the military behind in seven years having seen much of the world during her 20-year stint.
But the very best part of it all?
She can truly say, “We’re not in Kansas any more.”
FACTS
Kaye Sweetser
Assistant Professor of Public Relations
Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
B.S., Communication, Old Dominion University, 1999
M.A., Mass Communication, University of Florida, 2002
Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Florida, 2004
At UGA: 3 years
