Lecturer.
Ph.D. (English), M.A. (Afro-American studies),
B.A. (English), University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Junker teaches Writing for Public Relations, Public Relations Techniques, and special topics courses in communication and culture, including Black Music and the Media. He also serves as the faculty adviser for the Public Relations Student Society of America. In his public relations classes, Dr. Junker teaches strategic communication as a dynamic process that requires proficiency in journalistic writing, advanced skills in critical thinking and a broad awareness of current events, public opinion and social relations. His Public Relations Techniques class integrates service learning projects for local nonprofits so students can practice strategic communication in the real world while benefitting the community. His communication and culture classes shed light on issues of diversity and race relations through popular music and the social movements and media discourse related to it. Dr. Junker’s approach to teaching is a product of his wide-ranging professional experience and interdisciplinary academic background. He has worked as a musician and music publicist, as well as a journalist in the areas of community affairs and arts and entertainment. He has also been a regular contributor to the national satirical newspaper The Onion, including the best-selling books Our Dumb Century and The Onion’s Finest News Reporting. With a master’s degree in Afro-American studies and doctorate in English, Dr. Junker also writes about literature, music and the politics of humor.
E-mail: junker@mail.utexas.edu