Danielle LaGree, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, PRSSA Adviser

danilagree@ksu.edu
Campus office: 227 A Nichols Hall

Dr. Danielle LaGree teaches courses in the advertising and public relations major including principles of public relations, research for advertising and public relations, and a graduate course in reputation management. She is the faculty adviser for the K-State Chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), a pre-professional organization that supports college students preparing to launch careers in PR. She stays engaged in the PR profession through her consulting practice, offering communications support for small businesses, business strategy sessions for entrepreneurs, and career coaching for young pros.

Dani studies issues involving corporate and internal communication, employee engagement, organizational culture, leadership, and career socialization/psychology. Her research is published in Public Relations Journal, International Journal of Business Communication, and Gender in Management, among others.

Prior to receiving her Ph.D. in strategic communication from the Missouri School of Journalism, Dani developed a strong and diverse professional background in PR in the Kansas City area. She managed digital communications for a national, direct-selling fashion brand and managed business development and earned media initiatives for PR and advertising agencies.

Selected publications:

LaGree, D., Olsen, K., Tefertiller, A., & Vasquez, R. (2023). Combatting the ‘Great Discontent’: The impact of employability culture and leadership empowerment on career growth, loyalty, and satisfaction. Corporate Communications: an International Journal (online first). https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-04-2023-0058

Willett, F., LaGree, D., Shin, H., Houston, B., & Duffy, M. (2023). The role of leader communication in fostering respectful workplace culture and increasing employee engagement and well-being. International Journal of Business Communication. Online first. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884231195614

Olsen, K. & LaGree, D. (2023). Taking action in the first five years to increase career equality: The impact of professional relationships on young women’s advancement. Gender in Management: An International Journal, online first. doi: 10.1108/GM-02-2022-0058

LaGree, D. & Olsen, K. (2022). Building a strong career foundation through proactivity behaviors: An exploration of organizational socialization experiences of early-career women in public relations. Public Relations Journal, 15(1). Available at https://prjournal.instituteforpr.org/

Olsen, K., LaGree, D., & Tefertiller, A. (2021). Preparing for a diverse ad industry future: Advantages and challenges for first-generation college students. Advertising & Society Quarterly, 22(3). doi:10.1353/asr.2021.0039

LaGree, D., Houston, B., Duffy, M., & Shin, H. (2021). The effect of respect: Respectful communication at work drives resilience, engagement, and job satisfaction among early career employees. International Journal of Business Communication. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884211016529

Hansen-Horn, T., & LaGree, D. (2020). Public relations self-reflection: What “do” we call ourselves? What “should” we call ourselves? Quarterly Review of Business Disciplines, 7(2), 145-164. Available at https://faculty.utrgv.edu/louis.falk/qrbd/QRBDaug20.pdf

LaGree, D. (2020). Synthesizing primary and secondary research to drive strategy: A final project for a strategic communication research course. Journal of Public Relations Education, 6(2), 142-149. Available at https://aejmc.us/jpre/wpcontent/uploads/sites/25/2020/08/JPRE-6.2-complete-issue.pdf

LaGree, D., Olsen, K., & Tefertiller, A. (2020). Preparing mass communications students for an evolving industry: The influence of emotional intelligence and extracurricular involvement on career adaptability. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 76(1), pp. 65-77. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077695820924303