Yvette Sterbenk

Associate Professor, Strategic Communication
School: Roy H. Park School of Communications
Specialty: Corporate communication, public relations, event planning, social media management

Professor Sterbenk teaches courses in corporate communications, events management, social impact, and social media management. She regularly publishes and presents about corporate activism and social impact. In 2025, she published the textbook Corporate Advocacy: A Strategic Communications Approach. 

With more than 20 years of professional experience in communications management for non-profit organizations and consumer brands, including event planning, promotions, marketing communications, media relations, and digital media, Professor Sterbenk brings to the classroom a wealth of experience and a passion for the field. 

Her credentials include:

Master of Arts (2000), Emerson College
Integrated Marketing Communication, Lambda Pi Eta

Bachelor of Arts (1992), Adelphi University
Anthropology, minor in French, Honors in Liberal Arts

Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

You can see Professor Sterbenk's current CV here.

Recent publications and presentations include:

  • Fromer, J. & Sterbenk, Y. (2026, April). Shop Your Values: A Textual Analysis of Online Marketplaces that Curate Red and Blue Brands. Popular Culture & American Culture Association Conference, Atlanta, GA.
     
  • Sterbenk, Y. (2025, December). Corporate Advocacy: A Strategic Communications Approach. Routledge.
     
  • Sterbenk, Y., Eisemann, D., Gaggin, K., MacClusky, L. (2025, April). Social Impact and Nonprofit Communications: Broadening the Curriculum, Eastern Communication Association, Buffalo, NY.
     
  • Sterbenk, Y., Ward, J., Luttrell, R. & Shelton, S. (2022), Silence has no place: a framing analysis of corporate statements about racial inequity, immigration policy, and LGBTQ rights. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 27 No. 2, pp. 404-421. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-09-2021-0106
     

  • Sterbenk, Y., Champlin, S., Windels, K., & Shelton, S. (2020, April) Is Femvertising the new greenwashing? Examining corporate commitment to gender equality. Paper Presentation, Eastern Communication Association (ECA) Annual Conference, Top Competitive Papers panel for the Applied Communications Division, Baltimore, MD. (Conference canceled due to Covid-19.)