Emily Acosta Lewis

Professor

Emily Acosta Lewis

Contact

707-664-2507

Office

Nichols 324
Office Hours By Appointment Only

Office Hours

Monday:
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. By appointment only
Biography

Dr. Emily Acosta Lewis received a Ph.D. in Communication Arts from
University of Wisconsin-Madison, a M.A in Journalism and Mass
Communication from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.A. in Public
Relations from San Diego State University. She has taught courses in
public relations, mass communication, persuasion, public speaking, new
media, and interdisciplinary first-year living-learning community courses.
She is the faculty advisor for the student-run PR agency,  Primitivo, and is
also the Center for Community Engagement Arts and Humanities Faculty
Fellow. Her most recent research is in high-impact educational
practices with a focus on service-learning. 


Emily has a student-centered approach to teaching and believes in
engaging students with high impact educational practices in her classes.
She does this through service-learning, first-year seminars and
experiences, learning communities, collaborative projects, undergraduate
research, and ePortfolios. Emily believes that experiential education is vital
to a well-rounded college experience and encourages this in her classroom
through service-learning projects and engaging in real-world PR work in
Primitivo. 


Emily is a first-generation college student who understands the unique
challenges that students can experience while navigating college from this
perspective. She strives to educate her students on skills that will get them
ready for the job market, such as resumes, cover letters, networking, and
salary negotiations. She was a professor with Semester at Sea while
visiting twelve countries over 106 days and also studied in Paris as an
undergraduate. Please reach out to her if you have any questions about the
COMS major, public relations, service-learning, studying abroad, graduate
school, or attending college as a first-gen student.
Emily is passionate about leadership development and diversity, equity,
and inclusion work on campus. She recently completed the Cornell DEI
Certificate and participated in CSU Student Success Network Middle
Leadership Academy to focus on addressing equity gaps at SSU. She has
co-created a three-course leadership certificate program at Sonoma State
University, which has been taken by students internationally. She
volunteers with Phi Delta Fraternity nationally as a member of their
Education Committee, which focuses on leadership education with their
members across the US and Canada. She is also the Academic Advisor for
the Phi Delta Theta chapter at SSU and the Faculty Advisor for Lambda
Sigma Gamma, the only multicultural sorority at SSU.

Emily spends weekends with her three kids (aged 4, 6, and 8) exploring
North Bay beaches, parks, and museums. She enjoys sports in any form,
watching questionable television shows, drinking matcha/chai, yoga, and
hiking.