HOUSTON (September 26, 2018) — After a competitive hiring process, the Valenti School of Communication is thrilled to announce the promotion of Priscilla Thorne Tinsley and welcome the our new hires, Dr. Sahar Hamzah and Dr. Dani Madrid-Morales. Each candidate was set apart by their tremendous experience and acumen in their respective fields.

“Each of these professors are bringing years of field experience, research, and global competence to our school,” said Dr. Temple Northup, associate professor and director of the Valenti School of Communication.  “Their contributions and research will move us a forward in building our national and global brand as a Tier 1 program.”

Dr. Sahar Hamzah

An instructional assistant professor of media production, Dr. Hamzah holds a Ph.D. in Media and Communication from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. She has years of cinema studies and film adaptation experience. She is a professional member of the Association of Adaptation Studies and the Society for Cinema & Media Studies.

Dr. Dani Madrid-Morales

Dr. Madrid-Morales, assistant professor of journalism, obtained his Ph.D. in Media and Communication from City University of Hong Kong. He has 10 years of experience as a broadcast journalist, covering international politics in Barcelona, Spain. He specializes in research centered around transnational news and entertainment flows, particularly between countries in the Global South and journalistic practice in Africa and East Asia.

Professor Priscilla Thorne Tinsley

Professor Tinsley has been promoted from the position of lecturer to instructional assistant professor. She has taught at the Valenti School of Communication since 2014. Professor Tinsley holds an M.A. in Public Relations from the University of Houston, and her professional experience spans 26 years of developing and executing effective strategic communication and crisis-management plans. Since 2016, she has helped launch and successfully run Valenti Integrate, the school’s on-campus, student-run public relations firm.