USI Social Media Symposium to virtually host award-winning international social media professional
March 16, 2023
The University of Southern Indiana Foundation, College of Liberal Arts and Communications and Media Department will host the 2023 Social Media Symposium at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 22 in Carter Hall, located in University Center West. Dr. Karen Sutherland, Senior Lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, will present a virtual keynote, “Social Media in Australia: Trends, Habits, Education and Employability.” This event is open to the public at no charge.
Sutherland has been designing and delivering social media courses and workshops around the world for over 10 years for a wide range of sectors, including health and wellness, small businesses and higher education.
A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Sutherland is the author of the award-winning text, Strategic Social Media Management – Theory and Practice, co-author of Public Relations and Strategic Communication and has co-authored the forthcoming book, Transmedia Brand Storytelling - From Theory to Practice. She is also the co-founder and Social Media Specialist at Dharana Digital, a specialized marketing agency that assists health and wellness coaches with social media, web design and SEO.
Sutherland's research has appeared in Public Relations Review and Media International Australia, among other publications, and she has presented at conferences and industry events in Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, India, the United Kingdom and the United States. She regularly delivers social media workshops and coaching sessions to clients from a range of industries internationally.
In 2022, Sutherland received the gold Stevie Award for Woman of the Year - Social Media; a Silver International Stevie Award; and a Book Excellence Award from the Book Excellence Awards for her book, Strategic Social Media Management – Theory and Practice. Previous awards include the 2021 Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (DASSH) Award for Education, Innovation, and Employability, as well as 2020 Best Social Media Educator of the Year Award for Australia and New Zealand.
For more information, contact Mary Beth Reese, Instructor in Communications and Symposium Director, at 812-461-5379.