Marlene Neill, Ph.D., APR, Honored with 2026 IPR Pathfinder Award

Contact: Baylor University Media & Public Relations, 254-710-1961  
Follow us: @BaylorUMedia on X and LinkedIn 

Marlene Neill, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, professor and graduate program director of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media, has been selected to receive the 2026 IPR Pathfinder Award by the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) for her significant and sustained research on public relations ethics and leadership practices. Neill will be recognized at the IPR Annual Awards Gala on Dec. 3, 2026, in New York City.

Each year, the IPR Pathfinder Award recognizes one individual for their outstanding and continued contributions to scholarly research in public relations. Recipients of the award must have national and international recognition for research that serves both the scholarly community and the profession.  

“It’s an honor and quite humbling to be named among that same list of Pathfinders in our field and the industry leaders, whose work was very influential for me as I was developing as a scholar,” Neill said. “Even though it’s an individual award, it would not have been possible without co-authors, grant funders, mentors and the practitioners who gave their time and shared their knowledge with me for not only research purposes but also to inform the next generation of public relations practitioners.”

The IPR describes the recipient of the annual Pathfinder award as “a research pioneer who has blazed a trail in a particular area of research that advances the body of knowledge in public relations.”

Neill’s research focus includes public relations’ role as an ethical conscience, leadership and internal communication within the public relations industry. She has published more than 45 refereed journal articles, three scholarly books and contributed numerous book chapters. Her scholarship has been published in top-ranked, core journals in public relations, such as the Journal of Public Relations Research, Public Relations Review, Journal of Media Ethics, Corporate Communication: An International Journal, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, among others.

“Dr. Neill is a noted scholar in the area of ethics and public relations,” said Mia Moody, Ph.D., professor and former chair of Journalism, PR and New Media at Baylor. “She has made a significant impact by training the next generation of scholars and industry leaders and frequently collaborates with students on cutting-edge topics that address important issues like AI in the workforce. We are very proud of her.”

A member of the Arthur W. Page Society, Neill also has been honored with PRSA’s Outstanding Educator Award and the 2023 Teaching Excellence Award from AEJMC’s Media Ethics Division. She was Inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows in 2020.

At Baylor, she teaches courses in Law and Ethics in journalism, Global Advertising & Public Relations, Ad & PR Leadership, Theory of Mass Communications and Research Methods. She serves as faculty adviser for Baylor’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which provides professional leadership and networking opportunities to students pursuing careers in communications.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY  

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for nearly 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s largest academic division, consisting of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and 24 academic departments in the sciences, humanities, fine arts and social sciences, as well as 12 academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. The College’s undergraduate Unified Core Curriculum, which routinely receives top grades in national assessments, emphasizes a liberal education characterized by critical thinking, communication, civic engagement and Christian commitment. Arts & Sciences faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines. Visit the College of Arts & Sciences website.