Emily Vietti, Ph.D.

Dr. Emily Vietti (she/her/hers) is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Organizational Communication graduate programs and Professional Studies undergraduate programs. Dr. Vietti is also the Civic Engagement Faculty Fellow for the KU Center for Service Learning.

Prior to joining the School of Professional Studies, Dr. Vietti was the director of undergraduate studies for the KU Institute for Leadership Studies and the director of Ready to Run Kansas®, a nonpartisan training program that aims to give Kansas women the knowledge, skills, and confidence to run for public office and increase their capacity for civic engagement and leadership. She has taught courses in Leadership Studies and Communication Studies at the University of Kansas for more than 10 years, and she is passionate about teaching diverse groups of students. Her program of research explores the effects of gender on the experiences of political candidates and early-career politicians with quantitative and qualitative methods.

Dr. Vietti has a background in journalism and politics, specializing in both traditional and new media. After starting her career as a journalist, she was hired to oversee the Newseum’s Today’s Front Pages project, where she worked with newspaper editors from every U.S. state and six continents. She also has extensive experience pitching and fielding media requests as a communications professional, specializing in story development and placement for education and non-profit organizations. She also is a trained writing coach and leadership coach. Originally from Wyoming, Dr. Vietti holds a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas. She completed her M.A. in Communication and Leadership at Gonzaga University, and she holds a B.S. in Journalism and a B.A. in English from the University of Florida.