Published on Oct. 24, 2023
Updated on April 25, 2024
Department: School of Journalism
Concentration: Data Journalism & Strategic Communication
JON STEMMLE is a professor of strategic communication and former director of the Health Communication Research Center at the Missouri School of Journalism. He also has an appointment as an affiliate faculty member in the School of Health Professions.
In his role as a professor, Stemmle has taught a wide range of classes dealing with topics such as public relations, health and science communication, social media, event planning and integrated marketing campaigns. He is the co-director of MOJO Ad, a student-staffed, full-service agency that specializes in the 18- to 24-year old demographic. MOJO Ad’s clients include AT&T, Chevrolet, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Purina, Sour Patch Kids, Walmart and Warner Brothers.
His primary research interests involve health-related community-based participatory research, tailored health communication, employee communication and corporate communication. Stemmle’s work in the area of strategic health communication has been presented to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), European CDC, National Cancer Institute (NCI), and various health literacy groups around the nation. Since 2003, Stemmle has been part of grant projects totaling more than $30 million dealing with topics such as health and science literacy, cancer prevention communications and photovoice. These projects were conducted on a variety of levels — from local and state to national and international — through federal agencies, including the CDC, NCI, NSF and USDA, as well as various foundations.
His co-authored research has been published in a wide array of journals including the Journal of Health Communication, Journal of Management & Marketing in Healthcare, and the Journal of Interactive Advertising. Stemmle has also served as a reviewer for several journals, including the Journal of Communication in Healthcare, Health Communication and Health Education & Behavior. In 2022, his co-authored book on employee communication was published by Routledge entitled “Engaging Employees through Strategic Communication: Skills, Strategies, and Tactics.”
His career began in journalism with the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey and continued at newspapers around the country for nearly a decade. Stemmle has been involved with public relations and strategic communication for nearly 20 years.
Stemmle has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Arizona (1997) and undergraduate degrees in history and communications from Virginia Wesleyan College (1993).